FOX CHAPEL AREA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION

DRAFT RULES

PURPOSE: A draft is held in order to make the teams as even as possible. It does

not permit a coach to stack a team of the best players.

In order to make teams in the -AA- (9 & 10) and -AAA- (11 & 12) divisions, a draft is held.

These are the only two divisions that require a draft. Other divisions may conduct a draft to make

their teams, but a draft process is not required.

An independent person will be in charge of the draft process. A second independent person should

also be available to help out. Anyone that has a connection to a team or player cannot run the draft

itself.

Prior to the draft, the commissioner and the head coaches rate the players according to ability and

assign a number to every player, 1 through 5. One being assigned to the best players in the

division, two to the second best batch of players, and so on to the number 5, which is assigned to

the players with the least amount of talent when compared to the players in the division. This

process is to be completed prior to the draft, with everyone in agreement to the assigned ratings. A

minimum number for team totals will be required prior to the draft. This minimum number will be

dependent upon the pool of players and their ratings and will be determined by the independent

person running the draft. The minimum number will prevent a coach from stacking his team with 3

#1 rated players, especially when the pool of talent may not have enough #1 rated players for the

entire league. THE RATINGS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND ARE NOT TO LEAVE

THE DRAFT ROOM. NO PLAYER IS TO KNOW HIS RANKING.

Once the ratings are complete, each team may reserve, or “freeze” three players. This includes the

coach’s sons’. Only three players can be frozen and not be picked by another team during the

draft. Again, a minimum point total will be required as stated above. The points for these three

players are compiled by each team. The team with the highest point total is considered to be the

weakest and will have the first pick in the first round. The team with the second highest total is

considered the second weakest team and has the second pick in the first round. This continues

throughout the round. However, if a team comes in so strong, that they are far and away the

strongest team, that team may not have a pick in the first round. (I usually look at the number of

#1 rated players remaining in the draft in order to give every team the opportunity to select a #1

rated player.) It could be that the team is so strong they may not get a pick until the last pick in

the second round. This will keep a team that “stacks” their team with the best “frozen” players

prior to the draft, to continue to pick the remaining top players. It also gives the other teams an

opportunity to catch up to the strongest team and does not permit the strongest team to continue to

acquire the better players.

After the first round is complete, the totals are added up again. Again, the team with the highest

number of points is considered the weakest and will have the first pick in the second round. The

team with the second highest points gets the second pick, and so on. This system continues

throughout the draft.

An instance may arise where there are several teams with the same amount of points in a round. In

that case, pick the team that seems to be the weakest due to a lack of #1 rated players. Should the

same three teams have the same number of points in the next round, reverse the order. Example:

Braves, Cubs then Dodgers. The order in the next round would be Dodgers, Cubs and Braves.

Also, if a player is drafted and he has a brother in the draft with a lower rating, the team that drafts

the better player is required to take the brother at the appropriate time. Example: a player is rated

#2 and he has a brother that is rated a #4. When all of the higher rated players are taken, and only

fours and fives are available, that team must take the #4 rated brother with his first pick of that

round. This is for brothers only. Cousins are not included in this at all.

At the end of the draft, the goal should be to have the teams’ total points, be within 3 points of the

strongest to the weakest teams. The draft order from round to round should be conducted so that

no team at the end of the draft is considerably stronger or weaker than the other teams.

Finally, a team manager cannot add to his roster. If a player registers to play after the draft is

complete, the draft person is to assign the player to a team. If it is a strong player, the weakest

team gets him. If he is a weak player, the strongest team gets him. Keep in mind that the number

of players comes into this decision. Teams with 12 players will not receive a player until the teams

with 11 players are assigned late players to fill out their roster.

The draft is mostly objective with the total points dictating the draft order. It may become

subjective when there are several teams with the same number of points after a round. Try to fair

by changing the order of these teams in the following round. No one is to win the championship in

the draft room.