''The Official Professional Baseball Rules Book'' governs all aspects of the game of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
beyond what happens on the field of play. There are a number of sources for these rules, but they all ultimately are sanctioned by the Office of the
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commiss ...
. Examples of these rules are the
Rule 5 draft (so-named for the applicable section of the rule book) and the
injured list.
Other examples include:
* the ''5/10 Rule'' whereby players who have been with a club for 5 consecutive years and have been a major league player for 10 years cannot be traded without their consent.
* the ''roster list'' rules (active and expanded rosters) which also determines who is eligible to play for a team in the playoffs and World Series
* ''tie-breaking'' rules for deciding which teams go to the playoffs
* implementing/enforcing the ''expanded playing rules'' issued to umpires which goes into much greater detail than the official
baseball rules
The rules of baseball differ slightly from league to league, but in general share the same basic game play.
Rules
There are several major rules, which differ only slightly.
The "Official Baseball Rules" govern all professional play in the Unite ...
of play. These rules are described in the ''Umpire's Manual''.
Rules Book
''The Official Professional Baseball Rules Book'' is organized into the following sections:
*
Major League Constitution
*Major League Rules
*Professional Baseball Agreement
*Basic Agreement
Major League Rules
The below sections enumerate the numbered Major League Rules, both before and after Major League Baseball reorganized the minor leagues in advance of the 2021 season, as multiple rules were changed at that time.
As most rules do not state what the penalty is for a violation, broad discretion is granted to the
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commiss ...
via Rule 50, "Enforcement of Major League Rules", which specifies "action consistent with the commissioner’s powers under the Major League Constitution".
The Major League Rules begin with a note stating that whenever a provision of any of its rules conflicts with a provision in the Basic Agreement (
collective bargaining agreement
A collective agreement, collective labour agreement (CLA) or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for employees by one or more trade unions with the management of a company (or with an ...
) negotiated with the
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association (or MLBPA) is the union representing all current Major League Baseball players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held a signed contract with a Major League cl ...
, the provision in the Basic Agreement "shall in all respects control".
2019 edition
Source:
#Circuits
#Player Limits and Reserve Lists
#Eligibility to Sign Contracts, Contract Terms and Contract Tenders
#First Year Player Draft
#Annual Selection of Players (known as the
Rule 5 draft)
#Selected Players
#Termination of Player-Club Relation
#Major League Unconditional Release
#Assignment of Player Contracts
#Major League Waivers
#Optional Agreements
#Transfer Agreements
#Suspended Players
#Retired Players
#Restricted, Disqualified and Ineligible Lists
#Reinstatement of Players
#Player Salaries (governed by the Basic Agreement)
#Playing Otherwise than for Club
#
Umpire
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
s and
Official scorer
In the game of baseball, the official scorer is a person appointed by the league to record the events on the field, and to send the official scoring record of the game back to the league offices. In addition to recording the events on the field ...
s
#Conflicting Interests
#Misconduct
#:*a) Misconduct in Playing Baseball (throwing games)
#:*b) Gift for Defeating Competing Club
#:*c) Gifts to Umpires
#:*d) Gambling
#:*:#Betting on other baseball teams (1 year ineligible)
#:*:#Betting on own team (permanently ineligible)
#:*:#Using an illegal bookmaker (Commissioner decides penalty)
#:*e) Violence or Misconduct (judgement of Commissioner)
#:*f) Other Misconduct
#:*g) No Discrimination
#:*h) Rule to be kept posted (in English and Spanish in every clubhouse)
#Claim Presentation
#Holidays
#Suspended Personnel
#Uniform Playing Rules
#:*a) Official Baseball Rules
#:*b) Playing Rules Committee
#:*c) Duties of Playing Rules Committee
#:*d) Official Scoring Rules Committee
#:*e) Duties of Official Scoring Rules Committee
#:*f) Copyright and Publication
#Gate Receipts
#''reserved''
#Voting
#Major League Disaster Plan
#Finances
#Bulletins
#Schedules (to be issued by commissioner)
#Qualification for Post-Season Series
#:*a) Division Champions
#:*b) Wild Card
#:*c) Tie-Breaking Procedures
#Post-Season Series
#:*a) Wild Card Game
#:*b) Division Series
#:*c) League Championship Series
#:*d) World Series
#Post-Season Supervision by the Commissioner
#Pennant and Memento
#Post-Season Schedule
#Post-Season Series Termination
#Post-Season Playing Rules (use home team's rules)
#Players Eligible for Post-Season
#''reserved''
#Post-Season Expenses
#Post-Season Playing Grounds
#Post-Season Admissions
#Division of Post-Season Receipts
#Bonus Forbidden
#Exhibition Games
#Obligations of Participants
#''reserved''
#Enforcement of Major League Rules
#Classification of
Minor Leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
#Major and Minor League Territorial Rights
#Minor League Expansion, Contraction, Relocation and Reclassification
#Regulation of Minor League Franchises
#Minor League
Free Agency
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...
#Standard Player Development Contract
#Travel Standards for Minor League Clubs
#Standards for Minor League Playing Facilities
#Lien on Territory
#Definitions
#:*a) Major League
#:*b) Major League Club
#:*c) Major League Player
#:*d) Minor League Association
#:*e) Minor League
#:*f) Minor League Club
#:*g) Club
#:*h) Minor League Player
#:*i) First-Year Player
#:*j) Commissioner
#:*k) President of a Minor League Association
#:*l) Major League Reserve List
#:*m) Minor League Reserve List
#:*n) Major League Active List
#:*o) Minor League Active List
#:*p) Championship Season
#:*q) Player Development Contract (PDC)
#:*r) Independent Minor League Club
#:*s) Inactive Lists
#:*t) Winter League
#:*u) Major League Trade Deadline
The Rules are followed by an ''Acceptance''; "The foregoing ... have been duly accepted by the Major League Clubs and the Leagues of the
National Association."
There are then ''Attachments'' to the Rules (numbers refer back to Rule # above):
*3—Minor League Uniform Player Contract
*12—Notice to Player of Release or Transfer
*52—Major and Minor League Territories
*54—Standard Minor League Financial Disclosure
*56—Standard Form Letter Establishing Player Development Contract
*58—Minor League Facility Standards and Compliance Inspection Procedures
2021 edition
Source:
#Reserve Lists
#Player Limits
#Eligibility to Sign Contracts, Contract Terms and Contract Tenders
#First Year Player Draft
#Annual Selection of Players (known as the
Rule 5 draft)
#Assignment of Player Contracts
#Optional Agreements
#Major League Waivers
#Termination of Player-Club Relation
#Bulletins
#Player Salaries (governed by the Basic Agreement)
#Playing Otherwise than for Club
#Claim Presentation
#Suspended Personnel
#
Umpire
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
s
#
Official scorer
In the game of baseball, the official scorer is a person appointed by the league to record the events on the field, and to send the official scoring record of the game back to the league offices. In addition to recording the events on the field ...
s
#Uniform Playing Rules
#:*a) Official Baseball Rules
#:*b) Playing Rules Committee
#:*c) Duties of Playing Rules Committee
#:*d) Official Scoring Rules Committee
#:*e) Duties of Official Scoring Rules Committee
#:*f) Copyright and Publication
#Schedules
#:*a) Major Leagues (to be issued by commissioner)
#:*b) Minor Leagues (per Minor League Guidelines)
#Major League Disaster Plan
#Conflicting Interests
#Misconduct
#:*a) Misconduct in Playing Baseball (throwing games)
#:*b) Gift for Defeating Competing Club
#:*c) Gifts to Umpires
#:*d) Gambling
#:*:#Betting on other baseball teams (1 year ineligible)
#:*:#Betting on own team (permanently ineligible)
#:*:#Using an illegal bookmaker (Commissioner decides penalty)
#:*e) Violence or Misconduct (judgement of Commissioner)
#:*f) Other Misconduct
#:*g) No Discrimination
#:*h) Rule to be kept posted (in English and Spanish in every clubhouse)
#Circuits
#Gate Receipts
#''reserved''
#Finances
#Major and Minor League Territorial Rights
#Classification of
Minor Leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
#:* actual content is "Standards For Minor League Playing Facilities"
#''reserved''
#''reserved''
#''reserved''
#''reserved''
#''reserved''
#Lien on Territory
#Qualification for Post-Season Series
#:*a) Division Champions
#:*b) Wild Card
#:*c) Tie-Breaking Procedures
#Post-Season Series
#:*a) Wild Card Game
#:*b) Division Series
#:*c) League Championship Series
#:*d) World Series
#Post-Season Supervision by the Commissioner
#Pennant and Memento
#Post-Season Schedule
#Post-Season Series Termination
#Post-Season Playing Rules (use home team's rules)
#Players Eligible for Post-Season
#Post-Season Expenses
#Post-Season Playing Grounds
#Post-Season Admissions
#Division of Post-Season Receipts
#Bonus Forbidden
#Exhibition Games
#Obligations of Participants
#Holidays
#Enforcement of Major League Rules
The Rules are followed by an ''Acceptance''; "The foregoing ... have been duly accepted by the Major League Clubs."
There are then ''Attachments'' to the Rules (numbers refer back to Rule # above):
*3—Minor League Uniform Player Contract
*12—Notice to Player of Release or Transfer
*26—Major and Minor League Territories
References
External links
Home Resources Documentsfrom the website of the
SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...
Business of Baseball Committee
{{MLB, state=collapsed
Baseball rules
Sports business by sport
Contract law
Major League Baseball labor disputes