Roster Balancing Procedures
For a web draft you can turn roster balancing on or off using the box at the bottom of your ranking list. If you have roster balancing on then the program will follow the roster balancing rules described below. If you turn it off then when your pick is made you will simply get your highest listed player that is still available regardless of position needs, and the roster balancing rules will not apply.
The way our draft works is that each round, when your turn comes up, the computer goes down your list, giving you your highest ranked available (undrafted) player, subject to these roster-balancing rules. The purpose of these rules is to give you a starter at each position before you start receiving second string players. For example, if you think a good shortstop is very important you might rank 4 of them in your top 10 choices. Once you get one shortstop we skip the next shortstops listed and draft your highest ranked non-shortstops in subsequent rounds. (However, since you need 3 outfielders, and 4 pitchers to fill your rotation, we will not skip over outfielders until you have 3 of them, and will not skip over any regular pitchers you've listed until you have gotten 4 of them.) At the end of round 13 (or possibly later if you've used the "plus" option discussed at the end of this draft packet) you should have one C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, three OF's, one pitcher from the short reliever list, and 4 regular pitchers. HINT: It is best NOT to try and outguess how other owners will set up their lists. The best method is just to list players in the order you think they'd help your team!
After you have a starter at every position (including 3 OFers and 4 regular pitchers), the computer goes back to the top of your ranking sheet, and we start similar roster balancing procedures for your backup players. (In this first stage you'll get 4 backups, since you are getting 17 players total. In the second stage you'll fill out the rest of your team.) In rounds 14-29 you will get at least one reserve at every position, including 3 reserve outfielders, and 8 more pitchers (at least 5 of which are NOT short relievers), before you get your final players. (We give you 8 more pitchers because we feel a team should have at least 13 pitchers to do well in Scoresheet.) We also strongly suggest that on your second stage list you list plenty of catchers, as getting a third catcher will probably help your team! Also, you should list plenty of utility types (players who qualify at more than one position) and/or extra shortstops, as any SS can play an adequate 2B and 3B in Scoresheet. At the end of round 29, you should have 2 players at each of C, 1B, 2B, 3B, and SS; along with 6 OF's; and 13 pitchers, at least 9 of which are not listed as short relievers on the draft lists. (Since almost anyone can field a competent first base in Scoresheet, we do not force you to draft a backup first baseman. We allow you to draft a fourth reserve outfielder instead of a backup first baseman if as we go down your list we come to an undrafted 4th backup outfielder before an undrafted first baseman.)
Once you have received a backup at every position we will go back to the top of your second stage ranking sheet. Your 30th thru 36th picks can be almost anyone. After you get your backups everywhere these last picks can include up to: 4 more pitchers, 3 more outfielders, or up to 2 additional players at each other position. It is possible, if you do not list enough players at each position to ensure getting someone, that players may be assigned to your team by default. (The order players are assigned by default is by playing time. If you need both pitchers and position players, then for default drafting purposes one inning pitched is equivalent to 2 plate appearances.) Because of this, your ranking list should include plenty of players from every position. And as noted above, for a web draft you can choose to turn roster balancing on or off as the draft goes on. If it's off then you will simply get the number 1 player on your list who is still available, regardless of position needs.
