Changes prior to 2038 season noted in BOLD RED
Leadership
The Commissioner will manage the daily operation of ABL, simulating games in a timely manner, maintaining league files and participating in GM discussions. He will respond to questions about the league and facilitate the recruitment and development of new members. The Commissioner will act in the best interest of the league at all times!
Leadership Committee
The leadership committee will consist of experienced OOTP GMs and former commissioners. These GMs will aid the Commissioner in league matters, provide opinion in sensitive issues, and be part of big decisions. They will be a point of contact for other GMs with questions or concerns about the league.
General Managers
GM’s will own a copy of OOTP and expect to update to each new version, be active and responsive online and export regularly. They should also post prior to any absence. Should a GM decide to leave the league, for any reason, I ask that he or she send a brief note to the Commissioner so that we may find a replacement as quickly as possible.
During the offseason, GMs are expected to remove players from the DL and follow budget guidelines.
The Commissioner reserves the right to take action should a GM fail to export or communicate in a timely manner or conduct him/herself in a way deemed detrimental to the league. Remember, we are here to compete, but have fun!
Contracts and Extensions
Players under team control must have completed four years of major league service to sign a multi-year contract extension, free agents excepted.
Violations will be voided.
Maximum length of all contracts is SIX years.
A one year extension may be offered at any time to avoid arbitration.
In any contract with two option years, both options must be the same.
Violations will result in both years becoming guaranteed.
Team Options
Each team option year must have a 25% buyout.
Violations will result in the year becoming guaranteed.
Vesting Options & Incentives
Vesting Option years and Incentives must be reasonable:
– PA (plate appearances) 550 or less
– IP (innings pitched) for starter (stamina 50+) not to exceed 180 innings
– IP for a reliever (stamina 45-) not to exceed 80 innings
– GF (games finished) for closers not to exceed their highest previous year
Violations will result in the year becoming guaranteed.
The maximum combined total incentives offered in a contract must not exceed 25% of the lowest guaranteed contract year.
Trading Players
Trades must be posted and confirmed in StatsPlus TRADE TOOL (which will in turn post to Slack) by both GM’s before being processed.
PLEASE also post your trade in the trade window in the game. If both GM's enter the same trade, from their perspective, it is literally "one-click" for the Commissioner to confirm.
This window is also EXTREMELY useful to see if your trade will work and adjust as needed.
And you can scout other teams for available payroll space and approach their GM?
The only exceptions may be at, for example, the trade deadline when one deal might be impacted financially by a second as you just enter the trades in the game, the game does not calculate they are processed until the Commissioner completes them.
The Trade Deadline is July 31st in-game, after which no trades (of any kind) will be processed until the Off-Season.
Trades processed PRE-SIM. Instruct the Commissioner by adding a THREAD to the post in Slack (to keep it all together), otherwise players will be DFA.
No PTBNL.
Free agent signings may not be traded until June 15th.
Draftees are eligible to be traded after they have signed with drafting team.
Disallowed OOTP trades will be voided by the Commissioner, producing another Slack post.
Trading Draft Picks
Draft pick trading is OFF
Trade Vetoes
Trade vetoes will be extremely rare and I hope they never happen. A veto is only appropriate when either condition is met:
1) collusion
2) conduct determined to be detrimental to the league
If one of these conditions are met, the leadership committee must vote unanimously to put the trade up for a veto vote within 24 hours of posting. The trade will be put on hold, and 16 votes to veto will result in the trade being cancelled.
In either case, additional penalties such as removal from the league may occur.
Amateur Draft
ABL uses the OOTP MLB-style draft lottery in the game. The lottery will be conducted on the date the draft pool is revealed.
- MLB and ABL Draft Lottery Rules.JPG (34.65 KiB) Viewed 67 times
Draft picks, in the first few rounds, not signed will roll-over with a compensation pick the next year one number below the unsigned picks. You will see a message in the game to that effect after the signing window closes.
However, if THAT compensation pick, the next draft, is not signed, it will be lost. A comp pick (designated as such in the draft order) will not roll over.
This will be a manual Commissioner process to remove them, so PLEASE plan/budget for, negotiate and sign your draft picks annually!
Or plan to pick according to the budget you have for the draft (SLOT picks will essentially always be eligible, just not choice picks).
Free Agent Compensation
If a qualified player rejects an offer and is then signed in free agency...
The ABL uses the 2017 CBA Rules.
Everyone retains their first round draft pick, even when signing COMP free agents (they lose lower picks, as outline elsewhere in the forum).
Full explanation of the CBA in-game: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=805
FA COMP tags will be removed Opening Day.
Coaching, Scouts and Owners
Scouting is ON. You will need a scout to invite IAFA players to training camps.
Coaching is OFF.
Owners goals are OFF.
Financial and General Settings
Visiting team gate share is 20%
Draft compensation ON
National media contract is $25,000,000 – Fixed for all teams
Local media contract baseline is $25,000,000
Full Revenue is available to the GM's - Owners do not control budgets
Luxury Tax 25% on Soft Cap of 125% of average payroll
Cash max $30,000,000
IAFA - Soft Cap of $5-Million dollars
Active Roster 26-Man
DH in both leagues
Expanded roster in September 40-Man
Playoff Rosters use 40-Man roster (as of September 1st)
Rookie Level - Roster of 50 - And now AGE Limit of 22
All A levels - Roster of 35 - And now AGE Limit of 26
AA & AAA levels - Roster of 35
10/5 Veto Trade Rule OFF
Player Actual, Potential and Other ratings 20-80 scale
OVR-POT Stars
Injured List 14-Day & 60-Day
Waivers 12 days
DFA 24 days
Injuries LOW
Delayed diagnosis NEVER
Suspensions ON
Storylines OFF
SIM Schedule
ABL will simulate a week every second day during regular season.
Sims will run seven days at a time - unless there is a need to hit a specific date.
Exports due at 9pm ET (unless otherwise notified by Commissioner).
The Post-Season schedule will first simulate the best of three "play-in" games.
Rest of the post-season series will be simulated in "halves" (1-3 of 5) (1-4 of 7) in a first sim, then the remaining games in a second.
Off-season will simulate every day per Commissioner's posted schedule, unless otherwise communicated.