VII) DRAFTS

The Complete Rulebook of the MWBLA) Annual Draft

1) The pre-season draft will be at a time determined by the Commissioner. Traditionally this will be the third Saturday of February but can be changed at the Commissioner’s sole discretion.
2) The draft will consist of 15 rounds.

1. Each Franchise will be given 1 pick in each round, which they can trade as listed below.
2. Rounds 1-12 can be traded at their discretion subject to Article IX, Section A, Number 3 limitations on rounds 1-3 picks.
3. Rounds 13-15 cannot be traded (See Article VII Section B)

3) There are no minimum or maximum number of draft picks that can be owned by a Franchise.
4) Teams whose rosters fall short of the 50-man roster maximum after the Supplemental Draft (See Article VII Section B) will enter the season at that amount.

1. After the Supplemental Draft, if a franchise roster finishes under the minimum 38 carded players, the Commissioner’s office will add players to the roster based on their perceived usage needs of that team.

a. All players added under this provision CANNOT be traded and are waived at the end of the season.

5) Draft Order

1. Draft Lottery (Picks 1-3)

i. The Draft Lottery is designed to determine the Draft Order for the first three picks in the first round. The process incorporates the five worst teams from each league.

ii. The number of teams involved in the lottery is 10
iii. The random balls will be distributed throughout 1-100 for the lottery.
iv. The 4 worst teams in each league (based on W-L records) will be in the lottery and receive the number of balls as indicated below.

(1) 1st worst AL Team – 25 balls 1st worst NL Team – 25 balls
(2) 2nd worst AL Team- 13 balls 2nd worst NL Team – 13 balls
(3) 3rd worst AL Team – 8 balls 3rd worst NL Team – 8 balls
(4) 4th worst AL Team – 4 balls 4th worst NL Team – 4 balls

v. In case of ties based on W-L records, the team with a better home record would receive more lottery balls.

2. Draft order of the non-lottery winners (picks 4-10) will be in reverse order of the team’s record from the previous season.
3. Draft order for the 11-18 picks will be in reverse order of the team’s record from the previous season.
4. The ten playoff teams will draft in the last ten positions based on the following criteria, regardless of record.

a. 28th – World Series Winner
b. 27th – World Series Loser
c. 26th – LCS Loser with better record
d. 25th – LCS Loser with worst record
e. 24th – Division Series loser with best record
f. 23rd – Division Series loser with 2nd best record
g. 22nd – Division Series loser with 3rd best record
h. 21st – Division series loser with worst record
i. 20th – Wild Card series loser with best record
j. 19th – Wild Card series loser with worst record

6) The order for ties will be determined by teams’ HOME record for the previous season, with the team with the better HOME record drafting first.
7) The Commissioner will post the Draft Order after the World Series is complete.
8) All players not currently on an MWBL Rosters will be eligible for drafting.
9) Players may NOT draft more Un-Carded Players than they have room for on their roster, as of the time of their respective picks.

1. If they are full at the time of a pick, they must make a trade to free up a slot, or not pick a minor league player.
2. Prospects picked that put a team over his limit will be declared a free agent by the Commissioner’s Office after the draft.

a. Penalty for going over is losing 1 Un-Carded roster spot for every Un-Carded selection over 12 for the next season.

10) At the conclusion of the Annual Draft trading, will be frozen until the Season Rosters are cut to 38 to 40 Carded Players (depending on their roster configuration). Un-Carded Players cannot be cut.

11) Draft Pick Procedure

1. Prompt 1 (current team): 2 Min
2. Prompt 2 (current team): 1 Min
3. Skip Pick
4. Prompt 1 (new team): 2 Min
5. Prompt 2 (new team): 1 Min
6. Prompt 3 (old team): 1 Min
7. If you still do not have your pick ready you will be skipped and your pick will be entered as a pass.
8. If you are experiencing technical difficulties contact Draft Central by phone immediately (the phone number is sent be Stray in every email) and some arrangements will be made.

12) Trade Procedure During Draft

1. Announce a trade and WAIT for the Draft Coordinator to prompt.
2. Once the current pick is complete, you will be prompted to announce your trade.

a. Provide player names and pick numbers (i.e. pick 127)

3. Once the trade is complete, the next team’s pick will be prompted.
4. If you are making a trade during YOUR team’s pick, please note that NO ADDITIONAL time will be available.

13) “ASS-PICK”

1. The 3-minute window for making a pick in the Annual Draft would not change as a result of making an “ass pick” (selecting a previously drafted or already affiliated player).
2. The combination of 3-minutes allotted time during the Annual Draft will be the maximum time allowed even when an ASS-PICK is made.
3. At the expiration of the allotted time window to make a pick, the draft would move onto the next owner.
4. At the conclusion of the next pick, the owner making the “ass-pick” will have one minute to revise his pick with an eligible player.
5. If an “ass-pick” is made again, the process repeats a second time.
6. A third “ass-pick” on the same pick would result in forfeiture of the pick.
7. The Draft Coordinator will have all FINAL SAY when an ASS-PICK is made and when a pick is skipped.

B) Supplemental Draft (Rounds 13-15)

1) Three rounds.

a. Only teams lower than 38 carded players, will be participating to complete their roster.

b. Any team who waived their annual draft picks in the just-completed draft will NOT be allowed to participate in the Supplemental Draft and all penalties for missing the roster limits will apply.

2) After the Annual Draft concludes, and before the trading & cutdowns begin, all MWBL Franchises below the 38 Carded players will have their roster brought up to 38, based on perceived need, by the Commissioner’s Office. 

3) Any player drafted in rounds 13-15 must be included on your 38 to 40-man Carded player roster (depending on their roster configuration) for the upcoming season.

a) These players cannot be cut until dictated in Article IV Section C
b) These players cannot be traded until dictated in Article IX Section B.
c) These players are considered keepers.

4) After the Supplemental Draft, if you are below the 35-CARDED PLAYER requirement you will be penalized during next year’s ANNUAL DRAFT by FORFEITING your 3rd Round Pick. This means you will not own a 3rd Round pick, it will be eliminated from your roster.
5) The draft will be held before cuts have been made.
6) Order is the same as the current year’s Annual Draft, using the non-lottery order (i.e. round 2).
7)
Picks cannot be traded.

8) Carded Players only can be drafted.
9) Used to finalize coverage for teams.

C) Dispersal Draft

1) Only new franchises formed after the MWBL trading deadline and prior to the following season’s Opening Day will be allowed to participate in a Dispersal Draft. Exception: If a new franchise was awarded after the start of the regular season, but before the MWBL trading deadline AND participated in no trades, they will be allowed to participate in the Dispersal Draft if they so choose.
2) If a Dispersal Draft is needed, all Carded, Un-Carded Players and draft picks, belonging to the franchises involved will be placed in the Dispersal Draft Pool.
3) The order of selection will be determined randomly by the Commissioner’s Office.
4) The draft order will snake through the rounds (example- Team 1, Team 2 then Team 3 will pick in Round One, then in Round 2 the order will reverse with Team 3, Team 2, and then Team 1 picking).
5) The draft will continue until all Carded, Un-Carded Players and draft picks are selected, or the owners have decided to pass their remaining selections.
6) The roster limit of 12 Un-Carded Players applies the Dispersal Draft.

1. If a team’s only possibility for selection is an Un-Carded Player that would put them over the limit, that team will be finished with the Draft and the Draft will continue with the remaining team(s) able to make a selection.
2. Teams do not have to draft all Un-Carded players. Any Un-Carded player not chosen at the completion of the Dispersal Draft will become Free Agents.
3. Teams can stop drafting at any point – they do not have to draft all available players.

7) Dispersal Draft picks are eligible to be traded during the Dispersal Draft ONLY and ONLY to Dispersal Draft Owners.

D) Rule 5 Draft

1) Three rounds
2) The Rule 5 draft order will be based on the standings of the season that just completed.

a) It will not be based on the playoff finishing order that the Annual Draft order is based on.

3) The Rule 5 Draft will be held in late October (usually the last week).

a) This draft will be an E-Mail Distribution Draft done in a Google spreadsheet.

i) An E-Mail Distribution Draft is defined as an E-Mail sent to the entire league so everyone can see who was drafted, and which Franchise is up now, on-deck and in-the-hole.

4) Rosters are frozen once the Rule 5 Draft begins (either Live or email distribution)
5) Rounds are as follow:

a) Round 1 consists of the Tier 1 teams (see Article IV Section C)
b) Round 2 consists of Tier 1 & Tier 2 teams (see Article IV Section C)
c) Round 3 consists of Tier 1, Tier 2 & Tier 3 teams (see Article IV Section C)
d) At the conclusion of the draft

i) All Tier 1 teams will have all their undrafted players returned to them and do not have to cut to 40 Carded Players
ii) All Tier 2 teams will have their choice of their undrafted players returned to them but are not allowed to exceed 40 Carded Players
iii) All Tier 3 teams will be allowed to choose 3 of their undrafted players returned to them and are not allowed to exceed 40 Carded Players

5. If a Tier 2 or Tier 3 team has exceeded 40 players at the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft, they will NOT be allowed to have any undrafted players returned to them.

TRADE DEADLINE
WEDNESDAY 07/24/2024
AT 11:59 PM - ET!

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