BNS League Rules

The rules defined below are unique to BNS.  Standard league rules can be found on the ESPN BNS league page.

Entry Fee and Prize Money

• Entry fee is due to Austin Baumgarten prior to the draft
• Entry fee: $50 [poll up for increase to $100]
• Payout: 60%, 30%, 10% [“Rules Committee” discussion on regular season payout]

Keeper Rules

Each team is permitted to keep eight players from year-to-year.  These 8 do not include RK, RK1 or RK2.

Rookie Definition & Rules

There are several rookie designations in BNS:

• Rookie (RK) - defined as a player who has not exceeded MLB rookie limits.
• Determining rookie status:

A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).

• Owners must declare they are drafting a player as a rookie (RK) at the time said player is selected in the BNS draft.
• *New for 2018* Due to expanded rosters in 2018, a “RK” may be “activated” regardless of his MLB rookie designation.  For example, if Shohei Ohtani is drafted as a rookie in 2018 BNS draft, the owner may decide to play him immediately.  Ohtani would not lose his RK status for the 2018 BNS season.  In 2019, Ohtani would become a RK1.
• Rookie 1 (RK1) - defined as a player who exceed MLB rookie eligibility in the prior season.  For example, a player drafted as a rookie in 2018 and exceeded rookie limits in 2018 would be counted as a RK1 in 2019.  A RK1 may only be on the roster of an owner who drafted or traded for the player (i.e. a RK1 can not be picked up from the ESPN Free Agent pool/waiver wire.  If they are picked up, they would not have the benefit of RK1 status).
• Rookie 2 (RK2) - defined as a player who was a RK1 in the previous season.   A RK2 may only be on the roster of an owner who drafted or traded for the player (i.e. a RK2 can not be picked up from the ESPN Free Agent pool/waiver wire as a RK2.  If they are picked up, they would not have the benefit of RK2 status).
• *New for 2018* Either we can have as many rookies as we want (as was proposed in the FB poll) or the “rookie limit” may be exceeded only during the BNS regular season.  Then, prior to the draft each year, owners must either drop any rookie (in excess of the 5 RK spots) or declare them a keeper (i.e. not a RK, RK1 or RK2). I personally prefer a max of 5 rookies going into each draft but if the league wants no limit then so be it.
• Note 1:  With expanding the rosters and allowing rookies to be picked up in season, we are creating administrative ‘overhead’ by monitoring when a player is picked up.  For example, we would have to track when a RK is picked up (i.e. was he picked up before he exhausted MLB rookie limits?).  Also, players cannot be picked up as a RK1, only a RK.
• Note 2:  We need to determine how to handle rookies who have not been added to the ESPN player pool.

Playoffs

Top 6 teams make the playoffs; Top 2 teams earn a first-round bye; Championship Game is two weeks long [the two week Championship Game has not been used recently.  “Rules Committee” to discuss/agree on 1 week vs 2 week]

What if I pick up a rookie, play them for a few weeks, drop them, and then someone else picks that player up?

The players’ RK, Y1 and Y2 sticks with him all the time. For Example: So if I drop Dansby Swanson, an R1, and you pick him up, you pick him up as an R1. And you could keep him according the same rules we have now.

If an owner moves a player with a RK designation to their starting lineup they would then become a RK1?

Off Season

There are two deadlines for cuts - first is March 1st (cut to 10 keepers, can also cut rookie squad if you want), then March 8th is the final cut to 8 keepers and declare your final “rookie squad”(max of 5). The rookie squad does not include RK1 or RK2 and players designed as RK, RK1 or RK2 do not could against the 8 keepers.