Confused even by the KBO: 'Rules' vs. 'Regulations'... The failed move of Okaada to LG leaves a lingering task [Ryu Sun-kyu's Bizball]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) publishes various types of documents each year. Among them, the most representative are the 'KBO League Regulations', 'KBO Baseball Constitution', and 'Official Baseball Rules'.

Regulations, constitution, rules. The terms may seem similar to general baseball fans, making it difficult to grasp their differences easily. However, these three publications differ in content and role.

One can understand the distinctions to some extent by referring to the content introduced on the KBO official website under 'Regulations & Resources' (KBO → Board → Regulations & Resources).

The 'KBO League Regulations' cover all necessary matters for operating the KBO League exhibition games, regular season, Wild Card series through the Korean Series postseason, All-Star Game, and Futures League. In contrast, the 'KBO Baseball Constitution' includes matters related to KBO League operations not specified in the articles of association, as well as major contracts and various regulations. The 'Official Baseball Rules' encompass everything from basic aspects of baseball games to detailed content throughout the game.

Simplifying this slightly, the Official Baseball Rules focus on 'how to play a baseball game', while the KBO League Regulations focus on 'how to operate a league hosted by the KBO'. The KBO Baseball Constitution is a document that addresses matters related to KBO League operations and the relationship between teams and players, various contracts, and systems from a broader perspective.

When I worked in the front office of a professional baseball team, the 'KBO Baseball Constitution' was what I consulted most frequently. This was because its contents changed annually as they went through the KBO Board meetings, and it included many essential matters that must be known when operating a team. On the other hand, the 'KBO League Regulations' and 'Official Baseball Rules' were relatively less frequently consulted. It is also true that those who do not work directly at game sites have fewer opportunities to encounter the Constitution compared to regulations.

However, recently, I revisited the KBO League Regulations while observing the case where the signing of foreign pitcher Akita Okaada by LG Twins from Ulsan Whales fell through.

The basis for why Okaada could not join LG was Article 78 of the '2026 KBO League Regulations', titled 'Teams Participating in the Futures League'.

What is noteworthy is that Article 78 was not a regulation that had existed for a long time. It was a newly established clause on November 19, 2025, ahead of Ulsan Whales' participation in the Futures League. After finally approving Ulsan's participation in the Futures League, the KBO announced details regarding team composition and player transfers to KBO teams via a press release on December 10.

At that time, the KBO allowed Ulsan to register up to four foreign players and set a period during which foreign players affiliated with Ulsan could transfer to KBO teams.

This content was included in Paragraph 5 of Article 78 of the 2026 KBO League Regulations. It stipulated that foreign players from teams participating in the Futures League could only transfer or join KBO member teams from the day after the end of the KBO postseason, which is the transferable period under the KBO Constitution, until July 31 of the following year. Here, 'teams participating in the Futures League' refers to Ulsan Whales, and 'KBO member teams' refer to the existing 10 teams in the KBO League.

Since Okaada was a foreign player affiliated with Ulsan, he fell under the application of this clause. Consequently, when LG attempted to sign Okaada, the final day of the transferable period, July 31, had already passed. This is the core reason why Okaada could not wear an LG uniform.

However, if Paragraph 5 of Article 78 of the KBO League Regulations had not been newly established, there would have been room for a different interpretation of the situation. Article 9, Paragraph 2 of the 'Additional Registration' section in the KBO Foreign Player Employment Regulations states: 'Players announced as affiliated players after August 16 cannot participate in that year's KBO postseason games.' In reverse, if foreign players are announced as affiliated players by August 15, they can be considered eligible to participate in that year's postseason.

Those familiar with the existing KBO foreign player system might first recall this clause when determining the timing for signing foreign players. However, for foreign players affiliated with Ulsan, Paragraph 5 of Article 78 of the KBO League Regulations took precedence over general regulations related to foreign players.

At this point, it is necessary to examine the KBO's regulatory framework.

Player transfers are a significant area covered in the KBO Baseball Constitution. In fact, the actual baseball constitution has a separate section titled 'Chapter 10: Transfer of Player Contracts'. Matters regarding foreign players are also addressed in Article 29 'Foreign Players' under Chapter 5 'Players' of the baseball constitution. Looking at just these two elements—'Transfer of Player Contracts' and 'Foreign Players'—relevant content can be found entirely within the KBO Baseball Constitution.

However, the clause restricting when foreign players affiliated with Ulsan can transfer or join KBO member teams was placed not in the baseball constitution but in Paragraph 5 of Article 78 of the KBO League Regulations.

The reason for this can be somewhat inferred. The KBO League Regulations have a separate 'Chapter 7: KBO Futures League' consisting of 21 articles. Article 78 also belongs to this chapter. In contrast, the only clause in the KBO Baseball Constitution that directly addresses the Futures League is Article 43 'KBO Futures League Games'.

However, Chapter 7 'KBO Futures League' of the KBO League Regulations mainly covers matters related to the operation and progress of games in the Futures League, such as league composition, game formats, and scheduling decisions and changes. The purpose of the KBO League Regulations is also to define all necessary matters for operating each league and game hosted by the KBO.

In contrast, Paragraph 5 of Article 78 is not a clause regarding game formats or schedules. It specifies under what conditions players from teams participating in the Futures League can join KBO member teams and until when foreign players can transfer. This content directly affects player status, contracts, and team eligibility for signing players. In terms of nature, it is closer to the KBO Baseball Constitution.

This creates a possibility of confusion from the perspective of KBO or team operations staff.

Even baseball industry insiders, including baseball journalists, frequently use the terms 'Constitution' and 'Regulations' interchangeably. Another clear example of this occurred in the recent Okaada case.

In its press release on the 12th titled 'KBO's Stance on LG's Attempt to Sign Ulsan Whales Player Okaada', the KBO initially labeled Article 78, Paragraph 5, which restricted Okaada's transfer, as 'Constitution' but later corrected it to 'KBO League Regulations'. Even the KBO, which creates and manages both the Constitution and Regulations, confused the two documents during the process of issuing an official statement.

This incident highlights the need to re-examine the frameworks of the KBO Baseball Constitution and KBO League Regulations once again. It is necessary to establish clearer criteria for what content should be placed in the Constitution versus league regulations. Additionally, if unavoidable related content is split across multiple documents, efforts must be made to link relevant clauses so they can be easily accessed.

To properly comply with regulations, it is just as important to clearly identify where those regulations are located as it is to know their content.

The failed signing of Okaada by LG is not merely an event involving a single player's transfer; it prompts a reevaluation of whether the KBO's regulations and constitution have been sufficiently organized in a systematic manner.

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*This content was translated by AI.