Rulebook
Official Rules, Umpire Fantasy League:
1. 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 picks a primary umpire they believe will compile the most league points at the end of the regular season. Spring training and the All-Star Game do not count toward an individual umpire's (nor a Crew's) points total. Primary umpires may be Triple A call-ups, but these umpires are not eligible for the CREW Division, if applicable.
- a. The primary umpire picked by one league member may or may not be the same primary umpire of another member.
- b. This process is conducted simultaneously and the primary umpire is submitted secretly, to ensure that no league member gains an unfair advantage by knowing any other member's primary umpire.
2. Prior to the start of the year's regular season, and after the primary umpires have been chosen, league members pick a secondary umpire.
- a. The secondary umpire picked by a member may NOT be the same as a secondary umpire picked by another member.
- - i. The secondary umpire picked by a member MAY be the same as a primary umpire picked by another member
- b. The secondary umpire picked by a member must be different from the member's primary umpire.
- c. The process through which the secondary umpire is chosen by members is conducted like a draft.
- - i. Prior to the start of the Umpire Fantasy League primary selection process, league members receive their draft order based on standings from a previous season (worst finishers receive best draft order placement). In the case of a new member, he is assumed to have finished the previous season with a score of zero. In the case of multiple new members, a series of simulated coin tosses are conducted to determine draft order among these new members.
- - ii. The first member has five minutes to pick their secondary umpire. Once their umpire is chosen, all other members are aware of this choice, and may not choose this umpire.
- - iii. Each succeeding member has five minutes to pick their secondary umpire, until all secondary umpires have been picked.
- d. Umpires classified as AAA call-ups are not eligible for draft in the secondary round.
- - i. An umpire listed on the MLB Crew or MLB Roster list shall be considered full time and MLB status for the purpose of this rule, and for the purpose of Rule 4.a (League Scoring).
- - ii. An umpire considered MLB per subsection (d) may not receive scoring reserved for AAA status umpires, even if the umpire appears to change status during the season.
- e. Umpire classification as AAA or MLB shall be determined during the pre-season draft period, and shall not be altered for scoring purposes during the regular or post-season.
3. The Season
- a. Throughout the season, ejections are logged, along with the correctness of the call.
b. During the post-season, ejections in addition to umpire appearance, are logged.
- i. 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. No ejections are logged during the All-Star game period.
c. Triple A call-up umpires ejections are logged individually, but they never contribute to a crew's total ejections UNLESS they are named to the full-time MLB roster during the season. In this case, their ejections will be added onto the crew they HAVE BEEN NAMED TO, or the crew they finish the season with if they have been designated a Rover.
d. Rovers can contribute to a crew's ejection total by spending more time with one crew during the season than with any other crew during this time.
e. In the event of an umpire entering the DL, and remaining on the DL for the remainder of the season, this umpire shall remain the primary/secondary umpire as chosen at the beginning of the season, and his crew shall remain the primary crew, if applicable. His replacement, however, shall not act as the primary umpire, but may contribute to the total crew ejection count.
f. CREW Division is complete at the end of the regular season, but individual umpires stats continue into the post season.
4. League Scoring
a. Unless otherwise stated, the following points are applicable to BOTH primary and secondary umpires. Regular Season points are distributed as follows:
- 3 points for each ejection by a primary Triple A umpire
-- However, the primary Triple A umpire loses his bonus point for AAA status in the event of an ejection resulting from an incorrect call, either by himself or a crewmate (the AAA Umpire will receive just 2 points instead of 3 points for being a AAA umpire ejecting a person as a result of an incorrect call, made by either himself or by a crewmate).
- 2 points for each ejection by a primary MLB umpire
- 2 points for each ejection occurring as a result of a player/coach arguing a correctly ruled call by the ejectee (eg: Rays Manager Joe Maddon is ejected by HP Umpire James Hoye for arguing with Cousins that a 3-2 fastball from Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir that Hoye had ruled a ball should have been ruled strike 3, instead of ball four. Replays show that the pitch was three feet outside, the call was correct).
-- 1 point for each ejection occurring as a result of a player/coach arguing a correctly ruled call by a crewmate of the ejectee (eg: Orioles Manager Dave Trembley is ejected by 3B Umpire Angel Hernandez for arguing that Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts had beaten Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester to the first base bag and should have therefore been called safe, though 1B Umpire Angel Campos called Roberts out. Crew Chief Angel Hernandez ejected Trembley during the argument. Replays indicate that Lester did indeed touch the bag before Roberts did, the call was correct).
- minus 4 (-4) points for each ejection occurring as a result of a player/coach arguing an incorrectly ruled call by the ejectee (eg: Angels Manager Mike Scioscia is ejected by 3B Umpire Dan Iassogna for arguing with Iassogna that Angels pinch hitter Reggie Willits did not attempt a swing on a 3-2 count, and therefore should have been awarded first base instead of being called out on strikes as Iassogna ruled Willits had swung. Replays show that Willits absolutely did not attempt to swing at the 3-2 pitch, the call was incorrect).
- minus 2 (-2) point for each ejection occuring as the result of a player/coach arguing an incorrectly ruled call by a crewmate of the ejectee (e.g.: Tigers designated hitter Gary Sheffield is ejected by 2B Umpire Dana DeMuth after arguing that a ball he hit that had been ruled a double, in play, should have been ruled a home run. 3B Umpire Doug Eddings had ruled that a fan reached over the railing down the left field line, thus the ball was in play. Replays show the fan did not break the plane of the outfield wall, the call was incorrect).
- 1 point for an Eject Gem (No Longer Applicable)
-- 1 additional point for #4 ONLY (2 total) (No Longer Applicable)
-- 2 additional points for #3 ONLY (3 total) (No Longer Applicable)
-- 3 additional points for #2 ONLY (4 total) (No Longer Applicable)
-- 4 additional points for #1 ONLY (5 total) (No Longer Applicable)
- 1 point for each ejection by a secondary umpire
- 0.5 points for each ejection by a primary umpire's crew, but ONLY if the crew finishes in the top 3 at the end of the regular season in the CREW division.
b. If an ejection falls under multiple categories (e.g. a primary MLB umpire ejects a player for arguing that umpire's correct call... this ejection is also Eject Gem #5), multiple points are added together (e.g. 3+1+2=6)
c. During the Post-Season, primary umpires receive 3 base points (denoted as MLB-Post-Season) per ejection while secondary umpires continue to receive 1 point per ejection.
- i. As above (UEFL Rule 4.a), Ejections as the result of a correct call by the ejectee will result in an additional two (2) points.
- ii. Ejections as the result of an incorrect call by the ejectee will result in the application of minus six (-6) points.
- iii. Ejections as the result of a correct call by a crewmate will result in the application of an additional one (1) point.
- iv. Ejections as the result of an incorrect call by a crewmate will result in the application of minus two (-2) points.
- ii. Each post season series will result in extra points applied, based on the following schedule:
-- Division Series appearance: 1 bonus point
-- Championship Series app: 2 bonus points
-- World Series assignment: 3 bonus points
-- Crew Chief assignment (any series): 1 bonus point per series worked as crew chief in addition to any bonus points already received for working a playoff series
-- a. In the event of an Umpire injury that prevents an umpire assigned to any postseason series (DS/CS/WS) from completing his assigned series, the Umpire will retain all applicable bonus points for the series assignment and initial appearance.
-- b. In the event of an Umpire injury, whereupon a Replacement Umpire is assigned to complete any postseason series (DS/CS/WS) for an injured Umpire, the Replacement Umpire shall receive one (+1) bonus point for this postseason appearance, regardless of series (DS/CS/WS).
-- c. In the event of an Umpire injury, whereupon a Crew Chief becomes injured and another umpire on the postseason crew becomes the new Crew Chief, he shall receive no additional bonus points for this role as Crew Chief, unless this replacement is for a majority of games during the series, or, if the series duration is an even number of games, no less than one half of the total number of games.
e. Postseason awards are given to umpires who have shown any of several characteristics throughout the season. Umpires receiving the distinction of points i., ii., or iii. will have shown dedication, professionalism, advancement, and an affinity for a positive work ethic. Umpires receiving the distinction of point iv. will have shown a regression in ability, and might have had a regrettable situation occur in-season. Points scale for postseason awards:
- i. An umpire recognized as Umpire of the Year (min. 1 / max. 1 umpire) will receive 5 bonus points.
- ii. An umpire recognized as Noteworthy Umpire of the Year (min. 1 / max. 2 umpires) will receive 3 bonus points.
- iii. An umpire recognized as Honorable Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 2 umpires) will receive 1 bonus point.
- iv. An umpire recognized as Most Improved Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive 2 bonus points.
- v. An umpire recognized as Most Noticeably Declining Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive -2 bonus points.
- vi. An umpire recognized as Worst Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive -3 bonus points.
- vii. An umpire recognized as Fill-In Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive 2 bonus points.
5. Statistics
a. The following statistics will be regularly reported:
- i. Ejections: The raw total number of ejections by an umpire
- ii. Points: The total points received by an umpire. See Rule 4.
- iii. Accuracy: The percentage of correct calls made by an umpire, where quality of correctness has been determined. The formula is "correct/correct+incorrect * 100." Accuracy is arranged by total number of ejections from correct/incorrect calls, if two umpires with a different number of ejections have the same accuracy rating.
- iv. Simple Accuracy: The percentage of correct calls made by an umpire. The formula is "correct/correct+incorrect * 100." Simple Accuracy is arranged by the percentage of correctness, rather than number of correct ejections.
b. If a tie results in any of the above categories, the determining factor will be the earliest ejection date of the first effective ejection. Two ejections occurring on the same day by two different umpires will be considered a true tie.
6. Challenges and Appeals
a. Challenges/Appeals to any variable defined in Rule 4 (League Scoring) may be made by any League member or visitor/guest to the website. The challenge/appeal shall be posted as a comment or reply to the entry containing the challenged variable. The word "challenge" or "appeal" must be included in this post.
b. Eligible points-affecting variables for challenge include:
- i. Umpire classification as MLB- or AAA-.
- ii. Quality of Correctness regarding a call. May be correct, incorrect, or neither correct nor incorrect (Unresolved; see Rules 7; 8).
-- a. Judgement of Quality of Correctness regarding a pitch location call (ball/strike), Pitch f/x shall be the primarily cited source. Borderline pitches, which are centered no more than one inch outside of the strike zone so that the edge of the plot is touching the border of the strike zone, shall be deemed a strike, if the call on the field was strike, as the pitch f/x plot takes into account the working strike zone (24 inches), which includes the 17" home plate, its edges, plus the diameter of a baseball to either side.
-- b. This provision only applies to static borders of the strike zone (e.g.: its horizontal, as opposed to vertical, boundaries).
-- c. In the event of a called ball four, in an at bat that has lasted no more than four pitches, including the called ball four, the four called balls shall be adjudged to have been correctly ruled, provided that the Pitch f/x chart for the at bat does not include any pitch within the bounds of the strike zone. Borderline pitches in a four pitch walk at bat shall be deemed as having been correctly called, due to the unrealistic chance of an alternative outcome.
-- d. In the event of a called third strike, in an at bat that has lasted no more than three pitches, including the called third strike, the three called strikes shall be adjudged to have been correctly ruled, provided that the Pitch f/x chart for the at bat does not exclude any pitch from the bounds of the strike zone. Borderline pitches in a three pitch strikeout at bat shall be deemed as having been correctly called, due to the reasonable probability of these pitches being within the bounds of the strike zone. This provision does not apply to an at bat in which the batter has swung at any of the three pitches.
-- e. The Quality of Correctness for all ejections for reasons of Fighting, Throwing At, Unsportsmanlike Conduct-NEC, or Excess Contact shall be adjudged as "Correct" by default, unless there is clear and convincing evidence to suggest that the ejection was not warranted; however, proving "Incorrect" status for Fighting, Throwing At, Unsportsmanlike Conduct-NEC, or Excess Contact is extremely difficult.
--- 1. All ejections of players/coaches not on the active roster (e.g., "Disabled List") shall be associated with a reason listed under aforementioned UEFL Rule 6.b.ii.e.
-- f. Quality of Correctness for an ejection which occurs prior to or during the course of umpire consultation, wherein the initial call was incorrect, and after consultation, the correct call was made, shall be incorrect. Quality of Correctness for all other ejections prior to consultation shall be adjudged as correct.
--- 1. Any displayed reasoning for such a call, including a communicated application or interpretation of a rule, shall not affect the determination of Quality of Correctness. Quality of Correctness is governed by the (in)correctness of the call made, not by the quality of reasoning given for such a call.
-- g. Quality of Correctness for an ejection which occurs after umpire consultation, wherein the initial call was correct or incorrect, and after consultation, the initial call was changed to incorrect or correct, shall be adjudged as to whether the call after consultation is correct or incorrect.
- iii. Name of ejector.
-- a. Ejector classification as calling or secondary due to a crew-mate designated as the calling Umpire.
RULE 6.b.iii.a COMMENT: A calling umpire is the umpire who has primary responsibility for a play and makes the original call on the field. In the event of a Live Ball Appeal Play (such as a check swing appeal), in which a play is instantaneously appealed AND the decision of the appealed-to Umpire shall regularly prevail AND the ball remains live during this appeal process (excepting a ball which is dead for reasons other than to execute this appeal), the call of the appealing Umpire shall be judged to be secondary to the call of the appealed-to Umpire, which shall be deemed the primary call.
--- 1. All classifications in regards to calls which are upheld or overturned after umpire consultation shall revert to whichever umpire would have had primary responsibility (calling) had the consultation not occurred.
--- 2. All classifications in regards to calls which are overturned after instant replay review shall revert to reflecting the crew chief (or acting/interim chief) as the calling umpire, whether or not he had calling responsibility on the field of play.
- iv. Umpire classification as Crew Chief.
- v. Umpire Crew listing.
- vi. Date of ejection (see Rules 8.b., 8.c.)
c. Eligible points- in-altering variables for challenge include:
- i. Seasonal ejection number.
- ii. Player ejection number.
- iii. Manager ejection number.
- iv. Ejected team.
- v. Position of Ejected person.
- vi. Name of Ejected person.
- vii. Team W/L at time of Ejection.
- viii. Runs Scored/Allowed after Ejection.
- vix. Inning of ejection, and Top/Bottom designation.
- x. Reason for ejection.
- xi. Play Result.
d. Upon review of the appeal, the determination shall be made upon a course of action to result from such an appeal or challenge. The appeal or challenge may be:
- i. Upheld (Affirmed), through which the initial variable is overturned.
- ii. Denied, through which the initial variable stands.
- iii. [Category b.ii Only] Deferred, through which the initial variable is listed as "inconclusive" (See Rule 7.a.ii).
e. General rule regarding appeals for Quality of Correctness [ibid b.ii only].
- i.In the event that a play under appeal can be conclusively categorized or adjudged as Correct/Incorrect as a result of this action, through the use of conclusive and/or clear and/or convincing evidence, the appeal shall be either Upheld or Denied, as specified in ibid d.i, or d.ii, respectively.
- ii. In the event that a play under appeal cannot be conclusively categorized or adjudged as Correct/Incorrect as a result of this action, through the lack of conclusive nor clear nor convincing evidence, the appeal shall be Deferred, as specified in ibid d.iii.
- iii. Quality of Correctness only applies to the call made directly prior to ejection, or, if balls/called strikes during a single at-bat, any pitch called during that at bat, provided that the call was against the ejected person (or his team) and this call realistically resulted in a different outcome of the at-bat.
Rule 6.e.iii Comment: For instance, HP Umpire Rob Drake ejects Padres Manager Bud Black for arguing a ball call made during the at bat of Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, which occurred in the top of the 9th with the bases loaded, and the score tied. The at-bat went to a 3-2 count, and a run was forced in on the subsequent ball four pitch, which bounced several feet in front of home plate. Black's realistic contention was that the 1-2 pitch, ruled ball 2, should have been ruled strike three because it was in the strike zone. Even though the pitch "ball 4" that directly and immediately preceded the ejection was clearly out of the zone, the pitch called "ball 2" was located on the inside corner, and was an incorrect call. Therefore, the Quality of Correctness for this ejection shall be "incorrect."
Rule 6.e.iii Comment (2): Had Padres Manager Bud Black objected to HP Umpire Rob Drake's strike zone only during the ensuing at-bat by Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, after a 0-0 pitch to Kemp was ruled "ball 1," and was in fact located off of the plate and at the ankles, and this objection resulted in ejection, the Quality of Correctness for this ejection would be "correct." Note that in the case of an objection voiced during a preceding at-bat, which does not result in ejection until a subsequent at-bat, the Quality of Correctness of this ejection shall be judged as it relates to the call made during the aforementioned subsequent at-bat. In short, all balls and stikes Quality of Correctness judgements are dependent on the play immediately preceding ejection.
-- a. Rule 6.e.iii only applies to ejections and calls made by the HP Umpire, in the event of a Balls/Strikes ejection. Otherwise, this Rule may be applied to any Umpire for any ejection and call.
-- b. In the event of an ejection which occurs during an inning break immediately following the half inning in which the play to be argued occurred, the ejection must undoubtedly be for this one specific call, and is considered a Post-Inning Exemption. If there is any doubt as to the call being argued immediately prior to and during ejection, the Post-Inning Exemption shall be denied. The Post-Inning Exemption may be applied directly, or as the result of a challenge.
-- c. Ejections falling under Rule 6.e.iii, wherein an argument for a previously ruled play (either correct or incorrect) continues into a later play (i.e., some point after a pitch has been delivered to the next batter), shall be ruled as "Correct" under Rule 6.b.ii.e., which states that these ejections, which are colloquially deemed "Unsportsmanlike Conduct-NEC," ordinarily are associated with a Quality of Correctness of "Correct."
-- d. The Quality of Correctness of a post-at bat ejection, if arguing balls/strikes or some other call which occurs during the at bat immediately preceding ejection, shall be judged in relation to the holistic effect of the argued call(s)/pitch(es). As specified by Rule 6.e.iii, Rule 6.e.iii.d. further declares that the argued call(s) during this preceding at bat must be against the ejected person (or his team) and this call must have realistically resulted in a different outcome of the individual at bat.
Rule 6.e.iii.d Comment: For instance, HP Umpire Lance Barksdale ejects Giants Manager Bruce Bochy for arguing a ball call made during the at bat of Rockies batter Todd Helton, which occurred in the top of the 9th with two outs and the bases loaded, and the score tied. The 0-2 pitch was ruled a ball to make a 1-2 count, and the subsequent 1-2 pitch was a called strike three. Bochy was ejected after the at bat (and inning) was over, after Barksdale had correctly ruled the 1-2 pitch a strike. The 0-2 pitch ruled ball one, however, was located within the bounds of the strike zone. In this situation, though Bochy has argued an incorrectly called 0-2 pitch (ball one), he only was ejected after the at bat (and inning) had ended, meaning the 0-2 (ball one) call did not realistically result in a different outcome of the individual at bat immediately preceding ejection. Under Rule 6.e.iii.d, the Quality of Correctness for this ejection shall be "correct." Had Bochy been ejected prior to the conclusion of the at bat (prior to the called third strike), while the incorrectly called 0-2 pitch (ball one) might have still realistically resulted in a different outcome of the at bat, the Quality of Correctness for this alternative ejection would be "incorrect," per the second condition of provision Rule 6.e.iii.; Rule 6.e.iii.d., which applies only to post-at bat ejections, would not apply to this alternative in-bat ejection.
- iv. Balls/Strikes ejections which occur at the end of an inning shall be judged on a case-by-case basis, with a strong regard for Rule 6.e.iii. Single-case exemptions may or may not be made, depending on the overall inning's performance by the Home Plate umpire. Typically, an umpire must have less than 66% accuracy on callable pitches during a specific half inning for an exemption to be made, though some exemptions may be made where an umpire's accuracy is greater than 66% during any given inning. For an exemption to be made under Rule 6.e.iv., a challenge for Quality of Correctness must be made for said ejection. Only ejections flagged "Eligible for Balls/Strikes Exemption" may be challenged under the realm of Rule 6.e.iv., and only ejections flagged "Eligible for Balls/Strikes Exemption" may receive such an exemption after challenge, though not all ejections flagged in this way will ultimately receive an exemption. The accuracy rating of 66% has been determined as the result of the finding that of all ejections, 66% are as a result of a correctly ruled play.
-- a. No precedents shall be established based on any actions taken in regards to Rule 6.e.iv., as by rule, all B/S Exemptions under Rule 6.e.iv. are to be determined on a case-by-case basis.
--b. Balls/Strikes ejections which occur during a pitching change, mound visit, or other pause in play, shall be judged on a case-by-case basis, as above, with a strong regard for Rule 6.e.iii. The same exemption that may be made under Rule 6.e.iv. shall also apply to Rule 6.e.iv.b., except that this exemption shall not be referenced as a Rule 6.e.iv. exemption, but a Rule 6.e.iv.b. exemption. The exemption title, "Balls/Strikes Exemption," however, shall remain the same as if the exemption were granted under Rule 6.e.iv.
- v. In the event of an ejection resulting from one or more calls which occur during the same play and which carry the same Quality of Correctness, in which it is feasible that the argument may have been in response to any number of these calls which carry the same Quality of Correctness, as opposed to overwhelmingly clear and convincing evidence that the argument was indeed in response to only one call, Quality of Correctness and Ejector Classification (if applicable) will be determined by virtue of the points application by call order. For instance, if a ball (incorrect) and subsequent check [no] swing (incorrect) call result in the ejection of a player/coach, with no overwhelmingly clear and convincing evidence to suggest one call was exclusively argued, the scoring would proceed as such: the ejecting 1B/3B Umpire would receive -2 Incorrect Call (Crewmate) points, while the HP Umpire would receive -4 Incorrect Call points. The 1B/3B Umpire in this case would remain secondary, whereas the HP Umpire would remain primary.
- vi. Comments on Appeals for Quality of Correctness may be made by any user, and may or may not have influential value in regards to the final decision made to uphold, deny, or defer the appeal for Quality of Correctness. As such, the recommended interval of time from the first post of appeal ("Challenge") to the post displaying the result of appeal (Rule 6.f) shall be no less than 24 hours.
f. Display of the result of appeal or challenge
- i. Upheld (Affirmed) challenges shall read, *Quality of Correctness was challenged and overturned."
- ii. Denied challenges shall read, "*Quality of Correctness was challenged and confirmed."
- iii. Deferred challenges shall read, "*Quality of Correctness was challenged and deferred."
7. Unresolved, Reversion
a. All unresolved classifications, which fall under the category of points-affecting variables, as in 6.b., shall be resolved and reverted to a probable classification, or the default if no probable classification can be made. Although unresolved/inconclusive classifications are subject to review and resolving and/or reversion at any time, such resolving and reversion must be made no later than the conclusion of the phase of the season, defined in Rule 8, during which the ejection occurred.
- i. In the instance of an Umpire changing status from AAA to MLB, or any other status change, during the season, the classification of Level shall reflect the level assigned at the time of the ejection.
- ii. In the instance of an exhaustive disputed or inconclusive Quality of Correctness, the Quality of Correctness shall revert to reflect the call made on the field as correct.
- iii. In the instance of a disputed name of Ejector, the name shall reflect the ejector noted in the official Box Score of the game during which the ejection occurred.
- iv. In the instance of a disputed Crew listing, the Crew shall reflect the posted Crew list prior to the start of the Season, unless definite evidence (Injury, etc.) proves otherwise.
b. In all other instances of disputed information, the listing in the official box score shall prevail. Only ejections documented in the specific contest's box score shall be deemed official ejections. All other ejections shall be deemed unofficial ejections. The "box score" criterion shall override any other criteria ordinarily applied to determining ejection information.
8. Phases of Season, Classification of Games
a. The following Phases of Season shall be used to organize ejection statistics. Standings shall be posted at the conclusion of Phases (ii), (iii), and (v), with Final Standings to be posted at the conclusion of Phase (vi).
- i. Phase (i) encompasses all games played prior to the beginning of the Regular Season. Phase (i) may commence as early as February and terminate as late as April during a normal season year. Phase (i) games are regarded as Pre-Season or Spring Training games and do not affect UEFL Standings or Statistics.
- ii. Phase (ii) encompasses all games played on or after Opening Day of the Regular Season, ending on April 30 if the Regular Season's first game is played or started in March; May 31 if the Regular Season's first game is played or started in April; and June 30 if the Regular Season's first game is played or started in May.
- iii. Phase (iii) encompasses all games played after the conclusion of Phase (ii), and before the All-Star game, if the All-Star game is played in July. If the All-Star game is not played in July, Phase (iii) concludes on July 31.
- iv. Phase (iv) encompasses all games played after the All-Star game, ending on August 31. If the All-Star game is not played in July, Phase (iv) concludes on September 15.
- v. Phase (v) encompasses all games played after Phase (iv), and continues through the end of the Regular Season.
- vi. Phase (vi) encompasses all Post-Season games played in October or November.
b. Suspended games that might span two or more Phases by having started during one Phase, and ended during another Phase, shall be classified under the Phase in which the game was completed (the more recent Phase).
- i. Ejections which occur during Suspended games will not be posted until the completion of the contest.
c. Multi-day games, such as extra inning games, which span two Phases by having started at the end of one Phase and having finished at the beginning of the subsequent Phase, shall be classified under the Phase in which the game was commenced (the earlier Phase).
9. Unaddressed
a. Any issue that may arise during the season, which has not been addressed in the above rules, nor in prior cases, shall be judged by the UEFL in a manner seen fit by the creator/owner of the UEFL and/or any designated appellate interpreter.
b. All decisions regarding challenges shall be final unless overwhelming evidence surfaces to overturn the challenged decision. This overwhelming clause challenge may only be initiated by the appellate interpreter of the UEFL.
10. Umpire Odds & Ends
a. As a result of discussion regarding the disputed value of unofficial ejections, what constitutes an unofficial ejection, and the desire to discuss unique umpiring situations that may not lead to an ejection, neither official nor unofficial, a new category of discussion will occasionally appear on the UEFL page. New post headings that fall under this category, but do not involve ejection, will read "Umpire Odds & Ends:"; followed by a brief description of the situation involved. Umpire Odds & Ends do not involve ejection, and accordingly, do not have bearing on points distribution, nor are Umpire Odds & Ends logged statistically.
Rev 09/10
1. 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 picks a primary umpire they believe will compile the most league points at the end of the regular season. Spring training and the All-Star Game do not count toward an individual umpire's (nor a Crew's) points total. Primary umpires may be Triple A call-ups, but these umpires are not eligible for the CREW Division, if applicable.
- a. The primary umpire picked by one league member may or may not be the same primary umpire of another member.
- b. This process is conducted simultaneously and the primary umpire is submitted secretly, to ensure that no league member gains an unfair advantage by knowing any other member's primary umpire.
2. Prior to the start of the year's regular season, and after the primary umpires have been chosen, league members pick a secondary umpire.
- a. The secondary umpire picked by a member may NOT be the same as a secondary umpire picked by another member.
- - i. The secondary umpire picked by a member MAY be the same as a primary umpire picked by another member
- b. The secondary umpire picked by a member must be different from the member's primary umpire.
- c. The process through which the secondary umpire is chosen by members is conducted like a draft.
- - i. Prior to the start of the Umpire Fantasy League primary selection process, league members receive their draft order based on standings from a previous season (worst finishers receive best draft order placement). In the case of a new member, he is assumed to have finished the previous season with a score of zero. In the case of multiple new members, a series of simulated coin tosses are conducted to determine draft order among these new members.
- - ii. The first member has five minutes to pick their secondary umpire. Once their umpire is chosen, all other members are aware of this choice, and may not choose this umpire.
- - iii. Each succeeding member has five minutes to pick their secondary umpire, until all secondary umpires have been picked.
- d. Umpires classified as AAA call-ups are not eligible for draft in the secondary round.
- - i. An umpire listed on the MLB Crew or MLB Roster list shall be considered full time and MLB status for the purpose of this rule, and for the purpose of Rule 4.a (League Scoring).
- - ii. An umpire considered MLB per subsection (d) may not receive scoring reserved for AAA status umpires, even if the umpire appears to change status during the season.
- e. Umpire classification as AAA or MLB shall be determined during the pre-season draft period, and shall not be altered for scoring purposes during the regular or post-season.
3. The Season
- a. Throughout the season, ejections are logged, along with the correctness of the call.
b. During the post-season, ejections in addition to umpire appearance, are logged.
- i. 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. No ejections are logged during the All-Star game period.
c. Triple A call-up umpires ejections are logged individually, but they never contribute to a crew's total ejections UNLESS they are named to the full-time MLB roster during the season. In this case, their ejections will be added onto the crew they HAVE BEEN NAMED TO, or the crew they finish the season with if they have been designated a Rover.
d. Rovers can contribute to a crew's ejection total by spending more time with one crew during the season than with any other crew during this time.
e. In the event of an umpire entering the DL, and remaining on the DL for the remainder of the season, this umpire shall remain the primary/secondary umpire as chosen at the beginning of the season, and his crew shall remain the primary crew, if applicable. His replacement, however, shall not act as the primary umpire, but may contribute to the total crew ejection count.
f. CREW Division is complete at the end of the regular season, but individual umpires stats continue into the post season.
4. League Scoring
a. Unless otherwise stated, the following points are applicable to BOTH primary and secondary umpires. Regular Season points are distributed as follows:
- 3 points for each ejection by a primary Triple A umpire
-- However, the primary Triple A umpire loses his bonus point for AAA status in the event of an ejection resulting from an incorrect call, either by himself or a crewmate (the AAA Umpire will receive just 2 points instead of 3 points for being a AAA umpire ejecting a person as a result of an incorrect call, made by either himself or by a crewmate).
- 2 points for each ejection by a primary MLB umpire
- 2 points for each ejection occurring as a result of a player/coach arguing a correctly ruled call by the ejectee (eg: Rays Manager Joe Maddon is ejected by HP Umpire James Hoye for arguing with Cousins that a 3-2 fastball from Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir that Hoye had ruled a ball should have been ruled strike 3, instead of ball four. Replays show that the pitch was three feet outside, the call was correct).
-- 1 point for each ejection occurring as a result of a player/coach arguing a correctly ruled call by a crewmate of the ejectee (eg: Orioles Manager Dave Trembley is ejected by 3B Umpire Angel Hernandez for arguing that Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts had beaten Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester to the first base bag and should have therefore been called safe, though 1B Umpire Angel Campos called Roberts out. Crew Chief Angel Hernandez ejected Trembley during the argument. Replays indicate that Lester did indeed touch the bag before Roberts did, the call was correct).
- minus 4 (-4) points for each ejection occurring as a result of a player/coach arguing an incorrectly ruled call by the ejectee (eg: Angels Manager Mike Scioscia is ejected by 3B Umpire Dan Iassogna for arguing with Iassogna that Angels pinch hitter Reggie Willits did not attempt a swing on a 3-2 count, and therefore should have been awarded first base instead of being called out on strikes as Iassogna ruled Willits had swung. Replays show that Willits absolutely did not attempt to swing at the 3-2 pitch, the call was incorrect).
- minus 2 (-2) point for each ejection occuring as the result of a player/coach arguing an incorrectly ruled call by a crewmate of the ejectee (e.g.: Tigers designated hitter Gary Sheffield is ejected by 2B Umpire Dana DeMuth after arguing that a ball he hit that had been ruled a double, in play, should have been ruled a home run. 3B Umpire Doug Eddings had ruled that a fan reached over the railing down the left field line, thus the ball was in play. Replays show the fan did not break the plane of the outfield wall, the call was incorrect).
- 1 point for an Eject Gem (No Longer Applicable)
-- 1 additional point for #4 ONLY (2 total) (No Longer Applicable)
-- 2 additional points for #3 ONLY (3 total) (No Longer Applicable)
-- 3 additional points for #2 ONLY (4 total) (No Longer Applicable)
-- 4 additional points for #1 ONLY (5 total) (No Longer Applicable)
- 1 point for each ejection by a secondary umpire
- 0.5 points for each ejection by a primary umpire's crew, but ONLY if the crew finishes in the top 3 at the end of the regular season in the CREW division.
b. If an ejection falls under multiple categories (e.g. a primary MLB umpire ejects a player for arguing that umpire's correct call... this ejection is also Eject Gem #5), multiple points are added together (e.g. 3+1+2=6)
c. During the Post-Season, primary umpires receive 3 base points (denoted as MLB-Post-Season) per ejection while secondary umpires continue to receive 1 point per ejection.
- i. As above (UEFL Rule 4.a), Ejections as the result of a correct call by the ejectee will result in an additional two (2) points.
- ii. Ejections as the result of an incorrect call by the ejectee will result in the application of minus six (-6) points.
- iii. Ejections as the result of a correct call by a crewmate will result in the application of an additional one (1) point.
- iv. Ejections as the result of an incorrect call by a crewmate will result in the application of minus two (-2) points.
- ii. Each post season series will result in extra points applied, based on the following schedule:
-- Division Series appearance: 1 bonus point
-- Championship Series app: 2 bonus points
-- World Series assignment: 3 bonus points
-- Crew Chief assignment (any series): 1 bonus point per series worked as crew chief in addition to any bonus points already received for working a playoff series
-- a. In the event of an Umpire injury that prevents an umpire assigned to any postseason series (DS/CS/WS) from completing his assigned series, the Umpire will retain all applicable bonus points for the series assignment and initial appearance.
-- b. In the event of an Umpire injury, whereupon a Replacement Umpire is assigned to complete any postseason series (DS/CS/WS) for an injured Umpire, the Replacement Umpire shall receive one (+1) bonus point for this postseason appearance, regardless of series (DS/CS/WS).
-- c. In the event of an Umpire injury, whereupon a Crew Chief becomes injured and another umpire on the postseason crew becomes the new Crew Chief, he shall receive no additional bonus points for this role as Crew Chief, unless this replacement is for a majority of games during the series, or, if the series duration is an even number of games, no less than one half of the total number of games.
e. Postseason awards are given to umpires who have shown any of several characteristics throughout the season. Umpires receiving the distinction of points i., ii., or iii. will have shown dedication, professionalism, advancement, and an affinity for a positive work ethic. Umpires receiving the distinction of point iv. will have shown a regression in ability, and might have had a regrettable situation occur in-season. Points scale for postseason awards:
- i. An umpire recognized as Umpire of the Year (min. 1 / max. 1 umpire) will receive 5 bonus points.
- ii. An umpire recognized as Noteworthy Umpire of the Year (min. 1 / max. 2 umpires) will receive 3 bonus points.
- iii. An umpire recognized as Honorable Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 2 umpires) will receive 1 bonus point.
- iv. An umpire recognized as Most Improved Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive 2 bonus points.
- v. An umpire recognized as Most Noticeably Declining Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive -2 bonus points.
- vi. An umpire recognized as Worst Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive -3 bonus points.
- vii. An umpire recognized as Fill-In Umpire of the Year (min. 0 / max. 1 umpire) will receive 2 bonus points.
5. Statistics
a. The following statistics will be regularly reported:
- i. Ejections: The raw total number of ejections by an umpire
- ii. Points: The total points received by an umpire. See Rule 4.
- iii. Accuracy: The percentage of correct calls made by an umpire, where quality of correctness has been determined. The formula is "correct/correct+incorrect * 100." Accuracy is arranged by total number of ejections from correct/incorrect calls, if two umpires with a different number of ejections have the same accuracy rating.
- iv. Simple Accuracy: The percentage of correct calls made by an umpire. The formula is "correct/correct+incorrect * 100." Simple Accuracy is arranged by the percentage of correctness, rather than number of correct ejections.
b. If a tie results in any of the above categories, the determining factor will be the earliest ejection date of the first effective ejection. Two ejections occurring on the same day by two different umpires will be considered a true tie.
6. Challenges and Appeals
a. Challenges/Appeals to any variable defined in Rule 4 (League Scoring) may be made by any League member or visitor/guest to the website. The challenge/appeal shall be posted as a comment or reply to the entry containing the challenged variable. The word "challenge" or "appeal" must be included in this post.
b. Eligible points-affecting variables for challenge include:
- i. Umpire classification as MLB- or AAA-.
- ii. Quality of Correctness regarding a call. May be correct, incorrect, or neither correct nor incorrect (Unresolved; see Rules 7; 8).
-- a. Judgement of Quality of Correctness regarding a pitch location call (ball/strike), Pitch f/x shall be the primarily cited source. Borderline pitches, which are centered no more than one inch outside of the strike zone so that the edge of the plot is touching the border of the strike zone, shall be deemed a strike, if the call on the field was strike, as the pitch f/x plot takes into account the working strike zone (24 inches), which includes the 17" home plate, its edges, plus the diameter of a baseball to either side.
-- b. This provision only applies to static borders of the strike zone (e.g.: its horizontal, as opposed to vertical, boundaries).
-- c. In the event of a called ball four, in an at bat that has lasted no more than four pitches, including the called ball four, the four called balls shall be adjudged to have been correctly ruled, provided that the Pitch f/x chart for the at bat does not include any pitch within the bounds of the strike zone. Borderline pitches in a four pitch walk at bat shall be deemed as having been correctly called, due to the unrealistic chance of an alternative outcome.
-- d. In the event of a called third strike, in an at bat that has lasted no more than three pitches, including the called third strike, the three called strikes shall be adjudged to have been correctly ruled, provided that the Pitch f/x chart for the at bat does not exclude any pitch from the bounds of the strike zone. Borderline pitches in a three pitch strikeout at bat shall be deemed as having been correctly called, due to the reasonable probability of these pitches being within the bounds of the strike zone. This provision does not apply to an at bat in which the batter has swung at any of the three pitches.
-- e. The Quality of Correctness for all ejections for reasons of Fighting, Throwing At, Unsportsmanlike Conduct-NEC, or Excess Contact shall be adjudged as "Correct" by default, unless there is clear and convincing evidence to suggest that the ejection was not warranted; however, proving "Incorrect" status for Fighting, Throwing At, Unsportsmanlike Conduct-NEC, or Excess Contact is extremely difficult.
--- 1. All ejections of players/coaches not on the active roster (e.g., "Disabled List") shall be associated with a reason listed under aforementioned UEFL Rule 6.b.ii.e.
-- f. Quality of Correctness for an ejection which occurs prior to or during the course of umpire consultation, wherein the initial call was incorrect, and after consultation, the correct call was made, shall be incorrect. Quality of Correctness for all other ejections prior to consultation shall be adjudged as correct.
--- 1. Any displayed reasoning for such a call, including a communicated application or interpretation of a rule, shall not affect the determination of Quality of Correctness. Quality of Correctness is governed by the (in)correctness of the call made, not by the quality of reasoning given for such a call.
-- g. Quality of Correctness for an ejection which occurs after umpire consultation, wherein the initial call was correct or incorrect, and after consultation, the initial call was changed to incorrect or correct, shall be adjudged as to whether the call after consultation is correct or incorrect.
- iii. Name of ejector.
-- a. Ejector classification as calling or secondary due to a crew-mate designated as the calling Umpire.
RULE 6.b.iii.a COMMENT: A calling umpire is the umpire who has primary responsibility for a play and makes the original call on the field. In the event of a Live Ball Appeal Play (such as a check swing appeal), in which a play is instantaneously appealed AND the decision of the appealed-to Umpire shall regularly prevail AND the ball remains live during this appeal process (excepting a ball which is dead for reasons other than to execute this appeal), the call of the appealing Umpire shall be judged to be secondary to the call of the appealed-to Umpire, which shall be deemed the primary call.
--- 1. All classifications in regards to calls which are upheld or overturned after umpire consultation shall revert to whichever umpire would have had primary responsibility (calling) had the consultation not occurred.
--- 2. All classifications in regards to calls which are overturned after instant replay review shall revert to reflecting the crew chief (or acting/interim chief) as the calling umpire, whether or not he had calling responsibility on the field of play.
- iv. Umpire classification as Crew Chief.
- v. Umpire Crew listing.
- vi. Date of ejection (see Rules 8.b., 8.c.)
c. Eligible points- in-altering variables for challenge include:
- i. Seasonal ejection number.
- ii. Player ejection number.
- iii. Manager ejection number.
- iv. Ejected team.
- v. Position of Ejected person.
- vi. Name of Ejected person.
- vii. Team W/L at time of Ejection.
- viii. Runs Scored/Allowed after Ejection.
- vix. Inning of ejection, and Top/Bottom designation.
- x. Reason for ejection.
- xi. Play Result.
d. Upon review of the appeal, the determination shall be made upon a course of action to result from such an appeal or challenge. The appeal or challenge may be:
- i. Upheld (Affirmed), through which the initial variable is overturned.
- ii. Denied, through which the initial variable stands.
- iii. [Category b.ii Only] Deferred, through which the initial variable is listed as "inconclusive" (See Rule 7.a.ii).
e. General rule regarding appeals for Quality of Correctness [ibid b.ii only].
- i.In the event that a play under appeal can be conclusively categorized or adjudged as Correct/Incorrect as a result of this action, through the use of conclusive and/or clear and/or convincing evidence, the appeal shall be either Upheld or Denied, as specified in ibid d.i, or d.ii, respectively.
- ii. In the event that a play under appeal cannot be conclusively categorized or adjudged as Correct/Incorrect as a result of this action, through the lack of conclusive nor clear nor convincing evidence, the appeal shall be Deferred, as specified in ibid d.iii.
- iii. Quality of Correctness only applies to the call made directly prior to ejection, or, if balls/called strikes during a single at-bat, any pitch called during that at bat, provided that the call was against the ejected person (or his team) and this call realistically resulted in a different outcome of the at-bat.
Rule 6.e.iii Comment: For instance, HP Umpire Rob Drake ejects Padres Manager Bud Black for arguing a ball call made during the at bat of Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, which occurred in the top of the 9th with the bases loaded, and the score tied. The at-bat went to a 3-2 count, and a run was forced in on the subsequent ball four pitch, which bounced several feet in front of home plate. Black's realistic contention was that the 1-2 pitch, ruled ball 2, should have been ruled strike three because it was in the strike zone. Even though the pitch "ball 4" that directly and immediately preceded the ejection was clearly out of the zone, the pitch called "ball 2" was located on the inside corner, and was an incorrect call. Therefore, the Quality of Correctness for this ejection shall be "incorrect."
Rule 6.e.iii Comment (2): Had Padres Manager Bud Black objected to HP Umpire Rob Drake's strike zone only during the ensuing at-bat by Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, after a 0-0 pitch to Kemp was ruled "ball 1," and was in fact located off of the plate and at the ankles, and this objection resulted in ejection, the Quality of Correctness for this ejection would be "correct." Note that in the case of an objection voiced during a preceding at-bat, which does not result in ejection until a subsequent at-bat, the Quality of Correctness of this ejection shall be judged as it relates to the call made during the aforementioned subsequent at-bat. In short, all balls and stikes Quality of Correctness judgements are dependent on the play immediately preceding ejection.
-- a. Rule 6.e.iii only applies to ejections and calls made by the HP Umpire, in the event of a Balls/Strikes ejection. Otherwise, this Rule may be applied to any Umpire for any ejection and call.
-- b. In the event of an ejection which occurs during an inning break immediately following the half inning in which the play to be argued occurred, the ejection must undoubtedly be for this one specific call, and is considered a Post-Inning Exemption. If there is any doubt as to the call being argued immediately prior to and during ejection, the Post-Inning Exemption shall be denied. The Post-Inning Exemption may be applied directly, or as the result of a challenge.
-- c. Ejections falling under Rule 6.e.iii, wherein an argument for a previously ruled play (either correct or incorrect) continues into a later play (i.e., some point after a pitch has been delivered to the next batter), shall be ruled as "Correct" under Rule 6.b.ii.e., which states that these ejections, which are colloquially deemed "Unsportsmanlike Conduct-NEC," ordinarily are associated with a Quality of Correctness of "Correct."
-- d. The Quality of Correctness of a post-at bat ejection, if arguing balls/strikes or some other call which occurs during the at bat immediately preceding ejection, shall be judged in relation to the holistic effect of the argued call(s)/pitch(es). As specified by Rule 6.e.iii, Rule 6.e.iii.d. further declares that the argued call(s) during this preceding at bat must be against the ejected person (or his team) and this call must have realistically resulted in a different outcome of the individual at bat.
Rule 6.e.iii.d Comment: For instance, HP Umpire Lance Barksdale ejects Giants Manager Bruce Bochy for arguing a ball call made during the at bat of Rockies batter Todd Helton, which occurred in the top of the 9th with two outs and the bases loaded, and the score tied. The 0-2 pitch was ruled a ball to make a 1-2 count, and the subsequent 1-2 pitch was a called strike three. Bochy was ejected after the at bat (and inning) was over, after Barksdale had correctly ruled the 1-2 pitch a strike. The 0-2 pitch ruled ball one, however, was located within the bounds of the strike zone. In this situation, though Bochy has argued an incorrectly called 0-2 pitch (ball one), he only was ejected after the at bat (and inning) had ended, meaning the 0-2 (ball one) call did not realistically result in a different outcome of the individual at bat immediately preceding ejection. Under Rule 6.e.iii.d, the Quality of Correctness for this ejection shall be "correct." Had Bochy been ejected prior to the conclusion of the at bat (prior to the called third strike), while the incorrectly called 0-2 pitch (ball one) might have still realistically resulted in a different outcome of the at bat, the Quality of Correctness for this alternative ejection would be "incorrect," per the second condition of provision Rule 6.e.iii.; Rule 6.e.iii.d., which applies only to post-at bat ejections, would not apply to this alternative in-bat ejection.
- iv. Balls/Strikes ejections which occur at the end of an inning shall be judged on a case-by-case basis, with a strong regard for Rule 6.e.iii. Single-case exemptions may or may not be made, depending on the overall inning's performance by the Home Plate umpire. Typically, an umpire must have less than 66% accuracy on callable pitches during a specific half inning for an exemption to be made, though some exemptions may be made where an umpire's accuracy is greater than 66% during any given inning. For an exemption to be made under Rule 6.e.iv., a challenge for Quality of Correctness must be made for said ejection. Only ejections flagged "Eligible for Balls/Strikes Exemption" may be challenged under the realm of Rule 6.e.iv., and only ejections flagged "Eligible for Balls/Strikes Exemption" may receive such an exemption after challenge, though not all ejections flagged in this way will ultimately receive an exemption. The accuracy rating of 66% has been determined as the result of the finding that of all ejections, 66% are as a result of a correctly ruled play.
-- a. No precedents shall be established based on any actions taken in regards to Rule 6.e.iv., as by rule, all B/S Exemptions under Rule 6.e.iv. are to be determined on a case-by-case basis.
--b. Balls/Strikes ejections which occur during a pitching change, mound visit, or other pause in play, shall be judged on a case-by-case basis, as above, with a strong regard for Rule 6.e.iii. The same exemption that may be made under Rule 6.e.iv. shall also apply to Rule 6.e.iv.b., except that this exemption shall not be referenced as a Rule 6.e.iv. exemption, but a Rule 6.e.iv.b. exemption. The exemption title, "Balls/Strikes Exemption," however, shall remain the same as if the exemption were granted under Rule 6.e.iv.
- v. In the event of an ejection resulting from one or more calls which occur during the same play and which carry the same Quality of Correctness, in which it is feasible that the argument may have been in response to any number of these calls which carry the same Quality of Correctness, as opposed to overwhelmingly clear and convincing evidence that the argument was indeed in response to only one call, Quality of Correctness and Ejector Classification (if applicable) will be determined by virtue of the points application by call order. For instance, if a ball (incorrect) and subsequent check [no] swing (incorrect) call result in the ejection of a player/coach, with no overwhelmingly clear and convincing evidence to suggest one call was exclusively argued, the scoring would proceed as such: the ejecting 1B/3B Umpire would receive -2 Incorrect Call (Crewmate) points, while the HP Umpire would receive -4 Incorrect Call points. The 1B/3B Umpire in this case would remain secondary, whereas the HP Umpire would remain primary.
- vi. Comments on Appeals for Quality of Correctness may be made by any user, and may or may not have influential value in regards to the final decision made to uphold, deny, or defer the appeal for Quality of Correctness. As such, the recommended interval of time from the first post of appeal ("Challenge") to the post displaying the result of appeal (Rule 6.f) shall be no less than 24 hours.
f. Display of the result of appeal or challenge
- i. Upheld (Affirmed) challenges shall read, *Quality of Correctness was challenged and overturned."
- ii. Denied challenges shall read, "*Quality of Correctness was challenged and confirmed."
- iii. Deferred challenges shall read, "*Quality of Correctness was challenged and deferred."
7. Unresolved, Reversion
a. All unresolved classifications, which fall under the category of points-affecting variables, as in 6.b., shall be resolved and reverted to a probable classification, or the default if no probable classification can be made. Although unresolved/inconclusive classifications are subject to review and resolving and/or reversion at any time, such resolving and reversion must be made no later than the conclusion of the phase of the season, defined in Rule 8, during which the ejection occurred.
- i. In the instance of an Umpire changing status from AAA to MLB, or any other status change, during the season, the classification of Level shall reflect the level assigned at the time of the ejection.
- ii. In the instance of an exhaustive disputed or inconclusive Quality of Correctness, the Quality of Correctness shall revert to reflect the call made on the field as correct.
- iii. In the instance of a disputed name of Ejector, the name shall reflect the ejector noted in the official Box Score of the game during which the ejection occurred.
- iv. In the instance of a disputed Crew listing, the Crew shall reflect the posted Crew list prior to the start of the Season, unless definite evidence (Injury, etc.) proves otherwise.
b. In all other instances of disputed information, the listing in the official box score shall prevail. Only ejections documented in the specific contest's box score shall be deemed official ejections. All other ejections shall be deemed unofficial ejections. The "box score" criterion shall override any other criteria ordinarily applied to determining ejection information.
8. Phases of Season, Classification of Games
a. The following Phases of Season shall be used to organize ejection statistics. Standings shall be posted at the conclusion of Phases (ii), (iii), and (v), with Final Standings to be posted at the conclusion of Phase (vi).
- i. Phase (i) encompasses all games played prior to the beginning of the Regular Season. Phase (i) may commence as early as February and terminate as late as April during a normal season year. Phase (i) games are regarded as Pre-Season or Spring Training games and do not affect UEFL Standings or Statistics.
- ii. Phase (ii) encompasses all games played on or after Opening Day of the Regular Season, ending on April 30 if the Regular Season's first game is played or started in March; May 31 if the Regular Season's first game is played or started in April; and June 30 if the Regular Season's first game is played or started in May.
- iii. Phase (iii) encompasses all games played after the conclusion of Phase (ii), and before the All-Star game, if the All-Star game is played in July. If the All-Star game is not played in July, Phase (iii) concludes on July 31.
- iv. Phase (iv) encompasses all games played after the All-Star game, ending on August 31. If the All-Star game is not played in July, Phase (iv) concludes on September 15.
- v. Phase (v) encompasses all games played after Phase (iv), and continues through the end of the Regular Season.
- vi. Phase (vi) encompasses all Post-Season games played in October or November.
b. Suspended games that might span two or more Phases by having started during one Phase, and ended during another Phase, shall be classified under the Phase in which the game was completed (the more recent Phase).
- i. Ejections which occur during Suspended games will not be posted until the completion of the contest.
c. Multi-day games, such as extra inning games, which span two Phases by having started at the end of one Phase and having finished at the beginning of the subsequent Phase, shall be classified under the Phase in which the game was commenced (the earlier Phase).
9. Unaddressed
a. Any issue that may arise during the season, which has not been addressed in the above rules, nor in prior cases, shall be judged by the UEFL in a manner seen fit by the creator/owner of the UEFL and/or any designated appellate interpreter.
b. All decisions regarding challenges shall be final unless overwhelming evidence surfaces to overturn the challenged decision. This overwhelming clause challenge may only be initiated by the appellate interpreter of the UEFL.
10. Umpire Odds & Ends
a. As a result of discussion regarding the disputed value of unofficial ejections, what constitutes an unofficial ejection, and the desire to discuss unique umpiring situations that may not lead to an ejection, neither official nor unofficial, a new category of discussion will occasionally appear on the UEFL page. New post headings that fall under this category, but do not involve ejection, will read "Umpire Odds & Ends:"; followed by a brief description of the situation involved. Umpire Odds & Ends do not involve ejection, and accordingly, do not have bearing on points distribution, nor are Umpire Odds & Ends logged statistically.
Rev 09/10