CJRL Rules
RULES FOR THE CENTRAL JERSEY ROTISSERIE LEAGUE AS ADAPTED FROM: Rotisserie League Baseball by Glen Waggoner and Robert Sklar, Bantam Books, New York, 1990. This book is a must-read for any new team owner and a must-have for the bookshelf of any rotisserie veteran.
These rules have been revised as of March 2001.
Team owners attempt to assemble a lineup of 23 baseball players whose cumulative statistics during the regular season, compiled and measured by the methods described in these rules, exceed those of all other teams in the League.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
We utlilize only National League players. If the National League has 16 teams, there may be nine to thirteen teams in the Central Jersey Rotisserie League, composed only of National League players.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
A team's active roster consists of the following players:
Five outfielders, two catchers, one second baseman, one shortstop, one middle infielder (either second baseman or shortstop), one first baseman, one third baseman, one corner man (either first baseman or third baseman), one utility player (who may play any non-pitching position), and nine pitchers.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
A Major League Player Auction is conducted on the first Saturday after Opening Day of the baseball season. If this day falls on Easter weekend, then the AUCTION DRAFT DAY will be moved one week later. Since this is the only mandatory day of the year for the league, team owners are expected to plan around this day. This makes scheduling easier for the league.
Each team must acquire 23 players at a total cost not to exceed $65 (original rules according to the book Rotisserie League Baseball use a team salary cap of $260, but we decided to use 25% of that amount). A team need not spend the maximum, however, not spending the full $65 does not earn the team owner a rebate of fees, only a less expensive roster. The teams nominate players for acquisition beginning with a team chosen by lot, then proceeds clockwise around the room. This procedure continues until all teams have 23 players. The team bidding first opens with a minimum salary bid of $0.25 for any eligible player. Bidding proceeds until only one bidder is left. That team acquires the player for the amount bid and announces the roster position the player will fill.
OVERBIDDING: If at the draft a team bids more money than it can afford to spend, all other team owners choose a player from that team's last four newly drafted players. These names are put into a hat. The team owner who overbid picks a player from the hat and must throw that player back into the player pool without being able to bid on him again. The overbidding team now has that player's salary to spend. If the team still does not have enough money to fill his or her roster, then another player is picked out of the hat until enough players are thrown back into the draft and their salaries give the overbidding team owner enough money to at least fill his or her roster with $0.25 players. If necessary, the process can be repeated, with the 5th and 6th most recently drafted players and so on.
JOSE VIZCAINO RULE: Although it is up to the ROTI team owner's to make sure that position eligibility rules are followed during the AUCTION DRAFT, a player who is drafted without a position being available on his ROTI team may occur. If this happens, the player in question is removed immediately from the ROTI team's roster. His cumulative statistics from the beginning of the season are kept on the ROTI team's season stats. The team owner must make a transaction to waive the player in question and replace him with a player that meets position eligibility requirements. The player who does not meet position eligibility requirements is determined by checking the chronological AUCTION DRAFT order, which will be kept by an appointed team owner or the auctioneer. This player would be the first player drafted without a position open on the ROTI team roster in question. (See also JOSE VIZCAINO RULE--ADDENDUM)
BOOBY PRIZE: The last place team from the previous year may opt to wear the "booby prize" hat at AUCTION DRAFT DAY. Excluded from the rule is any new team owner that year.
We want AUCTION DRAFT DAY to be as fun as possible. Usually there will be a collection, announced during our RULES MEETING/ROSTER PROTECTION DAY, used to buy sandwiches for the team owners and auctioneer. It would also be helpful if each team owner would bring a bag of chips or some other snack food, or bring a bottle of soda or some other beverage. We will take breaks periodically to add up the salaries and to eat (and stretch!!!)
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
A player may be assigned to any position at which he appeared in 20 or more games in the preceding season, or any position where he appeared at least once during the current season. If during the preceding season a player did not appear in 20 games at a single position, he may be assigned only to the position at which he appeared most frequently during that preceding season. Players selected for the utility slot may qualify at any position except pitcher.
If the preceding major league baseball season has been shortened for any reason (ie: strike), the 20 game measure can be changed for the following season's ROTI draft by a vote of the team owners. The recommended method is to pro-rate the amount, so if 10% of the season was lost, then the 20 game measure will be decreased by 10%.
CHIPPER JONES RULE: If a player missed an entire season, the previous year can be used to ascertain position eligibility.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
The Central Jersey Rotisserie League has a schedule of fees covering all player personnel moves. No money passes directly from team to team. All fees are payable into the prize pool and are subsequently distributed to the top five teams in the final standings.
Team owners must pay at least $50 of the league fees on ROSTER PROTECTION DAY, with the balance due on AUCTION DRAFT DAY. New teams must pay the entire amount on ROSTER PROTECTION DAY, which is also the expansion/new team draft day. Teams will be notified each year by an appointed team owner.
FEE DUE DATES: Transaction fees for the first half of the season must be paid within 3 weeks following the All-Star Game. Each team owner will be notified of their amount due in the weekly stat report. If for some reason a team has not been notified, it is the team owners responsibility to find out the amount due.
Checks must be received by the third Tuesday following the All-Star Game. If fees are not received, that team can make no moves until their transaction fees are paid up-to-date. If fees have not been received by the second Tuesday, the League Secretary will notify that team (or teams) at that time. This still leaves one week for team owners to make sure their money is received. After this two-week period, it is the team owner's responsibility to check and see that their money has been received. The League Secretary is only responsible to call late team owner's at the two-week point, and has no responsibility thereafter.
Second-half transaction fees are due by the second Tuesday following the final game of the World Series.
LATE FINES: There will be a late fine of $10 assessed on the following:
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
The salary of a player is determined by the time and means of his acquisition and does not change unless the player becomes a free agent or is signed to a guaranteed long-term contract.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
All fees shall be promptly collected and added to the salary pot. The pot shall be divided among the top teams in the final standings as described in the following table:
| Thirteen to fourteen teams | Ten to twelve teams | Nine teams or less | |||||
| First place | 46% | First place | 50% | First place | 50% | ||
| Second place | 23% | Second place | 25% | Second place | 25% | ||
| Third place | 13% | Third place | 12% | Third place | 15% | ||
| Fourth place | 9% | Fourth place | 8% | Fourth place | 10% | ||
| Fifth place | 6 % | Fifth place | 5% |
|
|
||
| Sixth place | 3% |
|
|
|
|
||
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
The Central Jersey Rotisserie League utilizes what are known as the "Standard 8" Rotisserie categories. These criteria, which are used to determine team performance, are as follows:
| Composite batting average |
|
| Total home runs |
|
| Total runs batted in |
|
| Total stolen bases |
|
| Composite earned run average |
|
| Composite ratio: bases on balls (BB) + hits (H) / innings pitched (IP) |
|
| Total wins |
|
| Total Saves |
|
Teams are ranked from first to last in each of the eight categories and given points for each place. For example, in an eleven-team league, the first-place team in a category receives eleven points, the second-place team ten, and so on down to one point for last place. The team with the most total points wins the pennant.
"1000 INNINGS RULE": A team that fails to pitch a total of 1000 innings cannot be ranked ahead of any team that does pitch 1000 innings, in either ERA or Ratio. This rule is to prevent an "all-relief" strategy.
NOTE: Pitcher's offensive stats are not counted, nor are the pitching stats of the occasional position player called in to pitch when the score is 25-1 after five innings and the relief staff is being pelted with rocks and garbage from the fans.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
The weekly player-performance summaries published in USA Today beginning in late April constitute the official data base for the computation of standings in Rotisserie League Baseball.
IMPORTANT--Don't say "WAIVE" when you mean "DL" or "RESERVE"!
The LEAGUE SECRETARY is the phone contact person for transactions and is responsible for sending the transactions into the stat company. The LEAGUE SECRETARY in also responsible for informing you of the transactions for the last 14 days (if you ask).
Also, the LEAGUE SECRETARY must leave the name of a team owner who will be handling transactions if the LEAGUE SECRETARY leaves home for an extended period of time. This name can be left on an answering machine message.
NOTE: It is common for a player to appear on the roster of more than one Rotisserie League team during the season because of trades and waiver moves. Even a player who is not traded may spend time on a team's disabled list or reserve list, during which period any numbers he might compile for his major league team do not count for his Rotisserie League team.
If you do not have access to e-mail, be sure to leave enough pre-stamped, self-addressed envelopes with the team owner in charge of copying the weekly stats. It is not his or her responsibility to mail stats to team owners who do not leave enough envelopes.
NOTE: We now have free World Wide Web access to the daily stat report through our stat company. Use the CJRL web site link for stats to download the report. This is a DOS text file. It will need to be changed slightly for appearance.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
From the completion of the auction draft until midnight of August 31, Rotisserie League teams are free to make trades without limit, so long as the active rosters of both teams involved in a trade reflect the required position distribution upon completion of the transaction. No trades are permitted from September 1 through the end of the season. Trades made from the day after the season ends until rosters are frozen on ROSTER PROTECTION DAY (usually the first Saturday prior to AUCTION DRAFT DAY) are not bound by the position distribution requirement.
NOTE: This means that if Team A wants to trade Barry Bonds to Team B for Greg Maddux anytime between Auction Draft Day and the trade deadline, Team A will have to throw in a pitcher and Team B an outfielder to make the deal. During the off-season, Bonds could be dealt for Maddux straight-up.
No trades may take place from ROSTER PROTECTION DAY to AUCTION DRAFT DAY. Trading may occur immediately following the completion of the AUCTION DRAFT.
IMPORTANT!!--It is the responsibility of the team owners involved in a trade to notify the League Secretary of that trade. As mentioned in this rule book, all transactions are effective the day after notification of the League Secretary.
Blockbuster Trade Rule: If a trade involves five or more players, notification must be made to all CJRL team owners via email (phone call for owners without access to email). There is then a two-day period where other teams may make counteroffers to either of the teams involved in the trade. If after the two-day period the original trade still stands, then it becomes effective the second day after notification. If any deals are made during notification for one or more of the original five (or more) players, the original teams may then work out a new trade. Notification would again occur if more than five players are involved.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
A team may replace any player on its 23-man roster who is:
There is no limit to the amount of moves a team can make. A move is made by calling the League Secretary and informing he/she of the move. REMEMBER- All moves must be made in accordance with the position eligibility requirements. All positions must be filled at all times according to team roster requirements (see ROSTER).
A player may only be put on the DISABLED LIST if the player's major league team has actually done so. Along the same lines, a player may only be put on the RESERVE LIST if the player's major league team has actually sent the player to the minors.
EXCEPTION: In September, some major league teams stop using the disabled list, even when players are clearly out for the season. Rotisserie League teams may DL an injured player after September 1 when the injured player is definitely out for the season and his major league team doesn't bother to use the disabled list. The burden of proof is on the team owner, who must present sufficient evidence to convince the league that his player is definitely out for the season. If, after the player is put on the DL and replaced, the player should by some miracle recover and play again, then the stats of the replacement are thrown out and the original player's stats are reinstated as if he had never been replaced.
NOTE: Even a single playing appearance, not necessarily involving a single at-bat, is sufficient to invoke the reinstatement provision.
From the day that a major league player is brought back up to the majors from the minors, or a player is activated from his major league team's disabled list, a Rotisserie League team owner has two weeks to reactivate a player from it's RESERVE LIST or DISABLED LIST. This is done in the same fashion as any other move by calling the LEAGUE SECRETARY and informing he or she of the move. If the Rotisserie League team owner forgets, or decides not to activate the player within the two weeks, the player is then considered waived and must pass through the normal 7-day waiver period, where the lowest team in the most recent standings has first rights to the waived player. (See WAIVERS)
NOTE: When Rotisserie League Baseball began, one of the rules was that: "A suspended player may not be reserved, released, or replaced."
As discussed in Rotisserie League Baseball, when this was the rule, the writers were thinking about the old-fashioned things players might do to get themselves suspended, such as Bill Madlock hitting an umpire (1980), or Gaylord Perry throwing a spitball (1962 to 1983), although he was suspended for doing it only once (1982). Then came the drug suspensions of 1984 and afterwards. The writers have decided to consider players suspended for substance abuse as if they were on the disabled list, and allow teams to replace them.
Every move (DISABLED LIST, RESERVE LIST, or waive) must be accompanied by a concomitant replacement move. This means that a team may not put a player on the RESERVE LIST, DISABLED LIST, or waive a player without replacing him.
All moves are effective the day following notification to the LEAGUE SECRETARY of the transaction.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
When a player is released by a Rotisserie League team there is a seven-day Waiver Period. If more than one team claims the released player during this seven-day Waiver Period, the player goes to the team ranking lowest in the most recent standings. The salary assigned to a player claimed on waivers is $2.50 before the All-Star Game, and $5.00 after the All-Star Game.
A player with a guaranteed long-term contract may be waived during the season if he is traded to the other league. He may also be waived for any reason the team owner deems necessary. If another team picks up the player, the new team also picks up the players contract, thus releasing the former team from further obligation. If the player is not picked up by any team, the original team owner must include this player on their protected roster at the following years draft until the contract expires (or until another team claims the player).
Back to RULES--Table of Contents.
The old method of acquiring free agents in the Central Jersey Rotisserie League was "first come, first served". This has been changed this season. Each team will have $35 for the purposes of bidding during a sealed bid when more than one team claims a free agent in the same day (from 8:00 a.m. to midnight). The $35 isn't actually real money, just bidding units, and will be used for bids during the entire season. It is your responsibility to keep track of your FAAB. You may call the LEAGUE SECRETARY to verify an amount, but ultimate accountability rests with the team owner.
The LEAGUE SECRETARY will notify you of a sealed bid. You will have three days to call in your bid from the day the LEAGUE SECRETARY calls you. IF YOU ARE UNSURE AND MAY BE AWAY, BE SURE TO CALL THE LEAGUE SECRETARY. Whoever bids the highest gets that player. There is no backing out of a bid, and your minimum bid is $0.25. The player's salary will be the winning bid amount. If there is a tie in the sealed bid, the player goes to the lowest team in the most recently downloaded standings.
All players awarded during a sealed bid are activated retroactively to the day after a team's original call. If you are concerned that you will miss out on some playing time if you lose a bid, it is recommended that you leave second, third, or more choices. That way, you will get your next choice retroactive to the day after you originally called. Of course, sometimes it may be better to wait and choose someone after you find out you lost a bid.
FAAB Temporary Long-Term Contract/Limited Keeper Clause: Any player won by a bid of $9.00 or more must be kept on the acquiring team's roster for the following year's Auction Draft. If the player is traded, the team that traded for the player must keep him on their Auction Draft Day roster the following year. The only exception occurs if the player is not on a National League roster by Major League Baseball's Opening Day. A player with a contract status of FAAB-2/1 is one who was won on a sealed bid of $9.00 or more. This player is under a long-term contract for that season and the following season. The same long-term contract rules apply regarding trades, waivers, etc.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
BURDEN OF PROOF RULE--Any team making a transaction that may be considered out of the ordinary must back up that move by producing a boxscore evidencing the validity of the move.
For example, if Team X wants to put career catcher Mike Piazza at shortstop, Team X must produce a boxscore that proves the move is valid. This rule also applies to DISABLED LIST moves because a player can not be put on the DL by his Rotisserie team unless he has been put on the Major League DL. The same applies to the minor league reserve list.
JOSE VIZCAINO RULE--ADDENDUM: If a player is picked-up during the season but does not meet position eligibility requirements, that player will be removed from the ROTI roster immediately. He is considered waived and must pass through the normal 7-day Waiver Period. All statistics accumulated by that player will be void for that team. The statistics of the replacement player chosen begin the day after the replacement move is made. In effect, this rule is punitive in that the ROTI team loses any statistics accumulated by the player who did not qualify at an open position on the ROTI team's roster. Of course, it is expected that all team owners will use diligence in checking their roster and making sure that a move will fit with the position eligibility requirements. (See POSITION ELIGIBILITY)
ANTI-DUMPING RULE--No team shall trade players to another team if the team owner does not plan to participate after the present season. This rule is of course intended to prevent a team owner from trading Gary Sheffield for Mark Parent when a team owner is planning to leave the league. We are all friends and this is a friendly game, however it is necessary to have guidelines just in case a situation should arise. If a situation comes up where dumping may have occurred, a team owner may call a special rules meeting where the teams may talk about and vote on a solution. (See RULES COMMITTEE) Of course we all hope that teams deal in a prudent manner.
see also "Blockbuster Trade Rule"
RON GANT RULE/INACTIVE RULE--If a player is out of baseball, whether disqualified or retired, the ROTI team can put that player on the "inactive" list (RESERVE LIST on our stat reports). This does not apply to disabled players or players sent to the minors, which would be sent to the DISABLED LIST and RESERVED LIST respectively.
If a player is traded to the other league, he becomes a free agent immediately. However, if a player is released but not yet signed by an American League major league team, that player may still be declared "inactive" by the ROTI team owner and put on the RESERVE LIST (see "Ron Gant Rule" above). However, once a player is signed to a major league contract with an American League team, that player is a free agent immediately and no longer a part of the ROTI team's roster.
Long-term contracts stay in effect regardless of transactions (except for retirement from baseball, being signed by an American League major league team, or trade to the American League). However, if a player retires, the ROTI team owner can choose to protect their rights to that player in case he comes back to baseball (such as Ryne Sandberg or Tony Phillips). This player can be put on the RESERVE list as an "inactive player" (see "Ron Gant Rule" above), but must be a part of the ROTI team's protected roster at ROSTER PROTECTION DAY and AUCTION DRAFT DAY. The day following AUCTION DRAFT DAY, the player may again be RESERVED as an "inactive player".
The inactive or retired player's contract status still matures every year, and the player may be signed to a long-term contract if he is not under one already.
Although retired players that are inactive on a ROTI team roster may be included in a trade, retired players may not be drafted during AUCTION DRAFT DAY.
DL/RESERVE SWITCH--If a player is on the DL in both the majors and ROTI, then the player is activated by the major league team but sent to the minors before being activated by his ROTI team, the player may be kept on either of the lists without penalty. Of course, if the two-week period expires before the player is activated and before the major league team sends him to the minors, the player is considered waived.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
A player who has been under contract at the same salary during two consecutive seasons and whose service has been uninterrupted (that is, he has not been waived, although he may have been traded) must, prior to the ROSTER PROTECTION DAY in his third season, be released, signed at the same salary for his option year, or signed to a guaranteed long-term contract.
If released, the player returns to the free agent pool and becomes available to the highest bidder at the next auction draft. If signed at the same salary for an option year, the player must be released back into the free-agent pool at the end of that season. If signed to a guaranteed long-term contract, the player's salary in each year covered by the new contract (which begins with and includes the option year) shall be the sum of his current salary plus $1.25 for each additional year beyond the option year. In addition, a signing bonus, equal to one half the total value of the long-term contract, but not less than $1.25, shall also be paid.
NOTE: This rule is intended to prevent blue-chippers, low-priced rookies who blossom into superstars, and undervalued players from being tied up for the duration of their careers by the teams who originally drafted them. It guarantees periodic transfusions of topflight talent for AUCTION DRAFT DAY and provides rebuilding teams something to rebuild with. And it makes for some interesting decisions at AUCTION DRAFT DAY two years down the road. Here's how it works. Let's say you drafted Raul Mondesi in 1992 for $1.00, a fair price then for an unproven talent who wasn't even in the Opening Day lineup. It's now the spring of 1994 and Mondesi, who has become the next Babe Ruth, is entering his option year. Only a cheapskate would let him play out his option, and only a nut would trade him. You compare Mondesi's stats with those of other players at various salary levels, check your needs, project what's likely to be available in the upcoming draft, cross your fingers against injury--AND SIGN HIM TO A FIVE-YEAR GUARANTEED CONTRACT. Mondesi's salary zooms to $6 ($1 plus $1.25 plus $1.25 plus $1.25 plus $1.25), but he's yours through the 1998 season. His signing bonus, which does not count against your $65 Auction Draft Day limit, is $15.00 (one half of 5 x $6). If he really is the next Babe Ruth, you've got a bargain.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
For the first three seasons of the Central Jersey Rotisserie League's existence, each team must retain, from one season to the next, NO FEWER THAN 7 BUT NO MORE THAN 15 of the players on its 23-man roster. After three seasons, this minimum requirement is eliminated, the maximum retained. The minimum is removed because, after three seasons, a team might find it impossible to retain a specific minimum because too many players had played out their option.
The cumulative salaries of players protected prior to AUCTION DRAFT DAY are deducted from a team's $65.00 expenditure limit, and the balance is available for acquisition of the remaining players needed to complete the team's 23-man roster.
IMPORTANT: If a team owner does not show up to the ROSTER PROTECTION/ RULES MEETING, or make other arrangements with the league, the protection procedure for that team will be as follows:
NOTE: The Early April roster-protection deadline gives all Rotisserie League teams a week to fine-tune draft strategies. More importantly, it cuts the time it takes to complete AUCTION DRAFT DAY by a couple hours.
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
When Rotisserie League teams decide not to participate the following season, or the major league expands, it is necessary for the Central Jersey Rotisserie League to expand accordingly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The rest of a holdover team's players are exposed to an expansion draft. Each expansion team, picking in order determined by lot, selects players from each holdover team, whose salaries and contract status are carried over to their new teams. No holdover team may lose more players than the number of expansion teams. For example, if there are two expansion teams, each holdover team may lose no more than two players. If there are three expansion teams, each holdover team may lose no more than three players. After the expansion team(s) finish the expansion draft, the expansion team owner(s) makes a protected roster, just as any team owner.
The expansion/new team draft order is done by a flip of a coin. If more than two teams are involved, another coin flip will decide who chooses second and third. The first team chooses the first pick, then the second team chooses the second, then the third team chooses the third, etc., until all teams have a first pick. Then the teams choose in reverse order. This procedure is followed until all teams have their preliminary rosters filled.
"GENTLEPERSON'S AGREEMENT": (Sorry so "politically correct") Although misinformation is a fun and strategic part of AUCTION DRAFT DAY, it has been decided by the team owners that it would not be in the best interest of the league for comments meant to influence the EXPANSION/NEW TEAM DRAFT to be made by team owners during the EXPANSION/NEW TEAM DRAFT. Of course, during AUCTION DRAFT DAY, it is not only allowed, it is encouraged!
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
The entire team ownerhip of the Central Jersey Rotisserie League is considered a Rules Committee. If changes are necessary from the present way of doing things, we will vote to change the rules. If a new rule needs to be put on the books, then we will have a vote to add the rule. Again, it is important to remember that this is a friendly game. If it becomes a game without fun, we should seriously consider ending the game.
RULES CAN BE ADDED OR CHANGED BY EITHER:
Back to RULES--Table of Contents
These rules have been compiled, ammended, rewritten, argued over for hours, ammended again, and also forgotten about in some instances! However, we at the Central Jersey Rotisserie League feel that as team owners become more savvy and more experienced, it is good for the integrity of the league and for fairness to all teams to have guidelines to follow.
Again, rules are necessary, but our main goal is to have fun. We hope that all team owners keep that in mind when running their ballclubs.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the rules of the Central Jersey Rotisserie League, please e-mail me at larjohn@hotmail.com.
Get your own Free Home Page