APBA NL Baseball Rules (revised 3/4/2015 4-5-2026)

 

Preseason Rules

·         Each team must enter the season with at least 3 players eligible at catcher.

 

·         It is each team’s responsibility to make sure they have enough coverage at each position to field a team for the season.

 

·         All catchers will get a bump up in their Throw rating by +1.  This increases each catcher’s ability to throw out runners by 2.78%.  This rule was put into effect due to the low number of runners with poor SB % ratings being run.  If a catcher has a “natural” throw rating of +6, the Hit & Run limitation rule takes effect (see Regular Season Rules).

 

·         A limitation is put on a runner’s ability to steal which is equal to half their prior season’s stolen base attempts, rounded up to the nearest whole number.

 

Regular Season Rules

 

·         All starting pitchers must face at least 18 batters.  The ONLY exception is if the starting pitcher’s rating dropped for any reason. 

NEW RULE 2026:

            There are 3 ways you can pull a starter:

·         If they face at least 18 batters.

·         If they give up 5 runs (earned or unearned)

·         If their rating gets reduced

 

·         Any game that is not completed due to power outage, computer freeze, etc. is declared to have never taken place and is replayed regardless of innings completed or score. Regarding accidents, updating lineups or playing the wrong player, etc., it is up to the other manager whether they want a restart of the game. The same is true if a manager makes an accidental button press or strategic move for his opponent. Offended manager must make a declaration at that moment whether they want to restart or not.

 

·         If a catcher has a “natural” throw rating of +6, the Hit & Run limitation rule take effect.  The Hit & Run limitation rule restricts the opposing team as follows:

o    H&R 1 – can never hit & run against a “natural” +6

o    H&R 2 – opposing team can only hit & run once per game against a “natural” +6.  If the 1st attempt is fouled off, the attempt is lost.

o    H&R 3 – unlimited ability to hit & run against a “natural” +6

 

·         Natural arm +6 for 2025 APBA season are – Patrick Bailey (Washuta), Freddie Fermin (Lehighton), Luis Torrens (Sparta) and Daulton Rushing (Washuta)

                                                                       

 

·         The offensive team must announce when they want to steal or hit & run.  It is the defense’s responsibility to make sure that:

o   Hit & Run – The hitter is a hit & run 2 or 3 and the runner has allowed steal attempts remaining.  H&R 1s are not allowed to hit & run.

o   Steal – The runner has the available SBs remaining to steal.

It’s up to the defense to hit the hit & run or steal button.  Should the offense accidentally hit the button and the offense wasn’t eligible to hit & run or steal, the defense can choose to restart the game.

·         Before every series, each manager is required to have a backup at each position.  1 player can backup multiple positions.

 

·         It is each manager’s responsibility to make sure you have proper backup for each position when making roster changes.  There are two general circumstances where a manager can end up in a situation where they don’t have an eligible player for a position.  Each circumstance is treated differently as detailed below:

o   Manager Error – If the manager made an error in using the last eligible player at a position, the opposing team has two options:

§  Start the game over

§  The opposing team can choose what player will play the open position

o   APBA created shortage – You can be short at a position due to events out of your control such as an injury or ejection.  In this case, the manager should solve the ineligibility in the most logical manner possible.  For example, if your last second baseman gets injured and you don’t have another 2B but have a ss, it is logical to believe that a SS can cover at 2b for the remainder of the game.  Not as logical for an OF to play 2b if a ss is available. 

 

·         Injuries – When a player is injured, the number of games injured will equal ½ of the injury APBA calculates, rounded up to the nearest whole number.  This rule was put into place to account for playing 81 games, not 162 games.  After the game that an injury occurs, the manager has two options:

o   Carry the player on their roster

o   Place the player on the DL and bring up a new player.  All players placed on the DL must serve a minimum of 7 days 5 days (NEW INJURY RULE 2025), regardless of how many days they are injured for.  

 

·         Only a player with a Steal Allowance rating of A B C or D may attempt to steal third base or home. Exception for home is if pitcher is not in the stretch. Then any rated player may attempt to steal home if they have steal attempts left.       

 

·         You may only use a pitcher to pinch hit if no other position players are available to PH, even if bench player has a reduced AIM status.  Pitchers may pinch run at any time.

 

·         Using a tired player that results in an AIM injury requires you to carry that player on your active roster for the injury duration.  This player can’t be placed on the DL.

 

·         When an injured player is placed on the farm team and his injury duration ends, the manager must make a determination whether to activate the player at that time.  Example…if the player's injury ends after game #3 of a series, you must activate him before game 4 begins or wait until the series is over. The exception is if another injury occurs later in the series. In that case he can be brought up in a corresponding move that sends a newly injured player to the DL.

 

·         Rainout policy - Home manager gets to determine if the game is played as doubleheader the next day or on an off day.

 

 

Postseason Rules

·         Steal limitations are recalculated for the duration of the playoffs by adding the sum of:

o   Remaining steals each player has remaining from the regular season

o   Prorating the prior seasons stolen base attempts by 14 remaining games

o   10% is added to each player and every player that has 1 SB attempt gets 1 more.

 

·         Unlike the regular season, playoff injuries are for the entire duration of the injury (don’t cut in half).  For example, a 14 day injury is 14 days, not 7.

 

·         Pitchers AIM values are reset.  Batters faced no longer comes into play in limiting pitchers.  Fatigue is still a factor.

 

·         If a player is injured during the playoffs, you can choose to replace him only after that game with a player on your farm roster.  However, the injured player is eliminated from the remainder of the playoffs.

 

·         Starting pitchers with limited games started, may be limited to their use in the playoffs as follows:

o   SP with a grade of 10 or better must have had at least 20 regular season starts to start 3 games in a playoff series.

 

o   If they had less than 20 starts, they may only start twice.

 

o   If they had less than 10 starts, they may appear 1 time as a starter. If they start they can’t relieve.  If they are used as a reliever only, they can relieve as much as you want.  (per series) 

 

·         Playoff schedule format regarding off days (end of regular season, within a series, etc.), 2-3-2 Format