THE OFFICIAL CONSTITUTION OF THE COOKEVILLE NATIONAL ROTISSERIE LEAGUE I. OBJECT:
To assemble a team of National League baseball players whose cumulative statistics during the season, compiled
and measured by the methods and standards outlined below, will win the pennant.
II. TEAMS:
Eight teams, owned individually or in partnerships.
III. ACTIVE ROSTER
A. The Active Roster shall be in effect from the completion of the Player Auction until the end of the season.
B. A team's Active Roster consists of players acquired through the Player Auction, activations from the Reserve
Roster, or trades.
C. The Active Roster of each team shall consist of the following twenty-four (24) players: two (2) Catchers,
one (1) First Baseman, one (1) Third Baseman, one (1) Corner Infielder (eligible to play either 1B or 3B),
one (1) Second Baseman, one (1) Shortstop, one (1) Middle Infielder (eligible to play either
Second Base or Shortstop), five (5) Outfielders, two (2) Utility Players (eligible to play any position),
and nine Pitchers.
D. To be assigned to the Active Roster, a player shall be the property of a National League team (i.e. he must
appear on one of the following: the major league roster of a National League team, the disabled list of a National League
team, the suspended list of a National League team, or a minor league roster of a National League franchise).
E. At any time during the season, a team owner may elect to replace a player on the
Active Roster with a player from the Reserve Roster. If the player to be replaced has been
placed on the disabled list, sent down to the minor leagues, traded to the American League,
or released by his National League team, he may be placed on the Reserve Roster at the option
of the team owner. Otherwise, the player to be replaced shall be released and
returned to the Free Agent Pool after a one (1) week waiting period.
IV. RESERVE ROSTER
A. The Reserve Roster shall be in effect from the completion of the Reserve Draft until the end of the season.
B. A team's Reserve Roster consists of players acquired through the Reserve Draft, trades,
demotions from the Active Roster, or waiver claims.
C. There shall be no limit to the number of players that a team may have on its Reserve Roster.
D. There shall be no position distribution requirements for the Reserve Roster.
E. Players on the Reserve Roster may be traded. Players on the Reserve Roster may also be included in trades
involving players on the Active Roster. (See ARTICLE XIII. TRADES.)
V. WINTER ROSTER
A. The Winter Roster shall be in effect from the day following the final regular season game until the day
of the Player Auction.
B. A team's Winter Roster consists of players whose contract rights for the upcoming season
are held by the team.
C. Players who finish the season on a team's Active Roster and who have not exceeded the three-year
contract limit shall be assigned to the team's Winter Roster.
D. Players who finish the season on a team's Reserve Roster and who appeared on the team's Active Roster
during the season and have not exceeded the three-year contract limit shall be assigned to the team's Winter Roster.
E. There shall be no limit to the number of players that a team may have on its Winter Roster.
F. There shall be no position distribution requirements for the Winter Roster.
G. Players on the Winter Roster may be traded. (See ARTICLE XIII. TRADES.)
H. Players on the Winter Roster are eligible to have their contracts renewed.
(See ARTICLE X. CONTRACT RENEWAL.)
I. Players on the Winter Roster whose contracts are not renewed shall be automatically returned
to the Free Agent Pool.
VI. FREE AGENT POOL
A. Players not on any Roster (Active, Reserve, or Winter) of a Cookeville National Rotisserie League team
form the Free Agent Pool.
B. Players who are released by their Cookeville National Rotisserie League team shall be
returned to the Free Agent Pool after a one (1) week waiting period.
C. Players who have completed three-year contracts shall be automatically returned to the Free Agent Pool.
D. Players who finish the season on a team's Reserve Roster and who did not appear on the team's
Active Roster at any time during the season shall be automatically returned to the Free Agent Pool.
E. Players from the Winter Roster whose contracts are not renewed shall be automatically
returned to the Free Agent Pool.
VII. POSITION ELIGIBILITY
A. A player may be assigned to any position at which he appeared in twenty (20) or more games at
the major league level during the previous season. (NOTE: The 20 game minimum may be prorated when
the standard 162-game schedule has not been played during the previous season.)
B. If a player appeared in a minimum of 1 major league game during the previous season,
but failed to appear in 20 or more games at any one position, then he is eligible at
his most frequently played position or positions.
C. Once the season is underway,
a player becomes eligible for any new position at which he appears in twenty (20) or more games.
D. In the case of rookies with no previous major league experience, the Commissioner
shall determine their position eligibility upon the request of any team owner. The guiding
philosophy shall be to give latitude to rookies to allow them to qualify at any plausible position.
Their planned major league usage and their minor league position played will be
weighed equally to determine position eligibility.
VIII. PLAYER SALARIES
A. The salary of a player acquired in the Player Auction shall be the auction price.
B. The salary of a player initially activated from the Reserve Roster to the Active Roster
shall be $10 if the transaction occurs before the All-Star Break.
C. The salary of a player initially activated from the Reserve Roster to the Active Roster
shall be $15 if the transaction occurs after the All-Star Break.
D. Once a salary has been established for a given player (i.e. he has appeared on the Active Roster),
that salary shall be maintained over the course of the season.
E. The salary of a player shall not be affected by the player being traded, released,
or placed on the Reserve Roster.
F. The salary of a player whose contract is renewed shall be increased from his previous
season's salary by 10% of his previous season's salary (rounded to the nearest whole dollar value)
or $1, whichever is greater.
IX. CONTRACT YEAR A. Players obtained in the Player Auction shall be considered in the first year under contract. B. Players initially activated from the Reserve Roster shall be considered in the first year under contract. C. The Contract Year of a player shall not be affected by the player being traded, released, or placed on the
Reserve Roster. D. Player contracts shall be limited in duration to three years. E. Players who complete three-year contracts shall automatically be returned to the Free Agent Pool at the end
of the third season. F. Player contracts may be renewed a maximum of two times.(See ARTICLE X. CONTRACT RENEWAL LISTS.) X. CONTRACT RENEWAL A. A team holds the option to renew the contract of any player on its Winter Roster. B. A team shall renew the contracts of no more than five (5) players from its Winter Roster.
A team may elect to renew the contracts of fewer than five (5) players. C. Players whose contracts are renewed must be initially eligible for the Active Roster.
(See ARTICLE III. ACTIVE ROSTER.) D. Prior to the start of the Player Auction, each team owner shall provide the Commissioner with a list of
players whose contracts the team intends to renew. The Contract Renewal List
shall include the name, salary, and contract year for each player listed. E. Each player contract may be renewed for up to two (2) years after his first year of contract (for a total
of three seasons per contract). F. Players whose contracts are renewed shall be initially placed on the Active Roster. G. The cumulative salaries of players whose contracts are renewed shall be deducted from the team's
$260 expenditure limit for the Player Auction. XI. PLAYER AUCTION A. During the Player Auction, each team shall complete its 24-player Active Roster. B. Each team shall have a $260 expenditure limit for the Player Auction meaning the cumulative salaries for
players on the Active Roster of the team at the close of the Player Auction shall not
exceed $260. (Note: The $260 expenditure limit applies only to the Player Auction.) C. The cumulative salaries of players whose contracts are renewed are deducted from a team's $260
expenditure limit for the Player Auction, and the balance is available for the
acquisition of the remainder of the team's Active Roster. (See ARTICLE X. CONTRACT RENEWAL LISTS.) D. The owner of the team that finished last during the previous season shall open the Player Auction by
placing a bid on a free agent player of his choosing. Bidding shall proceed until
only one bidder remains. The amount of the final bid (the auction price) shall become the player's salary.
The Player Auction shall proceed with the owner of the team that finished second-to-last
during the previous season placing a bid on a free agent player of his choosing, etc. E. The minimum bid shall be $1. F. Bids shall be whole number dollar values. G. To be eligible to be brought up for bid, a player must be a bona fide National League
baseball player (i.e. he must appear on one of the following: the major league roster of a
National League team, the disabled list of a National League team, or the suspended
list of a National League team). H. Players who commence the season on a National League team's disabled list or suspended list are
eligible to be bid upon. If auctioned, they may be placed on the Reserve Roster and
replaced on the Active Roster at the commencement of the Reserve Draft. I. No team owner may bid on a player who qualifies only at a position that the team has already filled.
(Example: A team that already has acquired nine pitchers may no longer bid on a pitcher.) J. When a team has acquired the requisite 24 players, its owner may no longer bid on free agents or bring
free agents up for bid. K. Players eligible at more than one position may be shifted during the Player Auction. XII. RESERVE DRAFT A. After the conclusion of the Player Auction, in which teams complete their 24-man Active
Rosters for a composite salary not to exceed $260, the Reserve Draft shall be held. B. The Reserve Draft shall consist of five rounds. C. Each team may select up to five (5) players regardless of position. D. Players selected in the Reserve Draft shall be initially placed on the Reserve Roster. E. Each team shall receive one selection per round of the Reserve Draft. F. The order of selection for each round of the Reserve Draft shall be the reverse order of
finish from the previous season. G. Anyone who is not on the Active Roster of a Cookeville National Rotisserie League team is
eligible to be selected in the Reserve Draft. Otherwise there are no restrictions.
They may be National League baseball players, minor leaguers, American League baseball players,
college baseball players, high school baseball players, retired players, football players,
basketball players, hockey players, boxers, celebrities, non-athletes, relatives of the team owner,
the kid down the street, etc. XIII. TRADES A. Teams may make trades of any fashion without limit, except as restricted below. B. No trades shall be made from September 1st until the day of the final regular season game. C. The Active Rosters of the teams involved in a trade shall reflect the required position
distribution upon completion of the trade and any associated transactions, except as noted herein. D. Trades made from the day following the final regular season game until the Player Auction
are not bound by position distribution requirements. E. Players on the Reserve Roster may be traded without regard to position distribution requirements. F. A player acquired by trade from the Active Roster of another team shall be placed on the Active Roster
of the acquiring team on the effective date of the trade, unless the acquiring team chooses
(or is compelled by roster restrictions) to place him on the Reserve Roster or release him. G. A player acquired by trade from the Reserve Roster of another team shall be placed on the Reserve Roster
of the acquiring team, unless the acquiring team chooses to place him on the Active Roster. H. Trades do not affect the salaries or contract status of the players involved. I. Trades shall be considered final when they are reported to the Commissioner's Office. J. Trades involving cash, "players to be named later," or "future considerations" shall be considered illegal.
Trade considerations involving players who are not on the current Active Roster or the current
Reserve Roster are not enforceable by the Commissioner. (For the effective date of transaction and reporting deadline, see ARTICLE XVI. STATISTICS.) XIV. WAIVERS A. Players in the Free Agent Pool may be claimed on waivers. B. A team may claim a player that it has previously released, provided the waiting period
requirements have been met. (See ARTICLE VI. FREE AGENT POOL.) C. The end of the first waiver period shall be the Wednesday following the Player Auction.
All subsequent waiver periods shall have a two week duration. D. Waiver claims may be made during the season only. E. Teams may submit waiver claims at any time during the waiver period. However, waiver claims
shall be awarded only at the end of the waiver period. F. Waiver claims shall be awarded according to the inverse order of the most recent standings. G. Players claimed on waivers shall automatically be placed on the Reserve Roster. H. Players claimed on waivers may be activated from the Reserve Roster to the Active Roster when they
are claimed, provided they meet the eligibility requirements for the Active Roster.
(See ARTICLE III. ACTIVE ROSTER.) I. The salary and contract status of a player who has been released by a Cookeville National
Rotisserie League team remains with him for the duration of the season. XV. STANDINGS A. The following criteria shall be used to determine team performance: Composite Batting Average,
Total Home Runs, Total Runs Batted In, Total Stolen Bases, Composite Earned Run Average,
Total Wins, Total Strikeouts, and Total Saves. B. The offensive statistics of pitchers shall not be counted. C. The pitching statistics of position players shall not be counted. D. Teams shall be ranked from first to last in each of these categories and given points for each place. E. The first place team in each category shall receive 8 points, the second place team points, and so
on down to 1 point for last place. F. In the event of a tie in an individual statistical category, each of the teams involved shall
receive the average number of points designated for the ranking positions at issue. G. In the event of a tie for total points, final places in the standings shall be determined
by comparing the placement of the teams involved in the individual statistical categories. Respective
performances are determined and a point given to each team for bettering the other. H. The team with the highest total number of points at the end of the season shall win the Cookeville
National Rotisserie League pennant. (See ARTICLE XVIII. PRIZE MONEY.) XVI. STATISTICS A. The weekly National League statistics published in USA Today shall constitute the official data
base used for the computation of standings for the Cookeville National Rotisserie League. B. The effective date of any transaction for the purposes of statistical calculation is Tuesday
before the commencement of play. C. The reporting deadline for transactions shall be Wednesday at 11:59:59 p.m eastern time. D. Transactions recorded on the day of the Player Auction, including trades and replacing players
on the Active Roster with players on the Reserve Roster, are effective retroactive to Opening Day. E. Performance statistics shall be assigned to a Cookeville National Rotisserie League only
when he is on the Active Roster of his team. F. Standings shall be tabulated and periodically distributed to the team owners. XVII. FEES: The owner of each team shall provide the Commissioner with $25 on or before the day of the Player Auction. XVIII. PRIZE MONEY A. All fees shall be promptly collected by the Commissioner's Office. B. The receipts of the Cookeville National Rotisserie League shall be divided among the first
three teams in the final standings as follows: 1. The owner of the team in first place shall receive 60%. 2. The owner of the team in second place shall receive 25%. 3. The owner of the team in third place shall receive 15%. XIX. LEAGUE OFFICERS A. Commissioner: Prior to each season, the team owners shall select a Commissioner to carry out all
decisions. The Commissioner shall have the authority to rule on rules interpretations.
At no time shall the Commissioner violate the language of the Constitution. A decision of the
Commissioner may be overruled by the team owners by successfully voting to amend this Constitution. B. Administrator of Statistics: The Administrator of Statistics shall record all transactions,
statistics, and standings. The Administrator of Statistics shall periodically distribute
records to the team owners. XX. MEETINGS: A minimum of two official meetings shall be scheduled during the year. A. Annual Auction Meeting: The Annual Auction Meeting shall be held on or about the Saturday or
Sunday prior to Opening Day. B. Awards Dinner: An Awards Dinner shall be scheduled at the close of each season. C. Winter Meetings: Winter Meetings shall be scheduled at a mutually agreeable location
on a mutually agreeable date after the final regular season game and prior to Opening Day. D. Called Meetings: Other Called Meetings shall be scheduled as deemed necessary. To be deemed an
official meeting, a quorum of the team owners must be present. XXI. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION: The Constitution may be amended by the vote of a simple majority of the team owners.
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