This discussion thread is an open forum for proposal, discussion and debate of potential rules changes. This thread will remain open through Thursday, November 17, which will provide ample time for the proposal and subsequent discussion of possible rules changes for the 2017 season. If necessitated by certain below decisions, a Summit runoff ballot may be presented after the initial voting closes.
You may propose a rules change by replying in a comment to this post. I will accordingly update the list below to reflect such proposals. Nonmaterial proposed modifications are underlined, deletions are
Rule 1 (Selection of Umpires)
>> 1-1-b. ...Six umpires shall be drafted by each UEFL member in the form of two (2) crew chiefs per Rule 1-2...
ALSO Rule 1-2. Prior to the beginning of the year's regular season, and during the spring training period of the pre-season, each member of the league shall select two MLB crew chiefs to serve as UEFL crew chiefs.
RATIONALE: Proposal affords members opportunity to draft a second crew chief, for a UEFL crew of six.
>> 1-2-b. In the event of injury to the designated crew chief, wherein the chief is officially placed on the Disabled List or on Bereavement, the replacement umpire shall be whoever is appointed by MLB to replace the injured umpire as crew chief or acting crew chief of his MLB crew. This announcement must be public and requested by the affected UEFL member(s) to take effect.
RATIONALE: Adds bereavement as a condition of replacement for events that occur prior to the beginning of the year's regular season (applicable to Crew Division).
>> 1-5. If an umpire injury, bereavement, or significant personnel modification occurs prior to the beginning of the regular season, the Office of the UEFL Commissioner may authorize designated affected members the opportunity to alter their Crew, Primary and/or Secondary Umpires.
RATIONALE: Adds bereavement as a condition of replacement for events that occur prior to the beginning of the year's regular season (applicable to all drafted umpires).
>> 1-5-a. If a significant personnel modification (hiring, firing, release or retirement, except as exempted by Rule 1-4-d) occurs after the pre-season, no UEFL roster may be modified, unless such modification would result in the requesting member losing points in the UEFL Standings as the replacement umpire's score fully (and retroactively) replaces the injured/fired/etc. umpire's score. For instance, Members X, Y, and Z have all drafted identical crews that include Primary Umpires A and B, Secondary Umpires C & D, and Crew Chief E. One week into the season, Umpire A suffers a catastrophic injury. At the time of A's season-ending injury, A has 5 points in the UEFL Standings. Member X requests to replace Umpire A with Umpire F, while Member Y requests to replace Umpire A with Umpire G and Member Z requests replacement of A with H. At the time of this request, F has 4 points in the UEFL Standings, G has 5 points in the UEFL Standings, and H has 6 points in the UEFL Standings. RESULT: Member X's request shall be granted and Member Y/Z's request shall be denied. X's request is legal, as proposed replacement Umpire F has fewer UEFL points than does injured Umpire A; Y and Z's requests are illegal, as proposed replacement Umpires G and H do not have fewer UEFL points than does injured Umpire A at the time of replacement.
APPROVED RULING: If Umpire G subsequently effects an ejection with QOCN, and loses UEFL points such that G now has fewer points than injured Umpire A, Y's request to replace A with G will be granted only if Y files a new request to replace A with G at a time when A's UEFL points are greater than G's.
RATIONALE: Allows a member to replace a significantly injured, fired, or otherwise absent umpire during the regular season, while ensuring that this transaction does not create an unfair advantage for the member requesting such a replacement.
>> 1-6. Members may also draft one manager to complete their crew. Managers shall receive +1 points for an incorrect ejection, +1 points for an overturned Replay Review, and +0 points for all other actions.
RATIONALE: Introduces Manager Division to the UEFL.
Rule 2 (The Season)
>> 2-1-a. The following phases of the season shall be used to organize ejection statistics. Standings and sabermetrics shall be posted
RATIONALE: Eliminates a confusing 'seasonal phases' structure wherein phases were created ambiguously and replaces it with a much easier to understand monthly reporting period.
>> 2-1-a-(2) APPROVED RULING.
RATIONALE: The concept of an Opening Night with one or two games is no longer accurate to modern schedules, as for a second consecutive season there will be more than two games on the Sunday in which the traditional Opening Night game is held.
SPECIAL VOTING CONSIDERATIONS FOR 2-1-a and 2-1-a-(2) AR: If proposal 2-1-a is approved, proposal 2-1-a-(2) is nullified.
>> 2-5. In the event of an umpire entering the DL or otherwise becoming absent and remaining
RATIONALE: Applies Rule 2-5 to any injured/bereaved/absent umpire, regardless of the reason for vacation.
Rule 3 (Crew Division)
>> 3-3. Each non-incorrect ejection committed by a UEFL crew chief's crew shall result in the addition of one (1) point toward a UEFL member's overall score. Each incorrect ejection under a crew chief's purview shall result in the deduction of one point (-1) from that UEFL score.
RATIONALE: Proposes that crew chiefs should be penalized for incorrect ejection calls, just as the ejecting umpire is.
>> 3-
ALSO Rule 2-2-a. The All-Star game counts as 1 additional point for each umpire that appears in that game. The All-Star Game crew chief receives a total of 2 points for this appearance.
RATIONALE: Removal of 3-7 allows Umpires to earn ejection and replay review points for events that occur during the All-Star Game, and any additional AL/NL Wild Card or Division Tiebreakers played to determine standings for the postseason (e.g., "Game 163").
Rule 4 (League Scoring)
>> 4-2. QOC component...(3)
RATIONALE: Creates a more severe punishment for incorrect ejections such that correct calling = +4 (total) and incorrect call = -4 (total).
>> 4-4. Fill-In umpires that work a minimum of 115 games over the course of the season shall be eligible to receive awards a-e, and g-h.
RATIONALE: Grants Triple-A status umpires eligibility to receive every UEFL award, other than Crew Chief of the Year.
>> 4-4. Postseason Award voting shall be restricted to UEFL members who have drafted umpires.
RATIONALE: Allows only those who have drafted umpires/vested interest to vote for year-end awards.
>> 4-4-b. An umpire recognized as Promising Umpire
RATIONALE: Changes title of award to better exemplify this award description, which states: "This Umpire has been dedicated, professional, and has worked hard. Perhaps a rising star, the Promising
>> 4-4-i. An umpire recognized as Most Declining Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive -1 bonus points.
RATIONALE: Reintroduces "Most Declining Umpire" award for an umpire whose performance has declined or regressed more than any other, without necessarily being the worst in the league.
>> 4-4-j. The Commissioner shall review voting for quality assurance and to prevent spam/manipulation, and may adjust the voting results to account for this. The adjustment may only be made by removal of the entire selection associated with the offending ballot(s).
RATIONALE: Formally states the Commissioner may take measures to reduce fraudulent/manipulative voting by removing from the ballot pool violative ballots that show signs of spam or similar inauthentic properties, including but not limited to clear duplicates (identical ballots filed within a very short amount of time of each other) and multiple voting by the same user. May impose a restriction that restricts individual users from voting more than once.
>> 4-5. In the interest of fairness, all responses
RATIONALE: Requires that all Case Plays remain in moderation until completion. Prohibits public discussion until the Case Play submission period has closed.
>> 4-8. Waiver. UEFL members may voluntarily waive points they would otherwise ordinarily be entitled to, excluding ejection and replay-related points.
RATIONALE: Codifies a decision from CP 2014-4 in which a member waived Case Play points.
>> 4-8 (or 4-9). Commissionner or designee may award +1 points with a maximum of five awarded points weekly for contributions to the community that go above and beyond the scope of necessity.
RATIONALE: Authorizes Commissioner to award points for discussion or contributions.
Rule 5 (Statistics)
Rule 6 (Challenges and Appeals)
>> 6-2-b-5. The Quality of Correctness for all ejections for reasons of Fighting,
RATIONALE: Proposal would make Throwing At ejections QOCY by default.
>> 6-2-b-5. The Quality of Correctness for all ejections for reasons of Check Swings...shall be adjudged as "Irrecusable" by default...[Editorial Change would then eliminate
RATIONALE: Proposal adds Check Swings to the list of Reasons for Ejection that would receive QOCU by default.
>> 6-2-b-5-b. Ejections resulting from a Repeat Visit argument (formerly, "DiMuro Rule") of an individual not on the active roster shall receive a QOC associated with the Quality of the call leading to ejection, as in 4-2-b. If, due to the time between the initial call and associated ejection, reason for ejection is in dispute or otherwise unclear, the matter shall be referred to the UEFL Appeals Board, as in 6-1-c. This may be referred to as the "Ripperger Rule."
Approved Ruling: The UEFL Appeals Board shall determine QOC (and ejector classification, if applicable) based on the most probable reason for ejection. If two or more calls are at issue, and these calls possess conflicting QOC or classification values, or if no reason for ejection is most probable, the Board may rule the play Irrecusable (if QOC) or Calling (if Classification).
RATIONALE: Establishes procedure for disputed ejections that may be for an earlier incident.
>> 6-2-b-5-c. The standard for determining whether a Check Swing ruling was correct shall be whether the bat was moving forward as the ball crossed the plate.
RATIONALE: Establishes a specific physical criterion for determining check swing QOC.
>> 6-2-b-6. Quality of Correctness that occurs prior to or during the course of umpire consultation or instant replay review, wherein the initial call was
6-2-b-7. Quality of Correctness for an ejection that occurs after umpire consultation or instant replay review, wherein the initial call was
RATIONALE: Brings the wording of the two rules closer. Closes the loophole in which an incorrect call remaining incorrect would still result in QOCY in some circumstances.
Rule 7 (Unresolved Classifications and References)
Rule 8 (Umpire Odds & Ends and Community Issues)
>> 8-1. Comments shall be restricted to members registered with the DISQUS commenting platform.
RATIONALE: Reduces likelihood of spam, violative, and/or trolling comments.
Rule 9 (Unaddressed and Authorized Provisions)
Consideration shall be made for the promotion of tmac to Assistant Commissioner.
To review, this is the discussion phase of the 2016 Rules Summit—no voting will take place here. Anyone may propose a rules change by replying to this post through 11/17, at which time the discussion will be closed and all proposals will be officially drafted and voted upon.
