As is the case with most things in life, we all must follow a set of rules. We here at the CSL are no different. The league has been created as a source of recreation and fun. We certainly want to promote a competitive environment in our league...but not at the expense of fun & sportsmanship. Unfortunately everyone has a different version of what they think fun is. This, of course, is the reason we need rules. The CSL staff has been working hard on generating basic rules that will keep the integrity of the league intact, while still keeping the games enjoyable. Below is a growing list of rules that have been proposed. Some of these rules, if broken, can mean the end of your term as owner of your team. Please read the rules carefully, so as not to make one of these mistakes. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse. It is your responsibility as an owner to become intimately familiar with the rules in place & ensure that you follow them accordingly.

Remember, rules are subject to change and can only be changed by members of the CSL staff. If you feel that a rule is unjust or may need to be rewritten, send our Commissioner an email, and we will be happy to revisit the rule.

NOTE: League rule changes noted in "Red".

I. Fair Play & Sportsmanship

1. Please respect your peers. Offensive gestures & comments are not condoned nor tolerated. Repeat offenders will be excused from the league. Let's have fun.
2. Keep trash talking to a minimum. We emphasize good sportsmanship in our league & trash talking just isn't part of our agenda. If problems persist, disciplinary action will be taken to the offending parties.
3. Keep replays to a minimum.
4. Play within the spirit of the game. This league is for Sim-players only so keeping the game real means keeping the game real. If there is a glitch in the game, don't exploit it. Bring it to the league's attention so that the situation can be dealt with. Any owner who plays against someone who feels that person is not living up to this rule, has the ability to report this person to the Commissioner.
5. Be a good sport. Antics like running up the score are not good for the CSL. There will be no awards given for margin of victory. If you see your opponent is lost on the field & you hold a considerable lead, don't take advantage of the situation by taking extra bases. The goal of CSL is not to crush your opponents but to have a well played sportsmen like game.
6. Positional Players are to play their assigned Positions. Any player can play as your DH. Your Outfielder can not become your catcher your First Basemen your SS unless there is documented playing experience at that position.
7. Relief pitchers are relief pitchers they can not become your assigned starters after one inning of play; unless an injury has occurred to your starting pitcher.
8. Positional Players in the event of injury can sub for your 1B or 3B and OF in the event your bench has been depleted due to substitution or late inning Injury
9. Positional players are not to become Pitchers under any circumstance
10. No Quick pitching the batter. If you see the player take a practice swing wait until they are ready.
11. Players need to keep the ball in and around the Strike Zone throwing balls constantly out of the Zone does not promote sim play.
12. Stealing - Stolen bases are allowed but Stealing Home with your Lumbering Catcher is not to be considered part of sim style baseball.
13. Pitching Rotations must be submitted via the Rotation Form found at the bottom of the Rotations page and are to be altered only under league approval once the official Season begins.
14. Due to a glitch with the EA Sports online system, each Home team is forced to start the game with their Ace pitcher. As a result, Home Teams will be required to warm up their designated starting pitcher during the first inning of play & then replace him as the new "starter" at the beginning of the second inning. To keep things fair, the Visiting team will be allowed to use their Ace pitcher for the first inning as well but will be required to have their designated starting pitcher for the game in place at the start of the second inning.

II. Quitting & Pausing

Please refrain from pausing the game multiple times during a game or pausing for extended lengths of time. If pausing the game is a must, please let your opponent know why you have paused the game via ICQ and/or email. Repeat offenders of this tactic will be subject to league discipline and/or dismissal.

We suggest that if you need to pause the game for an extended period of time (emergencies do happen from time to time)...that you communicate directly via your USB keyboard or USB headset with your opponent & let him know what is going on. At that point, the two of you can decide how you want to handle the situation. If you can't come to an agreement on how you want to complete the game (i.e., starting a new one, using the score at the time of the disconnect, waiting for a few minutes, etc.), then situation will be brought before the Commissioner for a decision.

III. Game Procedures

1. Owners are not allowed to skip games. If circumstances prevent you from playing your games on time, you must notify both the Commissioner & your opponent(s) as soon as possible. You are making a commitment when you join the league. If you can't be an active member in the league, please don't join.
2. Owners are required to record stats for both teams at the conclusion of each game. Owners will be required to submit the stats for their completed games by the end of the given game week.
3. You may submit game summaries on the MLB League Games forum. It's a great way to interact with the rest of the owners in the league & allow us to get some insight on how your games went. Be sure to be a good sport & don't take this as an opportunity to bad mouth your opponent.
4. Game disputes will be handled by the Commissioner. Records can and will be changed in the event that someone is entering incorrect stats.
5. You are required to play the scheduled games for the given week. If you are going to be unable to complete your games in a given week, please contact the Commissioner for an extension by midnight on Wednesday of the given game week. Under certain circumstances, teams will be given up to a 1 week extension. If the games are not completed at the end of the extension period, the game will be simulated.
6. Each team will only be allowed to play up to a week in advance.
7. Owners have until Wednesday of a given game week to get in touch with their opponent on the Scheduling MLB League Games forum. Failure to contact your opponent via the league forums by midnight Wednesday of the given game week will result in a forfeiture of the game. This will be left to the discretion of the non-offending team. The game will be simulated for statistical purposes.
8. Mercy Rule: After 6 innings of play the player that is trailing in the game by more than 10 runs has the option to opt for the Mercy Rule. At this point the players must record the stats for the game at that time and both owners must submit them to the league. Do not voluntarily disconnect from the game for any reason.

   If a team is clearly beaten and the winning team runs up the score in the game, they will be warned for unsportsmanlike play. The first violation results in a 1 game suspension. Next violation results in 2 game suspensions. Any additional violations warrants removal from the league.

   No team enjoys losing, but we all do lose. Just keep the scores respectable. 32-10 isn't acceptable and it makes a mockery of the CSL. Respect the other owners, and realize some teams do not have the talent regardless of how much you really could score.

9. Voice Chat: The use of voice chat during league play is NOT required, but highly encouraged. If voice chat is not used, owners should use a USB keyboard to keep communication lines open during game play.

IV. Vacations & Extended Absences

V. Failure To Finish Match

VI. Divergence Issue

VII. Cheating

If you suspect your opponent is cheating, you can pause the game, and move your cursor to the Gameplan menu item, and leave it there for 20-30 seconds. This notifies your opponent that you question their gameplay and tactics.

If you are certain your opponent is cheating, you should pause the match immediately and take down the applicable stats & game information (i.e., quarter, time remaining, etc.) & then report the suspicious activity to the Commissioner as soon as possible. Quitting a game is no longer condoned as an acceptable way to protest a game. By recording the information mentioned above, you will be able to "continue" the game at the point in which you left off in the event that your complaint against your opponent is found to be an invalid one. You do not need to report the match as a loss. The situation will be resolved by the Commissioner on a case by case basis.

VIII. Fill In The Blank