Sportsmans Park follows the basic rules of baseball, with a few exceptions. They are as follows:
- Games are 5 innings long. If the game is tied after 5 innings, extra innings are played until a winner is determined.
- Games can be played with anywhere from 4-9 people on each team.
- The game is played with a full time pitcher who also serves
as the umpire. If a team supplies their own pitcher, he or she will
also be the umpire while on the mound.
- Teams are selected randomly based on the pool of players who are
interested in playing that game. One person (usually a McDermott)
divides the teams up as equally as possible.
- If you sat out the previous game and want to play in the next one, you are automatically playing.
- Once a game ends, the next one immediately begins, unless Big Maude lets us know that it is time to eat.
- No stealing is allowed.
- No leadoffs are allowed.
- No bunting is allowed.
- If the umpire suspects the batter was trying to bunt, he or she
will be issued a warning. The next occurrence will result in an out.
- If the batter takes a legitimate swing and only hits it a few
feet, the umpire has the right to call it a foul ball, even if the ball
lands in fair territory.
- Any ball hit off a tree is playable. If it lands in fair
territory, the ball is played as if it never hit the tree. Balls caught
in the air after hitting a tree are recorded as outs.
- Big "red" wiffleball bat rules are determined prior to the start
of the game (generally depending on the wind direction). Typically,
they are limited to 1-3 uses per game, unless you are under the age of
13, batting with your non-dominant hand, or female. Those three cases
allow for unlimited "red" bats.
- The pitcher throws underhand and must attempt to throw a strike on every pitch.
- If a batter does not swing, the pitch is deemed to be a ball.
- If a batter is hit by the pitch, the batter remains in the box, and the pitch is deemed to be a ball.
- No cellphones are allowed on the field.
- No food or drink is allowed on the field.
- No cellphones are allowed on the field.
- No food or drink is allowed on the field.
- Fielding gloves are encouraged, but not mandatory.
- It is encouraged to rotate defensive positions each inning, but it is mandatory to rotate catchers.