the commissioner's blog

Fellow Wifflers,

I submit these updated proposed Rules Of Play for review and comment. Included are some changes, as well as some new rules, within for consideration. I can send a Word document version to anyone who is interested which highlights the new and proposed rule changes.

The Commish
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INTENT OF THE GAME AND RULES OF PLAY

INTENT OF PLAY
Our intent of play is to allow for an opportunity to have good clean guy fun while bonding around our reverence for the Zen of Wiffle, good friends, and good to average beer. However, if you kick your buddy's ass while achieving those stated goals, all the better.

THE PLAYING FIELD
The playing field is intended to be small and flexible enough to allow all player/teams to have there own home field, and home field rules. The suggested field dimentions are as follows:

Fair play line is 10 feet from home plate perpendicular to line between home and pitching rubber.
Infield line is 30 feet from home plate. The outfield line is 50’ feet from home plate.
The double line should be between 60 and 70 feet from home plate .
The triple line should be close to the base of the fence and wider at the corners.

Foul poles should be at least 70 feet and no more then 90 feet from home plate. Power alley fences should be between 80 and 95 feet from home plate. Center field should between 90 and 105 feet.
Pitchers rubber is 40 feet from home plate and 43 feet from strike zone.

The angle of the foul lines at home plate should be approximately 65-75°.

Plays on any line are always to the batters advantage.

THE PLAYING EQUIPMENT
The only ball used will be the official WiffleBall baseball, patent #...44 (not pat.# ….39). In an effort to keep the multiple game balls ccurving consistant, the balls should not be intentionally scuffed, dented, or scratched. A crack or tear of ¼ inch or more will force the ball to be thrown out.

The bat must be the yellow “official” WiffleBall bat.
The strike zone is a freestanding board that is approximately 20 inches by 30 inches and 12 – 18 inches off the ground. The board is stationed 3 ft behind home plate. Batters may adjust the height of the strike zone before batting.

TEAMS
Teams will be made up of 1(see additional rules) to 3 people. All players on team must bat, and pitch a minimum amount of innings (see The Pitcher). Teams must bat in same order throughout the game. Jerseys or matching shirts/hats are encouraged

THE GAME
A game is 7 innings with 3 outs per inning with a 7 total run limit per inning, regardless to runs scored in the final play.The trailing team has no run limit in the last 3 innings.

Four balls is a walk. Three strikes is an out. Fouls are unlimited, but a foul on the 3rd strike that hits the strike zone is considered a strikeout (catcher holding onto a foul tip). To save time, at the beginning of an inning teams may agree to start all at-bats with one ball and one strike and/or start innings with one out.

There is no base running, stealing or bunting. “Ghost runners” shall be used for men on base.

DETERMINING HITS AND OUTS

• Catching a ball is an out. Fielding a ground ball cleanly while it is still moving on the grass before the outfield line and the throw hits the designated ground out zone is an out.
• If a fielder bobbles or drops the ball or misses the groundout zone on a routine throw that should be made that should be thrown it is considered an error and the runner is safe at first.
• Any ball that stops in foul territory before the infield line in is a foul ball. Any ball that lands in fair territory beyond the infield line is fair even if it then bounces foul beyond. The poles and lines are fair. (Baseball rules)
• A ground ball that comes to a stop in fair territory beyond the fair play line and before the infield line is a ground out.
• A ground ball that lands between the infield line and the outfield line and not fielded is ruled an infield single. All runners advance only as forced.
• A fair ball that lands on or past the outfield line, fielded or not, will be ruled a single. Runners advance 1 base.
• A hit ball that lands on or past the double line is a double. All runners advance 2 bases.
• A fly ball hitting the fence or the ground on or beyond the triple line is a triple . Runners advance 3 bases.
• A fly ball clearing the wall or hitting the foul pole is a home run. If a fielder touches a fly ball, then the ball goes over the wall it will also be a home run.
• On two outs all base runners advance one additional base.

ONE ON ONE RULES
Two trapezoidal or circular areas shall be designated in the zone between the outfield and double line to represent fielders. If a hit lands in these areas or touches a line on the fly, the batter is out.

BASE RUNNING
All base runners advance only as forced on an infield single or error. Runners advance one base on a base hit to the outfield, two bases on a double, and three bases on a triple. Groundouts always force the lead runner, all others advance 1 base.

BATTING
A batter can not move or lean into the path of the pitch in an attempt to block the pitch from hitting the strike zone. Interference shall be called by pitcher, confirmed by home plate ump, and the pitch will be called a strike.
Hitting a batter is a ball.

PITCHING
Pitchers must face complete batters. Pitchers must have one foot touching the rubber when releasing the ball. There are no balks. All players must pitch an equal amount of outs in no more than 2 appearances, to the extent possible. One pitching change is allowed per inning except the first two innings.

Starting pitchers get an optional 10 warm-up pitches at the start of the game. Relief pitchers get 4 warm up pitches. All pitchers get an additional 3 pitches before innings.

BANDED SUBSTANCES FOR PLAYERS
None.

ADVANCED RULES
DOUBLE PLAY RULE: If a player hits a ground ball in the infield with less than two outs while in a force situation, the fielder may attempt a double play. The fielder must field the ball cleanly (no juggle), toss the ball to a team mate standing on second, who must then throw the ball and hit the designated ground out zone. If it hits the zone, the two lead forced runners are out, if the throw misses the zone, then only the lead runner is out.

SACRAFICE FLY RULE: With a runner on third base and less than two outs, the batting team may try and score the runner on third base on a fly ball. As soon as the ball is hit, the offensive team can yell, “TAG” to activate the runner. If the fielder must catch the ball, throw the ball home within 3 seconds, and hit the backstop with one bounce or in the air, to prevent the tagged runner from scoring. If the ball misses or does not reach the backstop within one hop, the runner on 3rd scores. If it hits the backstop; the runner is out at the plate. All other runners will remain where they were. Defense will make the decision if “TAG” wasn't yelled soon enough or not loud enough.

Certain wind conditions may warrant that both teams agree to shorten the pitching distance at the beginning of the game or beginning of next inning.

OFFICIATING AND SCORE KEEPING
Keeping count of balls and strikes, as well as, fair and foul calls will be the responsibility of the on deck batter. Line calls will be made by the fielder closest to the ball.

The on deck batter may appeal the defensive call. At that time all of the players who fully believe they witnessed the ball hit the ground may vote, where the majority rules. A tie goes to the original closest fielder’s call.

Check swings and fouls off the hands will be called by the on deck batter and may be appealed by any defensive player. See above.

The pitcher can call interference by the batter, and on deck batter must concur. An interference call is a strike.

Score cards should be keeping for multiple player game. Each team must keep there own score, and should determine how it is to be done (self scoring, a player an inning, wife, etc) before the game.

Rules not stated herein, will follow the rules in accordance with Major League Baseball.