OOTP Developments Documentation

Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 draft is a yearly draft, typically held in December, wherein major league teams can select certain players who are not protected by their teams. The draft was originally intended to prevent teams with better financial situations from hoarding young players. In OOTP, you can choose whether or not you wish the Rule 5 draft to be in effect.

Differences between OOTP and Real-World Rule 5 Drafts

OOTP's implementation of the Rule 5 draft does not match the real-world version of the draft in every way. Here are the ways in which the OOTP Rule 5 differs from the real world:

• In the real world, Rule 5 draft picks are offered back to their original teams when these conditions are not met. In OOTP, Rule 5 draft picks are never offered back to their original franchise. You simply have to obey the roster rules explained above.
• In the real world, teams pay a fee for selecting a player. This fee does not exist in OOTP.
• In the real world, a minor league phase of the Rule 5 exits. It does not exist in OOTP.

Configuring the Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 draft can be enabled or disabled in the Roster Rules section of the Rules page during the creation of a game. After a game has started, go to Game Menu | Game Setup | League Setup | Rules tab to find this.

Note: Rule 5 drafts can only be enabled in leagues that have affiliated minor leagues! If you don't see this option, you might not have any minor leagues associated with the currently selected league.

Rule 5 Draft Roster Rules

There are a number of roster rules relating to Rule 5 drafts.

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.
2. A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the selecting team's active roster or disabled list for the entire season.
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.
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.
5. A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must spend 90 days on the active roster. This rule prevents teams from picking players and then dumping them on the disabled list for an entire season to avoid using an active roster spot. This rule can extend into the following season if necessary.

Rule 5 Draft Eligibility

A player is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he meets the conditions listed below. Follow the links to learn more about some of the terms used below:

1. 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.
2. The player is not on the team's secondary roster.

Note: Players who were age 18 or younger when they entered the league are eligible if they have at least four, but fewer than seven years of professional service time. In other words, young players get an extra year before they become eligible for the Rule 5 draft.

Another way of looking at this rule is this:

A player not on a team's secondary roster is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if the player was age 18 or younger when he first signed a contract and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since he signed, OR if he was age 19 or older when he first signed a contract and this is the third Rule 5 draft since he signed.

Players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft are designated by a pound sign (#) on the Transactions page:

You can also see a player's Rule 5 eligibility on the Contract & Status subpage:

Rule 5 Draft Process

The Rule 5 draft progresses in reverse order of the team's final record in the previous season. The draft proceeds just like any other player draft in OOTP, with one notable difference: only a team with an available slot on its secondary roster can select a player. If a team does not have an available slot, its turn is skipped. The draft continues until all teams have either selected a player or had their turn skipped. Most Rule 5 drafts are relatively short affairs, with only a few teams selecting players.