RULES PROPOSAL RESULTS

[McQuown]

Here are the results to this years proposals.


YES
NO
YES%
RULE 1
27
2
93%
RULE 2
22
7
76%
RULE 3
25
3
89%
RULE 4
23
6
79%
RULE 5
15
14
52%
RULE 6
14
15
48%
RULE 7
12
17
41%
RULE 8
12
17
41%
RULE 9
21
8
72%
RULE 10
14
15
48%

2010 SEASON RULE PROPOSALS

RULE 1 - OPEN HOMETOWN DISCOUNT TO ALL TYPE A FREE AGENTS
RULE 2 - MAKE PLAYOFF INJURIES FOR REMAINDER OF THE GAME
RULE 3 - DO NOT RESET BULLPEN REST DURING A PLAYOFF SERIES
RULE 4 - ALLOW CONTRACT BUYOUTS OVER THE LENGTH OF A PLAYER'S CONTRACT
RULE 5 - LIMIT STARTING PITCHERS TO IP AND A MAXIMUM OF 36 GS
RULE 6 - PLAYERS INJURED ROUGHLY WHEN HE WAS INJURED IN MLB AND IN-GAME INJURIES TURNED OFF
RULE 7 - PAY ALL MINOR LEAGUERS
RULE 8 - NON-SIGNED DRAFTED PLAYERS INELIGIBLE FOR DRAFT
RULE 9 - REMOVE THE 50 PA/15 IP/4 GS or LESS LIMITS, FOR A CARDED MINOR LEAGUER
RULE 10 - GO FROM SIX SCHEDULE BLOCKS TO TWELVE
RULE 1 - OPEN HOMETOWN DISCOUNT TO ALL TYPE A FREE AGENTS
T1 FREE AGENT PROCESS

The highest rated Free Agent of the Top 15 shall be bid upon first. No other T1 Free Agent shall be bid upon until that player has “signed”. The process is then repeated for the next highest rated of the Top 15 free agents, and continuing until all 15 of the top free agents have been signed.

One (1) Tier 1 Free Agent will be posted for bidding per day, in an order determined by the free agent auction conductor.

The bid determined by formula to have the highest value shall result in the submitting team signing the player. Bids will be entered into the website. The winning bid on the web site will be binding to the team bidding.

During the T1 phase of free agency, if the team that the a Type A free agent is leaving has the winning bid, they will receive a 5% discount off the value of the contract offered. This is called a "hometown discount".
RULE 2 - MAKE PLAYOFF INJURIES FOR REMAINDER OF THE GAME
SECTION 17 PLAYOFFS

Each divisional champion and one wild-card team will participate in the league playoffs. The wild-card team will be the non-winner with the highest won-loss percentage.

Two-way ties for playoff spots shall be decided by a sudden-death one-game playoff. Ties among three or more teams for playoff berths shall be broken by a round-robin playoff, with teams playing a single game with each opponent. Play continues until the tie is broken at the end of a round. Such playoff games are regular-season games. All players active on the September roster can be used in such games without regard to usage restrictions.

Playoff games should be Net Played if at all possible. If this is not possible and the managers of the teams involved cannot reach a mutually acceptable arrangement, the commissioner and/or his designee[s] shall play playoff games.

Injuries will be used in the playoffs, but they will be for the “Remainder of the game” only.
RULE 3 - DO NOT RESET BULLPEN REST DURING A PLAYOFF SERIES
SECTION 17 PLAYOFFS

Each divisional champion and one wild-card team will participate in the league playoffs. The wild-card team will be the non-winner with the highest won-loss percentage.

Two-way ties for playoff spots shall be decided by a sudden-death one-game playoff. Ties among three or more teams for playoff berths shall be broken by a round-robin playoff, with teams playing a single game with each opponent. Play continues until the tie is broken at the end of a round. Such playoff games are regular-season games. All players active on the September roster can be used in such games without regard to usage restrictions.

Playoff games should be Net Played if at all possible. If this is not possible and the managers of the teams involved cannot reach a mutually acceptable arrangement, the commissioner and/or his designee[s] shall play playoff games.

Teams will not receive “15 days Rest” at the end of a series or when switching cities. They will receive only the number of days off on the playoff schedule and any non-played days due to a series ending early.
RULE 4 - ALLOW CONTRACT BUYOUTS OVER THE LENGTH OF A PLAYER'S CONTRACT
SECTION 8 PLAYER CONTRACTS

CONTRACT BUYOUTS

A team may release a player with a guaranteed contract by paying the player full value of his remaining contract. The team may elect to pay off the contract all at once or over the remaining years of the player’s contract.

If a player signed to a guaranteed contract retires early the team will be allowed to reduce the annual salary for the player by 50% for the remainder of the contract length or exercise a contract buyout of the remaining years (cap room permitting). The buyout would be 50% of the remaining contract value. The buyout option will be available every off-season until the contact has expired (no buyouts will be allowed during the season). In the event a player who has retired is able to make a comeback and has not been bought out by the team holding his contract, his original contract value will be re-instated for the duration of the contract length.
RULE 5 - LIMIT STARTING PITCHERS TO IP AND A MAXIMUM OF 36 GS
SECTION 15 PLAYER USAGE

USAGE LIMITS

The following are the player usage restrictions:
· Batters are limited to 105% of their actual plate appearances.
· Starting pitchers are limited to 105% of their innings pitched and a maximum of 36 starts. actual games started.
· Relief pitchers are limited to 105% of their actual innings pitched.
· Any pitcher that pitches in relief is limited by innings pitched.
RULE 6 - PLAYERS INJURED ROUGHLY WHEN HE WAS INJURED IN MLB AND IN-GAME INJURIES TURNED OFF
SECTION 12 DISABLED LIST

Each team will be allowed to have up to five (5) players from their 40-man roster on the Disabled List during each playing block. These should be A4, A5, A6 and FA contract players that the team can not fit on their Active Roster.

Each USBL player will spend roughly the same amount of time on the DL as he did in MLB. Player’s time on the MLB DL will be tracked. For every USBL block (30 days) he spends on the MLB DL he will be placed on the USBL DL as close to his MLB DL time as possible.

Players who were injured all season will be assigned to the 60-day Disabled List and do not need to remain on a team’s 40-man Roster. Players on the 60-day Disabled List, however, do count towards one of the five allowed DL spots.

Teams will be allowed to add players to the DL for each block, so long as the total is no more than five (5) players.
RULE 7 - PAY ALL MINOR LEAGUERS
SECTION 8 PLAYER CONTRACTS

MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACTS

Players with Minor League contracts on the 40-man roster cost $100,000.

Players on minor league contracts will receive a salary according to the following chart:
M1 players will receive no salary
M2 players will receive $10,000
M3 players will receive $20,000
M4 players will receive $30,000
M5 players will receive $40,000
MR5 players will receive $50,000
If this is voted in each team will receive another $2,500,000 in revenue to cover the difference.
RULE 8 - NON-SIGNED DRAFTED PLAYERS INELIGIBLE FOR DRAFT
SECTION 10 DRAFT OF UNAFFILATED PLAYERS

ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Eligible players for the USBL draft of unaffiliated players shall be limited to:

* All players drafted signed in the previous MLB draft.
* Any professional minor league player who has been under contract with an MLB affiliated franchise, but is not currently on another USBL team’s reserve roster.
RULE 9 - REMOVE THE 50 PA/15 IP/4 GS or LESS LIMITS, FOR A CARDED MINOR LEAGUER
SECTION 15 PLAYER USAGE

CARDED MINOR LEAGUER

Players with 50 PA/15 IP/4 GS or less of Major League playing time may request to have a Minor League card created, using all AAA and Major League playing time. Rule 5 players are exempt and also receive all A and AA time. Each team may use up to 5 carded minor league players per season. Owners must submit this petition to the league office prior to the transaction period for the block in which the player is needed. The league office will use the following criteria to card the player. Statistics must be 15% worse than the MLB average.
RULE 10 - GO FROM SIX SCHEDULE BLOCKS TO TWELVE
SCHEDULE

The league will play a 162-game balanced schedule. There will be no interleague play. The schedule will be broken into six twelve blocks, which will be played from April to September.