Post by Admin on Feb 14, 2016 15:14:36 GMT
I. – League Objective
1.1 – The primary objective of this league is for every owner to have FUN. That’s the reason we play this silly game. While I appreciate the intensity and competitive spirit that many of you bring to these leagues, please do not let it detract from anybody’s playing experience.
1.2 – A secondary objective for this league is to create a format in which the best H2H players can be determined. Given the structure, the best players will naturally move to the top bracket while the weak players will naturally be removed from the league altogether. Over the course of 5 years, the elite owners should flourish.
II. – Structure
2.1 – Chiseled Stones will be comprised of 60 owners in 3 different bracket levels. There will The Show, Middle Bracket, and a Lower Bracket. The ultimate goal for every participant is to win The Show.
2.2 – The Bigs is the highest level in Chiseled Stones and it consists of only one league. The top 10 owners based on yearly results will play in this league (The Bigs) to determine the Chisled Stones champion.
2.3 – The Middle Bracket is the second highest level and it consists of two leagues (Triple AAA & Double AA). Thus, the next best 20 owners will participate in two separate leagues to determine who will advance to the Chamionship Bracket the following year.
2.4 – The Lower Bracket is the lowest level in Chiseled Stones and it consists of three leagues (Single High A, Single Low A, and Rookie Ball). The remaining 30 owners (or half of Chisled Stones) compete in this bracket for the chance to advance to the High A Bracket the following year.
2.5 – For future reference, these are the league names for 2022. The championship bracket will consist of the The Bigs. The High A Bracket will consist of the Triple AAA and the Double AA Leagues. The Low A Bracket will consist of the Single High A, Single Low A, and Rookie Ball, leagues. Leagues on each bracket level are equal to one another. They only exist to divide the owners equally into groups of 10.
2.6 – Confused? Please continue reading to fully understand the nature of this format.
III. – Bracket Advancement
3.1 – Owners can advance, maintain their position, or drop a level the following season based on their finish in each league.
3.2 – In the The Bigs, the top 5 owners based on their finish in the league will remain there to compete for the following season. Meanwhile, the bottom 5 owners based on their finish will drop to the Middle Bracket for the following season.
3.3 – In the Middle Bracket, the top 5 owners based on their finish in the league with total points determining who will be promoted to the The Bigs Bracket for the following season. The middle 7 owners based on finish and total points for will remain in the Middle Bracket the following season. The bottom 8 owners based on finish and total points for will drop to the Lower Bracket for the following season.
3.4 – In the Lower Bracket, the top 8 owners based on thier finish in the leagues with total points determining who will advance to the Middle Bracket. The middle 15 teams will remain in the Lower Bracket the following season. The bottom 7 owners based on finish and total points will be eliminated for the following season.
3.5 – When promoted or demoted to the Middle and Lower Brackets, placement in leagues will be random. For example, somebody who is demoted to the Lower Bracket will be randomly assigned to one of the three leagues. The same is true for the owners who are staying put in the Middle and Lower Brackets. Placement in leagues on each bracket level will be randomized every year.
IV. – General Format
4.1 – Each league in Chiseled Stones will have the exact same playing format. All leagues will consist of exactly 10 teams and will follow a H2H Points scoring system with a snake draft. Obviously, there will be no keepers as many owners will change leagues every season.
4.2 – Each team will have 26 players with 21 of those players slotted as starters. The rosters will consist of:
- 1 catcher
- 1 first baseman
- 1 second baseman
- 1 shortstop
- 1 third baseman
- 1 corner infielder (1B/3B)
- 1 middle infielder (2B/SS)
- 4 outfielders
- 1 utility player (any position)
- 9 pitching slots
- 5 bench slots
- 6 DL slots
4.3 – There will be a 10 game start limit for pitchers. This is not a hard limit. All starts on the day the limit is exceeded will count. For example, once an owner reaches 9 starts, he or she can start 9 pitchers the following day and all statistics accumulated by these pitchers would count. The limit goes into effect the day after an owner hits 10+.
4.4 – There will be a 20 innings minumum for SP.
4.5 – There are no limits or minimums for hitters.
4.6 – No extra bench slots are permitted. There are 5 static slots and the creation of a sixth is illegal. This rule is often broken by accident so the first 5 offenses will only result in warnings. Every subsequent offense will result in a 5 point deduction in total points for which can have a direct effect on league placement the following season. After 10 offenses, the offender is eligible for expulsion from Chiseled Stones at the discretion of the LM.
4.7 – Roster slots lock at game time on a slot by slot basis. In other words, they do not lock at the first game of the day. Owners are free to change lineups up until a specific spot locks.
V. – Acquisitions
5.1 – There is no limit or minimum on the amount of acquisitions that can be made.
5.2 – The player universe will contain all MLB players that ESPN has in their database. Chiseled Stones will observe ESPN’s undroppable players list.
5.3 – Acquisitions will lock at the first game of the day. For example, if the first game is at 7:05 EST, an owner must pick up a player prior to that time in order for that player to be eligible for his or her lineup that day. This is the case even if the player they are picking up doesn’t have a game until 10:05 EST. Any acquisitions made after the first game of the day will be reflected in the following day’s lineup.
5.4 – Chiseled Stones will follow a waiver system. Any player that has been rostered for more than 24 hours will be subjected to a mandatory waiver period of one day. During this period, teams may place a claim on a player and the owner with the highest waiver claim will acquire the player. Afterwards, the successful claimer will be moved to last in the waiver order. The initial waiver order will be the inverse of the draft order.
VI. – Trades
6.1 – Vetoes are LM only. While you can ask me to review a given trade if it seems unbalanced, I am the final arbiter. It is likely that no trade will be overturned.
6.2 – Trades will be pushed through by the LM at his earliest convinence. There will be no exceptions to this. Don't ask and plan accordingly.
VII. – Draft Information
7.1 – Every league will have a snake draft with a draft order randomized by ESPN one hour before draft time. Every draft will have 60 seconds per pick.
7.2 – Pinch drafters will be allowed. The draft plays a crucial role in determining a team’s end of season result and thus pinch drafters could hurt your chances.. Since one of the main objectives of Chiseled Stones is to determine the best owners, pinch drafters will be allowed but only as a last resort.
7.3 - Setting draft dates and times that work for everyone will be a top priority. Ideally, a date that works for everyone can be agreed upon. If one owner cannot make a date in the Major/Minor League brackets, he or she may be moved to a different league in the same bracket to satisfy his or her needs. In the event that owners cannot switch leagues to satisfy their needs, the official date will be determined by a league poll.
VIII. – Punishable Offenses
8.1 - Obviously, there isn't much one can do in the way of cheating in this league. That said, if it comes to my attention that you have cheated in another league, it will be viewed as a general indictment of character and could be, at my discretion, grounds for immediate removal from Chiseled Stones.
8.2 – Roster dumping or what I deem to be roster dumping will result in immediate removal from Chiseled Stones.
8.3 – Impeding other owners will not be tolerated in Chiseled Stones. Examples of this include (but are not limited to):
- Picking up a player the previous day only to drop him minutes before lock time without justification for your actions.
- Streaming starters when an owner has already exceeded the start limit.
- Repeated cases of streaming starters but not using them.
Defining impeding is difficult and enforcing it can be even more challenging. Since I cannot monitor everything, I will rely on league members to present cases of potential impeding to me. Afterwards, alleged impeding will be viewed on a case by case basis. I will communicate with the alleged offender and he or she will only be charged if he or she cannot provide justification for the alleged impeding. Whether the justification is valid or not will ultimately be my decision. The first offense will result in a warning to the offender. The second offense will result in a 5 point deduction from the owner’s final score. The point deduction will double with each additional offense and the owner may be expelled from Chiseled Stones at my discretion.
8.4 – If it comes to my attention that a given owner has not set his lineup for four consecutive days, he or she will be emailed. If I do not hear back within 48 hours, he or she will be replaced. If any owner DOES email me back, but has three such periods of inactivity over the course of the season, he or she will be replaced after the third, no questions asked. Last season, some owners used the excuse that their lineup did not need to be changed. In order to combat this excuse, EVERY OWNER MUST REGISTER AN ACTIVATION ON HIS OR HER TRANLOG EVERY FOUR DAYS. This can be as simple as switching a player from OF to UTIL. As long as it registers on the tranlog, the owner will not be subjected to an inactivity email. This should not annoy anybody that is putting the proper amount of attention into his or her team. (Additional note: starting an injured player for a period of 4 or more days without justification also qualifies as inactivity even if there is activity registering on the tranlog)
8.5 – Leaving roster slots open is a punishable offense. Please refer to 4.6 for further details.
8.6 – Ultimately, I have the final say on anything that happens that isn’t already mentioned here. If you have to question the legality of something, it’s probably not something you should be doing. Please follow the rules and be respectful throughout the season so that none of this is an issue. In regards to behavior, please try to keep it fun for everyone. Don’t say something others will take offense to and please do not try to instigate conflicts. If it gets out of hand, I reserve the right to remove you from Chiseled Stones on the basis that you are violating the primary objective (1.1). It is impossible to define what is over the top and what isn’t so every case will come down to a subjective decision by me. It’s in your best interest to not let it reach that point.
IX. – Replacement Policies
9.1 – Due to the complex league structure, there is a need for strict rules that apply to replacement owners. If it is necessary to find a full-time replacement during the season for any reason (activity issues, ejection due to violation of rules, etc), the rules below shall govern that owner's eligibility to return next season.
9.2 – If the replacement owner joined the given team on or before June 1, 2012 and performed adequately, that owner shall be invited to retain the team in its appropriate bracket the next season. In other words, the replacement owner will advance to whatever bracket they earned even if they didn’t necessarily start in the Minor League bracket.
9.3 – If an owner takes over a team prior to the June 1, 2020 cutoff, a team that is absolutely terrible, and performs admirably but still falls within the 'getting the boot' category, it may be appropriate that they be given another chance in the minors with their own team rather than follow the fate of the terrible squad. If you think you fall in this category, your argument can be presented after the end of the season and ultimately your fate will be decided by the LM.
9.4 – If the replacement owner joined the given team after July 1st, the owner shall be given first opportunity to participate in the Minor League Bracket the following season. Due to the promotion-based nature of Chiseled Stones, replacement owners who took over a team in one of the top three leagues after June 1, 2020 will not be eligible to retain those teams. This is done out of fairness to those who managed their teams admirably for the entire season; no two month performance, no matter how admirable, warrants cutting to the very front of the line. Instead, the next highest scoring owner in the bottom tier after the initially promoted will be given the team, proceeding downwards in rankings from there, should said owner decline or additional replacements be required.
9.5 – In the event that an owner will be absent for an extended period of time, he or she is responsible for finding a temporary owner to fill the void. Any period that is longer than one month will require a permanent replacement.
X. – Roster Management Miscellaneous
10.1 – Owners are allowed to leave healthy players in a DL spot if they so choose. Loss of your ability to add players during that period is sufficient punishment. That said, if this appears to be due to inactivity rather than any measure of strategy, it can be cited as inactivity.
10.2 – Accidental transactions will only be fixed if the owner notifies me within 10 minutes of making the transaction and before any games are played. Just send me an email or leave a message on the chat box. I will not fix any transaction unless it meets both criteria mentioned in the first sentence.
XI. – Tiebreakers
11.1 – The following is the order of tiebreakers for Chiseled Stones. These will be used to determine which teams will be promoted and place higher in the standings throughout the season:
1) Total Points For
2) Head to Head Record
3) Total Points Against
XII. - Closing Statement
12.1 – Everything in this constitution is final. No rules will be changed mid-season. Any desired rule changes should be presented to the LM and it may be implemented for the following season.
1.1 – The primary objective of this league is for every owner to have FUN. That’s the reason we play this silly game. While I appreciate the intensity and competitive spirit that many of you bring to these leagues, please do not let it detract from anybody’s playing experience.
1.2 – A secondary objective for this league is to create a format in which the best H2H players can be determined. Given the structure, the best players will naturally move to the top bracket while the weak players will naturally be removed from the league altogether. Over the course of 5 years, the elite owners should flourish.
II. – Structure
2.1 – Chiseled Stones will be comprised of 60 owners in 3 different bracket levels. There will The Show, Middle Bracket, and a Lower Bracket. The ultimate goal for every participant is to win The Show.
2.2 – The Bigs is the highest level in Chiseled Stones and it consists of only one league. The top 10 owners based on yearly results will play in this league (The Bigs) to determine the Chisled Stones champion.
2.3 – The Middle Bracket is the second highest level and it consists of two leagues (Triple AAA & Double AA). Thus, the next best 20 owners will participate in two separate leagues to determine who will advance to the Chamionship Bracket the following year.
2.4 – The Lower Bracket is the lowest level in Chiseled Stones and it consists of three leagues (Single High A, Single Low A, and Rookie Ball). The remaining 30 owners (or half of Chisled Stones) compete in this bracket for the chance to advance to the High A Bracket the following year.
2.5 – For future reference, these are the league names for 2022. The championship bracket will consist of the The Bigs. The High A Bracket will consist of the Triple AAA and the Double AA Leagues. The Low A Bracket will consist of the Single High A, Single Low A, and Rookie Ball, leagues. Leagues on each bracket level are equal to one another. They only exist to divide the owners equally into groups of 10.
2.6 – Confused? Please continue reading to fully understand the nature of this format.
III. – Bracket Advancement
3.1 – Owners can advance, maintain their position, or drop a level the following season based on their finish in each league.
3.2 – In the The Bigs, the top 5 owners based on their finish in the league will remain there to compete for the following season. Meanwhile, the bottom 5 owners based on their finish will drop to the Middle Bracket for the following season.
3.3 – In the Middle Bracket, the top 5 owners based on their finish in the league with total points determining who will be promoted to the The Bigs Bracket for the following season. The middle 7 owners based on finish and total points for will remain in the Middle Bracket the following season. The bottom 8 owners based on finish and total points for will drop to the Lower Bracket for the following season.
3.4 – In the Lower Bracket, the top 8 owners based on thier finish in the leagues with total points determining who will advance to the Middle Bracket. The middle 15 teams will remain in the Lower Bracket the following season. The bottom 7 owners based on finish and total points will be eliminated for the following season.
3.5 – When promoted or demoted to the Middle and Lower Brackets, placement in leagues will be random. For example, somebody who is demoted to the Lower Bracket will be randomly assigned to one of the three leagues. The same is true for the owners who are staying put in the Middle and Lower Brackets. Placement in leagues on each bracket level will be randomized every year.
IV. – General Format
4.1 – Each league in Chiseled Stones will have the exact same playing format. All leagues will consist of exactly 10 teams and will follow a H2H Points scoring system with a snake draft. Obviously, there will be no keepers as many owners will change leagues every season.
4.2 – Each team will have 26 players with 21 of those players slotted as starters. The rosters will consist of:
- 1 catcher
- 1 first baseman
- 1 second baseman
- 1 shortstop
- 1 third baseman
- 1 corner infielder (1B/3B)
- 1 middle infielder (2B/SS)
- 4 outfielders
- 1 utility player (any position)
- 9 pitching slots
- 5 bench slots
- 6 DL slots
4.3 – There will be a 10 game start limit for pitchers. This is not a hard limit. All starts on the day the limit is exceeded will count. For example, once an owner reaches 9 starts, he or she can start 9 pitchers the following day and all statistics accumulated by these pitchers would count. The limit goes into effect the day after an owner hits 10+.
4.4 – There will be a 20 innings minumum for SP.
4.5 – There are no limits or minimums for hitters.
4.6 – No extra bench slots are permitted. There are 5 static slots and the creation of a sixth is illegal. This rule is often broken by accident so the first 5 offenses will only result in warnings. Every subsequent offense will result in a 5 point deduction in total points for which can have a direct effect on league placement the following season. After 10 offenses, the offender is eligible for expulsion from Chiseled Stones at the discretion of the LM.
4.7 – Roster slots lock at game time on a slot by slot basis. In other words, they do not lock at the first game of the day. Owners are free to change lineups up until a specific spot locks.
V. – Acquisitions
5.1 – There is no limit or minimum on the amount of acquisitions that can be made.
5.2 – The player universe will contain all MLB players that ESPN has in their database. Chiseled Stones will observe ESPN’s undroppable players list.
5.3 – Acquisitions will lock at the first game of the day. For example, if the first game is at 7:05 EST, an owner must pick up a player prior to that time in order for that player to be eligible for his or her lineup that day. This is the case even if the player they are picking up doesn’t have a game until 10:05 EST. Any acquisitions made after the first game of the day will be reflected in the following day’s lineup.
5.4 – Chiseled Stones will follow a waiver system. Any player that has been rostered for more than 24 hours will be subjected to a mandatory waiver period of one day. During this period, teams may place a claim on a player and the owner with the highest waiver claim will acquire the player. Afterwards, the successful claimer will be moved to last in the waiver order. The initial waiver order will be the inverse of the draft order.
VI. – Trades
6.1 – Vetoes are LM only. While you can ask me to review a given trade if it seems unbalanced, I am the final arbiter. It is likely that no trade will be overturned.
6.2 – Trades will be pushed through by the LM at his earliest convinence. There will be no exceptions to this. Don't ask and plan accordingly.
VII. – Draft Information
7.1 – Every league will have a snake draft with a draft order randomized by ESPN one hour before draft time. Every draft will have 60 seconds per pick.
7.2 – Pinch drafters will be allowed. The draft plays a crucial role in determining a team’s end of season result and thus pinch drafters could hurt your chances.. Since one of the main objectives of Chiseled Stones is to determine the best owners, pinch drafters will be allowed but only as a last resort.
7.3 - Setting draft dates and times that work for everyone will be a top priority. Ideally, a date that works for everyone can be agreed upon. If one owner cannot make a date in the Major/Minor League brackets, he or she may be moved to a different league in the same bracket to satisfy his or her needs. In the event that owners cannot switch leagues to satisfy their needs, the official date will be determined by a league poll.
VIII. – Punishable Offenses
8.1 - Obviously, there isn't much one can do in the way of cheating in this league. That said, if it comes to my attention that you have cheated in another league, it will be viewed as a general indictment of character and could be, at my discretion, grounds for immediate removal from Chiseled Stones.
8.2 – Roster dumping or what I deem to be roster dumping will result in immediate removal from Chiseled Stones.
8.3 – Impeding other owners will not be tolerated in Chiseled Stones. Examples of this include (but are not limited to):
- Picking up a player the previous day only to drop him minutes before lock time without justification for your actions.
- Streaming starters when an owner has already exceeded the start limit.
- Repeated cases of streaming starters but not using them.
Defining impeding is difficult and enforcing it can be even more challenging. Since I cannot monitor everything, I will rely on league members to present cases of potential impeding to me. Afterwards, alleged impeding will be viewed on a case by case basis. I will communicate with the alleged offender and he or she will only be charged if he or she cannot provide justification for the alleged impeding. Whether the justification is valid or not will ultimately be my decision. The first offense will result in a warning to the offender. The second offense will result in a 5 point deduction from the owner’s final score. The point deduction will double with each additional offense and the owner may be expelled from Chiseled Stones at my discretion.
8.4 – If it comes to my attention that a given owner has not set his lineup for four consecutive days, he or she will be emailed. If I do not hear back within 48 hours, he or she will be replaced. If any owner DOES email me back, but has three such periods of inactivity over the course of the season, he or she will be replaced after the third, no questions asked. Last season, some owners used the excuse that their lineup did not need to be changed. In order to combat this excuse, EVERY OWNER MUST REGISTER AN ACTIVATION ON HIS OR HER TRANLOG EVERY FOUR DAYS. This can be as simple as switching a player from OF to UTIL. As long as it registers on the tranlog, the owner will not be subjected to an inactivity email. This should not annoy anybody that is putting the proper amount of attention into his or her team. (Additional note: starting an injured player for a period of 4 or more days without justification also qualifies as inactivity even if there is activity registering on the tranlog)
8.5 – Leaving roster slots open is a punishable offense. Please refer to 4.6 for further details.
8.6 – Ultimately, I have the final say on anything that happens that isn’t already mentioned here. If you have to question the legality of something, it’s probably not something you should be doing. Please follow the rules and be respectful throughout the season so that none of this is an issue. In regards to behavior, please try to keep it fun for everyone. Don’t say something others will take offense to and please do not try to instigate conflicts. If it gets out of hand, I reserve the right to remove you from Chiseled Stones on the basis that you are violating the primary objective (1.1). It is impossible to define what is over the top and what isn’t so every case will come down to a subjective decision by me. It’s in your best interest to not let it reach that point.
IX. – Replacement Policies
9.1 – Due to the complex league structure, there is a need for strict rules that apply to replacement owners. If it is necessary to find a full-time replacement during the season for any reason (activity issues, ejection due to violation of rules, etc), the rules below shall govern that owner's eligibility to return next season.
9.2 – If the replacement owner joined the given team on or before June 1, 2012 and performed adequately, that owner shall be invited to retain the team in its appropriate bracket the next season. In other words, the replacement owner will advance to whatever bracket they earned even if they didn’t necessarily start in the Minor League bracket.
9.3 – If an owner takes over a team prior to the June 1, 2020 cutoff, a team that is absolutely terrible, and performs admirably but still falls within the 'getting the boot' category, it may be appropriate that they be given another chance in the minors with their own team rather than follow the fate of the terrible squad. If you think you fall in this category, your argument can be presented after the end of the season and ultimately your fate will be decided by the LM.
9.4 – If the replacement owner joined the given team after July 1st, the owner shall be given first opportunity to participate in the Minor League Bracket the following season. Due to the promotion-based nature of Chiseled Stones, replacement owners who took over a team in one of the top three leagues after June 1, 2020 will not be eligible to retain those teams. This is done out of fairness to those who managed their teams admirably for the entire season; no two month performance, no matter how admirable, warrants cutting to the very front of the line. Instead, the next highest scoring owner in the bottom tier after the initially promoted will be given the team, proceeding downwards in rankings from there, should said owner decline or additional replacements be required.
9.5 – In the event that an owner will be absent for an extended period of time, he or she is responsible for finding a temporary owner to fill the void. Any period that is longer than one month will require a permanent replacement.
X. – Roster Management Miscellaneous
10.1 – Owners are allowed to leave healthy players in a DL spot if they so choose. Loss of your ability to add players during that period is sufficient punishment. That said, if this appears to be due to inactivity rather than any measure of strategy, it can be cited as inactivity.
10.2 – Accidental transactions will only be fixed if the owner notifies me within 10 minutes of making the transaction and before any games are played. Just send me an email or leave a message on the chat box. I will not fix any transaction unless it meets both criteria mentioned in the first sentence.
XI. – Tiebreakers
11.1 – The following is the order of tiebreakers for Chiseled Stones. These will be used to determine which teams will be promoted and place higher in the standings throughout the season:
1) Total Points For
2) Head to Head Record
3) Total Points Against
XII. - Closing Statement
12.1 – Everything in this constitution is final. No rules will be changed mid-season. Any desired rule changes should be presented to the LM and it may be implemented for the following season.