League Rules

Welcome to the League of Controversy! In September of 2019, the League Discord was created. Bragan wanted to create a dynasty baseball league to mirror SARMLB on PC (also check out that league, many overlapping members). He was excited to launch a league that adapted the PC sim to the real MLB rules. Late in 2022, Mike began helping out as Vice. In January of 2024, Mike filled Bragan’s role, with Egan helping fill Mike’s former role; and the league on a schedule aligned to the real world. Thank you for joining us along this journey!

Disclaimers:
- Stay active or let the Commish Team know you won’t be active. If you need to leave for a short period of time, we will take care of your team until you return (so long as you let us know).

- Keep things civil. Nobody likes drama and stress. Treat everyone with respect. If you have an issue with someone or something, let the Commish Team know. We will mediate the issue to the best of our ability. If the solution is not to your liking, you may leave. Nobody is forcing you to stay. We aren’t trying to be harsh, but this is for fun and we’d like to keep it that way.

- We actively encourage suggestions/questions. While we ask that you not be offended if we don’t take them, we will always explain why we aren’t or why things are the way they are to the best of our ability for your understanding.

- Light hearted trash talk and banter is welcome. Just don't be a dick, and be understanding if someone takes offense.

- Take care of your team. We don’t want to run your teams for you. That said, new owners will have a level of training wheels regarding trades and other decisions (more likely to have trades reviewed/conversational intervention to make sure owners know what they’re doing regarding the sim). As owners prove themselves this will happen less often. It should be noted that no one explicitly wants to be telling secrets to competing owners, and this intervention is done to make sure new owners aren’t taken advantage of; So, if someone is offering advice and you don’t want it, don’t be afraid to say so - and if someone tells you not to offer them advice, respect it.

- Tanking in this league is forbidden. Tanking penalties will be handled on a case by case basis, which will include loss of picks and/or removal from the league. There is not a strict definition in this league of tanking, but as long as you are able to articulate a reason you are making a decision, we will most likely be okay with it. We reserve the right to ask what your strategy is behind any decision at any time for the sanctity of the league’s rules regarding tanking.

- Everyone is here for different reasons, from different places, different ages and backgrounds, etc, but within the league every owner is equal, even us. The rules are written for the league to run on the principle of its Commish Team being the first of many. Running the league is a responsibility and honor, not a privilege or superiority.

Notes:
- Rules are subject to change over time; any changes will be put into a League Message and subject to conversational explanation on discord/ PC.

- We do not use the "free year" that PennantChase contracts have in this league.

- While it is possible to play, and compete, in this league only participating on PennantChase, we also have a very active discord where most conversations and events happen that makes the league what it is. We heavily encourage everyone in the league to be in the discord. You can message the Commish Team for a link.

- This league is the baseball sister league to the PC basketball league The Association (https://www.pennantchase.com/lgHome.aspx?lgid=1687). We encourage as many people to be in both as possible, let us know and we can invite you to the other/put you on the waitlist

Thank you all for your interest in the LoC! We hope you have as much fun participating as we did setting it up!

Best of luck,

Current Head Commish - (Mike) Metsrock2011
Current Vice Commish - (Egan) Egankelly8

Special Thanks:
Founder of League - (Bragan) BraganKelly11
Coder of FA system that was adapted by Egan for this league - Ghost of Ritzcards

Past Head Commishes:
(Bragan) BraganKelly11; Sep 2019 - Dec 2023

Past Vice Commishes:
(Mike) Metsrock201; Vice Aug 2022 - Dec 2023
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LEAGUE SCHEDULE
Spring Training
Roster Deadline
Regular Season
All Star Break
Trade Deadline
Playoffs
Start Offseason
Extension Period (Award Vote)
Progressions Run (Peak at 26, F Regression at 30, C Regression at 34)
Trading Turned Back On
Compensatory Period
Free Agency
Amateur Draft (Slow)
Amateur Draft (Live)
Offseason Program Deadline
Free Agency Free For All (Open Add/Drop)
New Season Begins

League Calendars
~ In Game Day
* Real Life Day
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SPRING TRAINING
30 games
Multiple test runs may be done prior to 'official ST', this ensures accurate leveling
Injuries sustained during Spring Training will not carry over to the regular season
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REGULAR SEASON
162 games
*Everyday - 4 sims; 12PM/3PM/6PM/9PM EST (Subject to change with LM)
~Subject to Commish Teams’ real life schedules; 4 Days will be simmed as close to these times as possible everyday
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ALL STAR WEEKEND
A vote will be sent out at the beginning of the break
Every player (With qualifying ABs/IPs) is eligible to be voted on
The top 34 vote getters (20 Position Players, 14 Pitchers) from each conference will play, with ties being broken through:
Unique team
If one player has a teammate with more votes, the player with the most on their team will be selected
Team with more wins
If both players have the most votes on their team, the player on the team with more wins will play
Player with more ABs/IPs
If both players have the most votes on their team, and their teams are tied, the player compiling more playing time will play
This also applies if teammates and have the same amount of votes
All teams will have a representative
~There will be 5 Days off given
First time All Stars will get +1 fire point
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TRADING
Picks can be traded up to 3 drafts ahead
- Trade Cap- No maximum
- 3+ team trades ARE allowed
- Trades must include assets going both ways
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TRADE COMMITTEE
Any trade that raises concerns by an owner should be reported directly to the Commish Team and nowhere else
- For this reason, trades involving the Commish Team may be reported publicly
Should three owners report a trade to the Commish Team, they will call upon a Trade Committee in discord
Those that will be called upon:
- The Commish Team (acting on behalf of owners involved in the trade)
- Every owner reporting the trade
- 6 current division leaders (If during the offseason, the previous season’s division winners will be called upon)
Any owner is allowed to decline to be on the Committee when called upon
ANYONE involved in the deal will not be called upon
The Committee is officially led by the Commish team, who hold votes should they choose to exercise them
The purpose of calling the Committee is to ensure fair trading practices, that new owners aren’t taken advantage of, and prevent egregiously lopsided trades
- Once called upon, every member has 24 hours to accept and cast their initial vote on the trade without discussion; then there will be an open floor for the committee for 1* Day; then there will be a final vote
- The votes will be binary Yes/No. Only the final vote is binding, the primary is to gauge opinion before discussion
Any trade deemed problematic by the Committee will first have an attempt made by the Commish Team to communicate with all parties involved in the deal and correct the Committee’s issues with the trade
The Committee’s goal is to engage as little as possible. It doesn’t exist to make every trade perfectly even, only to prevent gross miscarriages of justice from occurring - and should only be called upon in such situations
The Committee will be handled entirely privately. Once everything is settled and all involved parties are satisfied, the discord log will be made public
- For this reason, owners should understand that public chat comments/reactions on their trades in discord are NOT representative of anything related to the Committee or a review, but instead the personal opinion of whoever is sharing it; and they will be considered as such by the Commish Team.
ONLY FORMAL PRIVATE REPORTS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR COMMITTEE WORK
Committee work will not interfere with the schedule - instead any deal that has a committee called will be placed on hold while the league continues business as usual
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PLAYOFFS
Best of - WC-1 LDS-5 (2-2-1) LCS-7 (2-3-2) WS-7 (2-3-2)
4 man pitching rotations
One day off will be granted prior to the start of LDS, LCS, and WS
One day off will be granted after G2 and G4 of LDS; G2 and G5 of LCS and WS
Homefield for WS determined by RS W-L. The 1st tiebreaker is run differential; 2nd tiebreaker is commish coin toss
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CAP SPACE (Adjusted during 2024 Offseason)
Maximum is $175 and minimum $130.
Cap space can be traded for. When traded, it can either be permanent or temporary (max of 3 seasons if temporary)

Cap space can be won and lost:
WS Winner +$4
Pennant Winner +$2
Division Winner +$2
Wild Card Winner +$1
Last in Division -$1

(You can only receive one of these per season)

If a team is over the cap by Opening Day, they will be forced to place their player with the biggest current year contract (not total contact) on waivers. If the waived player clears waivers, they will be cut from the team. This process will be repeated until the team at fault is back under the cap.
If a team goes over the cap during the regular season, they will have until the trade deadline to get back under. (This rule is courtesy of ritzcards)
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WAIVERS - IRREVOCABLE
Waiver System - 24 hours on the wire - If a team claims a player on the waiver wire they have two options;
(1) try to work out a trade with the team that waived the player
(2) Claim the player outright and assume all remaining salary
This system is irrevocable on both fronts. Both the waiving team and the claiming team cannot revoke their action. If nobody claims the player, the player will be cut from your team. The waiving team will be responsible for paying for 50% of the remaining contract over the remaining duration of that contract
The waiver order will be reverse standings for the current season (or past season if in offseason). This order does not reset
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WAIVERS - REVOCABLE
Trade Waiver System - 24 hours on the wire - For 3 days following trade deadline - If a team claims a player on the trade waiver wire they have two options;
(1) try to work out a trade involving only minor leaguers/other waiver wire
(2) Claim the player outright and assume all remaining salary. This system is revocable on both fronts. Both the waiving team and the claiming team can revoke their action. If nobody claims the player, the player will remain on your roster
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RELEASING PLAYERS (Adjusted during 2024 Offseason)
Releasing a player- If you decide to release a player without placing him on waivers, then he will be cut from the team while having to pay half of his salary until it expires. A cut player may not be signed by that player's former team until the next offseason. (If in the offseason, this means one season away. If in season, this means the closest offseason). This will prevent teams from cutting players, then immediately signing them as a free agent for 1/$1
Note: If a player of enough stature is released, a one time auction may be hosted
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EXTENSION PERIOD
Following the World Series, there will be a period for teams to retain players destined for FA
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AWARDS
Voted on during the Extension Period. 5 Candidates will be chosen by the Commish Team for each award
Winning players will have +1 fire added to real statline
MVP
Cy Young
ROY
Breakout Player
Manager of the Year (fire point will be assigned to a player of the winning team's choosing)
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ROOKIE CONTRACTS
Draft picks and fictional prospects are eligible for Rookie Contracts
These contracts are free; as long as a player is on a Rookie Contract, they do not cost you any cap space
Players on their Rookie Contract can stay on that contract until they reach one of these CAREER thresholds:
* 150 ABs (hitters)
* 75 IPs (SP)
* 35 IPs (RP)
* 26 years old (By the end of 26 y/o season, a new contract must be signed, or player becomes a FA)
* 90 rank

Teams can freely move players up and down their farm system without notifying anyone
During the Extension Period, tags will be removed all at once for any player that surpassed one of the above thresholds
By the end of the Extension Period, any player without a contract or tag becomes a Free Agent unless they are signed to a new contract
Off a Rookie Contract, the player can sign an Entry Level Contract, or receive a Franchise Tag/Compensatory Tender
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ENTRY LEVEL CONTRACTS
ELCs are available to the following:
Players coming off of Rookie Contracts after hitting a threshold
Any new player (drafted or fictional prospect) age 26 or younger
ELCs are ($3/4 years (+$1) = $18). ($3/$4/$5/$6)
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BRIDGE CONTRACTS (Added during 2024 Offseason)
Bridge Contracts are only available to players coming off an ELC
Bridge Contracts are ($10/2 years = $20)
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FRANCHISE TAG
Franchise Tag- A franchise tag will be a contract that your player automatically signs. There are three options for the tag:
($16/1 years = $16), ($21/2 years = $42), or ($26/3 years = $78)
Players coming off a franchise tag cannot be signed to another
Teams get one Franchise Tag per offseason
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COMPENSATORY TENDER (Adjusted during 2024 offseason; again before 2033 offseason)
Teams have the option of extending a compensatory tender to one player entering FA each season. They will be put on the Compensatory Holding Team, and will be bid on during the Compensatory Period, as explained below. If won during this period, the players’ former team will have the option of matching the winning offer or letting the player walk in return for a compensatory pick in the amateur draft
Note: There is little disadvantage, if any, to use the Comp Tender. We recommend that all teams do so
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COMPENSATORY PERIOD
The compensatory period will be a blind auction
There is a $5 TCV minimum during the compensatory period
2* Days - Period for teams to submit initial bids for comp players
1* Day - Rebid period for the top three bidding teams from the first phase
1* Day - Matching Period. Original teams must notify the Commish team if they wish to match. If the Commish Team is not notified, the player will automatically be signed to the top bidding team
If the team chooses to match, they may change the years/average annual value (AAV) so long as the total contract value (TCV) is the same and it is within the below contract guidelines
If the team does not match, the player will be won by the top bidding team, and the players’ former team will receive a compensatory draft pick based on TCV of the signed deal. Picks can be traded. Picks will be ordered by TCV:
$25+ (pick after 1st round)
$5-$24 (pick after 2nd round)
Any players not bid on during this period will be moved to the general FA pool and become normal FAs, without any ability to match the contract or reception of compensatory picks by the former team should they sign
Teams are allowed to bid on their own players during the compensatory period
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RETIREMENTS
Every offseason, following the compensatory matching deadline, a wave of retirements will be done. The lowest ranked players that are 26+ years old at each position will be retired in quantities that mirror the incoming draft class + IFA imports to keep overall league player pool at 10 IF/UT - 15 DH - 100 C/1B/2B/3B/SS - 250 OF - 300 SP - 300 RP - 1375 Total
Including FA pool and Draft Class entering Free Agency
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FREE AGENCY
FA will be a rolling auction
Bids will be automatically updated via google forms and sheets
If no one exceeds the top bid for 48 hours, that player will sign with the top bidding team
Bids will be considered by total contract value (TCV) as opposed to average annual value (AAV)

Contract Guidelines (AAV)
No Free Year
1-2 Years - $1+
3-4 Years - $5+
5-6 Years - $12+
7-8 Years - $17+
9-10 Years - $25+
+$5 Maximum Raise
-$5 Deduction Maximum

There will be 3 International Free Agents added to the FA pool each offseason
Class will vary among Asian, European, and Latin American players

Entering the 14th* Day, the sheet will be closed to the public. All players not won can still be bid on for 24 hours
The last *Day of FA will be blind, with the remaining current high bids of all FAs on the homepage

Free Agents signed during the season will be given a 1/$1 contract, to play out the season
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AMATEUR DRAFT
The amateur draft will consist of 2 rounds (down from 3 starting 2028)
Any pick in the top 5 that is auto selected will result in the user being removed from the league.

Following the draft, there will be a 24 hour period to sign any remaining UDFAs to MLB clubs
These players will be given a rookie tag, and be free to develop until they turn 27, same as drafted rookies
However, if a UDFA remains unsigned, or is cut at any point, their tag will be removed and they will be given veteran status, free to sign 1/$1 contracts from FA
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OFFSEASON PROGRAMS
There are a number of offseason programs that owners are allowed to utilize to improve their team:
Rookie Minicamp ($10, returned); Position Switches ($2, permanent); Stadium Renovation ($2, permanent)
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ROOKIE MINICAMP
Teams have the option of sending 1 prospect to rookie minicamp for $10 (returned the following season)
Said prospect will receive an extra C progression
There is no limit to the number of times a player can attend this camp, so long as they meet the requirements
Eligibility Requirements (prospect must meet ALL requirements):
Aged 22-25
Sub-60 rank
U/F progression
Rookie Contract
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POSITION SWITCHES
$2; limit one position switch per offseason

Move position player to secondary position:
Errors will increase by ~25%
DWAR will drop by ~25%

Move SP to RP (must be age 35+):
Stamina will decrease ~50-70%
WHIP will decrease ~10-15% (worse WHIP’s could improve more)
IP’s will decrease as needed (~50%)
BB/9 will decrease ~0.7-1.0
K/9 will increase ~1.0-1.5
Stats like CG will zero out; W’s, L’s, and ERA will drop as necessary
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STADIUM RENOVATION
$2 fee to change either side of your stadium one degree
For example: to change LH Batters from Big Boost to Mild Boost would cost $2
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FREE AGENCY OPEN ADDS/DROPS
From after the offseason program deadline until the beginning of the playoffs, free agents can be signed to veteran minimum 1/$1M contracts using the Free Agents tab in the PC navigation bar
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ROSTER DEADLINE
Before opening day, rosters must be at most 25 in the majors and 15 in the minors
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CUT PLAYER BIDDING
Following the roster deadline, there will be a 24 hour bidding period on all players that have been cut since the beginning of Free Agency. It will be a blind process, similar to the Compensatory Period, but with no rebidding or matching, simple high bid wins. Any ties will be broken in private messages. Any player not bid on will join the free agency free for all. Only teams with under 40 total players at the beginning of bidding will be eligible to bid
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NEW OWNERS
New owners will be allowed to eliminate one contract of their choosing. This player must be on the roster when the new owner takes over. This request is only available until their first offseason in the league. Cut players will go into the free agent pool
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League Settings