The Official Constitution of Pop's Fantasy Baseball League

2011 Version

We, the People… of Pop’s Fantasy Baseball League, in order to form a more perfect game, establish an even playing field, create a competitive environment, insure league wide tranquility, promote the general welfare on draft day and beyond, and satisfy our own individual failures as athletes,” do ordain and establish this Constitution for Pop’s Fantasy Baseball…

ARTICLE I. OBJECT

To assemble a lineup of 13 Major League Baseball players whose cumulative statistics during the regular season, compiled and measured by the methods described in these rules, exceed those of all other teams in the League.

ARTICLE II. TEAMS

There are 12-14 teams in a duly constituted Rotisserie (Roto) style league composed of Major League Baseball players.

ARTICLE III. ROSTER

A team’s active roster consists of the following players:

One catcher, one first baseman, one second baseman, one shortstop, one third baseman, two outfielders, one utility hitter (must be eligible as either an outfielder or a designated hitter), three starting pitchers, and two relief pitchers.

Each team MUST maintain a full active roster of these 13 major league baseball players at all times.

ARTICLE IV. DRAFT DAY

A Major League Player Draft is conducted on a weekend prior to Opening Day as determined by the office of the commissioner. Each team must acquire 13 players at a total cost not to exceed $220. A team need not spend the maximum. Draft positioning is determined by random pull out of the hat. Once the final team has made their opening round selection, the second round will continue in the reverse order (Commonly referred to as a “snake draft). Between the 1^st and 2^nd round will be a compensatory round to address the keeper situation (See Article XIV). The opening team has the opportunity to select any player on the 40 man roster of any of the thirty major league teams. That team acquires the player for the amount determined in The Sporting News Magazine’s annual Fantasy Baseball Mixed League Price Sheet. Team owners must announce their selection, his dollar value, and the roster position the player will fill. The process is repeated, with successive team owners selecting their players. Each team owner will have a maximum of two minutes to make their selection in rounds 1-6 and a maximum of three minutes in rounds 7-13.

Players eligible at more than one position may be shifted during the course of the draft.
No team may select a player it cannot afford. For example, a team with $5 left and two openings on its roster is limited to a maximum price of $4 for one player.
No team may select a player who qualifies only at a position that the team has already filled. For example, a team that has acquired a catcher, may not select a player whose only eligible position is catcher (See Article V.)
Players who commence the season on a major league team’s disabled list are eligible to be drafted. If selected, they may be reserved and replaced upon completion of the draft. (See Article XII.)
Players who commence the season outside of a major league team’s 25 man roster are eligible to be drafted as well. If selected, they can only be replaced through a standard drop/add transaction (See Article XI.)

ARTICLE V. POSITION ELIGIBILITY

A Player may be assigned to any position at which he appeared in 10 or more games in the preceding season with a few minor exceptions as noted by Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball’s Player Database.

Please note the following conditions that apply to a player's position eligibility:

A player's position eligibility will not be adjusted prior to the beginning of the season. (If a player in spring training is playing a "new" position, that position will not appear until a player has met the criteria for a change.)
Players will not lose eligibility at a previously established position at any time. (For example, if a catcher-eligible player begins to play first base exclusively, he will remain eligible at catcher for the entire season.)

Gaining eligibility at a new position:

If a position player makes five (5) starts or 10 total appearances at a new position during this season, he will become eligible to play that position in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Baseball.
Pitchers need to make three starts to become eligible as a starter and five relief appearances to qualify as a reliever.

Any discrepancies in player eligibility prior to or during the draft as a result in conflicts between The Sporting News Magazine and Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball’s Player Database will result in Yahoo! superseding all position eligibility. (For example, a player listed as both a starting and relief pitcher in The Sporting News but only as a starting pitcher in Yahoo! may not qualify as a relief pitcher to start the season.) Players selected at the Utility position may qualify at a number of positions, however, AT LEAST ONE of those positions must be either outfield or DH.

ARTICLE VI. FEES

Pop’s Fantasy League has a schedule of fees covering all draft and player personnel moves. No money passes directly from team to team. No bets are made on the outcome of any game. All fees are payable into the prize pool and are subsequently distributed to the top five teams in the final standings. (See Article VIII.)

ENTRY: The entry fee for Pop’s Fantasy League is $100 due at Draft Day. No exceptions.
DISABLED LIST MOVES: All moves requiring an owner to shift their player to the disabled list and pick up a free agent to fill the void will be free of charge.
FREE AGENT ACQUISITION: All free agent pickups will cost $1.

All transactional fees are due no later than the last day of the month following the transaction. (For example, Team A makes 5 free agent acquisitions in the month of May. He/She must submit payment for those fees prior to June 30^th.) Failure to do so will result in the immediate “locking” of his/her team at which point they will be subject to an additional penalty before their team is “unlocked” (See Article XV.) There is no penalty for making transaction fees in advance and it is, in fact, strongly suggested.

ARTICLE VII. PLAYER SALARIES & SALARY CAP

The salary of a player is determined prior to the season as established in The Sporting News Magazine and does not change during the course of the season as a result of performance.

The salary of a player acquired in the draft is his mixed league rotisserie value.
The salary of a player not listed in the magazine as a result of either lack of experience or writer’s oversight will be $1 regardless of position.

You can only commit a maximum of $220 for salaries on Draft Day and throughout the season. There are no penalty or minimum salary requirements. Should you need to place a player on the DL for a portion of the season, his salary will not count toward your cap, however his replacement player’s salary will. You may not reactivate your player from the DL unless you can afford to accommodate his original salary within the cap (See Article XII.)

ARTICLE VIII. PRIZE MONEY

All fees shall be promptly collected by the League Commissioner, who is empowered to subject owners to public humiliation and assess fines (See Article XV) as needed to ensure that payments are made to the League in a timely fashion. An initial portion of the fees (approximately $500) will be used to defray the cost of a pre and post gala as well as awards ceremony. A secondary $100 worth of fees will be set aside for “special categories” to be determined at the time of the draft. The intent of these categories will to be reward teams that did not perform at a high level, however, still showed competitive spirit throughout the season. The remaining fee shall be divided among the first five teams in the final standings as follows:

1st place -- 53%
2nd place -- 20%
3rd place -- 15%
4th place -- 7%
5th place – 5%

ARTICLE IX. STANDINGS

The following criteria are used to determine team performance:

Composite batting average (BA)
Total home runs (HR)
Total runs batted in (RBI)
Total stolen bases (SB)
Total runs scored (R)
Composite earned run average (ERA)
Total wins (W)
Total strikeouts (K)
Total saves (S)
Composite ratio: walks + hits / innings pitched (WHIP)

Teams are ranked from first to last in each of the eight categories and given points for each place. For example, in a 12-team league, the first-place team in a category receives 12 points, the second-place team 11, and so on down to 1 point for last place. In the event of a tied category, each team involved shares an average of the total points due. (For example, a two way tie for 2^nd in a category receives (11+10)/2, or 10.5 pts.) The team with the most total points at the end of the season is the league champion.

Pitchers’ offensive stats are not counted, nor are the pitching stats of the occasional position player called in to pitch when the score is 16-1 after five innings and the relief corps is hiding under the stands.
In cases of ties in total points, final places in the standings are determined by comparing placement of teams in individual categories. Respective performances are calculated and a point given to each team for bettering the other. Should one team total more points than the other, that team is declared the winner.
Should the point totals still be equal, the tie is broken by adding each team’s total at-bats at season’s end, plus triple the number of its innings pitched. The team that scores a higher total by this measure wins the pennant. It is incredibly unlikely that this rule will ever come into effect.

ARTICLE X. STATS

Live, “to the minute” player-performances are published in Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball’s database as the games progress. Yahoo! utilizes the official statistics recorded by Major League Baseball using 3^rd party service Stats, Inc. In the event that a stat correction need to be made, it will be made automatically by Yahoo!

Only statistics compiled in Major League Baseball will be considered. Minor league performances are not valid.
Retroactive statistics cannot be implemented regardless of the reasoning
Performance stats of a player shall be assigned to a team only when he is on the active 13-man roster of that team. Players on the disabled list do not accumulate stats for your team. A team who acquires a player but fails to put them on their active roster and submit the roster will not accumulate stats.
Standings shall be tabulated and issued in a regular and timely fashion, through the office of the commissioner.

NOTE: Pop’s Fantasy Baseball runs from Opening Day through the original schedule close of the regular season. Please be aware that statistics from makeup games and playoff games played after the scheduled season end date will not be included in scoring.

ARTICLE XI. TRANSACTIONS

For the purpose of this league, there are two types of transactions:

FREE AGENT ACQUISITIONS – An acquisition takes place when one player is removed from the roster and replaced with another.

1. DL Move – Player is replaced on active roster, but remains the property of the original owner pending his return (See Article XII.)

2. Drop/Add – Player is replaced on the active roster and owner retains no rights to said player. This transaction has an associated fee. The three reasons for this transaction are as follows:

1. Replacement player

2. Suspended player

3. Player sent down to minors

Any time in which you are performing a drop/add, you will be charged in accordance to the fee schedule outlined above. Otherwise you are stuck with an underperforming/suspended/minor league player on your roster.

From the completion of the draft until the end of the season, Pop’s Fantasy League teams are free to make transactions of any kind without limit, except as stipulated below, so long as the active rosters of teams remain (1) under the salary cap, and (2) inclusive of a full 13 player roster.

Transactions will be unlimited in quantity.
Transactions can be made by either an individual owner or by the commissioner. Please contact the commissioner by phone or email if needed.
All transactions are processed in “real time” so long as all players involved in the transaction have not started their game for that day. If even one player involved in a transaction has begun play, Yahoo! will not allow the transaction to be processed. Following the completion of a day’s games, transactions will not be allowed until a certain time determined by Yahoo! (Approximately 3AM EST in most cases).

NOTE ON TRADES: Due to the complexity of the trade process within the salary cap parameters and position requirements, trades will not be allowed at this time.

NOTE ON DUMPING: "Dumping" is the inelegant but scientifically precise term used to describe what happens when a team out of contention gives up on the season and drops its talent. There are, however, some instances where a transaction appears to some owners as “dumping” and to others a wise move. Dropping a 40HR hitter for a guy who steals 20 bases may not make sense to one owner, but may help another. Accordingly, all “dumping” accusations will be reviewed by the office of the commissioner for their validity and any penalties will be administered following a thorough investigation (See Article XV.)

ARTICLE XII. THE DISABLED LIST

A team may replace any player on its 13-man roster who is placed on the disabled list by his team regardless of the length of stay.

To replace such a player, a team must first select a player and move them to the disabled list within the Yahoo! system. Said player is still under team control during his stay on the disabled list. His replacement must be eligible at the same position and affordable within the rules of the salary cap.
A team has one week to reactivate a player once they make a return from the disabled list. Failure to reactivate a player after a week will result in the player being released from your team and his replacement becoming a permanent player on your team. This is a move for which you will now be charged the standard transaction fee.
A suspended player MAY NOT be reserved. Should a team owner want to retain the rights of a player throughout his suspension, they must keep the player on their 13 man roster. Should an owner wish to replace the suspended player they will be charged the standard transaction fee.
Every DL move must be accompanied by a concurrent replacement move (i.e., a team may not reserve a player without replacing him).
A replacement player may be replaced (e.g., in case of injury, he could be reserved and a free agent called up to fill his slot as well).
When a player is reinstated to the active 13-man Pop’s Fantasy League roster from a team’s DL list, the player called up to replace him must be waived, unless the replacement player or the original player can be shifted to another natural opening on the roster for which he qualifies.
Due to the limits of Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball’s settings, the maximum amount of players a team can have on the disabled list at any given time is five. Should you need to place additional players on the disabled list, you will need to do so using typical add/drop methods. You will not be charged for the move; however, the dropped player will no longer be protected under your DL list. In the unlikely case this should happen, it is suggested that you drop the injured player you deem “least valuable.”

ARTICLE XIII. SIGNING FREE AGENTS

Active major league players not on any Pop’s Fantasy League team’s roster at the conclusion of the draft become free agents. Following the draft, all undrafted players instantly become free agents and are available to any team owner. Any transactions that take place between the moment the final player is drafted and the moment the league rosters are loaded into Yahoo! will be recorded through the office of the commissioner. Free agent acquisition priority will be handled in the order in which the requests are submitted.

There is no waiver order for free agent players. All players are available on a first come-first serve basis.

ARTICLE XIV. KEEPERS

Following the completion of a season, each team owner is eligible to “Keep” one player from their roster to roll over into the following season.

The names of players being retained must be recorded with office of the commissioner by midnight, March 1^st.
The salary of a “kept” player is no longer his value from the previous season, but rather his new value for the current year. (For example, if Player A had a breakout rookie campaign in 2010 at the value of $1, it is highly likely that his value will be closer to $20 in 2011 and should you keep him, you must be prepared to accommodate his new salary.
The office of the commissioner will promptly notify all teams in the League of each team’s protected player, including player salary prior to draft day.
Failure to give notice of a “keeper” will result in the returning team owner missing out on keeping a player. To balance the rosters during the draft, but as to not punish team owners who submitted their keepers on time, teams not keeping a player from the previous year will receive a compensatory pick between the first and second round of the draft. Should more than one team choose not to retain a keeper from the previous season, the order of their compensatory picks will be established in reverse finish order from the previous season.
Any new owners entering the league will assume ownership of the team in which they are replacing. They will have the opportunity to keep one player from that team per the rules described above. Should fantasy league expansion be deemed necessary, the new team (s) will be granted a compensatory pick in the same manner as those who opt out of the keeper policy.

XV. PENALTIES

In the interest of sportsmanship and to eliminate the bending of the rules, the office of the commissioner retains the right to enact the following penalties:

· Three Strike System for a team over the salary cap:

1. Strike 1: The newly added player is removed from your team and the owner is fined $10

2. Strike 2: The newly added player is removed from your team, your team is locked for a period of one week with an open roster spot, and an additional $10 fine.

3. Strike 3: The newly added player is removed from your team, and your team is locked for the remainder of the season with an open roster spot.

· Failure to Make Timely Transaction Payments:

1. Your team is locked until your payment is made. Should that time eclipse more than one additional month, your team will be shut down for the remainder of the season.

· “Dumping”

1. A team owner found to have been guilty of dumping or any other collusive behavior with fellow team owners will be subject to a $10 fine for all parties involved.

XVI. GOVERNANCE

Pop’s Fantasy League is governed by a Committee of the Whole consisting of all team owners. The Committee of the Whole may designate as many league officials as from time to time it deems appropriate, although only one – The Commissioner ever does any work. The Committee of the Whole also designates annually an Executive Committee composed of three team owners in good standing. The Executive Committee has the authority to interpret playing rules and to handle all necessary and routine League business. All decisions, rulings, and interpretations by the Executive Committee are subject to veto by the Committee of the Whole. Rule changes, pronouncements, and acts of whimsy are determined by majority vote of the Committee of the Whole. Member teams of the Pop’s Fantasy Baseball League may appeal to the PFBL for adjudication of disputes and interpretation of rules. Pop’s Fantasy Baseball League has two official meetings each year: Draft Day, and the Postseason Award Ceremony. Failure to attend these meetings is punishable by giving owner the entire roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates the following year.

XVII. DEAD ASS LAST AWARD

To consecrate the bond of friendship that unites all League owners in their pursuit of the championship, to symbolize the eternal verities and values of the American Pastime, and to laugh at the guy who continually drafts Joe Blanton in round 3…duly assembled, the DEAD ASS LAST AWARD is hereby ordained as the greatest shame that can be bestowed upon a fantasy baseball owner. Each year, at the awards ceremony and banquet, the owner of the worst record in the league shall be forced to maintain the ever growing behemoth of a trophy at their place of residence. Currently weighing in at approximately 100lbs and at a height of over 3ft, this monster will not easily be hidden from plain view in a closet or basement. The “winner” of said trophy should place the award on his/her mantle for the 12 months as a constant reminder of the importance of paying attention to pitching matchups, memorizing park factors, and studying the Bill James handbook prior to draft time.

Pages

The Fantasy Baseball Constitution