SOMBILLA BYLAWS, revised 10/28/2019

Officers

Commissioner - Arnie Pollinger (term expired 2017)
Vice Commissioner - Tom
League Guru and Special Consultant - Tsuan

Structure
Rosters
Playing limits
Post-season
The draft
Playing rules

I. Structure

A. Schedule

The SOMBILLA is a eight team face to face league, which plays a balanced schedule, each team playing each other 8 times. The top four teams make the playoffs. The league begins play at the end of October . The league generally plays one night a week (4 games a night), through February on a night when the maximum number of players can make it, if possible. The playoffs are usually in March. The annual meeting and draft is held in April, as close to the beginning of the Major League season as possible.

B. Ties

1. All ties in the standings, except those which could determine playoff teams, are broken by head to head records. In case of a season split, the second tie breaker is a coin flip.

2. If two teams are tied for 4th place, there will be a one-game playoff with the home advantage going to the team with the better head to head record. The game is considered as game #57 with no days rest so that starting pitchers' eligibility and relievers' tiredness rules still apply. In addition, all innings and at bats for this game count towards season limits. Any player with two cards must use the latest card used during the regular season. Injuries incurred in the regular season also carry over into the one-game playoff.

    (a)  Additional rules for the one-game playoff:

3. If three teams are tied for 3rd or 4th, a round-robin is held (2 games each team), home teams, pitching rules, playing limits and 2-carded players apply as described above. If all 3 teams split the round robin, playoff team(s) will be determined by the best 3-way head to head record(s).

4. If four teams tie for 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, 2 single elimination games will be played. The four teams will be seeded by total 4-way head to head record, with 1st playing 4th and 2nd playing 3rd. If 2 of the 4 teams will make the playoffs, (in case of a 4-way tie for 3rd), the winners of these 2 games shall be the 2 playoff teams. If only one team makes the playoffs (a 4-way tie for 4th), the two teams winning game 1 shall play each other in a second game, winner advancing to the playoffs. If 3 teams make the playoffs (a 4-way tie for 2nd), the two teams losing game 1 shall play each other in a second game, loser failing to make the playoffs. In all cases, home teams, pitching rules, playing limits and 2-carded players apply as described above.

5. If more than 4 teams tie for 1st-4th, we'll play it by ear.

C. Disputes and Mistakes

1. Any dispute arising between two managers may be settled in any mutually agreeable manner to the two parties, without any outside influence. This includes, but is not limited to, saying 'Fuck it'. In deciding what to do, the two managers should be guided by the rule that no one should be able to take advantage of their own mistake.

2. If the managers cannot agree on a resolution, the Commissioner may rule either 1) The game must be played over from the point of infraction or 2) The entire game must be played over. Any mistake found subsequently by examining scoresheets, either a SOMBILLA violation (e.g. starter without enough rest) or a baseball violation (e.g. 4 outs in an inning), may be played over at the discretion of the Commissioner and the parties involved, taking into account the effect on playoff positions, the effect of the infraction on the particular game, and the pain-in-the-ass factor.

D. Rule Changes

Any league rule may be changed by a majority of league franchises (one franchise, one vote). Tie votes keep the status quo. Any league member may propose a new rule at the annual meeting and draft.

E. Dues

Dues will be determined retroactively at the end of each season. Dues are calculated as league expenses (costs of producing and mailing newsletters, cost of the Strat-O cards and other equipment) divided by the number of league members (not franchises). Anyone who doesn't pay their dues will be suspended from newsletter privileges.
 

F.  Ballparks

Each team may design its own ballpark before the season, but must announce its chosen ballpark by opening night at the latest.  The ballpark design is constrained in two ways:  First, no ballpark singles or home runs may be higher or lower than the most extreme park of MLB 30 for that season, and second, the difference between lefties and righties can be no more than the park of the MLB 30 with the highest differential. 

However, there is ‘floor’ of a difference of 5 for both homers and singles.  That is, we still use the maximum differential as our designing cap, unless it is less than 5.  For example if the maximum lefty-righty homer differential among all 30 parks is only 3, the SOMBILLA will increase this to 5.
 

II. Rosters

A. Roster Size

Each team has a 25-man playing roster plus a 20-man taxi squad for a total of 45 players per team. Due to trades, teams may actually have more or less than 45 players. After each season, each team cuts from 0-10 players, and drafts players to fill the roster back to 45.

Computer-only players are not eligible to be used, even if the computer-only card is or can be printed.

B. Before the 21st Game

1. Separating the team

For each of the series preceding game 21, a manager may choose a different 25-man playing squad. These 25 players must be chosen before you begin the series, and you are stuck with them for the whole series, except for injuries. Do not play with your 45 players in one clump. The 25 cards must be separated from the rest of your cards at the start of the series. This will prevent using more than 25 players, ineligible players, or picking and choosing from all 45 players until 25 are used.

2. Calling up/sending down pitchers.  Beginning with the 2017-2018 SOMBILLA season, pitchers will be treated linke hitters. We have done away with pitcher pro-ration of innings     when a team is changing the number of pitchers on their active roster.  Exception - the September (game 46) roster expansion and injury call up.

 ·         For pitchers being used as the September roster expansion or injury call up they are limited to the greater of  

o    Series proration or

o    Starter point of weakness plus 2 innings or

o    (Reliever point of weakness + 2) x 3 innings. 

·         These pitchers are still limited by their yearly allocation of innings based on the normal rules -- .42*IP or .5*IP (for starred starters).

·         Basically, in real baseball if you have a player on the DL, the team can bring up a minor league pitcher for a spot start.  It then makes sense that he would be able to pitch his inning of weakness plus 2 at least.  (Unless he is too limited to allow that.)

3.  Calling up/sending down non-pitchers. Non-pitchers may be called up or sent down without controversy.

C. Roster Freeze and Trading Deadline

1. The roster freeze is before the 21st game of the season. (See Before the 21st Game on prior page for more information). The trading deadline for post-season eligibility is before the 41st game. The trading deadline for all trades is before the 49th game. All trades made after the trading deadline, but before a team's season has ended are unofficial. This means that while there may be an agreement between the teams, the league does not recognize the trade and one team could still rescind the trade until its season has ended.

2. Once that 21st game has passed, your 25-man roster is fixed (or "frozen") until after the post-season is over.  This means no calling up or sending down players after the 21st game, with the following exceptions:


3. Pitchers traded in mid-season

Pitchers traded in mid-season cannot start for their new team unless they have rested the appropriate number of games. The new team's manager must do one of the following:

(1) If a pitcher was going to get sent down to make room for the new pitcher, the manager can keep the new pitcher 'inactive' so as not to take up space on the 25-man roster until he is eligible, and start the pitcher who was going to get sent down. If it is after the 20-game roster freeze, a special waiver will be granted.

(2) Wait to consummate the trade until he or she knows that the new pitcher will be eligible to start.

(3) Make sure he or she holds back a starter/reliever so that he will be eligible to start.

(4) If none of 1), 2) or 3) is possible (because the trade is a pitcher for a pitcher and the new team has no starter/relievers), he or she may call up a starter for one start (even if after the roster freeze) to get the new pitcher back on track. This is allowed only if you do not have a starter/reliever on your 25-man roster. The called-up starter's innings will not get charged to any pitcher.
 

4. Lend-leasing.

All members agree not to engage in intentional lend-leasing of players - i.e. deliberately trading a player on a premeditated, temporary basis (versus a situation where a player is traded away with permanent intent, but later is reacquired by the original team). If a trade occurs which any league member finds objectionable on the basis of a suspected intentional loaning, then he or she may call it to question at the next weekly meeting. Parties involved may present a brief (<5 minutes) explanation of the disputed trade, if they wish. All league members who choose to participate may then vote, by phone or by proxy if not scheduled to be present that week (one franchise, one vote), whether to accept the trade as it stands or reject it if they are convinced that it is intentional lend-leasing. The majority decision, whether it be of the whole league or any portion thereof interested in voting, is binding. Ties are resolved by discretion of the Commissioner.

D. Injuries

1. The injury numbers shown on the chart are games in addition to the remainder of the game. You cannot call up a replacement until the next game, and, if after the roster freeze date, the called up player cannot be a permanent replacement. You are allowed to adjust your roster for each series, even for injuries that occur after the roster freeze.   When you have more than one injury at a time, when the injured player returns, the manager may choose to send down any injury replacement on the active roster.  (Note that managers already do not need to keep the same injury call up between series after the roster freeze.)

Roll

New injury chart

1

OK

2

OK

3

OK

4

OK

5

Remainder of game

6

Remainder of game

7

1

8

1

9

1

10

2

11

2

12

3

13

3

14

4

15

5

16

6

17

8

18

10

19

15

20

20


2.  In case of injury, a player must be called up to fill the open roster slot, but only until the injured player returns.   When an injured player would return after the 1st game of a series, the manager can decide to activate the regular (or not) before each game until the end of the series.  Once the series is over, the regular returns to the roster if he was part of the “Frozen (post-Game 20) Roster.”

2. If you have no one on the bench who plays the position, (except for outfielders) you can designate anyone on the team to play the position. The fielding rating is the absolute worst (5,-5, e88) on the fielding chart. For outfielders, refer to the advanced instructions.

3. Players may be injured only once during a season, except that a temporary injury does not count toward the one injury rule. Each manager is responsible for marking an injury somewhere on the player's card. A player without such a marking will be presumed injurable. There are no injuries to pitchers or post season injuries.

4. Plate appearances (ab + bb)    Maximum games injured
                  450+                                       2
               400-449                                     4
               350-399                                     6
               300-349                                     8
               250-299                                   15
               < 250                                       20

E. Players With 2 Cards

A manager may choose which card to use, and may even use both cards, one at a time (one card must be completely used up before using another). The card is subject to the normal SOMBILLA limitations. Care should be taken to not use the wrong card by keeping the 25-man playing roster separate from the taxi-squad.

Post season.  The second card used in the regular season is the post-season card.  However if you use up this card of the two-carded player, you could finish the series with the card from the other league (but not the combined card for guys with 3 cards). If the player ended his first post-season card with a double or triple play and that play used up outs beyond his first card’s limits, those outs are counted against the limited outs of the second card.

If a starred starter has multiple cards, the unlimited (starred) card for post-season purposes is only the card with the most innings pitched  (e.g., one card has 75 innings, one has 130 innings and one 205 innings, you can use only the 205 inninged card as a starred starter in the post-season).  Also, if you used the two lesser-inninged cards during the regular season, you cannot then switch to using the starred max-inninged card in the post-season.

F.  Players with Interleague cards

The manager must decide, before the season begins, whether to use the interleague card all season, or whether to use the two AL/NL cards (and follow our normal two-card usage rules above). Under no circumstances can a manager use all 3 cards. If a pitcher is starred on the IL card, then he's starred on both the AL/NL cards (except for the post-season, see above).  

G.  Pitchers' hitting cards

You can only use a pitcher's hitting card if the pitcher is pitching in the game.  You cannot use a pitcher's hitting card as a pinch-hitter or as a DH. Exceptions:

1. The pitcher can pinch-hit for the DH, as long as the pitcher is in the game.  And then you lose the DH for the rest of the game.

2. You can bat the pitcher's hitting card for a position player as part of a double switch if the pitcher actually comes in to pitch the following inning (he must face at least one batter).

III. Playing Limits

A. Non-pitchers

Players with > 399 plate appearances are unlimited. 

A used up player must be removed before his next at bat if a substitute is available.  Used up players who must bat get an automatic popout.  A used up player on the bench may be used as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner only if it is possible to replace him before his next at bat.

B. Starred starters (30 starts and 200 innings)

limited to 50% of the innings on their card and may start every 4th game. They can also start more frequently if they are knocked out.
Innings Pitched                 Games Rest Between Starts
1/3 - 1                                             1
1 1/3 - 2                                          2
2 1/3 +                                            3

C. Unstarred starters

limited to 42% of the innings on their card and may start every 5th game. They may also start every 4th game if they pitch no more than 5 innings in a start, and, like starred starters, can start more frequently than that if knocked out.
Innings Pitched               Games Rest Between Starts
1/3 - 1                                            1
1 1/3 - 2                                         2
2 1/3 - 5                                         3
5 1/3 +                                            4

D. Relievers

limited to 42% of the innings on their card. No reliever can pitch more than 2 consecutive games or he comes in tired. Also, note that a reliever is automatically tired after reaching his tired factor plus 2 innings (6 outs).

E. Starter-relievers

1. May not switch from starter to reliever or vice-versa without the appropriate rest between games as determined above in C, that is, 1 game rest for 1/3-1 inns, 2 games rest for 1 1/3-2 inns, 3 games rest for 2 1/3-5 innings. Starter-relievers can relieve for only up to 42% of 150 innings. Any left over innings may be used for starting. For example, suppose a starter-reliever has 180 innings. He can relieve for only 63 innings (.42 x 150). The remaining 12 1/3 innings (.42 x 180 - 63) can be used in a starting role.

2. Pitchers who switch from relief to a starter role (both regular season and post-season) can do so at the latest eligible date based on all relief appearances within 5 days of their proposed start. Games pitched in relief do not count as a rest day.

Example: Assume it is the post-season with a day of rest after game 2 and a starter/reliever is used for 3 innings of relief in game 1 (triggering 3 days of rest before he is eligible to start – i.e. game 4). The same pitcher is then used for 1 inning in relief in game 2. Because the pitcher relieved Game 2, he is now not eligible to start till Game 5 – because Game 2 no longer counts toward his required three days of rest.   

If he then relieves another inning in Game 3, he now cannot start until Game 6 because he still now has rested only the travel day and will need to rest Game 4 and Game 5 and then is eligible to start.  Because of the travel day, he could pitch 1 inning either Game 4 or Game 5 and still start Game 6 since the travel day will allow him his 3 days of rest still dating back to game 1.

F. Used-up pitchers

A used up pitcher must be removed from the game immediately if there are any non-used-up eligible pitchers available (including tired relievers with available innings left).  The only time you can leave a used up pitcher in a game (regular season or post season) is if there is no eligible pitcher left in the bullpen.  Used up pitchers who must pitch are automatically tired.  Used up pitchers may still pinch-hit or pinch-run.

G. Yanking

Starters may not be yanked unless they've pitched the lesser of (4 innings or their tired factor), or yielded 3 runs.  If the only legal (i.e., non-tired) starter has fewer than 4 innings available through mismanagement of stats, the opponent gets to choose whether the starter has to be yanked or whether he stays in, tired, until he can be legally yanked

H. Mismanagement of Starters Innings at the end of the Season

1. A starter who has less than 4 innings remaining may not start if there is an alternative starter who can legally start and has 4 or more innings remaining. This applies during the season, but does not apply to a one or more game playoff to decide who makes the playoffs.

2.  If no starter on the roster is eligible because they do not have enough rest (to comply with B and C above), then you can start a tired pitcher who has innings left and has 'starter' on his card. If there is more than one such pitcher, the ‘least tired’ pitcher with 4 or more innings must start.  If there is more than one pitcher with the same amount of tiredness, then the starred starter must start before the unstarred starter.  If more than one starter has the same amount of tiredness and starredness, the manager can choose who to start among them.  Such pitcher is automatically tired to start the game and the normal starter-yanking rules (4 inns/3 runs apply).

IV. Post-season

A. General

All playoff teams must be prepared to present their usage stats before the playoffs to ensure that no team gains an unfair advantage by being able to overuse its players. 1st place plays 4th place and 2nd place plays 3rd place. Both playoffs are best of seven, with a 2-3-2 format. The seventh game home advantage goes to the team that finished higher. The two winning teams play in the World Series, which is also in the 2-3-2 format with the same home advantage rules. There is a travel day when parks switch, which affects pitchers' rest.

B. Playing Limits

1. Non-pitchers -

all players who were limited during the regular season (less than 400 plate appearances) are limited to 1/15 of their AB + BB (as shown on the front of the player's card) per series, rounded down. The limits start fresh for each series.

2. Pitchers -

All pitchers may relieve, regardless of what it says on their card. Starters who relieve have a tired factor of 2. All pitchers are subject to the normal rest rules, and have the following limits:

Playoff innings per series:

Starred starters who start (only) are unlimited. All other pitchers may pitch up to 1/15th of the IP on their card, rounded down to the nearest 1/3. However, no such pitcher may have more than 14 innings or fewer than 2 innings available.

3. Starred starters who start and relieve have unlimited starter's innings, but relief innings available are 14 minus innings pitched as a starter.

4.  In game seven of the World Series only, pitchers who have started a previous game in the series and would normally be ineligible to pitch under usage rules, may in fact relieve but are considered tired. Overall limits of innings pitched still apply.

C. Running out of innings

1.  As noted in B2 above, in the post-season all starters can relieve.  If your last 'real' reliever (i.e. someone with “relief” on their card) gets used up, you have to bring in any eligible pitcher left in the bullpen even if that guy is actually a starter for the next game. Even if this leaves you with only tired starred starters for the next game. The only time you can leave a used up pitcher in a game (regular season or post season) is if there is no eligible pitcher left in the bullpen. So, in this situation where a reliever gets used up, you have to bring in the starter for the used up reliever because the starter is eligible to relieve. Once this starter's innings are used up (whether in this game or during his next start) he's tired.

2. If you have no eligible starting pitcher (i.e one with enough rest pursuant to IIIB and IIIC) such pitcher due to having had to use up all your available starters in relief in a prior game to replace a reliever who was used up (see C1 above), then you can start a tired pitcher who has innings left and has 'starter' on his card. If there is more than one such pitcher, the ‘least tired’ pitcher with 4 or more innings must start.  If there is more than one pitcher with the same amount of tiredness, then the starred starter must start before the unstarred starter.  If more than one starter has the same amount of tiredness and starredness, the manager can choose who to start among them.  Such pitcher is automatically tired to start the game and the normal starter-yanking rules (4 inns/3 runs apply).

D.  Post-season rosters

 The post-season roster is the 25-man roster in place immediately before the 26th man callup.  Exceptions:

1.  A player who is not on the 25-man roster just prior to the 26th man callup because he is injured, is on the post-season roster in place of the injury callup.
2. Post-season Roster (hitters). A team may change his or her post-season roster by substituting as many unlimited batters who had at one point been on the roster for the same number of batters who ended the season on the eligible playoff roster before each of the two possible post-season series.
3. Post-season Roster (pitchers). Before each of the two possible post-season series, a team may change his or her postseason roster by substituting any pitcher who had at one point been on the roster, for a pitcher who ended the season on the eligible playoff roster as long as the new pitcher has more than 1 fewer playoff inning than the pitcher being substituted for (That is, the new pitcher can have only up to 15 real life innings fewer than the old pitcher).
4. Teams are allowed to drop a pitcher and add a hitter, or vice versa, before each series.  The called-up hitter must be unlimited.

V. Draft

A. Date

The annual draft is held as close to the day before the start of the Major League baseball season as possible.

B. Eligibility

All players with cards and not presently on anyone's roster are eligible. All managers will be supplied with eligibility lists (exclusive of cut players, of course) prior to draft day.

C. Order

1.  There will be one thingoff among the 5th-8th place teams.  Each team receives these amount of 20-sided dice for the thingoff:
2.   Each team rolls their things and keeps the lowest value.Then the teams are ordered 1st through 4th, resolving ties with a single thing off.
3.  Compensatory picks - There is a compensatory pick after the 6th round (counts as an extra draft pick) for any manager having a rostered player die in the previous year.  If the deceased player was drafted in a round after the 6th round, the compensatory pick is at the end of the round they were drafted in.

D. Structure/Miscellaneous

1. 2 minutes per pick. After the 2 minutes are up, everyone gives you shit.  There is a 5-minute break after the 6th round of the draft.

2. All teams receive 12 draft picks, no matter what.  Regardless of any roster size or trades, you still get 12 picks.  A team can pass on a draft pick at any time. If a team passes on a pick, it can still pick up the pick at the end of the draft. 

a) The implication of this is that you ordinarily can't lose a draft pick by trading it away, you just pick it up at the end of the draft. 

b) The only exception to this is if the extra (i.e. 46th) roster spot or extra draft pick is given as part of the trade - for example, I'll give you player X for a 2nd round pick, but if you forego your 13th round pick that you'd get for losing the 2nd round pick, and I keep my 12th round pick that I'd otherwise forfeit for having an extra 2nd round pick, (so that I get an extra draft pick and roster spot) I'll give you player X for a 3rd round pick instead.

3. Exactly one week after the draft, all teams have to cut their roster down to 45.  There will then be a waiver draft in the same draft order as the regular draft of the players on the cut list.  Any team who drafts a player from the cut list must then cut another player from the roster to stay at the 45-man limit.

4. All trades of draft picks (all trades for that matter) must be registered with the Commissioner, who keeps track of such things.

VI. Playing Rules

A. Etiquette - scheduling

Shit happens. The league realizes this and understands when unexpected situations arise. Still, common courtesy should be followed. Thus, when you are unable to attend a Strat- O night to which you've previously committed, please call your opponent to reschedule, as well as the Commissioner, as soon as possible.

B. Etiquette - managing

1. It is the defensive manager's responsibility to announce whether the infield or corners are in. No announcement and the infield is presumed back. Of course, the offensive manager can always ask.

2. It is the offensive manager's responsibility to ask if the other manager will be holding a runner, unless the players agree otherwise. Of course, the defensive manager can always announce a 'holding' without being asked.

3. A squeeze play undeclared as to 'suicide' or 'safety' is presumed a 'safety' squeeze.

C. Etiquette - computers

The SOMBILLA is a dice and card league. The use of a computer is allowed, but only if both players agree before the series.

D. Etiquette - e-ratings

In order to speed up playing time, all dice and card playing manager must write their error ratings on their cards. In order to comply with this rule, managers may write the e-ratings on cards during games as they encounter e-ratings.

E. Etiquette - going for the lead

General rule: You must announce the batter before going for a lead.  (Example - one team (call it North Dakota) has a runner on first. The pitching team (call it Lagavulan 16) has a good matchup and knows that North Dakota will pinch-hit, in turn triggering a relief pitcher.  North Dakota cannot go for the lead to take advantage of pitcher no. 1's hold, before pinch-hitting. The reason is that this would never happen in real baseball, because the pinch-hitter would have been announced. Once the hitter had been announced, the Lagavulan pitcher would have come in. In other words, in real baseball, you can't delay (not announce the pinch-hitter) while you go for the lead.

Clarifications:

1.      Batting team accidentally goes for the lead before announcing the pinch-hitter, but doesn’t get the lead.  The batting team can rescind the roll to go for the lead, and is allowed to pinch-hit.   The failed lead is counted toward a new pitcher (if any).  The offense does not get a chance to steal against a possible inferior hold nor a second unwarranted chance to get the lead.

2.       Batting team accidentally goes for the lead before announcing the pinch-hitter, and gets caught stealing.  The batting manager can still pinch-hit, but the CS counts.

3.       Batting team accidentally goes for the lead before announcing the pinch-hitter, and gets a SB.  Batting manager is not allowed to pinch-hit.  Alternatively, batting mgr can rescind the SB and pinch-hit.  If the pinch-hit triggers a pitching change, the batting manager can reroll for the lead.  If there is no pitching change, batting manager cannot reroll for the lead.

 F. Stealing home

1. Runner must get the good lead. 2. Subtract 9 from the second number. 3. Add the following, based on the catcher's defense rating:
Def. Rating
1                -2
2                -1
3                  0
4                  1

G.  Stats

H. Rainouts - days off. 

1. Before every series, two dice are rolled.  If snake eyes (a “2”) come up, there is a rainout.  This means that all pitchers get an extra day of rest (but no games would actually be postponed - it would be too much of a pain to play a makeup game). 

2.  All-Star break day off.  In celebration of the league’s unplayed All-Star game, at the Holiday “All-Star” break, the whole league receives a day off. This not only helps relievers, but could also help an unstarred starter pitch > 5 innings in his last start before the “All-Star” break    For those who traditionally play a series on December 25th, the day off rule would apply after such series.

3.  Additional day off rules.  The day-off/rainout rule applies to injuries as an injury day, also applies to the one-or two game playoff.  It does not apply in the post-season.


I. Most misunderstood and/or forgotten Strat-O rules

Old rules worth repeating.  Please take a few minutes to read these.

1.     Three-out rule.  The three-out period to determine when a relief pitcher is tired, is a rolling 3-out period.  That is, a reliever becomes weak after giving up 3 hits/walks during any consecutive three-out period after a pitcher’s point of weakness.

2.       Reliever tiredness. If a reliever pitches 2 or more innings above his relief fatigue rating then he must rest one day before his next appearance. If he pitches 3 or more innings above his relief fatigue rating then he must rest two days before his next appearance. If a relief pitcher is used without the proper amount of rest, consider him fatigued for the entire outing.

3.       Rainouts before games 1 and 3 of every series. Two dice are rolled.  If snake eyes (a “2”) come up, there is a rainout.  All pitchers get an extra day of rest (but no games actually postponed).  The day-off/rainout rule also applies to injuries (counts as an injury day), and a one-game playoff, but not post-season (no rainouts in the post-season).

4.       Days off – after games 20, 28, 40. 

5.       Injuries after the 20th game roster freeze. You are allowed to adjust your roster for each series, even for injuries that occur after the roster freeze.

6.       Hitters can pitch! To save innings, use the hitter’s pitching card found in the official rules.

7.       Holding a runner on 1st - 1B AND 2B or SS have defense rating go up 1 (e.g. 4e10 becomes 5e10).

8.       Holding a runner on 2nd - subtract 4 from 2nd rating; must get good lead.

9.       Holding and baserunning. When a runner is held on first or second, subtract 1 from running rating. If NOT being held, add 1 to running rating.  With runners on 1st and 2nd, the rule applies to runner on 1st, who is considered held if the lead runner is held.

10.    Trail runners on throw home = speed + arm - 5.

11.    Trail runners on throw to 3rd = automatic.

12.    Starter yanking - 4 innings or 3 runs.

13.    Lo(max) - 1-7 TRIPLE PLAY; 8-20 double play, lead runner out.

14.    Tagup from 2nd.  On fly (rf) B only, a runner at second base may advance:  Running speed +/- right fielder's arm, +2 for a throw to third base from right field. The only OUT chance is a roll of 20. If the roll is higher than the highest safe chance, but not 20, the runner holds. Example: A 1-14 runner and a -1 arm. Safe 1-15; Hold 16-19; Out 20.   This rule does not apply to fly (rf)B? readings from cards or to F2 readings from the fielding chart.

15.    Squeeze and corners or infield in.  With the bases loaded and the corners or infield positioned in, downgrade the bunting rating two levels instead of one level (e.g. A bunter becomes C bunter) for squeeze plays.

16.    Low fences.  Whenever there is a Homerun/Flyout split (from the cards or the ballpark chart), if the last number in the homerun range or the first number in the flyout range is rolled then the outfielder's ability will be checked with another roll of the 20-sided die.  Refer to the following chart to determine which outfielder has a chance for the catch:

 

Batter Bats

Last number in HR range

First number in Flyout range

Left-handed

Rightfielder

Centerfielder

Right-handed

Leftfielder

Centerfielder

For instance, if the homer range is 1-14 and you roll a 14 or a 15 on the 20-sided die then you must roll the 20-sided die again and refer to the following chart to determine the outcome:

 

Outfielder's Rating

Homerun

Flyout

1

1-3

4-20

2

1-7

8-20

3

1-11

12-20

4

1-15

16-20

5

1-19

20

 

17.       Blocking the plate. Whenever there is a play at the plate the catcher’s blocking ability comes into play if the last number in the safe range or the first number in the out range is rolled (sometimes referred to in the SOMBILLA as a ‘disputed call’).  For example, if the safe range (after all adjustments have been made) is 1-14 and you roll a 14 or 15 on the 20-sided die, then you must roll the 20-sided die again and refer to the following chart to determine if the runner is safe or out:

Catcher’s Rating                          Safe      Out

                          1                                1-2        3-20

                          2                                1-6        7-20

                          3                                1-10      11-20

                          4                                1-14      15-20

                          5                                1-18      19-20

18.       When the bases are loaded and the infield is in, a gb()A results in a home to first double play.  Other runners advance one base.

19.       gb()A, gb()B, or gb()C hit to 1b or 3b with runner on 1st, 1st and 2nd, or 2nd only, and corners are in, refer to infield in on the charts (because the fielder is in).

20.       The 26th man can be different for each of the last three series you are eligible to use 26 men. 

21.    Pitchers are not allowed to pinch-hit and can bat only when they are on the mound pitching in the game.

All of these rules are also found on the charts or in the official Strat-O rules.