Section One: Rosters and the Salary Cap
1.1: Roster Size
| Roster | Season 1 Limit |
|---|---|
| Minimum players | 6 |
| Maximum players | 12 |
A team must carry at least the minimum and no more than the maximum number of players at all times. The Season 1 limits are 6 and 12. A transaction that would put a team below the minimum or above the maximum is void, except where Section 1.7 allows a short window to fix it.
1.2: The Hard Cap
The CBL uses a hard salary cap. The Season 1 cap is $55,000,000. No team may be over the current cap at any moment, including at the moment a transaction is processed.
1.3: The Salary Floor (90% Minimum)
Every team must spend at least 90% of the current cap on its roster. At the Season 1 cap of $55,000,000, the floor is $49,500,000, so a team's payroll must sit between $49,500,000 and $55,000,000.
1.3a: Changing the Cap and Roster Limits
The cap and the roster limits are not fixed for all time. The Commissioner may raise or lower the salary cap, and may change the roster limits, as the league grows. The floor always follows the cap at 90%.
- Changes are announced to all members before the season they apply to
- Changes take effect at the start of a season and do not change during a season, unless the Board of Governors approves an emergency change
- After a change, teams get a window set by staff to become compliant
- Every change is logged by staff with the date and the new values
1.4: What Counts Toward the Cap and the Floor
- All active roster player contracts
- Retained salary from a prior trade
- Buy-out cap hits
- Injured Reserve players do not count unless the IR rules say so
The GM has no salary and no contract and does not count toward the cap or the floor. Every other player has a salary and a contract, including a Captain.
1.5: Exceeding the Salary Cap
A team may not complete any transaction (sign, trade, claim, call-up) that would push it over the salary cap. Transactions attempted in violation are void. Repeated attempts to get around the cap are reviewed by staff and may lead to discipline under Article IV. These rules are the same as the cap rules in APHL Article III, Section One.
1.6: Falling Below the Floor
- Staff check payroll at the start of the season, before the trade deadline and before the playoffs
- A team below the floor gets a notice and 72 hours to reach it
- Until a team reaches the floor, staff may restrict its trades and releases
- A team still below the floor when the window ends is reviewed by the Commissioner's Office and may face discipline, loss of playoff eligibility or loss of promotion eligibility
- Teams cannot reach the floor by releasing and re-signing players at inflated salaries. That is a bad-faith transaction (Article IV)
1.7: Fixing an Invalid Roster
If an injury, retirement, quit or ban leaves a team below the roster minimum, the team has 72 hours to sign enough players to return to the minimum. The team can still play with five rostered players meanwhile (Article II, 2.2). Staff may extend the time when the free agent pool is empty.
1.8: Sign-Ups and Free Agents
Approved players enter the free agent pool. A team may sign a free agent only if the contract keeps it between the roster limits and under the cap.
Section Two: Contracts and Free Agency
2.1: Player Contracts
Every contract states a salary and a length. A contract offer is valid only if the team can afford it under the cap at the time of the offer and at the time of acceptance.
2.2: Contract Offers
- Offers are made through the site by the GM or authorized staff
- A player may accept, decline or ignore an offer
- An offer expires after the time shown on the offer
- A GM may not pressure, threaten or bribe a player to accept an offer
2.3: Free Agent Bidding
When staff open a bidding window, teams submit bids within their available cap space. The highest compliant bid wins. A bid cannot be withdrawn after the window closes, and a team cannot bid more than its cap space.
2.4: Re-Signing
Re-signs happen in the window set by staff and must keep the team under next season's cap. A player's rights remain with the team until the window closes.
2.5: Releasing a Player
A team may release a player. The player's salary may keep counting against the cap, as set by the buy-out rules. A released player enters the waiver wire (Section Three) before the free agent pool.
Section Three: Trades, Waivers and Deadlines
3.1: Trades
Both teams must submit the trade details through the site. Staff review each trade for cap, floor and roster compliance before it is processed.
- Both teams must be cap-compliant and roster-compliant after the trade
- Trades that leave a team under the floor are held until the team can fix it, or are denied
- A team may be limited in the number of trades per week or per season
- Staff may deny any trade that is unfair, collusive or made in bad faith
3.2: Trade Block
A GM may post players on the trade block. Posting a player does not commit the GM to a trade.
3.3: Waiver Wire
A waived player is available to other teams for a claim period set by staff. Claims must keep the claiming team under the cap and within the roster maximum. If several teams claim the same player, the team with the lowest standing gets priority.
3.4: Trade Deadline
Staff publish the trade deadline before the season. After the deadline, trades are closed until the end of the playoffs, except for free agent signings and waiver claims.
3.5: Transaction Integrity
A transaction made to hide salary, to move a player for a hidden side deal, or to dodge a cap or floor rule is a violation, and staff may reverse it.
Section Four: Draft and Player Development
4.1: The Draft
The CBL runs a draft. Staff publish the draft order, the rounds, the clock and the salary scale before the draft opens.
4.2: Draft Pick Salaries
A drafted player's salary must be cap-compliant for the drafting team at the moment of assignment. A team may not draft a player whose salary would put it over the cap.
4.3: Trading Picks
Draft picks may be traded under the same review as player trades (Section Three).
4.4: Promotion and Relegation Effects
When a team changes division, its roster and contracts move with it. Staff review rosters after each move for cap, floor and roster-size compliance, and give the team a window to fix any issue.
4.5: Retirement
A player may retire. A retired player's contract leaves the team's cap. A retired player may return in a later season through the normal sign-up route, unless banned.