frequently asked questions
The FAQ is a tool to help owners grasp the concept of the ACBA.
It does not replace the rule book and any discrepancies between the two will defer to the rule book as the final authority.
It does not replace the rule book and any discrepancies between the two will defer to the rule book as the final authority.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
What type of fantasy baseball league is the acba?
The ACBA is a dynasty league using points-based, head to head games for competition. We are not a rotisserie league and do not use categories.
Is the ACBA a money league?
The ACBA is not a money league but we do have league fees of $20 every third year (less than $7/season), which helps cover the cost of running the affiliate website as well as purchasing the championship package.
How many Games are played in the season?
We play 108 regular season games (roughly 5 games per week) and we have 3 rounds of playoffs with 7-game series in each round. The ACBA season runs from about April 1 - late August, with the ACBA postseason finishing in late September.
How many players do I use in a game?
We use 11 players each game with the following:
1 catcher
1 first baseman
1 second baseman
1 third baseman
1 shortstop
3 outfielders
1 utility player (non pitcher)
1 starting pitcher
1 relief pitcher
1 catcher
1 first baseman
1 second baseman
1 third baseman
1 shortstop
3 outfielders
1 utility player (non pitcher)
1 starting pitcher
1 relief pitcher
Why do we play on short days?
The ACBA has already shortened our regular season from 120 games to 108 games after the 2018 season. We don't want to clip any more games off our schedule. That said, MLB's scheduling is allowing for more days off for their teams on varying days, limiting the number of full slated days. We choose to keep our 108 game schedule, but this means we have to play some games when not all 30 MLB teams are playing. In an effort to minimize those short days, we've gotten creative and implemented some game days with doubleheaders.
What happens if there's a rainout?
Much like a short day, a rainout can cause teams to go without a player in the lineup. If this happens, we still play games, but shorthanded. Some owners are more proactive and watch weather reports around the country and minimize their rainout casualties.
What happens if I tie a game?
We have tie breakers in place and the commissioner will review the game and break the tie accordingly. Sometimes this may take a day or 2, but a tied game will not stay tied.
What happens if I have an injured player?
We have 3 injured reserve spots that can be used for injured players and teams may use reserve players to fill the spot in the lineup if the player's game has not yet started. Once a game begins for any position, that spot locks for the day and it cannot be changed (except in the playoffs). Substitutions are not awarded during the regular season.
How many teams make the playoffs?
We have 1 division winner and 3 wild card teams from each division, for a total of 8 teams reaching the playoffs. The teams are seeded according to their regular season standings and predetermined tie breakers (if necessary) and matched 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 in each division.
How do I play a game under protest?
If you feel there is something about your game or your opponent that is in violation of the rules, please contact the commissioner immediately. The game will be played as scheduled, but the commissioner will review the complaint and give a judgement at the earliest convenience. Results can be retroactively adjusted if it's determined to be justified.
CONTRACTS
How many players can I have on my team?
Rosters are broken up into 4 different groups, totaling 41 players.
11 Active (starting lineup)
15 Reserve (bench)
15 Minor League
3 Injured Reserve (which do not count towards the 41)
The 2021 season will have a temporary IR slot for COVID protocols.
11 Active (starting lineup)
15 Reserve (bench)
15 Minor League
3 Injured Reserve (which do not count towards the 41)
The 2021 season will have a temporary IR slot for COVID protocols.
Do I have to sign players to contracts?
No. Any player may be added to the roster without a contract.
When/how do I sign players to contracts?
Once the draft starts, teams may begin announcing any contracts they wish to sign. To do this, simply notify the commissioner of the player and the length of time you want to sign him for. There is a contracts deadline before the start of the regular season, and no contracts may be signed after that.
Minor League carryovers may be signed at any time during the offseason until the contracts deadline.
Minor League carryovers may be signed at any time during the offseason until the contracts deadline.
If I don't sign any contracts, what happens?
Players that are not signed to contracts play as free agents and will be released from the team at the end of the season and available in the next year's draft. Free agents without contracts do not count towards a team's payroll, despite showing a salary value. Those values only come into play when a contract is signed.
How many players can I sign/keep?
There are no limits to how many players a team may sign to contracts.
How long can I sign a player For?
There are no limits on length of contracts.
What is the risk/reward for having players under contract?
Every team is given an allotment of money, allowing them to spend it on contracts they choose. Each year, the amount paid to any player that is signed to a contract increases by $2. Therefore, it's up to each owner to determine how they want to spend their money for each player they want to keep. The reward is the ability to keep players, rather than redrafting new teams each year. The risk is managing a payroll without exceeding the salary cap.
Can I release players that are under contract?
Players under contract may not be released without buying out their contract. There is a buyout period during the offseason for this. There is also a 1-per-season buyout in the spring, after the draft is complete until May 31.
Why do we have a salary cap?
The salary cap regulates the amount of contracts and the length of contracts each team has. While there are technically no limits, the cap helps to keep teams in check. Without it, there would be no penalty on wild spending.
How much is my team's salary cap?
Teams are allotted a $150 soft cap each season. The hard cap is $225 and cannot be exceeded.
What if I go over the salary cap?
There is a luxury tax for exceeding the soft cap. Teams lose draft picks based on the amount they are over the cap. The higher the amount, the better the draft picks that are forfeited.
Is my team's payroll tracked for me to see?
Yes. We have a spreadsheet on Google Sheets that tracks payrolls for the entire league.
What is a minor league carryover?
Minor league players may be kept on a roster from season to season in the same way a contract player is, but without the cost of a contract. This happens automatically (the commissioner will ensure eligible players are carried over each offseason) as long as a player remains under a threshold of MLB service. If a minor league player exceeds the threshold, he will no longer be eligible to be carried over and will be considered a free agent and released at the end of the season. It is up to the owner to determine if and when a minor league player needs the protection of a contract.
What is a buyout?
A buyout is a team's right to purchase and eliminate a player's contract. Generally speaking, the team must pay half of the player's upcoming salary which will be added to the payroll, but then the contract is removed. The buyout cost is higher if it's in the first two years of the contract.
How are player salaRIEs determined?
Fantrax has a salary generator which creates the salary values of players based on our rules and the player's performance history. The commissioner frequently runs the salary generator during the offseason when players become free agents (after contracts expire or when a player is bought out).
TRANSACTIONS
Can I add and/or drop players?
After the draft, free agency is opened by the commissioner at a designated time. Teams may freely add or drop any player that is not already under contract. A week or two after the draft, the commissioner will set the transaction process to waivers, where all free agents and any player dropped from that point on, will have to go through two-day waivers before they can be added to a team. In August, free agency ends and no teams may make adds or drops. Once the playoffs begin, playoff teams may make a limited number of transactions. There are no transactions during the offseason. The commissioner will handle all player movement.
Can I trade players?
Trading may happen all year except for between the trade deadline in July through the end of the World Series in September.
Can I trade draft picks?
Draft picks and cap money are a commodity in addition to players. All three may be traded.
What does trading cap money mean?
Teams may choose to sell some of their $150 payroll money for current or future years instead of using it on contracts. You can acquire additional draft picks or players through the sale of cap money. Teams that exceed their $150 payroll may buy cap money with draft picks or players, in order to avoid a luxury tax.
What are waiver trades?
After the trade deadline, teams may attempt to trade contract players through waiver trades. To do this, teams must notify the commissioner what players they want to make available for trade and the commissioner will create a list of waiver trade players. Those players will be temporarily waived (released) from the team and if another team acquires that player, the remainder of the existing contract is assumed by the new team, with both teams sharing part of the current season's salary for that player. Additionally, the acquiring team must offer a compensatory draft pick to the team that gave the player up. If the player is not acquired during the waiver trade period, he must return to the team he was on.
DRAFT
What type of draft do we do?
We have 15 rounds of drafting and typically we split the draft into two parts.
The first two rounds are a slow, offline draft, where teams are given 12 hours per pick. Those two rounds usually take about two weeks. That leads up to draft day, where we finish the draft online for rounds 3-15, with pick times of about two and a half minutes.
We also occasionally do a live draft where as many owners in the league as possible will travel to a location and draft together. In that case, we forego the offline and online portions.
The first two rounds are a slow, offline draft, where teams are given 12 hours per pick. Those two rounds usually take about two weeks. That leads up to draft day, where we finish the draft online for rounds 3-15, with pick times of about two and a half minutes.
We also occasionally do a live draft where as many owners in the league as possible will travel to a location and draft together. In that case, we forego the offline and online portions.
Is there trading during the draft?
Yes, teams may trade during the draft.
How is the draft order determined?
We have two lotteries, and we have auto-placement to determine the draft order.
The World Series winner and World Series loser are automatically placed with the 14th and 13th picks. The six other teams that made the playoffs are in a lottery to determine picks 7-12 and the six teams that did not make the playoffs are in a lottery to determine picks 1-6.
We utilize a snake-style order throughout (odd rounds determined by the lottery as described above, even rounds reverse of the lottery order).
The World Series winner and World Series loser are automatically placed with the 14th and 13th picks. The six other teams that made the playoffs are in a lottery to determine picks 7-12 and the six teams that did not make the playoffs are in a lottery to determine picks 1-6.
We utilize a snake-style order throughout (odd rounds determined by the lottery as described above, even rounds reverse of the lottery order).
Are my team's draft picks tracked for me to see?
Yes. We have a spreadsheet on Google Sheets that tracks draft picks for the entire league. You can also see your draft picks at the bottom of your Fantrax roster page. Since all draft picks can be traded within Fantrax, that is the master list. The Google Sheet provides condensed visibility in a matrix style.
Do the players I draft immediately go under contract?
No player is under contract and hence no cost to a team's payroll until the team announces a contract on a player to keep him beyond the current season. Contracts can only be announced during the offseason up until the contracts deadline in mid-to-late March.