CCNL Constitution
Updated 10/16/17
Updates for 2018 in Red

Table of Contents

Structure. 1

Morals Clause. 2

Team Rosters. 2

Draft and Player Acquisition. 3

Playing the Game. 4

Player Usage. 5

Penalties. 6

Schedule. 7

Trades. 7

Free Agent (FA) Pool 8

Post Season. 8

Playoff Usage and Eligibility. 10

Playoff Schedule. 10

Attrition. 11

Structure

• The CCNL is a continuous ownership draft league and will consist of 24 individually owned teams.
• All CCNL games will be played via the internet, using the most current version of Strat-O-Matic CD-ROM computer baseball game.
• CCNL members are required to own the latest version of Strat-O-Matic CD-ROM computer baseball game, with card image, and have AOL Instant Messenger.
• All super advanced options will be used.
• Injuries will NOT be used
• The following Max Rules will be used:
• Bunt for base hit
• Improve base running realism
• More base running decisions
• Doubles and triples option
• Realistic throwing errors
• Pitch around option
• Robbing a home-run
• Limited OF mobility (but a player cannot play CF if not rated in CF on his card)
• Required menu/rules option menu settings will be set by the League Office prior to league files being made available each Play Month. Managers are NOT to change any of these settings, unless requested to do so by the Commissioner. Changing these settings constitutes cheating and you will be immediately kicked out of the league.
• Managers are allowed to set the following options to his or her personal preferences:
• Offense and Defense color
• Play by Play Color
• Play by Play Background and Sound
• Card image on will be the default. Only if BOTH managers agree, will the card image be turned off.
• Also, if both managers agree, they can use the Quick Play feature. But BOTH must agree.
• The CCNL will consist of 2 sub-leagues, designated as the American and National leagues. Each sub-league will consist of 12 teams.
• The CCNL will be made up of 6 divisions, 3 in each league, designated AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East, NL Central, and NL West. Each division consists of 4 teams. As much as possible, divisions will be based on time zones. This could mean yearly divisional changes. The Commissioner will make this determination prior to each season, when the roster of managers is set and prior to the draft.
• The DH will be used in all American League ballparks.
• Team's names maybe changed prior to the draft. These names may not be changed during the season. If a team changes hands, the new owner can chose a new team name before next season's draft.

Morals Clause

• All members will treat each other with dignity and respect.
• Under no circumstances will foul language used in a demeaning manner - whether via AIM or during any league communications - be tolerated.

Team Rosters

• Each team shall consist of up to 40 players. A team may never have more than 40 active players at any time except from the end of the regular season until the draft cut down date, which is January 5. You MUST cut down to at most 35 players on your roster. These players may be obtained through the draft, free agency, or trades.
• Each roster must show 720 Plate Appearances AFTER the 5% allowance for each position (including DH if AL). It is the manager’s responsibility to make sure that any trades made during the season enable his team to remain viable as far as usage.
• The formula is (AB x 1.05)+(BB x 1.05). Round up at .5.
• Each roster must show 1524 IP AFTER the 5% allowance. It is the manager’s responsibility to make sure that any trades made during the season enable his team to remain viable as far as usage.

Draft and Player Acquisition

• Each year 2 weeks prior to the Player Draft, a Ballpark draft will be conducted.
• The ballpark draft is optional.
• Any team must announce the Wednesday prior to the Ballpark Draft their intent to participate.
• The order of the Ballpark Draft will be the same as the Player Draft.
• Ballpark Draft picks are tradable.
• Team owners retain the right to a new stadium if the MLB team moves to a new ballpark or city.
• A team may never be in possession of:
• More than one ballpark
• More than one ballpark draft pick
• Both a ballpark and a ballpark draft pick
• A team does not own a ballpark draft pick until they drop their ballpark
• Managers may switch leagues (AL/NL) after being in the same league for 5 years.
• Existing managers will have first choice in switching leagues prior to new manager's league placement.
• The commissioner will move teams between the divisions within a league based on the time zone and geographical location.
• A manager does not get to request a divisional change as this could be construed as moving divisions in order to be more competitive.
• Draft-Eligible players are any players who played in MLB the previous season and received a player card for that season. COMPUTER-ONLY players ARE draft-eligible.
• Only players who had 20 Innings Pitched (19.2 rounds up to 20) or 35 Plate AB on their card are eligible for the draft and/or to play in the league. The 5% that we add for usage does NOT apply in this case.
• The 5% is added after eligibility for the league is determined by the AB/IP limitation
• Prior to each season, a rookie free agent draft will be held.
• The order of the draft will be in reverse order of the final regular season standings, with the following exceptions.
• The World Series champ will pick 24th in each round.
• The World Series runner up will pick 23rd in each round.
• The runners up in the League Championship Series' will pick 21st & 22nd, with the order decided by reverse order of their regular season records.
• The runners up in the Division Series' will pick 17th - 20th, with the order decided by reverse order of their regular season records.
• Non Playoff Teams will draft ahead of Playoff Teams, seeded in reverse order of finish.
• If 2 teams have the same record, the team with the better head-to-head record picks earlier. If that was a tie, there will be a coin flip.
• The draft shall be scheduled for 10 rounds.
• Each team will have one pick per round. This pick may be traded or waived.
• Once a team reaches their roster limit, they may not continue to draft.
• Teams who have not reached their 40-man roster limit after 10 rounds may continue to draft until the roster limit is reached.

Playing the Game

• Prior to the start of each month, teams are required to designate a number of players as inactive, in order to bring their Active Roster to 25. Active rosters must have at least 2 players rated at each position and must contain a minimum of 5 pitchers who are eligible to START. (Must be rated as Starter or Starter/Reliever)
• If a team has 4 * starters, they may carry only 4 starters.
• Teams must send their Computer Manager, with “STARTERS SCHEDULE” prior to the upcoming month. The following schedule will be adhered to, subject to adjustments by the commissioner when circumstances require it:
• All results, trades FA requests in by the 25th
• New rosters/stats sent out by the 27th
• CMs in by 30th (No lock codes)
• New .lzp file sent out by the 1st
• All players designated as inactive prior to the start of a month must remain inactive until the completion of the current month.
• EXCEPTION: If a player is used up during the month, he may be replaced by another player from the inactive list. Player for player, pitcher for pitcher.
• If using up a player depletes you at that position or deprives you of carrying 2 players rated for the position, you MUST replace him with a player that plays the position.
• A used up starting pitcher cannot be replaced until the series in progress is completed.
• Active rosters expand to 40 players for the September play month.
• At the start of each September game, each team must designate a 25-man roster for that game. No limitations except for the 2 players per position requirement.
• Make sure, prior to the start of each game, that the “Create Game Files” option is turned on.
• Upon completion of each series, the Hosting team manager is required to email the Game Files to the commissioner AND the league statistician. All files must be mailed immediately upon completion of the series.
• You must send the export files, box scores, and play account files.
• If you pinch hit for a player, you must have a player eligible for the replaced position, regardless of point in the game.

Player Usage

• Players are limited to 105% of actual usage (ABs plus Walks, a.k.a Plate Appearances for fielders or IPs for pitchers). Always round up at .5. The limits will be added into the league rosters prior to the start of the season.
• You may use a fielder up to his limit for Plate Appearances OR his limit for ABs, whichever you reach LAST. So if a player's adjusted ABs are 105, and his adjusted PAs are 125, he might reach 125 PAs in our season before he reaches 105 ABs. In that case, he may continue until he reaches 105 ABs.
• Pitchers who are not rated as Starter, may not perform in that role, Pitchers who are rated as a Starter only may only pitch in relief under the following conditions:
• It is the 9th inning or later AND
• All of the team's remaining available Relief rated pitchers are fatigued AND
• The team has no remaining Relief rated pitchers available AND
• The starter being used will have sufficient rest to make his next start
• Starting Pitchers must have at least 4 days of rest, unless they are rated with an asterisk, then they may start on only 3 days rest. Any pitcher starting games with insufficient rest will be suspended for 1 Play Week. Any second offenses by an owner will result in a player suspension of 3 weeks. A third offense by an owner will result in that player being released into the free agent pool and the owner will lose a 1st round draft choice the following year.
• A pitcher may not appear in a game as the DH unless there is a demonstrated usage issue requiring it.
• A player may not field a position for which he is not rated, EXCEPT:
• If your player is rated in center field, he may play any outfield position at his center field rating, per SOM rules.
• If his card doesn’t rate him in center field, he cannot play center field.
• If a player is rated in left field or right field, he can play either LF or RF per SOM rules.
• If an ineligible player appears in a game, and said infraction is caught by the opposing manager before the next At Bat, then the UNDO LAST PLAY function will be used to revert to the point in the game just prior to the infraction taking place and the infraction corrected.
• If the infraction is caught after the first At Bat --the play will stand and the ineligible player shall immediately be removed from the game. If the manager does not have any players that can play that position then the opposing manager can select ANY player (excluding pitchers) to play that position. This does not apply to a mistake in making a double switch where a position player accidentally was used as the pitcher and vice versa.
• If a runner attempts his lead and is not successful, he must stay in for the rest of the at bat, unless the defensive manager changes pitchers.
• The batter must also stay in for the remainder of the at bat unless the defensive manager changes pitchers.
• Any player who has exhausted his allowed usage will be removed from the team's SOM computer game roster for the remainder of the regular season.

Penalties

• Penalties will be assessed for overuse, tardiness and any other behavior that infringes upon the spirit of the league, unless the league office grants specific permission to do so.
• Player Overuse: Managers are expected to act in the spirit of fair competition, as such, if a player is overused by even 1 AB or IP, the penalty will be as follows:
• Suspension of the player for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
• A team forfeits its right to the playoffs if they have 2 or more overused players.
• Penalties are assessed on a point scale. Like in golf, you want a low score:
• Each player at 1 AB/PA/IP is equal to 1 pt
• Each player at 2 AB/PA/IP is equal to 2 pts
• Each player at 3 AB/PA/IP is equal to 3 pts
• Each player at 4 AB/PA/IP is equal to 4 pts
• Each player at 5 AB/PA/IP is equal to 5 pts
• And so on...
• An IP over is a full IP
• Penalty table is as follows:
• 1 pt lose a 5th round pick
• 2 pts lose a 4th
• 3 pts lose a 3rd
• 4 pts lose a 2nd
• 5 pts lose a 1st
• Commissioner's discretion after that - removal from the league is always an option
• The Commissioner may reduce penalties after reviewing the circumstances of the overuse.
• You must complete all of your games by the 25th of each month. Since you start on the 1st of the month, this gives you 24 days to complete all of your games.
• The league statistician will check the games played at the halfway mark of the play month, on the 12th of the month. At this point you should have at least 12 games played.
• If you are not going to be able to get 12 games in by the 12th, let your opponents and the league know about it. Tell us how you are going to get all of the games done for the month on time.
• If you do not let us know, and there is a pattern of waiting til the last half of the month to get your games played, you will be removed from the league. Stuff happens and the league understands that. So let us know what is going on or we have to assume you are not interested in playing.
• It is your responsibility to make sure your games are played. If an emergency arises notify the league and we will find someone to play your games. But this will not be tolerated on a consistent basis.
• If you are unavailable to get your games played, and a series gets autoplayed, and as a result your opponent(s) overuse player(s), you will BOTH get the penalty point(s).

Schedule

• Each team will play a 162 game regular season schedule.
• Each team will play every other team in its division 14 times (7 H, 7 A) for a total of 42 intra-division games.
• Each team will play every team in the other divisions within its league 12 times (6 H, 6 A) for 96 games.
• Each team will play every team in the opposite league 2 times (1 H 1 A) for 24 games.
• Each team will play 1 month on the schedule and the games must be completed during that “Play Month,” approximately 27 games.
• Once all games are finished the rosters will be updated for trades.
• Once the new rosters are sent out, each manager MUST send the computer manager, which will include the “Starter Schedules” for the upcoming play period. The league office will then send out Rosters containing all CMs for the month and up to date stats.
• League games will be scheduled within the CD Rom game itself, but the managers can play the games anytime within the "Play Month".
• ALL games in each scheduled series MUST be completed by the end of the current “Play Month”. League files for each successive “Play Months” cannot be released until all series from the previous month have been completed. Managers who are continually involved in late series will have their membership reviewed by the League Office, and may face expulsion from the league.
• ALL games must be played between two human opponents. Under no circumstances are any league games to be played one manager vs. a HAL computer manager controlled team. Teams must immediately inform the Commissioner if they are unable to manage their teams during a current, or upcoming, “Play Month”.
• Teams may elect to bring in their own fill in manager. If the team is unable to supply their own fill in manager, the League Office will make arrangements for someone to step in and manage the team’s games. All results from games managed by fill in managers are final and binding.
• ANY MANAGER FAILING TO NOTIFY THE LEAGUE OFFICE THAT HE WILL BE UNABLE TO PLAY HIS GAMES, AND FAILS TO DESIGNATE A FILL IN MANAGER IN TIME FOR THOSE GAMES TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE DESIGNATED PLAY PERIOD WILL BE SUBJECT TO DISMISSAL.

Trades

• Trades may be made freely until the end of the July Play Month.
• The trade deadline for the Play Month is the same as the Game Deadline.
• Teams may not make any trade that would place their current roster above the team roster limits (except during the off season which is after the regular season trading freeze is lifted until the draft cut down date). You may freely release players into the Free Agent Pool, in order to make room on your roster for a trade.
• Once a player has been traded from a team during the play season, he may not be traded to that team again for one calendar year.
• Draft picks may not be traded except during the off-season. Then, only draft picks for the immediately upcoming draft may be traded. During the off-season, draft picks may be traded up to and including draft day.
• After a trade has been agreed upon, all parties involved must submit the trade proposal to the League Office. If the trade is approved by the league office, the trade will be listed on the website. Do NOT announce your trades to the league directly.
• At the conclusion of the current Play Month, all approved trades will become Official, with the League Office actually moving the players to their new teams prior to the release of the next block league files.
• Trades which have been approved may only be rescinded if ALL managers involved agree prior to the roster update for that month. Teams will retain full rights to any player that they acquire through a trade, until that team either trades, or releases, the acquired player.

Free Agent (FA) Pool

• All carded players who are not on a CCNL roster, at the conclusion of the Free Agent/Rookie draft will be placed in the Free Agent Pool.
• Free Agents may be picked up at any time, but the pickup is only effective at the end of the play month (the 20th of the month).
• Free Agents may not be used in the playoffs.
• Free Agents may only be picked up to prevent over usage. The manager must tell the commissioner why the Free Agent acquisition is necessary. The commissioner decides whether the Free Agent may be picked up or not. The commissioner may delegate this responsibility to avoid a conflict of interest.
• Once cut from a team, a player may not be picked up by any other team.
• If two or more managers option the same player, the one with the poorest winning .pct at the end of that play month gets the player. If this occurs prior to the start of the season, then the team that had the earlier draft position gets the player.
• All free agents taken during the season will be returned to the free agent pool at the end of the season.
• Once you pick up a FA, you may cut him later to pick up a different FA.
• You can NOT trade a player that you picked up as a FA.

Post Season

• The teams with the best records in each division will make the playoffs.
• If there is tie for division winner, and the teams would make the Wild Card, or even be tied for the final Wild Card entry, then the tie breaker procedure (below) will determine the division winner and the loser becomes the Wild Card team.
• If there is a tie for division winner, and the teams would not make the Wild Card, or be tied for the final Wild Card entry, then there is a one game playoff to determine who wins the division with the loser out of the playoffs.
• Home team is determined by the tie breaker procedure below.
• The game takes place THE NEXT DAY AFTER the regular season ends.
• There is no off day for starting pitching, but you do have to reset the days off to account for relievers.
• The 2 non division winning teams with the best records in each league will be Wild Card teams and will play each other in a 3-game series to determine which team advances to play the top seeded team in the league. The better record hosts games 2 & 3. If the 2 teams have identical records, home team is determined by the tie breaker procedure below. The Wild Card series starts 2 days after the regular season ends.
• If there are 2 teams tied for the final Wild Card spot, then there is a one game playoff to determine who wins the division with the loser out of the playoffs. Home team is determined by the tie breaker procedure below.
• If there are 3 teams tied for the final playoff spot, the tie breaker procedure will determine which team gets a bye in the first game.  That team will host the winner of the one-game playoff in another one-game playoff to determine the final playoff team. This method will also be used if 3 teams are in a tie for both Wild Card spots. One team gets a bye in to the 3 game playoff, the other 2 have a 1 game playoff to get in.
• If there are 4 teams tied for the final Wild Card spot, the tie breaker procedure will determine which teams are home for one game.  The winners play each other in one game with home team based on the seeding from the tie breaker procedure. This method will also be used if 4 teams are in a tie for both Wild Card spots. The 1-game playoff determines which 2 teams are in the Wild Card Series.
• Any tie breaker game takes place THE NEXT DAY AFTER the regular season ends.
• There is no off day for starting pitching, but you do have to reset the days off to account for relievers.
• For the purposes of playoff usage, all of the above games are treated as 1 playoff series.
• You name a 25-man roster for each series.
• No reset of days off for relievers, otherwise no relievers would ever be tired to start a game.
• Playoff usage and eligibility is the same as for any playoff series.
• Tie Breakers:
• Head to head record
• Division record
• Total runs scored minus total runs allowed.
• Each league’s Division playoff series and League Championship Series will be a best-of-7 series, with the higher seeded teams having home field advantage, hosting games 1, 2, 6 and 7.
• The CCNL Series will be a best-of-7 series, with the winner being crowned CCNL Champions. Home field advantage for the World Series will be determined by the current CCNL year being played. The NL team will have home field advantage odd numbered years, while AL will have Home field advantage in even numbered years.

Playoff Usage and Eligibility

• Playoff usage is limited to 10% of the AB/IP listed on the card (without our 5% buffer). Starters may only pitch on the days rest that would normally be allowed during the regular season.
• When determining usage, always round DOWN. Even at .9, you round down. So 129 At Bats at 10% is 12.9, so the player gets 12 At Bats for the series.
• The 25-man playoff roster can be changed between series.
• Free Agents picked up during the season are not eligible for the playoffs.
• Starter-only pitchers are NOT allowed to relieve
• Playoff dates will be scheduled at the start of the season so that the playoffs don’t drag on for months. There will be a reasonable window of time in which to finish your playoff games, so if you are in contention, be prepared to schedule playoff games.

Playoff Schedule

For starting pitchers, days off must follow the schedule.

• September 29 – Regular Season ends
• September 30 – Off Day/1-game playoff if needed
• October 1 – Wild Card Series Game 1
• October 2 – Wild Card Series Game 2
• October 3 – Wild Card Series Game 3
• October 4 – Off Day
• October 5 – Division Series Game 1
• October 6 – Division Series Game 2
• October 7 – Off Day
• October 8 – Division Series Game 3
• October 9 – Division Series Game 4
• October 10 – Division Series Game 5
• October 11 – Off Day
• October 12 – Division Series Game 6
• October 13 – Division Series Game 7
• October 14 – Off Day
• October 15 – League Championship Series Game 1
• October 16 – League Championship Series Game 2
• October 17 – Off Day
• October 18 – League Championship Series Game 3
• October 19 – League Championship Series Game 4
• October 20 – League Championship Series Game 5
• October 21 – Off Day
• October 22 – League Championship Series Game 6
• October 23 – League Championship Series Game 7
• October 24 – Off Day
• October 25 – CCNL Series Game 1
• October 26 – CCNL Series Game 2
• October 27 – Off Day
• October 28 – CCNL Series Game 3
• October 29 – CCNL Series Game 4
• October 30 – CCNL Series Game 5
• October 31 – Off Day
• November 1 – CCNL Series Game 6
• November 2 – CCNL Series Game 7

Attrition

• If more than one manager needs to be replaced at the beginning of a new season, an attrition draft may be held prior to the rookie/free agent draft. Only new managers will participate in the actual draft. The new managers will draft from a combined pool made up of the players from the dissolved teams. No rookies or free agents are involved in this draft. New teams will draft after the non-playoff teams in the rookie/free agent draft. The commissioner reserves the right to forego the attrition draft if it is deemed unnecessary and continuing teams will retain their draft positions.
• Manager-less teams are not eligible for the playoffs. If a team is promoted to the playoffs because of a manager-less team, then that team will be treated as a playoff team as any other playoff team.