Mission Statement of Polo Grounds Baseball
Polo Grounds Baseball (PGB) exists to provide entertainment and amusement for its members, emphasizing fellowship, community, and baseball scholarship.

Article 1: Definition and Vision
Polo Grounds Baseball (PGB) is a Strat-O-Matic computer baseball league with all games played on a rotating, voluntary, weekly basis. PGB operates as a "keeper" league, with rosters remaining intact each off-season, and due to its style of game play, could be considered a "GM-Only" league. Upon admittance to PGB, managers agree to these articles, and will operate a single team.
Amendment A: Team Sharing
"Team-sharing" or "co-managing is allowable only under unique circumstances, and must be approved by The Commissioner.

Article 2: The Commissioner
The Commissioner's primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to: organizing PGB functions; modifying, interpreting and enforcing league rules; webmaster; scheduling; distribution of PGB documents; and oversight of routine business. Duties may be delegated by the Commissioner as warranted.
Amendment A: Authority of The Commissioner
Playing rules and procedures are to be determined by The Commissioner, with input and/or voting from league members if warranted.

Article 3: Game Play
All games will be played on a rotation basis by a league member, as assigned by The Commissioner. Play is from March to October, with results transmitted electronically on a regular basis. Managers are responsible for submitting lineups, strategy, roster moves, and other game-related information.
Amendment A: Game Playing Rotation
The official game rotation wil be assigned by the Commissioner, and is strictly voluntary for each manager.

Article 4: Teams
PGB will consist of 18 teams in three divisions, and will play 162 games per season. Teams are allowed forty (40) players on their roster, with a maximum of 25 players active for games at all times. Team identities/names must be in good taste, and are subject to approval.
Amendment A: September Rosters
Active rosters can to 40 players starting on September 1 of each season.

Article 5: Roster Construction
Teams will acquire players via a draft conducted electronically. Players on American League SOM rosters (REG, ADD, MIXED, or COMP) are draft-eligible. Once rostered, players remain eligible until their release. Each player is allowed a maximum of five options (promotion/demotion) per season. An injury will not be counted against a player's options, although movements of a player's replacement will be counted. MIXED cards will use only combined AL+NL stats.

Article 6: Player Usage
Each player will be restricted to 120% of their actual ABs and IPs. It is up to each manager to monitor these limits. Starting pitchers must have four days rest between starts at all times--no exceptions. Postseason limits are 10% of actual ABs and IPs per seven game series.
Amendment A: Player Usage Reports
The Commissioner will occasionally post a Player Usage Report, which outlines players that fall into the following categories:
Endangered: Players who exceed their regular usage and are within the "grace period" of 20%, OR are within a few games of potentially exhausting eligibility;
Expired: Players who have completely exhausted their seasonal eligibility;
Suspended: Players who have significantly exceeded their limits.
Amendment B: Consequences of Overuse
Severe or neglectful overuse (as determined by the Commissioner) will result in a team's immediate, permanent forfeiture of the player. Forfeited players will return to the Annual Draft the following season, if eligible. Moderate usage infractions will result in an immediate season-ending suspension of the player, with the team retaining rights. Small and/or accidental violations will be considered on a per-case basis.
Amendment C: Intentional Misuse of Players
Lineups are composed of players eligible at each position. Players may play out of position only to cover injuries, or as HAL dictates during in-game strategy.
Amendment D: Modified Usage Restrictions
Overuse will be limited to 115% for the 2008 season, and will settle permanently at 110% staring in 2009. Playoffs limits reamin the same.

Article 7: Ballparks
Teams may customize their ballpark by setting OF fences and IF range. Settings can be altered annually by a factor of (+2) through (-2), with a maximum differential of (8).

Article 8: Postseason
Three division champions will automatically qualify for the postseason, along with three wild card teams. Division champs with the two best records receive a Round 1 bye, while the other division champ plays the wildcard team with the worst record. The other series will involve the other two wildcard teams. All series will be a best-of-seven. Winners will play for the championship in the PGB World Series. All series use the 2-3-2 home/away schedule. Off days are scheduled after games 2, 5, and 7.
Amendment A: Tiebreakers
One-game playoffs, which are part of the regular season, will be held only when playoff eligibility is at stake. Home team will be determined by coin flip, and is played the day immediately following the end of the regular season. If a tie occurs that only affects postseason seeding, this tie-breaker will be used:
Tiebreaker #1: Head-to-head record between tied teams; winner gaining the higher seed.
Tiebreaker #2: Head-to-head runs scored between the teams; winner gaining the higher seed.

Article 9: Annual Draft
Players meeting eligibility standards will be available for the Annual Draft to take place every offseason. Eligible players include American League rookies and former National League veterans. Teams select in inverse order of regular-season record from the previous season. Playoffs teams will be slotted in the final four positions, with the league champion selecting last. Players selected must remain on a 40-man roster for a minimum of one full season.
Amendment A: Tiebreakers
Tiebreaker #1: Head-to-head record between tied teams, with series loser drafting first.
Tiebreaker #2: Head-to-head runs scored between the two teams, with loser drafting first.
Amendment B: Draft-Day Procedures
Drafts are conducted over several days, usually in February and/or March, on a timed schedule. A round takes one full day to complete, using half-hour time slots. Selections are made via phone or email to The Commissioner, who posts them immediately to this website. Teams can draft at their appointed time, even if the team ahead of them hasn't selected a player. Managers missing their slot can make a selection at any time during the rest of the day's draft, or afterwards if needed. Drafts can be suspended to accommodate managers notifying The Commissioner before the day's draft begins.
Amendment C: Additional NL Teams
1-2 full NL rosters will be added to the draft pool each season. Philadelphia/Florida were added in 2008, with 1 team to be added in subsequent years.

Article 10: Rule 5 Draft
Conducted each off-season, the Rule 5 Draft allows teams to select players from other team’s rosters, who are not placed on a 25-man protected list. Teams are allowed one selection, and no team can lose more than one player each season. Players selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the new team's 25-man roster for one entire season, regardless of usage, or be offered back to the player's original team without compensation. If the original team refuses the claim, the player must then remain on his new team's 40-man roster for the rest of the season. Teams are not required to select a player in this draft. No Rule 5 Draft will be held during an expansion year. Teams will select in the same order as the Annual Draft.
Amendment A: Managers Drafting from Their Own Roster
Managers may not draft players from their own roster.

Article 11: Trades and Transactions
No trade or transaction is final until it has been approved by The Commissioner. Once approved, new lineups and/or pitching rotations must be submitted before players can be used. Transactions will be rejected by the Commissioner if it results in an illegal roster or player movement; or “roster stashing” prior to a Rule 5 Draft or Expansion Draft. Annual Draft selections may be traded for the following year only, unless approved by the Commissioner. Rule 5 selections are not tradeable prior to the Rule 5 Draft.
Amendment A: Releasing Players
Since rosters may never contain more than 40 players, teams must occassionally release players to fit within this limit. Also, immediately following the Annual Draft, teams must release players to maintain a legal roster. Players can also be traded instead of released, but once a player release has been posted (or announced) the player is immediately ineligible for further transactions.
Amendment B: Future Considerations
No trades with "future considerations" (except for draft choices) are allowed unless all players involved have been mutually agreed upon at the time of the trade. Trades involving unclear compensation, or un-named players to be determined later, will be voided.
Amendment C: Restrictions on Trading of Draft Choices
1) Draft choices may only be traded for the next regularly scheduled draft. The Commissioner will void trades involving draft choices beyond the upcoming draft. The first day of any year's draft will be the first day these future choices can be traded (ex: 2008 choices can't be traded until the 2007 draft begins.)
2) No choice higher than Round 5 can be traded, even during the draft. These players can't be traded until after all 40-man rosters are posted.

Article 12: Expansion
Applications for membership will be reviewed periodically, and will be judged by the Commissioner based upon the following criteria: 1) current overall PGB condition; 2) evidence of an energetic and involved membership by the applicant; 3) expansion leaves league with an even number of teams; 4) unavailability of existing teams; and 5) daily access to e-mail/internet, and be availability for all off-season drafts.
Amendment A: Expansion Schedule and Draft Format
Expansion will be considered periodically, with the eventual goal to settle at 24-26 teams, and using all 30 MLB rosters. Currently, no expansion will be considered until the 2009 season at the earliest, when the addition of 2-4 teams will reviewed. The method for stocking rosters will be evaluated at that time, although it will be largely based on the 2006 expansion format.

Article 13: Resignation of Membership
Members are requested to complete the current season prior to voluntarily resigning their PGB membership. As a courtesy to other members, those opting for resignation are encouraged to give as much notice as reasonably possible.