RULES AND REGULATIONS
GOVERNING THE CONTEST FOR
THE
PROFESSIONAL BASE BALL CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD
C And Games Played Between C
National
And American League Clubs.
Approved
by the National Commission February 16, 1905,
and
Adopted by the National and American
Leagues
February 16, 1905.
Agreement
to Play.
SECTION 1. The pennant winning
club of the National League and the pennant winning club of the American League
shall meet annually in a series of games for the Professional Base Ball
Championship of the World.
The
Emblem and Memento.
SEC. 2. The emblem of the
Professional Base Ball Championship of the World shall be a pennant to be
presented to the victorious club each year, and an appropriate memento, in the
form of a button, to be presented to each player of the victorious club. Both shall be selected by the National
Commission. The cost of the pennant and
the buttons shall be paid by the Commission.
To
be Played Under Supervision of National Commission.
SEC. 3. The games shall be
played under the supervision, control and direction of the National Commission.
When
to be Played.
SEC. 4. The event shall take
place at the end of the championship season of each year. Seven games shall constitute a complete
series.
Playing
Rules Authorized by the National Agreement.
SEC. 5. The games shall be conducted
according to the playing rules as provided for by the National Agreement.
When
to be Played.
SEC. 6. The National Commission
shall promulgate a schedule for the event.
Three games shall be scheduled in each of the cities of the contesting
clubs. The Commission shall determine
by lot where the first three games shall be played. In case it becomes necessary to play the seventh game to decide
the event, the Commission shall determine the city in which the game is to be
played.
Representatives
of Contesting Clubs and Notice to Players.
SEC. 7. The clubs entitled to
contest for the world=s
honor shall be represented by the President of their respective leagues and
clubs. The Secretary of the National
Commission will be required to notify all of the players of the contesting
teams that they will be held amenable by the Commission to all rules governing
base ball and will be subject to discipline regardless of contracts.
When
to Terminate. Winning Club.
SEC. 8. The clubs shall
continue to play each day according to the authorized schedule until one of
them has won four games, when the contest shall end, and the club winning shall
be entitled to fly the emblem or pennant of the world=s championship during the ensuing base ball
season, and the players thereof shall be permitted to wear the memento or
button as long as they please.
Right
to Terminate the Series.
SEC. 9. The National Commission
shall reserve to itself the right to terminate the series at any time that it
deems the interest of base ball demands it, and to declare one of the
contesting clubs the winner of the championship regardless of previous performances.
Guarantee
of Contesting Clubs.
SEC. 10. Each of the clubs
participating in the event shall guarantee to the National Commission in such
manner as the latter may prescribe that they will faithfully carry out all of
the provisions of these rules and regulations, and such others as the
Commission may hereafter make to govern the games, and that they will not
exercise an arbitrary right or privilege of abandoning the series until it has
been completed or the championship determined.
The
Umpires.
SEC. 11. There shall be two
umpires, who shall be invested with the authority and discretion that the
playing rules confer, and they shall observe the same general instructions with
reference to maintaining order and discipline upon the ball field during these
contests that govern them in the performance of their duties in all other games
in their respective leagues.
Umpires
B How Selected.
SEC. 12. The President of the
National league and the President of the American League shall each select one
umpire from their respective leagues, and the umpires so chosen shall be
assigned to duty and be subject to the orders of the Chairman of the National
Commission.
Compensation
of Umpires.
SEC. 13. The compensation of
the umpires shall be fixed by the National Commission.
Expenses
B How Adjusted.
SEC. 14. The expenses of the
National Commission pertaining to these games, the salaries of the umpires, and
other miscellaneous and contingent expenses in connection therewith, shall be
paid out of the funds to be received by the Commission from these games. Should these funds prove insufficient for
this purpose, the balance shall be paid out of the regular funds of the
Commission, and should there be a surplus in these funds it shall be credited
each year to the regular funds of the Commission. All other expenses of both clubs, such as hotel bills and
traveling expenses, balls, advertising, policing of grounds, ticket-sellers and
takers, incidentals, etc., shall be paid by the club incurring the same. Should any difference arise at any time as
to the latter expense, the same shall be submitted to the Commission for
adjudication, and their finding shall be conclusive.
Constitutional
Rights of the Clubs.
SEC. 15. Each contesting club
shall preserve its constitutional rights during games played upon its own
grounds with reference to the conduct of its business affairs in connection
therewith, but the visiting club shall also be allowed its inherent rights and
whatever representation and facilities it may require to properly protect the
interests of the club and its players.
Provided, however, that the captain of the home team should not be
accorded the privilege to determine whether the grounds are fit. This authority will be delegated to the
umpires. If they fail to agree, the
umpire whose turn it is to officiate behind the plate will decide as to the
condition of the grounds.
Rates
of Admission.
SEC. 16. The rates of admission
and the conditions governing the same shall be fixed by and by under the
control of the National Commission.
Division
of Receipts.
SEC. 17. The receipts of the
games shall be divided as follows:
(1) Ten per cent. of the gross receipts from all games shall be paid to
the National Commission.
(2) Forty per cent. of the
balance from the first four games shall form a pool for the players of the two
teams, to be divided 75 per cent. to the winner and 25 per cent. to the loser
of the contest.
(3) After the 10 per cent. deductions for the Commission and the 40 per
cent. which forms the players= pool from the first four games, the balance of the gross receipts
shall be divided equally between the two clubs.
(4) The amount to be paid into the players= pool, as provided by this section, shall be
paid to the Commission, and the same shall be distributed to the players
through the Secretary of the Commission.
Adjustment
of Salaries After the Contract Season.
SEC. 18. In the event that the
schedule for a world=s
championship series extends beyond the player=s contract season, then the salaries of the players who properly belong
to the contesting clubs shall continue, at the contract rate, to the end of the
series of games scheduled, although only four or more games be played.
Free
List Suspended.
SEC. 19. The free list shall be
suspended during the contest, except to representatives of the press and club
officials of the two leagues.
Time
of Presentation of Pennant and Buttons.
SEC. 20. The pennant and
buttons shall be presented to the victorious club and its players, each year,
by the National Commission, who are authorized to arrange for all of the
details of such presentation.
Disputes
to be Settled by the Commission.
SEC. 21. All questions arising
out of the playing for the world=s championship not provided for herein, nor covered by the Playing
Rules, shall be dealt with and decided by the National Commission.
All
Clubs to Agree to These Conditions.
SEC. 22. All clubs of both
leagues hereby agree absolutely to conform strictly to all the articles of
these rules, and in any cases not herein provided for to conform to the
decisions of the National Commission.
Rules
to Apply to Other Games.
SEC. 23. These same rules may
apply to all other games played between National and American League Clubs,
upon application being made to the National Commission, except as to the
division of the receipts, exclusive of the amount to be paid to the National
Commission, which shall be mutually agreed upon between the clubs participating
in such games; provided all players shall be paid at their contract prices for
all games of this character that they are obliged to play after the expiration
of their contracts.
Players
to be Notified.
SEC. 24. After the adoption of
this Agreement by the National and American Leagues, copies of the same shall
be prepared by the respective leagues and sent to the President of each club,
who shall, on or before the 10th of March of each year, mail a copy to
each player of his club.
Source: 1906 National Commission report, pp.
xxiii-xxviii.