OYSTER BAY BLUE DEMONS
ROTISSERIE BASEBALL LEAGUE
CONSTITUTION

CONTENTS

1. Object
2. Definitions
3. The League and the Commissioner
4. Rosters and Position Eligibility
5. Fees
6. Standings
7. Prizes
8. Player Salaries and Contract Status
9. Roster Salary Caps
10. The Draft
11. Statistics and Reporting
12. Player Claims and the Reserve List
13. First Reporting Period After Draft
14. Waivers
15. Trades
16. Expansion and Changes in Team Ownership
17. Miscellaneous

L. The following terms have been defined elsewhere in this Constitution:

1. "Active Roster" is defined in Section IV(A).

2. "Active Roster (position) requirement" is defined in Section IV(A).

3. "major league games" is defined in Section IV(E).

4. "Roster Expansion" is defined in Section IV(G).

5. "routine player replacements" is defined in Section IV(G).

6. "interrupted" service time is defined in Section VIII(B).

7. "season" (for contract status purposes) is defined in Section VIII(B).

8. "first year contract status" is defined in Section VIII(B).

9. "Option Year" is defined in Section VIII(C).

10. "Draft Salary Cap" is defined in Section IX(A).

11. "In-Season Salary Cap" is defined in Section IX(B).

12. "Draft" is defined in Section X(A).

13. "Draft Eligible" is defined in Section X(C).

14. "Roster Freeze Date" is defined in Section X(D).

15. "Auction Phase" is defined in Section X(F).

16. "Fixed Point Phase" is defined in Section X(F).

17. "rounds" (for the Auction Phase) is defined in Section X(G).

18. "Bid Eligible" is defined in Section X(G).

19. "Maximum" (number of players to draft at a specified salary point) is defined in Section X(H).

20. "Statistics Effective Date" is defined in Section XI(A).

21. "Actionable Circumstances" is defined in Section XII(A).

22. "Reserve List" is defined in Section XII(B).

23. "Action Window" is defined in Section XII(D).

24. "frozen" is defined in Section XII(D).

25. "grace period" is defined in Section XII(E).

26. "linked" is defined in Section XII(H).

27. "Reserve List Limit" is defined in Section XII(I).

28. "Reactivation" is defined in Section XII(L).

29. "Type A Waivers" is defined in Section XIV(H).

30. "Type B Waivers" is defined in Section XIV(H).

31. "Unrestricted Trading Period" is defined in Section XV(A).

32. "Contiguous Trading Period" is defined in Section XV(A).

33. "renting" of players is defined in Section XV(D).

34. "Expansion Draft" is defined in Section XVI(A).

35. "protecting" players from an Expansion Draft is defined in Section XVI(A).

36. "Mixed Pool Draft" is defined in Section XVI(E).

37. "Ratification" is defined in Section XVII(B).

38. "Effective Period" is defined in Section XVII(D).

39. "Deposit Account" is defined in Section V(L).

40. "Good Standing" is defined in Section V(M).

41. "Deadbeat Team" is defined in Section V(M).

42. "excess funds" is defined in Section V(T).

43. "Prize Pool" is defined in Section VII(A).

A. So long as the National League consists of 14 major league teams, each Team's "Active Roster" will consist of 23 players, as follows:

Two catchers;
One first baseman;
One second baseman;
One shortstop;
One third baseman;
One corner man (either a first baseman or a third baseman);
One middle infielder (either a second baseman or a shortstop);
Five outfielders;
One utility player (any non-pitching position);
Nine pitchers.

G. September Roster Expansion. After September 1, and before the end of the Regular Season, a Team may expand its roster for the pennant drive by adding one player after September 1 from the Free Agent Pool or from its own Reserve List ("Roster Expansion"), according to the following rules:

1. The added player may play any position.

2. The fee for Roster Expansion is 50 q.

3. If the player is added from the Team's Reserve List, then the player's salary and contract status will remain unchanged.

4. If the player is added from the Free Agent Pool, then the player's salary is 25 q. (Note that players acquired in "routine player replacements" which fill a Natural Opening, would still have a salary of 10 q. The salary and contract status of players acquired off waivers is still governed by Section XIV.)

5. Between the start of September 1 and the Last Reporting Time on September 2, Roster Expansion claims will take precedence over waiver claims and routine player replacements, and the order of selection is the reverse order of the standings for the previous week. (E.g., if the first place team claims player A on September 1 as a Roster Expansion, and the third place team claims player A on September 2 as a Roster Expansion, and the last place team claims player A on September 1 as a replacement for a disabled player, then player A will be awarded to the third place team, with a salary of 25 q.)

6. After the Last Reporting Time on September 2, until the end of the season, Roster Expansion is on a first-come, first-served basis, but waiver claims and routine player replacements will take precedence over Roster Expansion. (E.g., if the first place team claims player B as a Roster Expansion on September 3, and the fourth place team claims player B as a Roster Expansion on September 4, then player B will be awarded to the first place team, with a salary of 25 q. If, however, the seventh place team also claims player B on September 4 as a replacement for a disabled player, then player B will be awarded to the seventh place team, with a salary of 10 q.)

7. Statistics for the added player begin to accrue on the Thursday after the player is added.

M. Good Standing. In order for a Team's Deposit Account to be in "Good Standing," the Deposit Account must contain a minimum balance of the following number of Quatloo:

1. After the Roster Freeze Date, until the end of the Draft: 600 q.

2. After Draft, and before major league All Star Break: 400 q.

3. After major league All Star Break and before September 1: 200 q.

4. All other times: 100 q.

P. Additional Fines and Penalties.

1. Once a Team has been designated a Deadbeat Team, then such Team shall be fined 10 q. for each subsequent Reporting Period in which it is designated a Deadbeat Team. In other words, the first week that a Team is designated a Deadbeat Team there is no fine, but thereafter a 10 q. fine shall be assessed for every week in which the Team is designated as a Deadbeat Team (whether or not the designations occur in consecutive weeks). For example, if a Team's Deposit Account dips below the minimum and it is notified on Wednesday, June 1st, and the Team fails to remedy the problem by June 8th, the Team is designated a Deadbeat Team on June 8th, and it will not be allowed to participate in any transactions as of that date. If the Team brings its Deposit Account back into Good Standing on Tuesday, June 14th, there is no fine. If, instead, the Team does not bring its Deposit Account into Good Standing until June 21st, there will be a 10 q. fine assessed. If the Team waits until Thursday, June 23rd, to bring its Deposit Account into Good Standing, there will be a 20 q. fine assessed. Under any of the above scenarios, if the Team again becomes a Deadbeat Team on September 3rd, a 10 q. fine shall be immediately assessed for that Reporting Period and additional 10 q. fines shall be assessed for each Reporting Period thereafter, until the Team's Deposit Account has been brought back into Good Standing.

2. If a Team remains a Deadbeat Team for four consecutive Reporting Periods, then the Commissioner may, in his/her discretion, double the minimum balances that such Team shall be required to maintain in order to be in Good Standing. If a Team's minimum balances are doubled pursuant to this subsection, then such minimum balances shall remain doubled for the remainder of that season, plus the entirety of the following season.

3. If a Team is designated a Deadbeat Team after September 1st, but before the end of the Regular Season, then such Team shall be ineligible to collect any prizes. If a Team that otherwise would have won prizes is denied eligibility under this subsection, then that Team's prize share shall be distributed among the other prize winners according to their relative percentages, as set forth in Section VII.

4. If a Team is a Deadbeat Team after the end of the Regular Season, then such Team shall be fined 40 q. (in addition to any other fines that have accumulated). If such Team does not bring its Deposit Account into Good Standing within one month following the end of the Regular Season then, in the Commissioner's discretion, a replacement owner may be sought.

5. If a Team owner leaves the League, then his/her Deposit Account shall be refunded in full only if a suitable replacement owner is found (except as set forth in this subsection 5 and subsection 6 below). If a suitable replacement owner is not found, then 100 q. shall not be refunded (except as provided in subsection R below), but any excess funds (as defined in subsection T below) shall be refunded. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amounts which were withheld and deposited pursuant to subsection 6 below shall be refunded under this subsection (except as provided in subsections R and T below). For example, if a Team had 240 q. in its Deposit Account before prizes were distributed, and such Team had an additional 300 q. withheld and deposited pursuant to subsection 6 below, so that the balance of the Deposit Account totals 540 q., and the Team's owner leaves the League before the following season, then such owner shall have 240 q. refunded if a suitable replacement owner is found, or 140 q. refunded if a suitable replacement owner is not found. The remaining amount (300 q. or 400 q.) shall be put into the Prize Pool for the following season.

6. Each Team that wins prizes, pursuant to Section VII, shall have 20% of its prize withheld and deposited into its Deposit Account, with a ceiling of 800 q. and a floor of 200 q. (except if the entire amount of the prize is less than 267 q., in which case 75% of the prize shall be withheld). For example, if the prize share is 1500 q., then 300 q. shall be withheld and deposited. If the prize share is 5,000 q., then 800 q. shall be withheld and deposited. If the prize share is 400 q., then 200 q. shall be withheld and deposited. If the prize share is 180 q., then 135 q. shall be withheld and deposited. All amounts withheld and deposited under this subsection shall count in full toward any obligation or minimum balance requirement specified herein, however such amounts are not refundable or returnable if the Team's owner leaves the League before the end of the season following receipt of the prize (except as set forth in subsection R below).

A. The following criteria are used to determine Team performance:

Batting
Composite Batting Average (BA)
Total Home Runs
Total Runs Batted In
Total Runs Scored
Total Stolen Bases

Pitching
Composite Earned Run Average (ERA)
Total Wins
Total Saves
Total Strikeouts
Composite Ratio, equaling (bases on balls + hits) / innings pitched.

B. If the League has more than ten Teams, then the Prize Pool shall be divided among the first five Teams in the standings, as follows:

First Place 50%
Second Place 20%
Third Place 15%
Fourth Place 10%
Fifth Place 5%

C. If the League has ten or fewer Teams, then the Prize Pool shall be divided among the first four Teams in the standings, as follows:

First Place 50%
Second Place 25%
Third Place 15%
Fourth Place 10%

A. Salary. The salary of a player is determined by the time and means of his joining a Team and does not change unless the player becomes a free agent, is claimed off Type B Waivers, or is signed to a guaranteed long-term contract.

1. The salary of a player acquired at the Draft is his auction price or draft price, as set forth in Section X below.

2. The salary of a player acquired from the Free Agent Pool (except as specified in subsection 5 below) is 10q.

3. The salary of a player acquired off Type A Waivers is the same as that player's salary at the time he was waived.

4. The salary of a player acquired off Type B Waivers is 10q.

5. The salary of a player acquired from the Free Agent Pool as a September Roster Expansion, as set forth in Section IV(G) is 25q.

6. The salary of a player acquired by trade is the same as that player's salary for the trading Team.

B. Contract Status. A player's contract at his initially determined salary has a term of two seasons plus an Option Year, unless his service is interrupted during that term. (A player in his first year of a contract is said to have "first year contract status.")

1. A player's service is "interrupted" if that player has been released, has been waived and unclaimed, or has been waived and claimed off Type B Waivers. A player who is traded, or who is waived and claimed off Type A Waivers, has not had his service interrupted.

2. A player obtained at the Draft, from the Free Agent Pool, or off Type B Waivers has a first year contract status.

3. A player obtained by trade, or by Type A Waivers has the same contract status that he did for the Team that traded or waived him.

4. In determining a player's contract status, "season" means a full season or any fraction thereof. For example, a player acquired from the Free Agent Pool in September of 1995 and subsequently retained at the same salary without having his service interrupted during 1996, will enter his Option Year going into the 1997 season.

C. Option Year. If a player has been under contract at the same salary during two consecutive seasons, and his service has not been interrupted (as defined in subsection B(1)), then that player will enter his "Option Year." A player entering his Option Year must, before the Roster Freeze Date in that year, be (i) released; (ii) signed at the same salary for his Option Year; or (iii) signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract.

1. If the player is released, then he will go into the Free Agent Pool and be available in the upcoming Draft.

2. If the player is signed at his same salary for his Option Year, then the player must be released into the Free Agent Pool immediately following the end of that Regular Season (or earlier).

3. Guaranteed Long Term Contracts are governed by subsection D below.

4. If a Team does not notify the Commissioner of its intent before the Roster Freeze Date of any player entering his Option Year, then option (ii) above (signing at the same salary for his Option Year) shall be assumed.

D. Guaranteed Long Term Contract.

1. As a player enters his Option Year, his Team has the option of signing the player to a "Guaranteed Long Term Contract", which may be for as many years as the Team wishes to set. Once the number of years of the Guaranteed Long Term Contract has been set, that number may not be changed.

2. The number of years in the Guaranteed Long Term Contract includes the Option Year. A player signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract must be released into the Free Agent Pool at the end of the contract (or earlier, pursuant to subsection 6 below).

3. If the player is signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract, then the player's salary for each year of the Guaranteed Long Term Contract (including the Option Year) shall be the sum of his current salary plus 5q. for each additional year of the contract beyond the Option Year. For example, if a player had a salary of 10q. going into his Option Year of 1997, and his Team chose to give him a three year Guaranteed Long Term Contract, then his salary for 1997, 1998, and 1999 would be 20q., and he would be released into the Free Agent Pool immediately following the end of the 1999 Regular Season.

4. For each player signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract, the Team signing that player must pay a Signing Bonus Fee, as specified in Section V(I). This Signing Bonus Fee has no affect on a player's salary or the Team's Salary Cap.

5. A player's salary and status under a Guaranteed Long Term Contract remain in force unless the player's service is interrupted (as defined in subsection B(1) above).

6. A player who has been signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract may not be released into the Free Agent Pool except at the time immediately before the Roster Freeze Date. If a player who has been signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract is not retained on the Team's opening Roster, and that player is Draft Eligible, then the Team shall pay a penalty into the Prize Pool equal to twice the remaining value of the contract. For example, if the player signed to the three year contract hypothesized in subsection 3 above was released before the start of the 1998 season, then the penalty would be 80q. This penalty has no affect on the Team's Salary Cap. If a player who has been signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract is not Draft Eligible, then that player may be released without penalty.

7. If a player who has been signed to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract is waived, then the Team shall pay a penalty into the Prize Pool as if the player had been released pursuant to subsection 6 above, unless the player has been waived pursuant to Section XIV(A)(2) below (concerning trades to the American League) in which case there will be no penalty. Under this subsection, the current season will be counted as part of the contract for penalty calculation purposes (as if the player had been released before the Roster Freeze Date).

C. Any proposed transaction during the Regular Season that would put a Team's payroll over the In-Season Salary Cap shall without exception be disallowed by the Commissioner. Examples of when this rule might apply include (but are not limited to):

1. An attempt to replace an injured player whose salary is less than 10q. with a player from the Free Agent Pool (note that if the Team is unable to clear space under the Salary Cap through trade or other valid means, then the injured player in this example may end up frozen on the Team's roster pursuant to Section XII(D) below);

2. At attempt to activate from the Reserve List a player whose salary is greater than 10q. and waive the linked replacement player whose salary is 10q. (note that if the Team is unable to clear space under the Salary Cap through trade or other valid means, then the reserved player in this example may end up being waived pursuant to Section XIV);

G. The Auction Phase. The Auction Phase consists of "rounds," in which each Team that has not already filled its entire Active Roster must nominate a player to be bid upon.

1. The first nominating Team shall be chosen by lot or some other random means, as determined by the Commissioner. This Team must nominate any Bid Eligible player (as defined in subsection 5 below) and open with a minimum salary bid of at least 1q.

2. After the opening nomination, bidding will proceed clockwise around the room so that each Team has either passed or continued to bid at minimum increments of 1q., until only one bidder is left. The remaining bidder has drafted the player at a salary equal to its final bid, and must announce the roster position that the player will fill. Players who are eligible at more than one position may be shifted during the course of the Draft.

3. The process described above will continue, going clockwise around the room, with each Team that has not already filled its entire Active Roster nominating a player as set forth in subsection 1, and bidding proceeding until one Team has drafted the player, as set forth in subsection 2.

4. A round is not complete until all Teams that have not already filled their entire Active Roster have nominated a player. A Team may not pass its turn or refuse to nominate a player on its turn.

5. A "Bid Eligible" player is any player who is Draft Eligible, so long as the nominating Team would not violate the Active Roster (position) requirement if that Team were to draft the player.

6. A Team may only bid on a Bid Eligible player. In other words, a Team may not bid for a player if a successful bid would cause that Team to violate the Active Roster (position) requirement.

7. A Team may not bid for a player if a successful bid would cause that Team to exceed its Draft Salary Cap.

8. The Auction Phase will continue in complete rounds until at least two thirds (66.67%) of the players that must be acquired during the Draft have been acquired. For example, if in a 12 Team League, each Team protected 10 players (leaving 13 players for each Team that must be acquired during the Draft), then a total of 156 players must be acquired during the Draft. At least two thirds of the 156 players (104) must be selected during the Auction Phase, and therefore the Auction Phase will consist of 9 rounds, with 108 players drafted. The remaining 48 players will be acquired during the Fixed Point Phase.

9. If a Team fails to bid within a time limit set by the Commissioner pursuant to subsection E above, then that Team will be deemed to have passed its bid. If a Team fails to nominate within a time limit set by the Commissioner pursuant to subsection E above, then the Commissioner in shall nominate a player for that Team by choosing the next available player that the Team is allowed to bid upon (pursuant to the rules herein) from a descending (a to z) alphabetic list of all available players (starting at the top of the list).

H. The Fixed Point Phase. The Fixed Point Phase consists of rounds where a salary point is fixed and any Team that wishes to draft a player at that salary (so long as it would not violate the Active Roster (position) requirement or exceed the Draft Salary Cap for that Team) may do so, in a pre-determined order.

1. The first salary point shall be the lowest number for which only one Team could bid without exceeding its Draft Salary Cap. For example, if only three Teams were participating in the Fixed Point Phase (which is highly unlikely), and Team A had 16q. remaining for 5 players, Team B had 10q. remaining for 1 player, and Team C had 8q. remaining for 3 players, then the first salary point would be 11, because Team A could bid at any point 12q. or lower, Team B could bid at 10q. or lower, and Team C could bid at 6q. or lower. The next salary point shall be one less than the first salary point, the next would be one less than that, and so on, until the salary point reaches 1q.

2. At each salary point, any Team that can afford to bid at that point has the option of drafting a player or players at that salary. At the start of each salary point round, each interested Team must specify the maximum number of players that it is interested in drafting at that salary point (the "Maximum"). In no case may a Team specify a Maximum that, if the Team did in fact draft the Maximum at that salary point, would cause the Team to violate either the Active Roster (position) requirement or the Draft Salary Cap. A Team may not draft at a particular salary point a larger number of players than the Maximum that it specified at the beginning of that salary point round (although it may draft a fewer number of players than the Maximum that it specified (except as provided by subsection 5 below)).

3. Drafting will proceed in order, as set forth in subsection 6 below. If a Team has specified a Maximum greater than one (1), then after each selection, the Team moves to the end of the draft order for that salary point. (The preceding sentence does not affect the draft order for any subsequent salary point.)

4. A Team may only draft Bid Eligible players (as defined in subsection G(5) above). When a Team drafts a player, it must announce the roster position that the player will fill. Players who are eligible at more than one position may be shifted during the course of the Draft. Selections made in the Fixed Point Phase may not violate the Active Roster (position) requirement or exceed the Draft Salary Cap for the selecting Team.

5. Once the salary point reaches 1q., then drafting must proceed until all Teams have filled their entire Active Roster.

6. The first draft position in the first contested round shall be determined by starting at the Team representative sitting immediately to the left of the representative of the one Team that is able to bid in the first Fixed Point Phase round (as set forth in subsection 1 above) and moving clockwise around the room until reaching a Team that is able to bid in that round. The first draft position in the second and subsequent contested rounds shall be determined by starting at the Team representative sitting immediately to the left of the previous round's first bidder and moving clockwise around the room until reaching a Team that is able to bid in that round. The second and subsequent draft position in each round are determined by proceeding clockwise around the room (starting from the position to the left of the first bidder).

7. A Team may initially signal that it is interested in drafting at a particular salary point but then change its mind and pass its turn. Once a Team has drafted a player, however, the draft decision is final and may not be annulled. If a Team that has not yet met its Maximum for that salary point passes its turn, it will move to the end of the draft order for that salary point. (The preceding sentence does not affect the draft order for any subsequent salary point.)

8. If a Team fails to draft within a time limit set by the Commissioner pursuant to subsection E above, then that Team will be deemed to have passed its draft position, and will move to the end of the draft order for that salary point. (The preceding sentence does not affect the draft order for any subsequent salary point.)

C. Special Reporting Options. If a Team reports a transaction to the Commissioner, and that transaction is not available (because, for example, the Team's desired player was claimed by a Team lower in the standings) or would cause a violation of either the Active Roster (position) requirement or the In-Season Salary Cap requirement, then the transaction does not go into effect. The Commissioner is under no responsibility to inform the Team that its transaction did not go into effect.

1. A Team that wants to insure that it makes some transaction (even if that transaction is not its first choice) must either (i) call the Commissioner on or before the Last Reporting Time to find out if its transaction was effective, and if it was not then report a substitute transaction (and if that transaction is not effective then repeat this procedure until either an effective transaction is made or the Last Reporting Time has elapsed, in which case the transaction will not count until the next Reporting Period, as set forth in Section XI(A)); or (ii) report one or more contingent transactions in case the Team's first one or more transactions are not effective. In the latter case, the Team must clearly state the priority order of the contingent transactions, and if none of these transactions become effective, then the Team must act under subpart (i) of this subsection.

2. If the Commissioner owns a Team in the League, and the Commissioner's Team has a potential move that could conflict with another Team's potential move, the Team may request that the Commissioner's Team report its transaction before the other Team's transaction is reported. To be effective, the request must be made to the Commissioner during the applicable Reporting Period before the Last Reporting Time for that Reporting Period. In such a case, the Team must make a second call to the Commissioner immediately after the Last Reporting Time to report its move. If the requesting Team's transaction is not available, then that Team must immediately (during the same phone call) report a substitute transaction, or else the transaction will not count until the next Reporting Period, as set forth in Section XI(A).

3. The Commissioner shall have discretion (but is not obligated) to count a transaction reported after the Last Reporting Time as part of the just-ended Reporting Period, however transactions reported after the Last Reporting Time shall have the lowest possible precedence (subject to the exceptions in the previous and next subsections). For example, if the Last Reporting Time is 11:00 pm, and the first place Team claims a player at 10:57 pm, and the last place Team attempts to claim the same player at 11:07 pm, the first place Team will get the player (assuming that both Teams are attempting to claim their first player during that Reporting Period and that subsection 2 above and subsection 4 below are not applicable). If the Commissioner in his/her discretion wishes to allow the last place Team to make a substitute transaction, s/he may do so.

4. Notwithstanding the preceding subsection 3, if a Team attempted in good faith to contact the Commissioner before the Last Reporting Time but was unable to do so, the Commissioner shall have discretion (but is not obligated) to allow the transaction as if it were made before the Last Reporting Time.

5. Multiple transactions that are reported in the same phone call or message will be deemed to have been reported simultaneously. If the aggregate effect of such simultaneously reported transactions is to make one or more of the transactions invalid (because, for example, the Team's Active Roster or In-Season Salary Cap requirement is violated), then the reporting Team shall be given the opportunity to choose the relative order of each of the simultaneously reported transactions.

A. Actionable Circumstances. A Team may replace a player on its Active Roster under one of the following circumstances ("Actionable Circumstances"):

1. The player is placed on the major league disabled list;

2. The player is released or waived by his major league team;

3. The player is sent down to the minor leagues by his major league team; or

4. the player is traded to the American League.

J. Policy After Reserve List Limit has been Reached. If a Team's Reserve List already has the maximum number of players and an Actionable Circumstance occurs involving a player on that Team's Active Roster, the Team may either (i) release the player or (ii) release a player on the Team's Reserve List and reserve the newly actionable player in the formerly reserved player's spot on the Reserve List. For example, if player "A" is one of seven players already on the Reserve List and player "B" is placed on the major league disabled list, B may either be released, or may be reserved in A's spot and A would be released. In such a case:

1. All players linked to the formerly reserved player would be linked to the newly reserved player. So, if player "C" was linked to A, then C is now linked to B.

2. The newly reserved player would be linked to all players that the formerly reserved player was linked to. So, if A had been linked to player "D," then B is now linked to D (and C, in the above sub-example would be linked to both B and D).

3. The replacement for the newly reserved player would either not be linked to anyone, or would be linked to whatever player or players that the newly reserved player was formerly linked to. So, if player "E" replaces B, and if B had formerly been linked to nobody, then E would be linked to nobody. If B had been linked to player "F," then E would be linked to F.

4. If the formerly reserved player is active on his major league team, then his release under this rule shall be treated as a waiver.

K. Precedence of Competing Claims. Except as provided in Section IV(G)(6) (regarding September Roster Expansion), the precedence of competing claims from the Free Agent Pool made in the same Reporting Period will be determined as follows (and not by the date or time that either claim was made):

1. For the first player claimed during a Reporting Period by a Team, precedence of competing claims will be determined by the competing Teams' relative places in the standings. Thus, if during a Reporting Period the same player is claimed by more than one Team, that player will go to the Team ranked lowest overall in the most recent standings. If two competing Teams are tied in total points, then the player will go to the Team ranked lower in batting points, if the player is a position player, or to the Team ranked lower in pitching points, if the player is a pitcher. During the first week after the Draft, the precedence of competing claims will be determined as set forth in Section XIII.

2. During a Reporting Period, a Team may claim more than one player, if it is allowed under the rules set forth in this Section XII. However, after it has successfully claimed one player in a particular Reporting Period, the Team will have lower precedence than any Team that has not already successfully claimed a player in that Reporting Period. For example, if Team 1 is in last place and Team 2 is in first place, and both Teams claim player "A," then player A will go to Team 1 (the last place Team). If in the same Reporting Period, both Teams subsequently also claim player "B" (and no other Team claims player B) then player B will go to Team 2 (the first place Team). Similarly, after a Team has successfully claimed two players in a particular Reporting Period, it will have lower precedence than any Team that has not already successfully claimed two or more players in that Reporting Period, and so on. If two or more Teams have, within the same Reporting Period, successfully claimed the same number of players, then precedence between or among their competing claims shall be determined as set forth in subsection 1 above. Each Reporting Period this analysis begins afresh and so, for example, the last place Team will always have top priority for its first claim in each Reporting Period.

3. If a Team makes more than one claim at the same time, it must specify to the Commissioner which claim is its first claim, which claim is its second claim, and so on. If a Team makes more than one claim at different times during the same Reporting Period, the order of its claims will be the chronological order in which the claims were reported to the Commissioner.

4. This rule shall have no effect on the precedence of competing Waiver claims.

M. Reactivation. When a player on the Reserve List returns to active major league duty, he must be reactivated to his Team's Active Roster ("Reactivated") within two full reporting periods after his return, or be waived. For example, if a player returns to active major league duty on Monday the 11th, then the Team has until Wednesday the 27th to reactivate him (the partial period until the 13th, plus two full Reporting Periods).

1. If the Team does not wish to Reactivate the player, it may waive him before two full reporting periods by reporting the waiver to the Commissioner. If the Team does not Reactivate the player and does not report the waiver to the Commissioner within two full Reporting Periods, the player shall be automatically placed on waivers by the Commissioner.

2. A player may not be Reactivated or waived until he has been activated by his major league team.

3. When a player is Reactivated, one of the following must occur:

(a) All players linked to the Reactivated player may be shifted to a Natural Opening. If there are multiple linked players, and a Natural Opening exists, the players may be shifted into the Natural Opening as a linked group.

(b) All players linked to the Reactivated player may be waived. If a linked player is waived under this rule but is not active on his major league team, then this waiver shall be treated as a release.

(c) The Reactivated player may be shifted to a Natural Opening. In this case, the Reactivated player will no longer be linked to the player(s) he was formerly linked to, but if the Natural Opening was caused by another player being reserved, then the Reactivated player will be linked to the newly reserved player.

Reactivation of a player will not affect the status of players that the reactivated player is linked to (as opposed to players that are linked to him).

4. Notwithstanding subsection 3, Teams must maintain their Active Roster (position) requirement and their In-Season Salary Cap requirement at all times, and thus no Team may reactivate or shift a player if doing so would cause the Team to violate these requirements, even if the Team could make another transaction in the same Reporting Period which would remedy the violation. (However, if the Team could legally make another transaction before the Reactivation or shift replacement, and if the requirements are maintained at all times, then the Team would be allowed to make the desired Reactivation or shift.)

5. Notwithstanding subsection 3, a linked player may not be reserved in the same slot and replaced by the player he is linked to. For example, if player "A" is linked to player "B," and within the same Reporting Period, player B is activated by his major league team and player A is put on the major league disabled list, it is not permissible to reserve player A and replace him with player B.

6. Notwithstanding subsection 3, a Reactivated player may not displace (and thus cause to be waived or released) any player on the Team's Active Roster other than a player linked to the Reactivated player.

7. A Reactivated player may be traded during the same Reporting Period in which he is Reactivated. A Reactivated Player may not be reserved, released, or waived during the same Reporting Period in which he is Reactivated.

N. Inter-League Trade Rule. If a player is traded to the American League, the Team that owns that player will be compensated by allowing that Team to (optionally) obtain the player traded from the American League at the same salary and contract status as the player that was traded away.

1. The Team may claim at most one player for each of its players that is traded to the American League. So, for example, if one player is traded for two American League players, the Team owning that player will have its choice of one but not both of the former American League players.

2. If the player traded from the American League is not placed immediately on the National League team's active roster (e.g., if that player is immediately sent to the minor leagues), then that player is not eligible to be obtained by the Team whose player was traded away. In such a case, the Team owning the traded player will not be compensated for its loss of a player, but instead may replace its player from the Free Agent Pool or from waivers or with an otherwise eligible player from the Team's Reserve List. Similarly, if a National League player is traded for a player to be named later, and that player is not named until after one full Reporting Period from the date of the trade, then the player named later is not eligible to be obtained, and the Team owning the traded player may replace its player from the Free Agent Pool or from waivers or with an otherwise eligible player from the Team's Reserve List. (If the player to be named later is named within one full Reporting Period from the date of the trade, it will be treated as if the player had been included in the original trade.)

3. If two or more players are traded from the National League, and the two or more players are owned by different Teams, then the Team whose player had the highest salary has first option to obtain one of the players from the American League. For example, if two National League players are traded for one American League player, the Team owning the higher salaried National League player would have first option to obtain the American League player, and the owner of the lower salaried National League player would only be able to obtain the American League player if the first Team declined to obtain the American League player. If two National League players are traded for two or more American League players, the Team owning the highest salaried National League player would have first option to obtain its choice of the American League players. The Team owning the next highest salaried National League player would have the next option, and so on. If two or more of the traded players have the same salary, the Team with the higher priority claim shall be determined by a coin flip or other random means, as decided by the Commissioner.

4. The newly acquired former American League player will have the salary and contract status of the player that the obtaining Team exchanged for that former American League player.

5. If a Team owning the traded player is unable or unwilling to obtain the American League player traded for that player within the time limits specified in subsection 9 below, the Team must fill the Active Roster spot from the Free Agent Pool (as if the traded player had been released) or from waivers or with an otherwise eligible player from the Team's Reserve List.

6. Teams must maintain their Active Roster (position) requirement and their In-Season Salary Cap requirement at all times, and thus no Team may acquire a former American League player if doing so would cause the Team to violate these requirements, even if the Team could make another transaction in the same Reporting Period which would remedy the violation. (However, if the Team could legally make another transaction before the acquisition, and if the requirements are maintained at all times, then the Team would be allowed to acquire the former American League player.) As an example, if a National League third baseman was traded for an outfielder, and the Team owning the third baseman does not have an open outfield or utility spot, the Team may not obtain the outfielder.

7. Notwithstanding the previous subsection, if a National League position player is traded for a pitcher, the Team losing the position player may obtain the former American League pitcher, waive any member of its pitching staff, and replace the position player from the Free Agent Pool. If a National League pitcher is traded for a position player, the Team losing the pitcher may obtain the former American League position player, waive any member of its Active Roster as long as the Active Roster (position) requirement and the In-Season Salary Cap requirement are met, and replace the pitcher from the Free Agent Pool. If a position player is traded for a position player, or a pitcher is traded for a pitcher, then subsection 6 above shall apply. Replacements and waivers made under this subsection must be made within one full Reporting Period of the major league trade.

8. If the former American League players who are traded into the National League are not obtained under this rule, then they will be treated as if they have been waived by the Team that had rights to them, at the salary and contract status of the player that they were traded for, pursuant to Section XIV below. At most one player will be placed on waivers for each Active Roster player traded away, and if multiple players are involved, the Commissioner shall decide which former American League player is deemed to be on waivers and which salary and contract status will be assigned to each player deemed to be on waivers. In so deciding, the Commissioner shall attempt to identify the "best" of the former American League players involved, and shall if possible deem such players to be on waivers, with the highest salary and most restrictive salary status available under the rules set forth in this Section. Because of the highly subjective nature of this assessment, no protest of the Commissioner's determination under this subsection shall be permitted.

9. Teams that have a player traded to the American League shall have one full Reporting Period to decide whether to obtain the former American League player under this rule. If a Team is unable or unwilling to obtain the former American League player within one full Reporting Period, then other Teams owning players involved in the trade may obtain the former American League player pursuant to subsection 3 above, if applicable, and if subsection 3 is not applicable, then the former American League player will be placed on waivers, as set forth in subsection 8 above, if applicable. A Team having secondary (or lower) rights to a former American League player may replace its traded player immediately, pursuant to subsection 5 above, but if it does so, it forfeits any rights it may have to obtain the former American League player (unless and until the former American League player is waived or goes into the Free Agent Pool).

10. Teams unable or unwilling to obtain the former American League player will have the full Action Window, as set forth in subsection D above, to replace their lost player or players before those players are frozen, as if each traded player had been released by his major league team on the date that he was traded. If a traded player is frozen, he may subsequently be traded (even though he is no longer in the National League), and if traded, then the Grace Period described in subsection E above will be in effect.

11. Notwithstanding other provisions in this Constitution, if a Team obtains the former American League player, or is unable to obtain the former American League player (pursuant to subsections 2, 6, and 7 above), then no fee shall be assessed when the Team replaces its traded player. However, if the Team is able but unwilling to obtain the former American League player, then the usual fee shall be assessed when the Team replaces its traded player.

A. A player may be placed on waivers in any of the following ways:

1. Through the Reactivation process, as set forth in Sections XII(M)(1) and XII(M)(3) above.

2. Because of a trade to the American League, as set forth in Sections XII(N)(8) and XII(N)(9) above.

3. Because a player was claimed off waivers, as set forth in subsection C below.

H. During the Reporting Period that a player is on waivers, Teams wishing to claim that player must claim the player from either "Type A Waivers" or "Type B Waivers," as follows:

1. Players claimed off of Type A Waivers have the same salary and contract status as they did for the Team that waived them.

2. Players claimed off of Type B Waivers have a salary of 10 q. and a first year contract status.

3. At the time the waiver claim is reported, Teams must declare to the Commissioner whether the claim is a Type A Waivers claim or a Type B Waivers claim. The Team may not make this declaration contingent or conditional. For example, it is not permissible to say the claim is Type A if someone else makes a Type A claim but Type B otherwise. Similarly, if a Team makes an unsuccessful Type B claim for a player during a Reporting Period, it may not upgrade that claim to a Type A claim for the same player during the same Reporting Period. Nor can a Team who successfully makes a Type A claim change that claim to Type B, even if no other Team made a claim for that player. In other words, once a Team reports one type of waiver claim for a player during a Reporting Period, it may not "change its mind" and make a different type of waiver claim for the same player during the same Reporting Period.

4. Type A Waivers claims take precedence over competing Type B Waivers claims for the same player during the same Reporting Period.

5. If two or more Teams make the same type of waiver claim for the same player during the same Reporting Period, then that player will go to the Team ranked lowest overall in the most recent standings, except as provided in subsection 6 below. If two competing Teams are tied in total points, then the player will go to the Team ranked lower in batting points, if the player is a position player, or to the Team ranked lower in pitching points, if the player is a pitcher.

6. Notwithstanding the foregoing subsection 5, the Team that waived the player always has the lowest precedence within a type of waiver claim. For example, if Team 3 waives a player, and attempts to make a Type A Waivers claim for that player, Team 3's claim would have a lower precedence than any other Type A claim for that player made during the Reporting Period (even if Team 3 is in last place). Team 3's Type A claim would still have precedence over a competing Type B claim for the player.

A. Trading between Teams is allowed based on the following:

1. No trading is allowed from the Roster Freeze Date until the end of the Draft.

2. Unrestricted trading (subject to subsections B, C, and D below) is allowed from the moment after the Draft until the last day (Wednesday) of the Reporting Period that contains July 31st (the "Unrestricted Trading Period," for example, if July 31st was a Sunday then the Unrestricted Trading Period would end on Wednesday August 3rd).

3. Trading (subject to subsections B, C, and D below) is only allowed between Teams that are contiguous in the most recent standings (e.g., the fifth place Team could trade with the fourth place Team and/or the sixth place Team, but with no other Team), from the day after the Unrestricted Trading Period ends until the last day (Wednesday) of the Reporting Period that contains August 31st (the "Contiguous Trading Period," for example, if August 31st was a Sunday then the Contiguous Trading Period would end on Wednesday September 3rd).

4. No trading is allowed from the day after the Contiguous Trading Period ends until the end of the Regular Season.

5. Unrestricted trading (subject only to subsection D below) is allowed from the day after the end of the Regular Season until the Roster Freeze Date.

D. The following is strictly prohibited:

1. Trades involving cash;

2. Trades involving a player or players to be named later;

3. Trades involving promises of future action or inaction (although, for example, to trade player "A" for player "B" plus a promise not to claim player "C" off waivers during the same Reporting Period would be allowed) (As a further example, a trade that includes a promise to waive a player (or claim a player or not claim a player, etc.) during the same reporting period as the trade would be permissible under this subsection (providing it is permissible under all other elements of this subsection) while a promise to waive a player (or trade a player or claim a player or not claim a player, etc.) in a future reporting period would not be permissible);

4. Trades involving any other type of future considerations;

5. Trades involving the "renting" of players (trades made with the intent that one or more of the traded players will be traded back at some future time);

6. Trades involving Collusion (all trades must pass the "Collusion test," as defined in Section II(D), on their own, without considering any other trade or action).

A. Expansion. The League may choose to expand upon Two Thirds vote of the existing Teams in the League. The number of Teams to add in the expansion must be specified before the vote is taken, but may not be more than three expansion Teams. If the League chooses to expand, an "Expansion Draft" shall be held, as follows:

1. Each expansion Team shall be given the opportunity to draft at least five and at most eight players off of the Active Rosters of the existing Teams in the League. The number of players to be selected in the Expansion Draft shall be specified before the expansion vote is taken, but the total number of players to be selected may not be more than two times the number of existing Teams in the League.

2. The Expansion Draft shall take place on a date specified by the Commissioner, but in no event shall the Expansion Draft be held later than five days before the Roster Freeze Date.

3. Prior to the Expansion Draft, each existing Team may "protect" certain of its players from the Expansion Draft, by submitting a list of protected players to the Commissioner one week before the Expansion Draft. Players so protected are not available in the Expansion Draft and may not be selected. The top five Teams in the previous year's Final Standings may protect five of their players under this subsection, and all other Teams may protect seven of their players under this subsection. The Commissioner must give all Team Active Rosters, with a notation signifying protected players, to the expansion Teams no later than five days before the Expansion Draft.

4. If the total number of players to be drafted by all of the expansion Teams is fewer than or equal to the number of existing Teams in the League, then no existing Team may lose more than one player in the Expansion Draft. In such a case, once one player is chosen off of a Team's Active Roster, then the remaining players on that Team's Active Roster shall be considered to be protected. If the total number of players to be drafted by all of the expansion Teams is greater than the number of existing Teams, then the Expansion Draft shall be conducted in two rounds, as follows:

(a) At most one player may be selected from each existing Team during any individual round.

(b) The first round shall proceed according to the rules governing the Expansion Draft as set forth herein, with no existing Team losing more than one player.

(c) Within two days following the first round of the Expansion Draft, each existing Team that has lost a player in the first round may protect an additional two players, by notifying the Commissioner. (Teams, if any, that did not lose a player in the first round may not protect any additional players.) The Commissioner must give the names of the additionally protected players to the expansion Teams within three days of the first round of the Expansion Draft.

(d) Within five days following the first round of the Expansion Draft, the second round shall proceed according to the rules governing the Expansion Draft as set forth herein, with no existing Team losing more than one player during the round (a maximum of two players over the course of the two round Expansion Draft). Note that no protected player may be selected, whether the player was on a Team's initially submitted protected list or whether the player was an additionally protected player after the first round.

5. Assuming that there are two or more expansion Teams, the first choice in the Expansion Draft shall be determined based on a coin flip, drawing of lots, or other random means, as decided by the Commissioner. If there are two expansion Teams, then drafting shall proceed with one Team getting the first choice, the other Team getting the second and third choices, the first Team getting the fourth and fifth choices, the second Team getting the sixth and seventh choices, and so on until the draft is completed. If there are three expansion Teams, then one Team will get the first and sixth choices, a second Team will get the second and fifth choices, and the third Team will get the third and fourth choices, and then the pattern will be repeated until the draft is completed.

6. Each player selected in the Expansion Draft shall retain the same salary and contract status that he had for the Team from which he was drafted. If a player selected in the Expansion Draft is entering his Option Year, then the expansion Team that selects him shall have the option of signing such player to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract, pursuant to Section VIII(D).

E. Replacement of Multiple Teams. If more than one Team owner leaves the League during the same off-season without naming a replacement owner, then the Commissioner shall search for replacement owners for all of the abandoned Teams. All new owners found shall start with a Deposit Account of zero ($0). Any existing amounts in any abandoned Team's Deposit Account shall be disposed of pursuant to Section V(P).

1. If only one replacement owner is found, then that replacement owner may select any of the abandoned Teams and proceed pursuant to subsection D above. The players on each of the other abandoned Teams shall all be released into the Free Agent Pool, and will be eligible for the Draft.

2. If more than one replacement owner is found, then all players on the Active Rosters of all of the abandoned Teams shall be placed in a mixed pool, and the replacement owners shall conduct a special "Mixed Pool Draft", with each owner selecting up to ten players out of the mixed pool. The timing and draft order of the Mixed Pool Draft shall be determined by the Commissioner, in some way that the Commissioner deems fair, but in no event shall the Mixed Pool Draft be held later than five days before the Roster Freeze Date.

3. Each player selected in the Mixed Pool Draft shall retain the same salary and contract status that he had would have had if the Team had not been abandoned. If a player selected in the Mixed Pool Draft is entering his Option Year, then the Team that selects him shall have the option of signing such player to a Guaranteed Long Term Contract, pursuant to Section VIII(D). All players that were on the Active Roster of any of the abandoned Teams, but who were not selected in the Mixed Pool Draft, shall all be released into the Free Agent Pool, and will be eligible for the Draft.

C. The effective date of changes made to this Constitution pursuant to subsection B above shall be determined by the Commissioner, according to the following guidelines:

1. A change will not be made effective during a season unless there was no previous rule covering the situation (in the broad sense).

2. Changes will not be made effective before the start of the following season if such changes would unfairly undermine a legitimate strategy that one or more Teams have already set in motion, unless Two Thirds of the Teams vote specifically to make the change effective before the start of the following season.

3. A change made pursuant to subsection B above must be effective no later than before the start of the season following the following season. For example, if a change is made during the 1997 season, it must be effective no later than before the Draft in the 1999 season. If a change is made after the 1997 season but before the start of the 1998 season, then it also must be effective no later than before the Draft in the 1999 season.

4. The Commissioner shall have wide latitude in this determination in order to arrive at the fairest result.