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Welcome to the American Baseball Association

ABA Constitution

Intro

  1. This league is a fictional league with 24 teams in total.
  2. There is one major league, 5 minor league levels, and 3 feeder leagues in this world.
  3. The financial system has rolled back inflation by almost 50 years.

Season Sim Schedule

  1. During the regular season, sims will cover 4 in-game days.
  2. Sims will occur Monday through Friday based on the availability of the Commissioner. Under ideal circumstances:
    1. Sim starts at 11:30am Monday through Friday.
  3. Playoff sims are as follows:
    1. Wildcard Round: 1 sim
    2. Divisional Round: 2 sim
    3. Championship Series: 2 sims
    4. World Series: 2 sims
  4. At the conclusion of the World Series, there may be a delay before the first offseason sim to allow for maintenance and recruitment.

Offseason Sim Schedule

  1. At the conclusion of the World Series, there may be a delay before the first offseason sim to allow for maintenance and recruitment.
  2. On day 1 of the offseason, the worst rated coaches based on an aggregate of their coaching ratings will be removed and new random coaches will be added to the pool:
    1. 24 managers
    2. 8 of all other personnel types
  3. We will advance through arbitration in 4-5 sims and get to free agency.
  4. Sim intervals are 7 days per sim unless a hard stop is required for an event. Events include (but are not limited to):
    1. Free Agency start
    2. Rule 5 draft
    3. IAFA start
  5. Spring Training is completed in 5 evenly divided sims approximately 7 days each.

Role Play

  1. All managers will be expected to propose rule changes and vote on those changes as if they were an owner or General Manager of an American Baseball Association franchise in the current era of the league.
  2. The commissioner reserves the right to veto a proposed change if he feels it violates the spirit of this rule.
    1. Note: I will likely not ever use this power as I don’t want to overrule a majority of managers.
  3. Commissioner has power to enable AI control of a team if the GM has not exported or communicated an absence for two weeks. The Commissioner can replace a GM after 4 weeks of no exports and no communications.

Personal Conduct

  1. Treat others with civility in the Slack channel
    1. Only one warning will be provided to managers who fail to follow this rule.
  2. Discriminatory language will not be permitted. This includes language that is racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, etc.
    1. The first offense will result in a DM warning and the message being deleted.
    2. If the manager does not make an effort to correct their language, they will be removed from the league.
    3. The commissioner has final say on whether or not language is offensive.
  3. If a conflict arises between two managers that cannot be settled via the league rules, the commissioner will act as arbiter and provide a binding resolution to the conflict.
  4. No discussion of “hot button” issues (ex: politics) will be allowed in public Slack forums.

League Vote Procedure

  1. Any manager can propose a rule change in Slack, preferably in #rule-disccusion.
  2. If the rule change is seconded by another manager, a league vote will be posted in Slack at the start of the playoffs.
  3. 50% of the league must vote in order for the results to be counted.
  4. At the end of the voting period if a vote receives at least 60% approval through league vote, it will be passed.
  5. The voting period shall last no longer than 7 days.
  6. The Commissioner has the power to encourage people to vote to get to the 50% voting benchmark.

Relocation

  1. Franchise relocations can happen when a new team is claimed during the offseason at any point.
    1. The relocation/rebranding period starts at the conclusion of the World Series and goes until the start of the “Pre-Season”
    2. A team that is claimed at any point prior to the World Series (Opening Day forward) must wait until the conclusion of the World Series to officially relocate and/or rebrand.
      1. I do request that all rebrands and relocations under this circumstance is submitted in the #team-relocation channel before we get to free agency just to help get the division structure set up.
    3. Any team that was vacant and is claimed in the middle of the off-season can be rebranded upon receiving the team. Still must follow the time period and have the rebrand officially submitted in #team-relocation before the start of the “Pre-Season”
  2. Any manager may propose a relocation of their franchise. The league cannot force franchises to locate without the approval of the manager of said franchise.
  3. Relocations does not need to be approved by the league’s GM’s unless the GM has recently relocated (within the past 2 seasons)
  4. The relocating franchise will be permitted to rename their franchise when moving.
  5. You will have control over your minor league franchises as well including their team name/nickname.

Rebranding

  1. Team nicknames nicknames are randomized as this is a fiction league.
  2. Despite it being fictional, you can use real life teams (both minors and majors) for any team within your organization.

Competitive Balance

  1. The current compensation plan follows the 2017 CBA.
    1. If you SIGN a COMP tag FA:
      IF your team paid Luxury Tax (RED number in your current accounting year)
      THEN you forfeit your second and fifth highest picks
      AND an additional signing forfeits your third and sixth highest
      IF your team received revenue sharing
      THEN you forfeit your third highest pick
      AND an additional signing forfeits fourth highest
    2. If you LOSE a player that has refused a qualifying offer and is signed in free agency with a COMP tag:
      IF your team received revenue sharing (GREEN number in your current accounting year)
      AND the COMP FA signs a $50 million or more guaranteed contract (noted in their history)
      THEN you receive a compensation pick in a sandwich round between Rounds 1 and 2
      LESS than a $50 million contract
      THEN you receive a compensation pick after Round 2
      The game does not incorporate a second sandwich round, so the picks are tacked onto the second round.
      IF your team paid Luxury Tax (a RED number in accounting)
      THEN you are to receive a compensatory pick after the Round 4
      IF your team neither paid or received revenue sharing (a "-" or “0” in your current accounting)
      THEN you receive a pick after Round 2.

Amateur Draft

  1. This is a fictional league and all players will be generated randomly. The draft pool will be released officially around opening day so that it allows players to have plenty of time to scout the amateurs that will be available.
  2. The draft will take place on the first Friday (in real life) when the in game month becomes May
  3. The draft pool will be revealed approximately January 21st.
  4. The draft will open on Stats+ immediately following the sim for the day. The Stats+ draft timers will be five hours for round 1-3, three hours for rounds 4-10, and one hour from round 11-20.
  5. The draft order will be based on reverse standings order from the previous regular season. The team with the worst record will draft first, the team with the best regular season record will draft last.
    1. Playoff performance will not impact draft order.

International Free Agency

  1. A hard cap has been implemented on International Free Agency. $122,000 is the current hard cap. Will be reviewed after the first season using the cap (2016)
  2. International free agency will move to the off-season starting in the 2016 offseason

Rosters

  1. Current minor league roster limits:
    1. AAA limit 30
    2. AA limit 30
    3. A limit 30; age max of 25
    4. A- limit 35; age max of 22
    5. R limit 35; age max of 20

Contracts

  1. If a contract's total value exceeds $1 million or 60% of the team's total budget, whichever is larger, the contract is is subject to enhanced scrutiny from the Commissioner's office.
  2. These rules only apply if in any year of a contract extension the value is over $100,000:
    1. No year in the second half of the contract can exceed 2X of the first half. (Example: Cannot offer $200,001 in year 6 if $100,000 is offered in years 1-3 and is the lowest yearly total in years 1-3)
    2. If there are two options given in a contract, they must be identical.
    3. Team options cannot be 125% more than the highest non-option year (Prevents contract value inflation during negotiations that can be canceled out later)
    4. Contract buyouts must be 20% of the proposed yearly salary
    5. Vesting options and Incentives can be rejected by the Commissioner if they represent efforts to artificially inflate a contract value
    6. Total incentives cannot exceed 25% of the lowest guaranteed contract year.
  3. ABA qualifying offer to be set to the average of top 125 player salaries

Trades

  1. All trades must be submitted in Slack. Only one GM must post, and the other GM Must confirm the trade as well.
  2. If a player is on irrevocable waivers, this player cannot be traded.
  3. All trades will be processed at the beginning of the sim for the day.
    1. Any trade that is completed in the middle of a sim will not be processed until the next day’s sim.
  4. Future picks up to 3 years in advance can be traded.
    1. Due to inability to trade future picks in game, StatsPlus draft pick tracker represents the true state of draft picks.

Amendments to the ABA Constitution

2024-25 Rule Changes

  1. Minor league schedules for R and A- reduced to 132 games and start times set to match upper levels.
  2. Coaches are to be recycled at the start of every offseason. 24 managers and 8 personnel at all other positions are to be retired and replaced with newly generated ones.
  3. Offseason sims will proceed at 7 days a sim unless a hard stop is required for in-game events.

2023-24 Rule Changes

  1. Winter League has been disbanded.
  2. CBA for compensation has been changed from the 2012 version to the 2017 version.

2018-19 Rule Changes

  1. ABA qualifying offer to be set to the average of top 125 player salaries
  2. Increase random origin will be considered passed at the end of this sim
  3. If a player is on irrevocable waivers, this player cannot be traded.
  4. Current minor league roster limits:
    1. AAA limit 30
    2. AA limit 30
    3. A limit 35
    4. R limit 45
  5. Commissioner has power to enable AI control of a team if the GM has not exported or communicated an absence for two weeks. The Commissioner can replace a GM after 4 weeks of no exports and no communications.

2017-18 Rule Changes

  1. Voting rules have been changed. 50% of league must vote. 60% approval is required to pass. Abstained votes no longer counts.
  2. Contract Extension simple rules - If a contract's total value exceeds $1 million or 60% of the team's total budget, whichever is larger, the contract is is subject to enhanced scrutiny from the Commissioner's office.
  3. Contract Extension rules based on OHBL - No year in the second half of the contract can exceed 2X of the first half, restrictions on options and incentives
  4. Disable the 10/5 no-trade rule.
  5. Set an age limit of 25 for the A league. (Implement starting 2019 offseason)
  6. Expand ABA College league from 16 to 48 teams and rename ABA College Divisions.
  7. Set roster limit of all feeder league teams to 30 players.
  8. Set an age limit of 22 for the R league. (Implement starting 2019 offseason).

2016-17 Offseason Changes

  1. Coaches will be generated from the retired pool generously at the recommendation of any GM and the discretion of the Commissioner.
  2. Contract extensions will be limited to 6 years in length.
  3. Roster Limits : Roster Limits will be applied to the minor league systems - details pending.
    1. To enact at the start of 2017-18 offseason
      1. AAA limit 35
      2. AA limit 35
      3. A limit 45
      4. R limit 55
    2. To enact at the start of 2018-19 offseason
      1. AAA limit 30
      2. AA limit 30
      3. A limit 35
      4. R limit 45

Rules and rule changes approved by league vote

  1. Trades may not involve players injured for seven or more days.
  2. Rescinded 2017-18 offseasonThe 10/5 Rule will be enabled.
  3. The League will use “Normal” Accuracy scouting with:
    1. The 20-80 Scale for individual ratings (contact, gap power, stamina, etc.)
    2. The Star Scale for overall and potential in half star increments.
  4. Aging is set to .900 and development is set at 1.000
  5. A new GM that is taking over a team has 1 amnesty release available to them. This will allow the team to select 1 player of their choosing to release and not have the contract negatively affect them.
    1. The option for amnesty is only applicable on the first offseason for a new GM.
    2. The option for contract amnesty is only applicable to contracts on the new GM's team prior at the time the GM takes over the team.
  6. Coaching will be enabled.
    1. Coach Poaching has been removed pre a 2015 season vote.
  7. Free agency will be allowed.
    1. Default service time requirements will be used (3 for arbitration, 6 for free agency).
  8. There will not be a salary cap.
  9. Owner’s do not control the budget. Budget is directly determined according to the revenue that a team brings in.
  10. Draft pick trading will be allowed. No draft picks may be traded once the draft has begun on Stats+.
  11. Injuries will be set to “Normal.”
  12. Active Roster is set to 26
  13. Expanded Rosters in September expand to 40
  1. Trades may not involve players injured for seven or more days.
  2. Rescinded 2017-18 offseasonThe 10/5 Rule will be enabled.
  3. The League will use “Normal” Accuracy scouting with:
    1. The 20-80 Scale for individual ratings (contact, gap power, stamina, etc.)
    2. The Star Scale for overall and potential in half star increments.
  4. Aging is set to .900 and development is set at 1.000
  5. A new GM that is taking over a team has 1 amnesty release available to them. This will allow the team to select 1 player of their choosing to release and not have the contract negatively affect them.
    1. The option for amnesty is only applicable on the first offseason for a new GM.
    2. The option for contract amnesty is only applicable to contracts on the new GM's team prior at the time the GM takes over the team.
  6. Coaching will be enabled.
    1. Coach Poaching has been removed pre a 2015 season vote.
  7. Free agency will be allowed.
    1. Default service time requirements will be used (3 for arbitration, 6 for free agency).
  8. There will not be a salary cap.
  9. Owner’s do not control the budget. Budget is directly determined according to the revenue that a team brings in.
  10. Draft pick trading will be allowed. No draft picks may be traded once the draft has begun on Stats+.
  11. Injuries will be set to “Normal.”
  12. Active Roster is set to 26
  13. Expanded Rosters in September expand to 40