Official Rule Book

OFFICIAL RUSSELL FANTASY BASEBALL RULEBOOK

Players

RULE 1-1 Commissioner Sovereignty

The Commissioner has total sovereignty over the league. His top priority is to protect league integrity. He has the power to override, implement, or immediately create any league rule or punishment in order to protect league integrity.

RULE 1-2 League Incentive Structure

The League is designed to reward players for good play.  The better you finish the better you draft the better your Waiver Priority.

Ex:  If you finish in 1st you draft first with the highest waiver priority.  If you finish last you draft last (excluding any new Managers) and you have the last Waiver Priority (excluding new Managers).

RULE 1-3  Manager Responsibility

Each Manager is responsible for knowing the League Rules, Yahoo's Rules, MLB Schedule, Yahoo Schedule and any other related schedules.  Ignorance of the rules is not at the Leagues expense.  If you are not sure of a Rule or Schedule please contact the Commissioner.

RULE 16-1 Non Created Players

Only players that are created by Yahoo may be drafted, traded or claimed.  Any player that is not yetg created by Yahoo will follow the Yahoo waiver policy once Yahoo creates the player.

RULE 17-1 Gebby Anit-Sabotage Rule

Any MANAGER attempting to compromise or sabotage the league will have their team immediately frozen and any dropped players will be returned to their frozen team. The commissioner will decide punishment.

RULE 18-1 Collusion

Any act where a MANAGER is attempting to purposely better another team without the intent to better his/her own team is deemed collusion and is subject to punishment by the Commissioner.  This inludes dropping a player knowing the target manager has the #1 waiver priority.  This will not be tolerated and will be grounds for banishment from the league.

This rule includes enticing, helping, assisting, informing another active manager in private conversations any information that will impact his decision making. Enticing another manager to make a particular add/drop sit/start is strictly prohibited and should be reported immediately. Punishment will be enforced.

MANAGERS found colluding will be Subject to Punishment by the commissioner not excluding banishment from the league.

For example: You may not use money, favors, or anything other than baseball players for baseball players.

18-1a  Any manager has the right to inform the commissioner of collusion or possible collusion.

19-1 Lack of Care Rule 

Any manager displaying "Lack of Care", ie: not setting their lineup each week, making unprofitable moves or publicly decreeing derogatory or any remarks demonstrating "Lack of Care" will be subject to punishment by the Commissioner not excluding banishment from the league.

19-1a Reporting Negligence

Any manager may publicly or privately point out that another manager is not setting their lineup.  Please inform the Commisioner as quickly as possible.  A manager shall be warned several times before a punishment shall be enforced.

20-3 Managing other teams Rule - RFBB 6

MANAGERS may not log onto another MANAGER's account to adjust or manage their lineup.  Any MANAGER needing his/her lineup adjusted may contact the commissioner who will adjust the lineup accordingly.  Any MANAGER violating this rule will be subject to punishment by the commissioner and any record(s) will be decided by the commisioner for validity and may be retracted or adjusted.

20-3 End of Season Tie Rule

If two or more MANAGERS have the same exact score at the end of the season the official tie breakers will be...

1. Manager with the least amount of moves
2. Manager who finished with the most points the previous season (both/all MANAGERS must have participated)
3. Manager with the most points on the final day of the season
4. Manager with the most homeruns on the final day of the season
5. Commissioner will flip a coin

21-1 New Proposals Rule

After yahoo has opened Fantasy Baseball to the public the commsioner and all MANAGER will test, tweak, propose and create all new league settings/scoring up until the draft commences. As always, the commissioner has the final say on all new proposals and suggestions.  The commissioner shall protect league integrity first and foremost. 

21-2 New and Returning MANAGERS Rule

Any new or returning MANAGERs will draft after any MANAGER whom participated in the previous season.  All new and returning MANAGERS will be placed into a pool and the commissioner will announce the "New and Returning MANAGERS Draft" time and date.  All names will be hand drawn by someone in the Commissioners presence or the Commisioner himself in the presence of atleast one individual whether face to face or virtually.  The Commissioner has the power to enforce a punishment and override this rule as he sees fit.

22-1 On the Clock Rule

A MANAGER is "On the Clock" once a selection has been posted on the League page by another other manager or in the "Draft Results" section by the Commisioner or direct verbal communication by the Commissioner or anyone else by to the intended MANAGER.  There is no time limit to make a draft selection.  However, the Commissioner has the right to put a MANAGER on a time limit by posting "on the clock".  If the MANAGER does not make a selection by the end of the time limit the Commissioner has set the Commissioner will have the power to award the next highest ranked player to that MANAGER if he feels necessary. 

A draft selection becomes official and cannot be rescinded once a MANAGER has posted his or her selection anywhere or a verbal selection has been given to the Commissioner or any other active manager or via email to any active manager.  

22-1a Selecting a Taken Player

 If the player requested has been already taken then the MANAGER may choose another player.  In the event the draft continues after a taken player has been drafted All draft selections made after the erroneous selection will not count and all taken players hence are available once again and the original manager will be on the clock. A manager may change his mind about his draft selection after this has transpired.

The Commissioner has the power to override this rule and make a different decision.

22-1a  Draft Commencement

The draft is official started when the commissioner posts that the draft has begun or commenced. The manager drafting first is on the clock at that time.

22-1b  John's Gag Rule (Jan 2024)

Once the Commissioner has announced John's Gag Rule is active, whether in the Yahoo League Chat and/or anywhere else, there shall be no mentioning of any Professional Baseball Players names publicly or privately between 2 or more active managers. This rule should be active when the league has been locked and settings are finalized... John's Gag Rule will begin when announced by the Commissioner.  The Gag Rule will deactivated after the first pitch of the final day of the season.  There shall be no enticing, campaigning, persuading, provoking any managers decision making. Additionally, there shall be no sharing of league news publicly or privately between 2 or more managers.  The punishment for violating this rule will be decided by the Commissioner. 

22 -2 Trading Up or Down Rule during the draft

No rule has been created for MANAGERS to trade up or down during the draft and hence is not permitted.

22-3  Scrappy  Spring Training Rule - (RFBB 13)(Updated January 2024)

After the draft has concluded and until the first day of scoring according to the League Settings...  all mangers will enjoy unlimited moves.  After the waiver process has concluded the morning of opening day(aka first day of scoring) all Managers will have their moves reset to zero and the waiver priority will be reset back to where it was before this rule became active. Any moves made after the waiver process on opening day(aka first day of scoring) will count and not be reset. 

23-1  Public Decree Rule

If a manager publicly posts a statement or request such as he is not trading or please don't send him offers... there is no rule in place stopping you from sending him an offer. There is no rule holding him to his statement. He is free to change his mind at anytime and accept any offer.

24-1 BOR Rule (Block on Request)

 The commissioner will not block anyone who requests themselves to be blocked. You will have to rely on your own will power. No manager should entice other managers to block another manager's chatting privileges.  They may announce they have blocked a particular manager.