Season 4 Rules

These are not the complete rules, but are instead the additions and changes that have been made to basic strat rules. Each year the rules are modified slightly; these are the rules for Season 4.

Pitcher Penalties

Each pitcher has a set number of innings that they can play per game and per season. If a pitcher pitches more than that set number of innings a penalty is applied. Penalties are applied as follows:

Simple Game Penalty

Each batter over the allotted number of innings in a game causes one point in singles to be mentally added to the card. Start with the 4-2, and work down to the 4-7. If the penalty passes 6 points, start again with a new single on the 4-2. If there is already a safety or partial safety between the 4-2 and 4-7 on the pitcher’s card move the new mental single to the 5 column – (or 6 column if necessary).

Super Game Penalty

For each full inning past the per game limit 2 points will be added in walks and 2 points subtracted in strikeouts (this penalty will be assessed immediately when the per game limit is reached and then each additional full inning after that). The 2 points subtracted in strikeouts will have to be done on a case by case basis depending on the pitcher and therefore no rule will be set as to how this is accomplished. The 2 points in walks will be added by enhancing any walks that are already on the card to higher point valued spaces. If there are no walks on the card initially the walks will be added to the 5-3 and moved down the column like the singles were handled above.

Additionally, for each full inning past the per game limit one point of a “HOMERUN 1-10, DOUBLE 11-20” space will be mentally added to the 6-12 and moved up towards the 6-7 as each additional point is needed. If there is already a safety in these places follow the directions above to move to 5 or 4 column as necessary. This will be in addition to any penalty assessed for pitching too many total innings in a season, and any penalty assessed for pitching on too little rest.

Season Penalty

For each full inning a starting pitcher pitches in a season beyond the allotted number of innings that pitcher is allowed for a season all game penalties listed above will be mentally applied at the start of those innings. Each penalty will progress as described above with the beginning of each additional inning.

This will be in addition to any penalty assessed for pitching more than the per game limit on innings pitched, and any penalty assessed for pitching on too little rest. In other words, if a pitcher pitches beyond their game limit for the current game and beyond their season limit at the same time that pitcher will receive double ‘Simple Game Penalties’ and a ‘Super Game Penalty’.

Pitcher Rest

Starter Rest

Starting pitchers will be allowed to pitch as often as every 4th game (i.e. 3 games rest) without penalty.

For pitching on only 2 games rest both the ‘Simple Game Penalty’ and the ‘Super Game Penalty’ will be assessed at the beginning of the game.

For pitching on only 1 game rest both the ‘Simple Game Penalty’ and the ‘Super Game Penalty’ will be applied twice at the beginnig of the game.

For pitching in back to back games both the ‘Simple Game Penalty’ and the ‘Super Game Penalty’ will be applied four times at the beginnig of the game.

This will be in addition to any penalty assessed for pitching more than the per game limit on innings pitched, and any penalty assessed for pitching on too many total innings in a season.

Starters’ who are used in relief have the same rules for proper rest as they would if they had started.

The number of innings a pitcher can pitch is for each game not for a series.

Reliever Rest

Relievers are allowed to pitch every day if they pitch less than 2 innings in each game. For relievers who pitch 2 or more innings in a game the following rest days are required:

Relievers who do not rest the required number of days will have penalties applied in the same manner as a starter who did not rest the required number of days.

Pitcher Decisions

A pitcher may receive one of the following decisions in a game.

• Win
• Loss
• Save
• Hold
• Blown Save
• Blown Hold

The decision a pitcher receives is decided by the human who is rolling for that pitcher’s team according to the following rules.

• A pitcher must not receive both a Win and a Loss.
• Exactly one pitcher on each team must receive a Win or a Loss.
• A team must not have both a Win and a Loss awarded to pitchers on that team.
• A Hold may be awarded to a pitcher who enters the game with a lead and maintains that lead with quality pitching.
• A Hold may be awarded to a pitcher who finishes the game.
• A Hold must not be awarded to a pitcher who receives a Save.
• A Blown Hold may only be awarded to a pitcher who enters the game with a lead and leaves the game behind.
• A Blown Save must be awarded to a pitcher who enters the game in a save situation but is awarded the loss.
• A Save must be awarded to a pitcher who satisfies the criteria listed in ‘Pitcher Saves’ below.

Pitcher Saves

A pitcher must be given a Save if all of the following are true:

• Is the last pitcher for his team to appear in the game
• He pitches 3 innings or less
• He comes in with either of the following being true:
  • his team is ahead by the same or fewer runs than the number of innings he pitches
  • the opposing team has the tying run on base or at the plate
• He finishes the game with his team winning and him never relinquishing the lead

Injuries

If a team has run out of players they can substitute for an injured player they must choose a pitcher card to play the fielding position at a 6 and hit with their pitching card. A hitting card may also substitute for a pitcher, fielding at a 6 and pitching with their hitter card.

Pitcher Injuries

If the “plus injury” is hit on a pitcher’s card the 20-sided dice will be rolled:

Hitter Injuries

If the “plus injury” is hit on a hitter’s card the 20-sided dice will be rolled:

Stealing

Stealing is comprised of two numbers. On the player’s card there will be three numbers listed below “Speed”:

12 / 12 / 20

The leftmost number is the player’s base running ability.

The middle number is the player’s stealing ability. When stealing second the player will be safe if the split card is below or equal to this number, otherwise the player is out.

The rightmost number is the number of times the player is allowed to steal with the ability specified by the middle number. After this many steals (regardless of the base being stolen) a stealing penalty is applied.

Stealing Penalty

For every 10% overage the player’s stealing ability will be decreased by one.

For example, a player who is allowed 30 stolen base attempts at a “14” rating will make attempts 31, 32, and 33 at “13”. Attempts 34, 35, and 36 at “12”; attempts 37, 38, and 39 at “11”; and so forth. Stealing third base still incurs the default decrease (see below); so if the player’s 38th attempt is for thrid base they will steal at a “7” rating.

Double Steals

In situations where multiple runners are stealing bases at the same time the following rules apply:

• The defense has the choice of who they will throw at
• If any runner is thrown out then no runners are credited with a steal and only the thrown out runner is credited with an attempt. The non-out runners may remain on their “stolen” base.
• If no runner is thrown out then all runners are credited with an attempt and a stolen base.
• The defense cannot elect to not throw, because in strat we have no option for an overthrow or other error on the play. Thus it would be ridiculous for the defense not to throw at someone.

Stealing Third

When a runner is stealing third their stealing ability is four (4) less than their normal stealing ability. For example, a “12” stealer (see the numbers above) will steal third at an “8” rating.

No runner may drop below a “1” stealing rating. For example, a “3” stealer would steal third at a “1” rating; meaning they would have to roll a 1 to steal the base.

Stealing Home

When a runner is stealing home plate their stealing ability is ten (10) less than their normal stealing ability. For example a “12” stealer (see the numbers above) will steal home at a “2” rating.

No runner may drop below a “1” stealing rating. For example, a “7” stealer would steal home at a “1” rating; meaning they would have to roll a 1 to steal the base.

Base Running

When a runner is trying for an extra base the fielder will have the choice of whether to try and throw him out or hit the cutoff man to prevent any trailing runners from also advancing. All trailing runners (including the batter who is now a runner after he hits the ball) will advance one base if fielder chooses to try and throw out the leading runner regardless of whether the lead runner is out or safe.

Intentional Walks

Pitchers are allowed to intentionally walk a batter.

RBIs

The awarding of RBIs follows MLB rules exactly. The MLB rules can be found in section 9.04 of the MLB Official Rules. A summary of the rules can also be found on this definition page.

A summary of the rules as pertains to the strat league is:

A batter will receive an RBI if a run scores as a result of the batter’s

• safe hit,
• walk,
• hit by pitch,
• sacrifice bunt,
• sacrifice fly,
• infield out (e.g. a “groundball C”), or
• fielder’s choice (e.g. a “groundball B”)

A batter will not recieve an RBI if a run scores and the batter

• grounds into a doubleplay, or
• reaches base due to a fielding error

Recording Doubleplays

A GIDP should be awarded to the batter only if they hit a groundball that results in a doubleplay. Lineouts that result in a doubleplay do not cause the batter to receive a GIDP.

The defensive team always receives credit for a doubleplay no matter how the doubleplay was accomplished.

Reference

Home Field Advantage

The home team may choose one dice roll while they are on offense to re-roll.

Fielding Chart

On the fielding chart when it says “out-3” runners do not advance unless they are left on after a double play is completed.

A 6 fielder will produce a result one step worse than if a 5 fielder were playing that position:

• a “single-1” becomes a “single-2”
• a “single-2” becomes a “double-2”
• a “double-2” becomes a “double-3”, etc..
• a “1-base error-1” becomes a “2-base error-2”
• a “2-base error-2” becomes a “3-base error-3”, etc..
• any out becomes a “1-base error-1”
• a “safe on first on dropped popup-1” becomes “safe on second on dropped popup and throwing error-2”
• “passball-1 followed by foulout” becomes “passball and throwing error-2 followed by single-1”

Physical Play of Game

If any or all dice roll off the table, all dice will be re-rolled.