I. INTRODUCTION

The Total Baseball Association is an organization devoted to historical baseball simulation using Diamond Mind Baseball version 9. Currently there are five leagues running under this organizational umbrella. The following rules cover all leagues existing under this umbrella and variations are duly noted.

II. DUES

At Present, no dues or fees are required.

III. LEAGUE STRUCTURE

League size varies as follows:

1. Early Century League (ECL)

a. Began with the 1934 season.
b. 14 teams divided into two 7-team leagues.
c. Uses Franchise system.
d. Does not use Franchise Rookie system.

2. Half Century League (HCL)

a. Began with the 1948 season.
b. 14 teams divided into two 7- team leagues.
c. Uses the complete Franchise system.

3. Late Century League (LCL)

a. Began with the 1948 season.
b. 20 teams divided into two 10 - team leagues, each with four 5 - team divisions
c. Uses the complete Franchise system.

4. World Baseball League (WBL)

a. Began with the 1982 season.
b. 20 teams divided into two 10- team leagues, each with four 5-team divisions..
c. Uses the complete Franchise system.

5. Modern Alternative League (MAL)

a. Began with the 1998 season
b. Uses the database from the most recently completed MLB season.
c. 24 teams divided into two 12-team leagues, each with three 4-team divisions.
d. Uses the complete Franchise system.

IV. FRANCHISE SYSTEM

1. Team Franchises and Stadiums

a. Owners choose a franchise that exists or existed in Major League Baseball.
b. Team names will be identical to the real life counterpart.
c. The stadium used will be identical to the one used by said franchise's real world counterpart.
d. Incentives exist in each league for owners to acquire players who played for their franchise's real world counterpart.

2. Franchise Players

a. Franchise players are players are determined by their service to a real world MLB franchise.
b. For owners to designate a player as a franchise player said player must have played for that owner's real world counterpart at some point during the previous season.

3. Franchise Rookies

a. Each franchise may choose to reserve one rookie prior to the rookie/free agent draft.
b. A franchise rookie is a player who is making his first appearance in a DMB database. This means that it is usually his first appearance in the Major Leagues as well.
c. In the case of a real world trade, franchise rookie rights belong to the franchise with which said rookie finished the season being drafted.

4. Cost of Reserving a Franchise Rookie

All costs are based on previous season's standings.

a. ECL: does not allow for franchise rookies to be reserved.
b. HCL:
    Finish 1st-7th: cost is a 1st and a 3rd round draft choice.
    Finish 8th-14th: cost is a 1st round draft choice.
c. LCL:
    Finish 1st-8th: cost is a 1st and a 2nd round draft choice.
    Finish 9th-15th: cost is a 1st and a 3rd round draft choice.
    Finish 16th-20th: cost is a 1st round draft choice.
d. WBL:
    Finish 1st-6th: cost is a 1st and a 2nd round draft choice.
    Finish 7th-14th: cost is a 1st and a 3rd round draft choice.
    Finish 15th-20th: cost is a 1st round draft choice.
e. MAL:
    Finish 1st-8th: cost is a 1st and a 2nd round draft choice.
    Finish 9th-16th: cost is a 1st and a 3rd round draft choice.
    Finish 17th-18th: cost is a 1st round draft choice.
    Finish 19th-24th: cost is a 2nd round draft choice.

e. If a franchise has traded a draft choice required for reserving a franchise rookie that franchise may choose to substitute a draft choice acquired from another franchise. That draft choice must be of the same round required, and it must be of a higher standing than the original required draft choice.

5. Franchise Cuts

a. All leagues require franchises to reduce their rosters at the end of each season.
b. Reduced roster sizes may be based in part on the number of franchise players included on the roster.
c. Reductions vary by league as follows:

    ECL: retain up to 20 players plus up to 5 franchise players. Plus 1 player on military leave.


    HCL: retain up to 25 players plus 1 player on military leave.


    LCL: 

Teams that finished 1st to 8th ....retain up to 18 players plus up to 5 franchise players.
Teams that finished 9th to 15th ...retain up to 19 players plus up to 5 franchise players.
Teams that finished 16th to 20th .retain up to 20 players plus up to 5 franchise players.retain up to 20 players plus up to 5 franchise players.

    WBL: retain up to 20 players plus up to 5 franchise players.


    MAL: retain up to 20 players plus up to 5 franchise players.


d. In addition, franchises may retain up to 3 players who will not be rated by DMB in the upcoming season (uncarded).

V. ROOKIE DRAFT

1. Prior to each season all rated players not on roster will be eligible for the draft.

2. Each franchise will participate in the draft until it reaches a roster size of 38 players.

3. Draft order will be determined by the reverse order of finish from the previous season.

4. If two or more teams are tied, draft position will be determined by the teams' road record. The team with the most road losses will receive the higher draft choice.

5. The league commissioner will determine the date and time of that league's rookie draft.

VI. IN-SEASON GUIDELINES

1. League Play Set-up

a. Weather effects will be enabled.
b. Injuries will be turned off.
c. The warm-up rule is not in effect.
d. There is no DH
    Exception: the WBL and MAL will use the DH.
e. The league commissioner will turn on all stats reporting.
f.  Expanded boxscores will be used.

2. Rosters

a. Rosters are limited to 38 players.
b. At the end of each season teams will reduce roster size according to the rules set forth in section IV.5.
c. The active roster limit during the season is 25 players.
d. Rosters may expand in full at a date determined by the commissioner (September call up).
e. Active rosters must be able to cover each position with at least two players and 4-5 starting pitchers. Pitchers may not be farmed and promoted during a series to manipulate around this rule.
f. Franchises must enter the season with at least 11 pitchers who pitched at least 1250 innings in the real world that season.

3. Free Agents

a. All players who remain in the free agent pool after the rookie draft are considered free agents.
b. Teams may sign free agents during the season while adhering to roster limits set forth in section VI.2.
c. Players acquired in this manner will be automatically released back into free agency at season's end.
d. Free agents are signed on a first-come basis. If two teams put in a claim on the same day, preference will be given to the team of lower standing.

4. Position Player Limitations

a. The percentage meter on the player stats screen in DMB will be used to track player usage.
b. Any player who has 600 plate appearances (AB+BB+HBP) will be considered a regular and will have no usage restrictions.
c. Usage limitations:
    ECL - 120%
    HCL - 120%
    LCL - 120%
    WBL - 110%
    MAL - 110%
d. Any player who has at least 50 ABs must play enough to reach 50% on the usage meter.
e. Infielders and Catchers may only play the positions for which they are rated.
f. Outfielders may play outfield positions for which they are not rated according to the following restrictions:
    A corner outfielder, one rated in LF or RF, may play the other corner position even if he is not rated there.
    A player rated in CF may play any outfield position.
g. In emergency situations, when all other players have been used during a game, players may play out of position as necessary.
h. Players may not be pinch hit for if no player remains that can play the position of the player being removed from the game.

5. Pitcher Limitations

a. Pitchers may start and relieve only as rated.
b. If rated as both a starter and reliever, pitchers may be used in any role determined by their manager.
c. Usage limitations are the same as in section VI.4.c.
d. Any pitcher who has at least 30 innings pitched must play enough to reach 50% on the usage meter.

6. Penalties For Player Usage Violations

a. Any player that does not meet his minimum usage requirement will be released to the free agent pool at season's end.
b. Any player overused will be released into the free agent pool before the next play period. The roster spot cannot be replaced 
   during the season. 
c. An owner's status will be subject to review if he overuses two or more players.
d. If two teams tie for a playoff position, the advantage will be given to the team that had the best away record.
e. Players lost to overuse during the season will be available in a one round draft during the offseason.Teams without any such losses will be eligible for this draft. Order will be determined same as rookie draft. {MAL ONLY}

7. Trading

a. Trading will be permitted from the the end of the season until the end of games played for August 28 of the season being played. 
b. Teams may include draft choices in all trades.
c. Teams may only include draft choices for the current and subsequent seasons.
d. No players to be named later may be included in any deal.
e. A trade is not considered to occur until both parties report.
f.  All trades are subject to the commissioner's approval.
g. After both teams report, trades will take effect during the next available round of play.

VII. PLAYING PROCEDURES AND REPORTING

1. Manager Profiles

a. During the season, franchise owners are required to have a profile on file with the league office at all times.
b. Owners are responsible for sending new profiles or instructions to opponents within one day of the release of a new database.
c. Owners should copy the Commissioner with all profiles in case a dispute occurs
d. Owners must not alter the database in any way other than to set a profile and farm and recall players.

2. Playing Games

a. Owners are responsible for the playing and timely reporting of all home games.
b. Unless otherwise stated by the league commissioner, all play periods begin on Monday with results due the following Sunday.
c. If an owner cannot make the deadlines, alternate arrangements must be made.

3. Reporting Results

a. Owners must use the EXPORT function within DMB version 8 to report game results.
b. Do not add anything to the export file created within DMB.
c. If results are not sent on time, or if the file that is sent is incorrect, the commissioner may choose to auto-play any games to keep the league running smoothly.

VIII. PLAYOFF GUIDELINES

1. Teams qualify for the playoffs according to the following guidelines:
    ECL: the top team from each league advances to the World Series.
    HCL: the top team from each league advances to the World Series.
    LCL: the top team from each division advances to the playoffs.
    WBL: the top team from each division advances to the playoffs.
    MAL: the top team from each division advances to the playoffs. In addition, in each league the 2nd place team with the best record also advances to the playoffs as wild card teams.

2. Home field advantage will go to the Division winners who had the highest winning percentage during the regular season

3. Wildcard teams never play teams in their own division or receive home field advantage unless facing another wildcard team.

4. Teams will be re-seeded after each round.

5. All series will be best of seven (2-3-2 format) with a day off after game 2 and game 5.

6. Each team will set a 25-man roster prior to the beginning of a series. These rosters are set and cannot be changed during a series.

7. Player usage restrictions during the playoffs are as follows:
    Players with 300 pa's or 100 IP have no restrictions.
    Position players with less than 40 pa's and pitchers with less than 20 IP are ineligible for the playoffs.
    All other players may not enter a game once they reach the 10% mark on the DMB usage meter.
    Starting pitchers may be used in relief during the playoffs.
    Rosters must be able to cover each position with at least two players.

IX. CHANGES IN LEAGUE FORM OR STRUCTURE

1. Any change in the form or structure must adhere to the foundations and guidelines set forth under the umbrella of the Total Baseball Association.

X. UNACCOUNTED-FOR SITUATIONS

1. If a situation arises that is not covered by the rules set forth in this document, the commissioner will use his discretion to resolve that situation.

2. In extraordinary circumstances the commissioner may choose to supersede any of the above rules if he deems it to be in the best interest