Members of the league are required to own the latest version of the Diamond Mind baseball game and a registered copy of the yearly projection disk. The yearly season disk will be created using the second edition of each year=s projection disk, released in late March/early April each year. .

II. FRANCHISES

The franchise names will correspond to real-life franchises. This is not just to facilitate the initial player dispersement, but will also ensure continuity within the league in the event of ownership change. Player dispersement will be conducted loosely in alignment with real life franchises and their AAA affiliates, with a fixed number of existing players on the real life roster of the franchise eligible to be protected within the organization (see below). For example, the major league franchise Anaheim Angels will be linked to their AAA affiliate Edmonton Trappers, and both teams will be managed by the same general manager. The use of franchise names will also ensure continuity within the league in the event of ownership change.

III. USAGE LIMITATIONS

In the DUPL, there are no upper usage limitations. The player records on the Diamond Mind projection disk are normalized for an entire seasons play, so there is no danger of encountering the statistical Aanomalies@ that frequently arise from short-term performance. (It is frequently these anomalies-the left-hand batter with a .500 average against left-hand pitching, the .700 hitter in 10 at bats, the pitcher who doesn't allow a run-which necessitate upper usage limitations in leagues using real-life stats). On the projection disk, players projected to be used as starters are displayed using stats prorated for a whole season. Players projected to be on the bench or to spend time in the minors are displayed using stats for a shorter period of time. However, the player event tables have been determined in such a way that these Ashorter-period@ players will perform realistically if they are used across a whole season. Pitchers will also perform realistically whether they are used in starting or relief, because the continuous-play reporting of the league will invoke the controlling factors of fatigue and injury, insuring that no player is used more than he can handle. League members are referred to Tom Tippett's documentation on the projection disk and on the Diamond Mind website for further explanation.

IV. POSITION LIMITATIONS

To be used as a catcher, a player must have a rating at catcher. Infielders must have infield ratings and can play anywhere in the infield with the game-imposed penalty. Outfielders must have outfield ratings and can play anywhere in the outfield with the game-imposed penalty. Pitchers may either start or relieve, at manager discretion.

V. ROSTER MANAGEMENT

While few rules attend usage, there are firm rules applied to the management of rosters.

a) MAJOR-LEAGUE FRANCHISE

At no time will the number of players on the major-league franchise total more than 25. This number must include at least 2 rated shortstops and 2 rated catchers. In the event of injury to a member of the major league franchise, that player may be put on the disabled list and another player brought up from AAA to take his place on the active roster (the disabled player remains on the major league roster).

b) AAA FRANCHISE AFFILIATE

Each major league franchise will have an affiliated AAA franchise, with the name of that franchise corresponding to the name of the affiliated AAA franchise of the real life major league club. The AAA team must have a full complement of players, including 2 rated shortstops and 2 rated catchers, because it must be capable of performing also as a team. It will include all members of an organization that are not on the 25-man roster of the major league team. At the start of the season, no player with a listed age 32 or older may appear on the AAA franchise. However, such players may be demoted to the AAA club provided they clear waivers (see section d, "waivers," below). Each AAA affiliate will play in a park whose effects mirror those of the parent club, but which bears the name of the real life AAA park. [NOTE: since the AAA teams will likely be comprised primarily of players with lower projected batting averages and pitchers with higher projected e.r.a.s, the level of competition at AAA will equalize these stats, with players hitting and pitchers pitching much better on the AAA level than projected for MLB play, because of the strength of competition. Thus, another built in feature of the DMB projection disk is exploited.]

c) MOVEMENT BETWEEN AFFILIATES

In principle, general managers may move players freely between their major league and AAA affiliates. However, a limit is placed on the number of times a player may be demoted during the course of a single season, so as to prevent abuse of the minor-league pipe-line (constant refreshing of tired arms, creating an expanded, rotating roster of more than 25 players, etc). Players aged 31 or younger may be demoted no more than 3 times in a season, after which they are declared "out of options" and must be maintained on the major league roster or clear waivers before they can be moved to the AAA team. Movement between affiliates must be reported to the league office, where the transactions will be made on the league disk. They will also be tracked.

Players aged 32 or older are automatically already "out of options" and must clear waivers any time they are demoted to AAA. For younger players, the number of times they may be shuttled back and forth is more than is the case in real life, but accounts for the practices of internet leagues in a way that is fair and flexible. The age limit was indeed arrived at arbitrarily, but is meant to discourage people from using older, ineffective, and or retired/injured veterans to fill out the minor league roster. In real life, such players are usually either released or must clear waivers and accept demotion.

AAA rosters will generally have more than 25 players on them. However, no more than 25 players may be active for any series. Players may be inactivated and activated freely between series, and their promotion/demotion will not be tracked, unless they move between the AAA and major league rosters.

d) WAIVERS

Any player "on waivers" or in the free agent draft pool may be claimed by any club once the season has started, , with priority given to the club with the worst record among those teams making a claim at the time. Players claimed off waivers may be signed either to a minor-league or a major-league contract, at the discretion of the claiming team, and, as there is no upper limit on the number of players who can be on the AAA team roster, there is always risk of player loss whenever the waiver option is used.

e) TRADES BETWEEN FRANCHISES

f) Trades may be freely made between franchises, with both trading parties required to report to the league office before the trade is made official. These transactions will NOT necessarily reflect transactions in real-life baseball, because once the DUPL begins play, transactions will be made at the discretion of general managers within the DUPL. However, teams are always encouraged to examine real-life trades to see if in fact they are trades they would like to make themselves. The league office reserves the right to veto or suggest revision of any trade that appears like a "dumping" situation or seems not in the best interests of the league; in most such cases it will suffice if the trading parties can provide a convincing written justification for the transaction.

g) The one exception to this independence will occur in the event of league expansion, where existing players on the real-life franchise of the new team(s) at the time expansion takes place will be available to those teams, according to the rules mapped out below.

h) TRADE DEADLINE: Deadline for all trades is August 1 on the league schedule for either league.

VI. LEAGUE SETTINGS

a) DH Rule-only in American League, but in both AAA leagues.
b) Bullpen Rule-no warm-up
c) Injury Rule-random
d) Weather Effects-yes

VII. PARK EFFECTS

Major league teams will of course use the park effects and era ratings of their real-life teams/stadiums. In lieu of accurate DMB-compatible park ratings for AAA clubs, the AAA affiliate of each major league club will use the stadium, era, and effects of its parent club. If DMB-compatible park ratings for the AAA clubs become available, managers may adopt these at their discretion, or if the league as a whole approves, by the league as a whole.

VIII. ALL-STAR GAMES AND POST-SEASON

a) ALL-STAR GAME At a point in early July on the schedule of both the major leagues and AAA leagues, regular season play will play an all-star game, with the Major League National and American leagues squaring off, the IL and PCL on the AAA level. Eligibility will be determined by actual performance in the league, not by projected performance. To be eligible for the all-star game, a batter must have appeared in 2/3 of his team's games in league play. A starting pitcher must have made at least 13 starts, and a reliever must have made at least 25 relief appearances.

b) POST-SEASON---AAA

In accordance with current AAA practice, the AAA regular season ends on September 1 (disk schedule). In the International League, the champions of the Noth, South, and West divisions qualify for the post-season, as does the 2nd place team with the best record, as the wild card. This team will play the 1st place team with the best record. The other two 1st place teams play, with the stronger finisher holding home advantage. In the Pacific Coast League, the champions of the East, North, Central, and South divisions each qualify, with home team advantage determined by overall finish. Depending on the initial dispensation of teams, some redistribution within the league structure may be necessary; in any case, 4 teams will qualify for the post-season. Players on the major league roster as of the August 1 trade deadline are ineligible for the AAA post-season.

c) SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS

Upon conclusion of the AAA season, on September 1 on the disk schedule, major league franchises may "call up" as many as (but not more than) 10 players from the AAA team, which may then be used freely for the remainder of the major league season. Teams involved in the AAA post-season must wait until their own post-season run is over before these call-ups can be made.
d) POST-SEASON PLAYING LIMITATIONS---MAJOR LEAGUES
e) In order to be eligible for the post-season roster, a player must be on the parent club prior to September 1. No player acquired off waivers after September 1 or called up may be eligible for the post-season. Post-season rosters will be limited to 25 players, including a rated backup at any positions. Since fatigue effects will be used, there will be no usage limits during any post-season series.

f) POST-SEASON---MINOR LEAGUES

g) In order to be eligible for the post-season roster, a player must be on the AAA affiliate roster prior to September 1. No player acquired off waivers after September 1 (end of season) will be on the roster. The minor league post-season will take place concurrently with the final month of the major league season, with games played in real time. Games will be played head-to-head, either by direct internet connection (ie Netmeeting) or via chat, ICQ, or telephone. If head-to-head meeting cannot be arranged, games will be played on the commissioner's computer with manager profiles sent in by the competing managers. If head-to-head play cannot be arranged and one of the competing managers is the commissioner, a deputized league member will run the sim on his own computer. All usage rules for the AAA post-season will be the same as those employed for the major league post-season. Although normally AAA rosters will contain more than 25 players, only 25 may be active at any time, as in the regular season.

IX. INITIAL DRAFT.

a. Inaugural Player Distribution.

A complete inaugural draft of two full teams for every manager in the league would be an enormous and tiresome undertaking (some 60-70 rounds). Therefore, teams will begin the inaugural season with the full roster of a selected major league club. Members will be able to choose clubs on a first-come, first-served basis. However, to create some initial parity, there will be two distribution drafts, to be conducted as follows. Remember that trading may also occur freely.

b. Non-claimed teams draft: The DUPL will start out with 24 organizations.* Therefore, 6 teams will not be represented at first. To bring players from these teams into the league, their full rosters will be made available in a rotational draft. As each team's projection roster has 50-60 listed players, 2-3 players will be added from these teams to each existing organization. With 6 teams to redistribute, 12 rounds are projected.

[*if there is sufficient interest, the DUPL may start out with 26 organizations; if it starts out with 24 organizations, 26 will be the chosen number for the first expansion].

c. Redistribution Draft: Each team will protect 10 players from their current real-life roster as presented on the Diamond Mind Projection Disk B (NOT including any players drafted in the non-claimed-teams draft)

d. After protection lists are announced, a draft will be held of all non-protected players, lasting 10 rounds. As players are chosen, they will shift to their new team's roster and be considered as "protected." Teams may have to draft some of their own players, in order to protect them, and care must be taken to ensure that a desirable, complete pitching staff and position coverage is maintained. When all 10 rounds are completed, each team will protect 5 further players and a "minor league" draft of 5 rounds will then ensue. At this point the redistribution draft will conclude, with up to 15 new players on each team's roster. Only the organizations of member teams may be used in the redistribution draft.

e. Expansion is a possibility for the future. When teams are added to the league, a modified version of the redistribution draft will take place, with the effect of "shuffling" the league out to embrace the new teams. Each expansion team will select 10 members of their real-life organization from existing teams REGARDLESS OF WHO OWNS THEM. At that point, each team in the league will protect 10 players, 10 rounds of unprotected players will be drafted, leaving each expansion team with 20 players. Then each expansion team will select 5 players from their real-life organization REGARDLESS OF WHO OWNS THEM. At this point, all incumbent teams will protect an additional 10 players, leaving each with 30 protected players. All unprotected players who are part of the expansion team's roster will then be shifted onto the expansion team, regardless of who owns these players.

X. YEARLY DRAFT

a. Any position player who does not log 100 or more at bats in the majors and AAA combined will be released as a free agent at the end of the season. Use=retention.

b. Any pitcher who does not log 30 or more innings at the majors and AAA combined will be released as a free agent at the end of the season. Use=retention.

c. No team may protect more than 40 players on its combined major league and minor league rosters.

d. The entry draft pool will consist of any free agents carried over from the previous season, underused players, players not on teams' 40-man rosters, plus any players who appear for the first time on the next year's disk.

e. The draft will last for no more than 12 rounds. Undrafted players will remain in the free agent pool, but may be signed during the season. No more than 5 players may be signed from the free agent pool by any team during the course of the season.

XI. PLAYING/REPORTING PROCEDURES

a. SEASON SCHEDULE. The Major League roster of each organization will play a schedule of 162 games, with all games played directly from the schedule. The schedules for the two levels of organization in the DUPL The AAA roster will play a schedule of 144 games, all of which will be against teams in its own league. Generally, each general manager will coach one major league and one minor league series per week, with the length of each series ranging from 4-6 games.
b. COMPUTER MANAGER PROFILE. All managers must create detailed manager profiles for their teams. This profile must include at least one lineup vs. Left-hand pitching and one vs. Right-handed pitching, detailed depth charts for each lineup (with at least one active backup listed for each position), a rotation of at least 4 starting pitchers, and appropriate relievers. No more than 25 players may be active for any series, with the exception of any games played after September 1 on the season disk, when all players are eligible to play. Managers must file updated profiles with the league office before the next file goes out in order to ensure that it is used in subsequent road games. Written instructions from a visiting manager take precedence over the automatic loading of lineups, and are confined to lists of starting pitchers and indications of which lineups to load. Instructions are not permitted for situations after the game has begun, because, except in the event of head-to-head play, the visiting team will be under control of the computer manager.

c. BEGINNING GAME SETTINGS. The pre-game settings should be the following: Generate Boxscore: YES, Boxscore format: EXPANDED, Generate Scoresheet: YES, Output directed to FILE. This will cause a complete, searchable record of the game automatically to be generated in a format that can be read within the game module. The format of these files is Gm[L][S][G], where L is the code number for league, S for series number, G for game number within the series. These files can be analyzed by such shareware software as BASE for seeking out special game performances (pitcher game-scores, 3-hit games, multi-hit games, etc). Expanded boxscores are preferred over news boxes, because they provide fielding information not contained on the news scores and because they are more easily searchable by software such as BASE.exe.

d. LOADING LINEUPS. Managers will load lineups with both teams in human mode, to allow for the loading of starting pitchers and following of written instructions. In the absence of lineup instructions, the hosting manager will select "C" on the lineup screen, causing the computer to load lineups. This option is also to be used in the event of an injury or inactivation of a player listed in the lineup. Once the field screen is displayed, the hosting manager must then turn on the computer manager for the visiting manager (unless the game is played head-to-head, of course).

e. SAVING GAMES. After the game is finished, the hosting manager will select update results, which will save the game. The game does not have to be specially named, nor is this recommended, as the game module will automatically save an appropriate file as described above.

f. EXPORTING AND REPORTING GAMES. When all games in a play period are completed, the reporting manager must go to the export results page and export series results for ALL TEAMS in the play period, including the hosting team as well as any and all visiting teams. Then, the reporting manager must zip up the files generated in this process (5 per team: CstatsXX.exp, GsummXX.exp, InjXX.exp, StatsXX.exp, TeamXX.exp, where "XX" is the code number of the team). This zip file must also include the Gm... format boxscore/scoresheet records for each game played in the play period, and it must be sent to the commissioner's office for processing by the announced deadline.

XII. THE HONOR SYSTEM

Honesty is the backbone of any healthy internet league. Cheating will not be tolerated , and anybody caught doing so will be immediately expelled from the league. While it is very difficult to "prove" cheating except in cases where there is an obvious conflict between reported stats and reported boxes, accusations will be taken very seriously and monitored. Fairness will also be observed under all circumstances. If anyone feels the need to replay a game already begun, don't. This is only a hobby, and as there is no reward in the end other than pride, the honor system must be relied upon..

XIII.CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Although one always tries to relate in leagues such as this one in a friendly, professional, and courteous manner, conflicts sometimes arise. It is also inevitable that differences in style and personality may cause communication problems. In the rare event that conflicts do arise, every attempt will be made to resolve the conflict peacefully with fairness to all parties and the good of the league in mind.

XIV. PLAY BALL