PBL Eligibility Rules

The players on a Member Club’s Active Roster shall have completed no more than two (2) prior years of professional baseball experience (as defined below) as of January 1st in a season's calendar year.

Any player who is within four (4) years of their high school graduation class year shall not have any professional service time count against their eligibility. Professional service time accrued during this initial four (4) year period is exempt and shall not be applied retroactively once the player passes the four-year mark. Only service time earned after the four (4) year anniversary of the player’s high school graduation class year shall be calculated toward the two-year limit of prior professional experience. For purposes of calculating prior seasons of professional baseball experience, after the four (4) year mark of their high school graduation class year, a year of professional experience is defined as follows

  • POSITION PLAYERS - 30 games played
  • STARTING PITCHERS - 7 games started
  • PITCHERS - 18 games played

    Professional experience includes previous play in all professional leagues, domestic or international, but does not include the MLB draft league, Arizona Complex League (ACL), Florida Complex League (FCL), the United Shore Professional Baseball League, the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, nor leagues in the Caribbean Federation, the Australian Baseball League or any other leagues that might become “winter ball” leagues.

FRANCHISE PLAYERS

Clubs may designate one Franchise Position Player and one Franchise Pitcher per season, subject to the following requirements:

  • Player must have completed at least one (1) prior year in the PBL. A "year" is defined in accordance with the then applicable service time definitions of the PBL rules.
  • If a Club loses a Franchise Player to injury or transfer to an MLB club, the Club may request permission from the League President to replace such player with another qualified Franchise Position Player or Franchise Pitcher. Such a request shall be made to the President in writing setting forth the circumstances involved. The President shall promptly decide, in his sole discretion, whether to approve or disapprove the request after considering the circumstances.

ROSTER LIMITS

  • No member Club shall have more than 24 players on their Active Roster at any time, nor less than 22, except that a club may add a 25th player who (i) has been drafted at the conclusion of any PBL Tryout Camp, over whom the drafting team has exclusive signing rights from the draft until 21 days after opening day; or (ii) has registered and attended any PBL Tryout Camp occurring in a current league year, including: the previous season's midseason and post-season drafts, and the current season's pre-season and midseason draft.

For more information contact players@pioneerleague.com