Autumn Baseball League Rules
Contents
The official rules for the Autumn Baseball League
Introduction
The Autumn baseball league is a recreational league that plays by Major League Baseball rules with a few modifications to suit the needs of our players. All players must be 18 years of age or older. We play a 12-game regular season schedule followed by a single elimination tournament. Tournament games are played until a champion is crowned.
League Format
The Autumn baseball league is an adult competitive Baseball League played in the fall. The league is split into two divisions, the American League and the National League Each division is made up of six teams. The regular season runs from early September to early November. The playoffs start at the end of November and the Fall Classic, the League Championship Series is played in early December.
American League:
-The American League play a ten-game schedule against each team in their division for a total of 60 games.
-The top four teams in each division make the playoffs. The two divisional winners receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs and automatically advance to the best-of-seven American League Championship Series
-The remaining two teams in each division play a best-of-three series to determine who will advance to face the divisional winners in the AL Championship Series
National League:
-The National League plays a sixteen game schedule against each team in their division for a total of 96 games.
-The top four teams in each division make the playoffs. The two divisional winners receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs and automatically advance to the best-of-seven National League Championship Series
-The remaining two teams in each division play a best-of-three series to determine who will advance to face the divisional winners in NL Championship Series
Eligibility
To be eligible to play in the Autumn baseball league all players must:
-Be at least eighteen (18) years of age by the first game of the season
-Have graduated from high school
-Not currently be playing organized baseball
Schedule
The Regular Season schedule shall consist of games as set by the League Commissioner. In odd-numbered years, the American League will have first choice of date and time for the opening game. In even-numbered years, the National League will have first choice of date and time for the opening game.
Playoffs
The playoffs will consist of four teams, the two division winners and the two Wild Card teams. The division winners will be seeded 1 and 2, and the Wild Card teams will be seeded 3 and 4. The playoffs will be a best-of-three series, with the higher seed team playing at home in games 1 and 3 (if necessary).
Team Rosters
Team Rosters
Each team must have a minimum of thirteen (13) players and a maximum of fifteen (15) players on its roster. A team may carry no more than three (3) non-roster players at any time during the season. A non-roster player is defined as any player who was not on the team’s official roster at the beginning of the season.
Player Salaries
In the Autumn Baseball League player salaries are determined by a number of factors, including experience, position, and performance. Players with more experience and/or who play more difficult positions (such as pitcher or catcher) will generally earn higher salaries than less experienced or less essential players. Performance is also a factor in determining salary; players who consistently excel on the field can commanding higher salaries than those who do not.
Free Agents
Free agents are players who are not currently under contract with any team in the league. A team may sign a free agent at any time during the season, subject to the following rules:
-A team may not sign more than two free agents in a given week.
-A team may not sign a free agent who is currently on another team’s roster.
-A team may not sign a Free Agent who played for that team in the previous season.
Trades
Trades may be made during the season, but only with the approval of the League Commissioner. Trades will be approved only if the League Commissioner believes that the trade is fair to both team(s) involved, and that it does not put either team(s) at a competitive disadvantage.
League History
The Autumn Baseball League was founded in 2020 with the goal of providing a competitive baseball experience for players aged 18 and up. The league currently has six teams, all based in the United States The league plays a 50-game season from September to November, with all games played on weekends.
