2025 NATIONAL BASEBALL FEDERATION CONSTITUTION
ORGANIZATION
1.00 The National Baseball Federation (NBF) exists to promote friendship through competition and communication among its members.
1.01 The NBF league office consists of the Commissioners and the web master. Peter Mancini, Mark Mancini, and Jeff Binder are the Commissioners. TK Kane is the web master, and the league web site is located at http://nbfbb.com/.
1.10 The Commissioners interpret and enforces league rules and policies, selects new members, monitors trades and arbitrates any conflicts. The Commissioners also conduct player drafts, determine league schedules and divisional alignment, administer fines, penalties and bonuses and is responsible for coordinating league activity through timely emails.
1.11 The Commissioners will be responsible for maintaining updated rosters for each team and will monitor player flow to and from those rosters.
1.12 The Commissioners will accept rule and policy change proposals from league members and then put them up for vote for the rest of the league. A 13-7 vote is needed to invoke a new rule or change an existing one.
1.30 The NBF shall consist of 20 teams divided into two divisions of ten teams each.
1.31 The Commissioners shall decide when expansion is necessary and may commission league members to help in the process of expansion.
1.40 All players are subject to continuous ownership unless traded or released (cut).
1.50 The current APBA software player's disk will be used each season.
1.60 The season's length will be 162 games, consisting of 108 games played within a team's own division and 54 games played against teams in the other division.
1.61 Each team will play one six game home series and one six game road series against teams within their own division. They will also play five or six games each (either home or away, rotating each year) against teams outside their division.
1.70 All NBF members are required to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Constitution and playing rules.
1.71 Repeated failure to follow league rules and/or practices, gross incompetence or a violation involving personal integrity may result in a vote of expulsion for a league member.
1.72 League rules are to be abided by on a "for that year" basis. Rule changes resulting in behavior previously evaluated as acceptable but now considered prohibitive will be dealt with in the same manner as any other violations are handled. There will be no "established precedents" to affect present behavior.
1.73 In the event of extreme duress, the Commissioner may expel an NBF member if he determines that the action is warranted, and the entire league will suffer needlessly if the situation is not remedied.
1.82 The Commissioners set the dues level and due date. Currently there are no dues.
ROSTERS AND TRADES
3.00 As mentioned in point 1.40, ownership of players is continuous from year to year.
3.10 Each team may maintain a roster of 40 players of which 27 (26 for the playoffs) will be considered at the major league level. Only these 27 (26 for the playoffs) players may be considered active for a series.
3.11 The remaining 13 players will be divided between an inactive roster and uncarded players. Any number of the 13 may be uncarded (an uncarded player is defined as any player with a PR less than 100 or any pitcher with less than 100 MBF).
3.12 Player movement can occur between both the active and inactive
levels between series.
3.13 A team may activate one or more players from their inactive roster between series and replace a member or members of their active roster.
3.20 Each team's 27-man active roster must have at least one backup players for each of the 8 fielding positions on a baseball team. A player may serve as a backup at more than one position. A team’s 40-man roster must have at least two backup players for each of the 8 fielding positions. A player may serve as a backup at more than one position. If you have a player (non-pitcher) with an injury rating of 0, then that player only requires one backup.
3.30 The roster limits mentioned in point 3.10 are waived from the conclusion of the team’s season until completion of the annual NBF Rookie Draft.
3.31 A post-NBF Rookie Draft roster limit is placed upon teams until the start of the NBF Free Agent Draft.
3.32 All teams may protect up to 35 carded/uncarded players on their rosters between the end of the rookie draft and the start of the free agent draft.
3.33 Uncarded players released from a team's NBF roster are not eligible to be claimed by any NBF team in the free agent draft.
3.34 Rosters expand by two players with 5 weeks remaining in the season.
3.40 Trades may be made at any time except during the current season for all teams and during the playoffs for those teams involved.
3.50 Trades may involve players and/or draft picks in the rookie and/or free agent drafts.
3.51 Trades involving draft picks may not involve picks further than next season's drafts.
3.52 All trades must be consummated immediately and cannot include the proverbial "player to be named later".
3.60 All trades must be reported via email to one of the Commissioners by BOTH parties involved before they are considered consummated.
3.70 The Commissioners reserve the right to veto any trade that they feel may be too one-sided, has extenuating circumstances or does not conform to the ideals and spirit of the league.
ROOKIES AND FREE AGENTS
4.00 Prior to the start of each season, the NBF conducts a multi-phase stocking draft that allows teams to acquire rookies and free agents.
4.01 A rookie is a player that made their major league debut in the prior Major League Baseball Season.
4.02 A free agent is any carded player not on any of the 35-man rosters submitted after the rookie draft.
4.10 Each year the Commissioners will select dates on which the rookie and free agent drafts will be held.
4.11 Instructions, draft order and available players in the major leagues will be sent out prior to the drafts.
4.20 The NBF Rookie Draft is based upon inverse order of finish from the previous season and will consist of a "live", two round player selection process. There is a non-weighted lottery of the bottom four teams to determine the selection of the first four picks in both drafts. The winner of the lottery gets the 1st Rookie pick and the 4th Free Agent pick. The runner-up in the lottery gets the 2nd Rookie pick and the 3rd Free Agent pick. Next gets the 3rd Rookie pick and 2nd Free Agent pick. Last gets the 4th Rookie pick and the 1st Free Agent pick.
4.50 Players not selected in the Rookie draft automatically become free agents if they fit the requirements of being a "carded" player.
4.60 The following are rules pertaining to the Free Agent Draft:
4.65 The NBF Free Agent Draft shall consist of five rounds plus, if necessary, supplemental rounds to get all teams to 40 total players.
4.70 There is no limit to the number of FA picks a team can make in the 5 rounds of the FA draft.
4.71 All rounds of the free agent draft are based upon inverse order of finish from the previous season, aside from the lottery that determines the first four picks (see 4.20 above).
4.72 For managers not participating “live” in the draft, players will only be drafted for managers that spend the time to list those players they want on their draft lists. The Commissioners may choose not to personally draft for those teams nor will they follow instructions described as "draft the best player available".
4.80 Upon conclusion of the Free Agent draft, every NBF team has at least 40 players. If you want to claim an undrafted Free Agent, we will do three rounds of claims and each time you can claim one player. For each player successfully claimed you must drop one carded player. Please note that you can list multiple players that you want to claim in order of preference. You must also submit which player(s) you will cut if you are awarded a claim. Finally, players cut in round 1 and round 2 of the free agent claim draft will be available in subsequent rounds. You are not required to make any claims.
4.83 Players not on an NBF roster after any subsequent roster cuts to get down to the current season's limits are ineligible to join an NBF team until next season provided they meet all eligibility requirements specified in points 4.01 and 4.02.
4.90 NBF members should not discuss their rookie and/or free agent draft picks or claims with other members prior to the actual draft(s).
4.91 In the event of an NBF team(s) lacking a manager, the Commissioners or someone designated by the Commissioners will draft for that team(s) based upon the best available player.
RULES OF PLAY
6.00 The current computer game disk will be used.
6.10 The NBF will allow ONLY the use of the computer game in league play. Baseball for Windows 6.0 is required.
6.20 The designated hitter will be used.
6.30 “Allow Bunt for Hit”, “IW With Bases Full”, “Allow Infield IN with 3rd Base Empty” will be turned on for the season.
INJURIES
6.40 Injuries are dictated by AIM and do carry over into the playoffs. Injured players may be put on the farm team AFTER a series is completed, or during a series if the injury is long-term (longer than the amount of games left in the series) AND if the manager extends the same courtesy to the visiting team.
6.45 A few times each year injuries will force a team to have to pick up a player off the waiver wire. There is no penalty for this but do keep in mind two things: 1) As always, the player is returned to the Free Agent pool when you no longer need his services or at the conclusion of the season. 2) The player must be approved by me. The player must be a “930” player if it is a position player. If it is a starter or reliever then he will be a grade D (1-4) pitcher.
GAME INSTRUCTIONS
7.00 Game instructions, including lineups and pitching rotations, are created within League Manager and are carried out by the micromanager of your choice.
7.01 A 27 (26 for the playoffs) man roster of “carded” players is required.
7.02 You must have at least one set lineup if you are the away team.
7.03 Pitching rotation must be set up in League Manager and included
in a Franchise file for each road team.
7.06 All other aspects of the game should be played in good faith, using your best baseball judgment.
BATTING LIMITATIONS
8.10 A pitcher may not bat under any circumstances, however he may pinch-run.
8.22 The Play Rating (PR) will be increased to 930 for all players that had a SLG + OBP < .665 and a batting average less than .235. Injury rating will be set to 1.
PITCHING LIMITATIONS
9.01 If a starting pitcher is rated 4 or less by APBA, he will be given 900 Batters Faced or will keep their actual number if higher. Injury rating will be set to 1.
9.10 Each manager must use a minimum five-man rotation for his starting pitchers for road series being managed by a micromanager. Visitors must send a rotation in a Franchise File before away series. Home team must load their rotation in League Manager before playing series.
9.30 A starter may relieve if he is rated 9 or below or a split grade pitcher with a relief rating. He will be subject to the same limitations stipulated in 9.50.
9.31 A starter rated 10 or higher may relieve if he had as many or more relief appearances as starts and was not given a relief rating by APBA. Managers must inform the Commissioner if they have any pitchers who fall under this category.
9.50 Only a split grade relief pitcher may start. Relief pitchers are limited to their actual number of batters faced.
9.51 Relief pitchers with a grade 4* or less will be given 380 Batters
Faced or will keep their actual number if higher. Injury rating will be set to 1.
9.52 Players who normally play the field, but have pitched during the actual Major League Season (and get a 1* from the game company), are not eligible to pitch in the N.B.F..
FIELDING LIMITATIONS
10.00 A player can only play in a position that he has not been rated at when the starting and backup players for that position have been injured or ejected.
10.01 The player inserted at that position will receive a rating as based upon the computer game.
10.10 Outfielders may play any of the three outfield positions.
GAME REPORTING
11.01 Results will be sent via a franchise file after every series. After all results are sent to one of the commissioners, he will send a commissioner’s file that contains all stats and boxscores for games played. Managers will look up their own stats on Statmaster.
11.10 The Commissioners will create the season schedule in League Manager.
PROTESTS
12.00 The visiting team manager may protest any loss he feels resulted from the home team's negligence, error or misinterpretation of league rules.
12.10 A protest is initiated by sending the Commissioners a written statement detailing the reason for the protest.
12.20 The manager against whom the protest has been lodged may send the Commissioner a statement arguing why the protest should be disallowed.
12.30 The Commissioner shall uphold a protest if he feels the incident profoundly affected the outcome of the game.
12.40 A game in which a protest has been upheld will be replayed in its entirety as soon as possible after the decision has been rendered.
12.50 Protest decisions are not subject to appeal and are considered final.
12.51 Any further discourse on the matter with either the Commissioners, managers involved or any other league member will necessitate the enforcement of league rules 1.70 through 1.73.
POST SEASON PLAY
16.00 The two Division champions and four Wild Card teams will qualify for the playoffs. Division winners will be seeded 1 and 2 4 and the Wild Card teams will be seeded 3 through 6 based on regular season records. The 3 seed will face the 6 seed and the 4 seed will face the 5 seed in the opening round of the playoffs. The 1 seed and the 2 seed will receive a bye into the semifinals. The 3 seed and the 4 seed will have home field advantage in the opening round. After the opening round, the 1 seed will face the highest remaining seed and the 2 seed will face the other remaining team. The 1 seed and the 2 seed will have home field advantage in the semifinals. In the Finals, the team with the lowest seed will have home field advantage. All games should be played H2H.
16.20 Teams ending in a flat-out tie for a divisional championship or wild card will be involved in a one game playoff only if it is needed to determine which team will qualify for the playoffs. If the teams that tie both qualify for the playoffs, then a tiebreaker will be used to determine seeding. First tiebreaker is head-to-head record. Head-to-head records and then a coin flip will determine the home team if a one game playoff is needed (this procedure will be used for any other league determinations).
16.40 Starting pitchers are limited to the number of games they may start in a series based on the number of MLB starts they had that year:
25 or more MLB starts = number of starts limited only by AIM
16-24 MLB starts = maximum of 2 start per series
8-15 MLB starts = 1 start per series
0-7 MLB starts = not eligible to start in a series
16.60 Starting pitchers may relieve in the post-season.
OTHER STUFF TO THINK ABOUT:
A starting pitcher must have a SWB number of 30 to start a game. His fatigue status must be “Ready” or “Rested”.
The highest PR (play rating) an everyday player can get is 1000. This means he basically played every game.
You should analyze your roster and make sure that you have all the positions covered with PR1100 using carded players.
Your outfield needs a total of 3300 Pr. You can split up a player’s eligibility between more than one position if he's eligible.
Pitching wise: make sure your team has 170 ML games started.
AND a total of 7000 MBF's for the whole pitching staff.