may not be completely applicable to gameplay at WiffleWOOD West. Amendments will
be made shortly.
Official Rules and Regulations
Section I
Game Setup
1.0 The playing field shall be Lembeck/Aames Memorial Arena (LAMA, otherwise known as Gua*ndo’s Backyard). The field is clearly defined as follows:
The left foul line extends from home plate to the inside corner of the deck. The right foul line extends from home plate to the left side of the pool.
2.0 The outfield is not enclosed by a wall. Rather, it is defined as all fair territory beyond the second zone (see Section 3.0).
3.0 The field is divided into five zones. Each of these zones is defined by a curved, rather than linear, boundary. Judgments of these areas during play should be made accordingly.
3.01 Zone 1 is the area in front of the pitchers mound. Any ball that rests within this area is to be considered an out. Zone 2 is the area between the pitchers mound and the end of the deck. Any ball that rests within this area is considered a single. Zone 3 is the area between the end of the deck and the warning track. Any ball hit within this area, on a fly or line drive, is considered a double. Zone 4 is the area between the warning track and the homerun area. Any ball hit within this area, on a fly or line drive, is considered a triple. Zone 5 is the area consisting of the bushes, trees and objects in the far outfield surrounding the stadium. Any ball hit within this area is considered a homerun.
3.01.1 Any groundball that reaches beyond Zone 1 shall be considered a single, regardless of the zone in which it rests.
4.0 The pitchers mound is the dirt area approximately 45ft from home plate.
5.0 The batter’s boxes are the clearly defined spaces flanking home plate. Batters may stand wherever they please within this area, so long as their body does not interfere with the pitcher’s attempt to successfully hit the Strike Zone with the ball. Batters may not stand outside of these boxes.
Section II
Equipment
1.0 The ball is a standard white Wiffleball. No alterations may be made to the ball, with the exception of league-approved sandpapering of the outside of the ball. No substances may be applied to the ball.
2.0 All players play barehanded. Glove wearing is illegal. No shoes may be worn by any player other than the pitcher, and these shoes may not be used to dig holes in the mound.
3.0 The bat is the standard yellow Wiffleball Bat. Tape and grip may be added, but must be approved by both teams before use. The bat must remain hollow, which means no corking of the bat is permitted.
3.1 The infamous “Sugar Daddy,” the league’s only known corked bat, may not be used under any circumstances other than warming up in the On Deck Circle, including Home Run Derbies and Exhibition Games.
Section III
Umpiring
1.0 Balls and strikes are simple calls. If the ball hits the Strike Zone on a fly, or goes through the designated zone, it is a strike. If it misses the Strike Zone, or strikes it below the painted square, it is a ball. If a player swings at a pitch and misses, it is a strike. If a player is struck by a pitch, it is a ball (no base is awarded) unless the pitcher rules that the batter intentionally interfered with a pitch. All disputes, if unable to be settled by the pitcher and batter, will be settled by the on-deck batter.
2.0 Foul/fair calls are made by the on-deck batter and fielder.
3.0 Disputes over balls/strikes, especially in the case of balls that touch the Strike Zone in an uncertain location, shall be settled between the pitcher and batter, with the fielder serving as arbitrator.
4.0 Any ball that strikes the foul pole in left field is considered a fair ball and a homerun.
5.0 Check swings are calls made by the pitcher.
6.0 The official score is the responsibility of the scorekeeper, and whatever is written in the scorebook shall be the official score.
Section IV
Starting/Ending a Game
1.0 All games will last seven innings.
2.0 Game delays shall only occur under the consent of both teams. A game may only be delayed at the end of a full inning.
2.1 The decision to continue or replay any delayed game shall be at the discretion of both teams.
3.0 A game is official only after three and a half full innings have been completed, if the home team is winning. If the home team is losing, four full innings must be completed.
4.0 If a game does not reach the required length, the game shall be postponed until a later date.
5.0 Extra innings work the same as in regular baseball.
6.0 Protesting games will not be tolerated.
7.0 If a team refuses to finish a game, under any circumstances, and the game has reached the required length (3.5 or 4 full innings), that team forfeits.
Section V
General Game Rules
1.0 Teams playing in a league game may have a minimum of one player and a maximum of three. While on defense, there is one pitcher and a maximum of one fielder. If there is a third player on a team, he must sit and rotate positions as the game progresses, at the discretion of the team.
2.0 The starting line-up shall be determined before the game. The batting order must remain the same throughout the game, but may be changed in between games. The penalty for batting out of order is one out.
3.0 A pitcher may only be substituted for if one of the following occurs:
- He gives up five or more runs in one inning
- He throws 16 consecutive balls
- He voluntarily removes himself
Under these circumstances, his teammate(s) have the right to remove him. If he fails to comply, the team may either choose to continue the game or forfeit. Once a pitcher is removed, he may re-enter the game, but must then complete the rest of the game.
4.0 Fielders may play wherever they like, except in Zone 1. A ball may be fielded by a fielder in Zone 1, but a fielder may not begin a play within this area. This is otherwise known as the Thomas Hinderhofer rule.
5.0 Bunting is illegal and illogical.
6.0 The on-deck batter must serve as catcher, retrieving all balls not gathered by the backstop.
7.0 There is no base running in WiffleWOOD.®
8.0 The official statistics are to be kept by a player not involved with the current game, unless none is available. In this case, the on-deck batter will record statistics.
9.0 League games will occur on Sunday. Official games may be played on other days, but it is neither encouraged nor recommended that games be played on more than one day a week.
Section VI
Pitching
1.0 The count system is as follows: After the first four balls, the count is “reset” to zero balls and zero strikes. Normal baseball count rules apply thereafter.
2.0 The pitcher is allowed five warm-up pitches when he first enters a game, but none after that without consent from the batter.
Section VII
Offense
1.0 A hit ball must reach the pitcher’s arc (Zone 2) to be in play (it is otherwise an out, unless the pitcher or fielder bobble it). Once in play, see Section 1, Rule 3 for rules on bases awarded for a hit.
2.0 Runners must be forced to advance. There is no tagging up.
Section VIII
Defense
1.0 Pop flies may be bobbled. A ground ball, however, must be fielded cleanly to be an out.
1.1 On a two or three person team, if the pitcher fields a ground ball cleanly, it is an out.
1.2 On a one person team, the pitcher may field a ground ball in any zone to record the out.
1.3 A fielder can only record an out on a ground ball by fielding it cleanly and hitting the Strike Zone.
2.0 Only a pitcher can complete a double play. This is achieved by cleanly fielding a ground ball and then throwing from the spot (with nominal forward motion) and striking any part of the Strike Zone.
Section IX
Team Rules
1.0 Firing players is illegal. However, if a player chooses to quit, the following rules apply:
- If the player quits in between games, the team has the option of acquiring one of the officially sanctioned players. However they do this is legal (i.e. buying, bartering, etc.) although the team from which that player is acquired must consent.
- If the player quits during a game, no replacement may be made until after the game is complete. A team is not forced to fill the quitting player’s spot.
- A player who has quit may re-join the team at any time under consent of the team members. Any substitutions to the team may remain team members as long as the team does not exceed the three-player limit, in which case the substitute must return to his original team.
2.0 The only players who are sanctioned for league play are people currently on a WiffleWOOD® team. Non-sanctioned players may only play in non-league, exhibition games, and in Home Run Derbies.
3.0 Trading is legal, although not encouraged. Trades may only occur with the consent of both teams, and the resulting teams may not have more than three players.
Section X
Playoffs
1.0 The playoffs will occur once a full season is completed. The teams with the top two records will compete in a best-of-five series to determine the WiffleWOOD® champion. The same rules apply as in the regular season.
Section XI
Exhibition Games
1.0 Exhibition Games are those which are designated as such by league members wishing to have a friendly contest, or any game which includes unsanctioned, non-league members.
2.0 Statistics from these games may be recorded, but shall not be included the tabulation of official league statistics. The only exception to this rule is the homerun, with exhibitions homeruns counting in an individual’s final total.
3.0 Since exhibition games are usually played with unofficial teams and players, participants may enforce the rules to whatever extent they wish. Players are encouraged to adhere to the normal regular season rules, but some (such as the official length of game) are to be expected to be abandoned.
Section XII
Home Run Derbies
1.0 Since the main function of the Home Run Derby is to pad one’s season homerun totals, there are no official standards that need be followed, other than the following:
1.1 There should be no more than three rounds per Derby.
1.2 Each player should receive the same amount of outs.
1.3 A batter may request a pitching change.
*Amendments to these rules are expected at the end of each season as the game and players (and, probably, field) evolve. All these changes must be ratified by the three founders.