RULE 5
The Commissioner’s Office would like to clarify Rule 5, providing guidance for interpretation of said Rule, since the “in-game” indications of which players are Rule 5 eligible (#) are not completely correct. What qualifies a player for protection from or inclusion in the Rule 5 Draft?
Rule 5 Draft Eligibility
A player is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he meets the conditions listed below.
1. The player is not on the team's secondary roster.
2. The player has at least three, but fewer than six years of professional service time, and the player was age 19 or older when he first signed a contract. (Players with six or more years service time are essentially minor league free agents)
3. The player has at least four, but fewer than seven years of professional service time, and the player was age 18 or older when he first signed a contract. (Players with seven or more years service time are essentially minor league free agents)
4. Any player on a minor league contract who has been released by the club holding the rights to that contract (by draft, signing or trade), and then re-signs a contract with any PEBA organization (including that which held the original contract) is eligible for selection. Any player of this designation is defined as being on their second professional contract.
5. Any player deemed to be on their second professional contract will not be protected by the game in the Rule 5 draft - Rule 5 protections do not apply to players on their second professional contract.
Players who do not meet these standards are ineligible for the draft.
In addition to the players on the 40-man roster, the game automatically protects players on the PEBA 10-day DL (these players are still on a team’s 40-man roster). Players on the minor league DL are not automatically protected. Beware that players on the 60-day DL are not on the 40-man roster, and lose their DL protection once 60-days expires. These players typically need to be returned to the 40-man roster to gain protection. It is good practice to keep Disabled Lists clear of healthy players (or, during the offseason, players whose DL time has expired). For players on the minor league DL GMs will need to check their Rule 5 eligibility status on the player's contract & status page because they will not appear on the transaction screen with the # demarcation.
The PEBA Commissioner’s Office cautions all GMs not to rely solely upon the in-game indications when making final decisions on which player(s) to protect on your 40-man roster or which player(s) to place on your Rule 5 draft list.
Please verify each selection regarding the rules above. If you have any questions and need guidance, please contact the league board and we will help you understand rule compliance. Also please be advised that OOTP's implementation of the Rule 5 draft does not match the real-world version of the draft in every way; however, pursuant to the PEBA Constitution we follow the in-game application of the Rule 5 draft – barring extenuating circumstances.
Lastly, if a GM does select an otherwise ineligible player during the Rule 5 draft, the GM losing an ineligible player shall immediately send a PM to the Commissioner prior to the next simulation, post-Rule 5 Draft, with the GMs official protest and the basis thereof. If the PEBA Commissioner finds that the player drafted is “not eligible” the player will be returned to the originating team and the drafting team will have effectively forfeited its Rule 5 draft pick. Therefore, please review your players carefully - do not rely completely on the game’s indications. If you have any doubts, please ask for help.
Please review a player’s Contract page for their Professional Service Time, which will inform you as to the amount of Pro Service Years necessary to become Rule 5 Draft Eligible. This number will show correct in game for purposes of calculating Draft Eligibility, and is dependent upon the player’s age at the time of his first professional contract. For a review of the calculation of professional service time please see the definitions below.
Rule 5 Draft Roster Rules
1. A team that wants to select a player in the Rule 5 draft must have at least one spot open on its secondary roster (40-man) at the time of the draft.
2. A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the selecting team's active roster (26-man) or disabled list for the entire season, or the player will be returned to the originating team.
3. A player who was drafted in the Rule 5 draft can be waived. If he is claimed, then the player must remain on the claiming team's active roster for the remainder of the season or the player will be returned to the originating team.
4. A player selected in the Rule 5 draft can be traded. The team that receives the player must keep the player on its active roster for the remainder of the season or the player will be returned to the originating team.
5. Please note that a player who is returned to their original team and is subsequently traded no longer carries the 26-man roster requirement.
Professional Service Time
Professional Service Time is a measure of how long the player has been a professional ballplayer at any level. Please be advised that players in the International Complex accrue service time and are on a minor league contract. A player accumulates one day of professional service time for each day between Opening Day and the last day of the regular season (both inclusive) that he is:
• On any of a team's rosters, major or minor league
• On the 10-day disabled list
The only time a player in a league does not accumulate professional service time is when he is a free agent or on the 60-day DL. Service time accrues regardless of whether the player has a game on the date in question.
Professional service time is tracked in years that are measured by days. A standard year of professional service time is 172 days.
