Rules | bad-league

RULES OF THE B.A.D. LEAGUE

(As of March 2026)

I. SCORING

A. Points

1. Field players earn one point for each run scored and each RBI

2. All Pitchers:

a. 0.5 points for each strikeout

b. 2.5 points for each win

c. 3 points for each quality start

d. 4 points for each save

B. Starting Rosters: 14 total players

1. One player at each infield field position

2. Three outfielders

3. One “utility” player (a hitter from any position)

4. Five pitchers (starting and/or relief)

C. Ties

1. Add collective points of the top three non-starters of the tied teams

2. If necessary, additional players, one at a time, will be used until the tie is broken.

D. Final standings for posterity determined by final playoff results each year.

II. PRE-DRAFT

A. Protections

Each team may protect one player from the previous year’s roster.
A player may be protected by the same team for a maximum of three consecutive years.
After a player has been protected for three years, he is automatically placed in the auction, whether he qualifies by previous year points or not, and he may not be protected by another team for that year.

4. If a team chooses not to protect any player from previous year’s roster they may select anyone not protected. Such selections must

be made during a prescribed time before the draft gathering, and the selection order reflects the order of the draft.

5. If a team’s protected player is injured before the BAD draft, teams have the right to protect a different player from the full field of

non-protected players

B. Establishing Auction

Top 25 players after protections identified.
List to be shaped by pool that includes top three from previous year at C, 1B, 2B, 3b, SS, SP; top two at RP; top five at outfield for a total of 25 candidates; ties broken by fewest at bats.
League will determine, by general consensus, which 21 to be auctioned; or 19 for eight teams.

C. Rookie and Triple AAA promotions

1. Teams may promote any rookie who has lost his rookie status or any Triple AAA player said team does not want to be exposed to the

regular draft

2. Said players eligible for promotion but who will miss much of the next year due to injury (i.e. Tommy John surgery) may have the

decision delayed by a year; they go in the “freezer” and do not count against Triple A limits

3. Rookies and Triple A players can be reclaimed in the next draft based on a chart the League produces that correlates draft picks

with the previous year’s BAD League point total by position. (See appendix)

4. There is no limit on the number of promotions a team may make.

5. All promotions use a team’s own draft picks and not any collected in trades.

6. If a team’s promoted player is injured before the BAD draft, teams have the right to drop the player and reclaim the draft pick

D. Position eligibility will be determined by the ESPN site. This means 20 games at a position in the previous season and also 10 games

during the new season. There is no limit to the number of positions at which a player can be eligible.

III. THE REGULAR DRAFT

A. Auction Process

1. Each team begins with $100. The money is non-transferable.

2. A team can only bid if it has the money to cover the bid.

3. Teams nominate a player in inverse order of regular draft (i.e. BAD champion picks first)

4. Opening bid must be at least $10.

5. Open public auction until the player is “sold” to the highest bidder.

6. Auction only includes 18 of 21 players posted.

7. Leftover money is used for the Triple Play or otherwise carried over to the free agent auction

B. “The Triple Play” -- Auction of final three players

1. Each attending team makes one bid for one of the three remaining players.

2. High bid for each player claims that player.

3. In the event of a tie, teams may dip into the current year’s vault for free agency.

4. All remaining money is transferred to the post-draft auction

5. “Triple B”: Bonus picks are given to the six teams not winning the Triple Play

a. these picks are taken in the same order as the 16th round

b. selections are made after Triple A players reclaimed and before the 17th round

C. Draft

1. A 16-round draft begins after the first auction.

2. Draft order:

a. Championship Series: Belknap Cup winner drafts 9th, 2nd drafts 8th, 3rd drafts 7th

b. Middler Tournament: Winner drafts 4th, 2nd drafts 5th, 3rd drafts 6th

c. Scollege Bowl: Winner drafts 1st, 2nd drafts 2nd, and 3rd drafts 3rd.

3. Draft commences for 4 rounds (Rounds 1-4)

4. Draft sequence is inverted completely for the next eight rounds (Rounds 5-12)

5. Draft sequence reverts to original four rounds for the final four rounds (Rounds 13-16)

6. Gentlemen's agreement to try to limit time to three minutes per selection

7. Gentlemen's agreement to share immediately news of injury status

8. In the event of late-breaking news during the draft that impacts an already protected, purchased, or drafted player before the draft is

complete:

a. Protected players, top 2 auction players, and 1st round selections can be replaced immediately

b. For all other players, the League will either award a team the option to replace the lost player in-between the 8th and 9th

Round or at any time after the 8th Round and before the 17th Round begins

D. Final Round (the 17th Round)

1. The draft sequence for the “17th round” will be determined by lottery after the free agent auction

2. A rookie drafted with the 17th pick automatically loses his “below-the-line” status

3. The 17th Round is typically a post-draft weekend activity just before Opening Day

4. The 17th Round takes place before the Tinker Round

E. GM absence from draft

1. The Commissioner will get the GM player-rankings in advance, including for the Top Auction.

2. Absent team given the top remaining name on that GM’s list after the initial 12 players are auctioned

3. Absent team given a second player after 17 players have been claimed

4. For the regular draft, GMs in attendance will be assigned Rounds to serve as proxy for absent GM

a. Proxy GM chooses what position the absent team needs next

b. Proxy team consults the absent GM’s rankings and takes the top undrafted player at that position, presuming there is no

question about the player’s injury or MLB roster status

IV. ROOKIE DRAFT AND FARM SYSTEM

A. Procedure

1. Three rounds of rookies follow the regular phase of the draft.

a. League may decide to hold final round of rookie draft at a later date (i.e. June)

b. If 3rd round is put off for later, the rookie round precedes the supplemental draft

c. Bonus picks should be after all teams have drafted 3 rookies (i.e. June)

2. Draft order of delayed 3rd round reflects current standings, not the order of the first 2 rookie rounds

B. Qualifications for rookie status:

1. Under 130 MLB at bats (in a single season)

2. Under 50 MLB innings for a starting pitcher (single season); 25 for relief

3. For a player at the beginning of a season for whom it is not clear whether he will be starting or relieving, 25 innings becomes the

threshold for determining status

4. No more than 20 saves for a closer (single season)

5. Rookies not qualifying as major leaguers remain in the team's farm system

C. Trading & Selling Rookie Picks

1. Draft position can be traded for other players until the rookie draft begins

2. Draft position cannot be traded for money

3. Rights to the draft pick cannot be traded

4. At set time, teams may hold a public auction for draft picks. (Opening bid: $10); money reverts to team selling the pick

D. Bonus Babies

1. Team with the first player to reach 100 points is awarded a rookie pick

2. Bonus pick typically happens at the tail end of supplemental draft in June

3. Bonus babies cannot currently be on an MLB roster

E. Triple A

1. Teams allowed only four roster spots

2. Players are eligible only if:

a. lost official rookie status (by BAD League standards)

b. not drafted during regular BAD draft

3. Teams may trade Triple A candidates before the regular draft begins but not once it starts

4. Teams who have surplus candidates for Triple A after the regular draft will see those players

dropped into a quick public auction:

a. bidding begins at $1, using the pool of free agent money

b. the money from the auction evaporates and is not given to the previous team

c. players not purchased are flushed out of the BAD League

5. During the season, teams have 48 hours to make the Triple A roster conform to the 4-limit roster.

6. Triple A players may be promoted the next year using the same chart as rookies (See appendix)

7. Potential Triple A players (that is, those who have lost rookie status and were not promoted) can be traded up until the beginning of

the draft but not afterwards. This could be a potential Triple A player for another potential Triple A player OR a potential Triple A

player for a draft pick or position.

V. FREE AGENT AUCTION

A. To take place after the auction, regular draft and rookie draft.

B. Each team is annually given $100 to spend

1. Money cannot be traded

2. $100 can be supplemented by leftover money after the “Triple Play” portion of the draft

3. Money not spent in one year is lost for the next year: “use it or lose it”

C. Auction process

1. After the regular draft, each team privately submits three names

2. Teams choose which player to put on block

3. Nominating order reflects inverted order of first round of regular draft

4. Opening bids start at $10.

5. Each team is permitted one time out during the auction.

6. Players receiving no opening bids are thrown to the back of the pack and put up for auction a second

time at the end of the auction

7. In the event of a tie bid, teams may dip into next year’s Sunday free agent money to break the tie.

VI. ROSTER MANAGEMENT

A. Post-draft Injuries Before Opening Day

1. Protected players, the top 2 players obtained in the first auction, and the team’s 1st Round selection may be replaced, if injured, at

any time

2. This replacement can take place before the 17th round, if necessary

3. All other injuries suffered before Opening Day to all other players can only resort to the tinker option

B. Pre-Opening Day Tinker Round

1. Before Opening Day and at set time, teams may replace any player or players on roster for any reason

2. Players protected or drafted during the regular phase of draft (including bonus picks) are eligible

3. Players promoted for the draft are also eligible to be tinkered

4. Free agents in the back auction, however, are not eligible to be tinkered unless they are injured between the B.A.D. draft and the

tinker round

5. Tinker selection(s) pre-Opening Day does not need to be at the same position

6. Any player acquired as a tinker automatically becomes an “above-the-line” player

7. Selecting order reflects the draft position of players to be replaced.

8. All picks must be completed by the date set by the League Office

C. Change Days

1. Starting players can be changed only on Mondays during regular season

2. If a starting player goes on the IL anytime on Monday, the team may replace said injured player before Tuesday at noon.

3. Players currently on the IL can be inserted into the starting line-up until Tuesday at noon provided the player they are replacing did

not play on Monday.

4. Traded players can be inserted into starting line-up immediately and not wait for a Monday

5. Teams can only have 14 players on the starting roster, including a utility player.

D. There are no longer any IL moves in the BAD League as of the 2022 season

E. Trades

1. "Gentlemen's Rules" apply: Teams must share recent information re: trades, health, etc.

2. No tanking or fire-sales: All teams can only trade in an honest effort to compete in the current season

3. During the season no trade can be made for future considerations

4. The League and/or League Office must be notified of all trades as soon as possible

5. Trades can be made any day of the week

6. Beginning in 2022, there are no point restrictions on trades

7. Players on the IL may be traded

8. Players obtained in a trade may be inserted into starting line-up immediately, if desired

9. A starting position hole created by a trade may be patched immediately for all positions except for a starting pitcher, which must

wait until Monday so as not to get a potential extra start as a result of trade

10. No rookie can be included in a trade after MLB games resume after the All-Star Break

11. Trade deadline to be set for the 1st Sunday after the final supplemental draft in late July/August. This trade deadline remains in

place until the next season officially opens with the announcement of protections and promotions.

F. June Tinker Round

1. The tinkers follow the June supplemental draft and at set time by the League Office

2. Teams may replace any one player who is on the IL

3. Teams will notify League Office after the June supplemental; the League Office will publish the order

4. All BAD League “above-the-line” players are eligible but not Triple A or rookie players

5. Unlike the pre-Opening Day tinker, these tinker selections must be at the same position

6. Any player acquired as a tinker automatically becomes an “above-the-line” player

7. Protected players who have suffered major injury may be put in a “freezer” for future protection

8. Selecting order reflects the draft/selection order of players to be replaced

9. All picks must be completed by the date set by the League Office

G. August Tinker Round

1. Following the final supplemental draft and at set time by League Office; likely August 15th

2. Teams may replace any player or players on their roster who are on the IL

3. All BAD League “above-the-line” players are eligible but not Triple A or rookie players

4. Unlike the pre-Opening Day tinker, these tinker selections must be at the same position

5. Any player acquired as a tinker automatically becomes an “above-the-line” player

6. Protected players who have suffered major injury may be put in a “freezer” for future protection

7. Selecting order reflects the draft/selection order of players to be replaced

8. All picks must be completed by the date set by the League Office

H. Roster Size

1. Teams must have at least one drafted player at every position before Opening Day

2. After Opening Day, there is an open-limit roster thereafter

I. Position Eligibility

1. Position eligibility will be determined by the ESPN site. This means 20 games at a position in the previous season and also 10 games

during the new season.

2. There is no limit to the number of positions at which a player can be eligible.

3. Rookie positions to be determined by ESPN

J. Final Roster and Points

1. Team rosters are frozen at the BAD League trade deadline set in August each year

2. Final tallies for teams include top 14 players at the required positions.

VII. SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFTS

A. Timing & Number of Selections

1. One supplemental draft in late April or very early May (one round typically by email)

2. Second supplemental in early June (3 rounds beginning in 2026; typically in person, if possible)

3. Third supplemental in late July or early August (one round typically by email)

B. Teams draft in inverse order of current standings overall (#1-9)

C. Restrictions

1. Neither the rights to a draft pick nor the draft position can be traded

2. A team may take any player, at any position, not currently in the BAD League

3. A player must have played one third of his games at the position since Opening Day

4. Rosters have no position limits after Opening Day’s “3-7-9” initial model

5. Any player drafted in a supplemental automatically becomes an “above-the-line” player

6. With the exception of starting pitchers, new players may be inserted into starting line-ups immediately

D. Absenteeism

1. Proxy selections allowed

2. If a GM is a no show, a team forfeits drafting position in said round until the end of the draft.

VIII. DIVISIONS & PLAYOFFS

A. Divisions are based on previous year’s three postseason tournaments

B. Regular season ends after Sunday games, four weeks before the end of the actual MLB regular season.

C. Scoring system is the same as in the regular season

D. Playoff Rosters

1. All players on roster, including Triple A and rookies, are eligible for starting positions

2. The two teams with the highest regular season totals may select one player not currently in BAD League to add to its roster as a

bonus heading into the playoffs

a. top team “drafts” first

b, these are considered temporary players; teams do not retain the player’s rights

E. Championship Playoffs - The Belknap Cup

1. It is a one-month championship tournament, initially beginning with the three division winners and two wild cards and with all teams

beginning with zero points

2. Top five teams are ranked by regular season points

3. The top regular season team is awarded a first-round bye and automatic inclusion in the Finals. This team accumulates team points

while idle for the first fortnight

4. Team #2 plays Team #5 while Team #3 plays Team #4 in a two week head-to-head match up

a. Winner carries its points to the Finals

b. Loser carries its points to the Middler Tourney

5. Finals include top three teams for the final two weeks of the season

6. The Belknap Cup is awarded to the team with the highest team total over the final month

7. In the case of ties: See Rule I, C

8. Extra “play-in” games in MLB count for BAD playoff totals

9. The teams in the Finals will constitute the Adams Division in the next season

10. Silver and bronze medalists in Finals are awarded bonus rookie pick in next draft, with silver medalist drafting before the bronze

medalist

F. Middler Tourney - The Adams Cuppa

It is, in the end, a one-month tournament
All teams begin with zero points at the beginning of the playoffs
The regular season 6th place team waits for the first two weeks of the playoffs but collects team points during that first fortnight
The two losers from Championship round join the 6th place team, carrying their points forward
These three teams compete over the final two weeks
The Middler Tourney is won by the team with the highest team total over the final month
The winner will draft 4th in next year’s draft; 2nd drafts 5th; 3rd drafts 6th
The winner is also awarded the final bonus rookie pick after Rookie Round 3
The teams in the Middler Tourney will constitute the Besserer Division in the next season

G. Scollege Bowl

A one-month tournament for the bottom 3 regular-season teams only
All teams begin with zero points at the beginning of the playoffs
The Scollege Bowl is awarded to the team with the highest total for 12 players over the month
In case of ties: See Rule I, C
These three teams will form the Conlon Division in the next season
Winner picks first in the next regular draft and is the last team to nominate in the auction
Second place in Scollege Bowl will draft 2nd in next draft; 3rd place will draft 3rd.

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IX. EXPANSION

A. Any new franchise must be officially approved by League consensus

B. Drafting position: End of round one, beginning of round two, and in the middle of each round thereafter; the rookie draft follows the

same sequence.

APPENDIX:

Rookies who have lost their “below-the-line” status and Triple A players can be reclaimed in the following draft based on the following chart. Players are ranked by position using previous year’s point totals.

For all infielders:

Ranked 1-5 = 5th round pick

Ranked 6th = 6th round pick

Ranked 7th = 7th round pick

Ranked 8th = 8th round pick

Ranked 9th = 9th round pick

Ranked 10th = 10th round pick

Ranked 11th = 11th round pick

Ranked 12th = 12th round pick

Ranked 13th = 13th round pick

Ranked 14th = 14th round pick

Ranked 15th = 15th round pick