Rules

AWL Wiffle Ball Rule Book

1. The regular season consists of teams each playing in 3-4 games.

2. The playoffs consist of the best three teams per division, the top divisional seeds both get a first-round bye.

3.  In terms of the season schedules, the commissioner will determine the schedule before the start of the season.

4. Each year, a single round draft introducing new players into the league is held. The draft consists of eight total picks. Players who are able/allowed to enter the league that are not drafted, are considered as un-drafted free agents, and may join a team as soon as a captain picks them up. The first two picks consist of the two teams that missed the playoffs. The team with the worst record of those two picks first. Beyond the first and second picks, the draft order is randomized. 

5. Roster sizes consist of 5 active max and 2 reserve players max per team.

6.  All active and reserve players are under control of their specific team unless they are traded or cut. Only the team captain can perform trades or cuts. Trades must receive verbal approval from the league commissioner.

7.  The trade deadline is before the final slate of games in the regular season. If a player is cut, they effectively become a free agent. Any team then has the opportunity to sign that player as there are no restrictions on where that player can sign next. There is no waiver order system. Before the start of the world series, players who have been eliminated once may join a team for the world series championship if allowed by manager of the team and commissioner.

GAMEPLAY:

8. 3 innings of regulation. In case of a tie after the final inning, extra innings are played until a winner is determined.

9. 3 outs per inning.

10.  1 ball for a walk, 1 strike for an out.

11.  A pitch is considered a strike if it hits any part of the strike zone frame on a fly including pvc, metal, pieces of zip tie, etc.

12. The mercy rule per half inning on offense is 6 runs per team. In the last inning and extra innings there is no mercy rule. 

13.  Only 3 players play in the field on defense, including the pitcher. Non-pitching fielders (outfielders) can be freely changed by a manager throughout the game.

14.  Outs are recorded by strikeouts, flyouts, force outs, hitting the backstop or strike zone before a runner makes it home, tagging a runner off of any base, or pegging a runner off any base.

15. If a batter is hit by a pitch, it is ruled a ball.

16.  There are intentional walks. An intentional walk can be performed through verbal action.

17.  If a batter is thrown a ball or intentionally walked, they must take the walk.

18.  Pinch hitting is allowed at any point during a game. However, players cannot be added to a batting lineup during a game without substitution.

19.  A batter may switch batters boxes during the course of an at-bat, but is not allowed to do so while the pitcher is already in their motion towards home plate.

20.  A player cannot lean in on the plate intentionally to get hit by the pitch. This will result in an automatic strike.

21.  Whether a bat is deemed as legal will be based on the commissioner's decision. All legal bats being used are the official yellow WIFFLE bats and bats with plastic barrels smaller than a baseball bat. All legal balls being used are the official 8 hole WIFFLE balls and may be knived, scuffed, or unscuffed.

22.  If a player is found to be using an illegal bat, then a fair ball hit will be ruled as an automatic out.

23.  A player may use any legal bat in their at bat, and are allowed to switch bats at any time during an at bat.

24.  Teams are allowed to utilize a DH for the pitcher.

25. The pitcher needs to be touching the pitching rubber with at least their back foot on his/her motion.

26.  There are no balks.

27. Pitches must be thrown under the limit of around 30 MPH to players under 6. Pitches must be thrown under the limit of 60 MPH to players under 13. There is no limit after that. If a pitcher throws a little faster than the limit, they will receive a warning. After a few warnings, it will result in an automatic ball.

28.  Pitchers must wait for the hitter and production team to be set before throwing a pitch. Umpire discretion will rule no-pitch if this rule is violated.

29. If the ball goes over the fence on a bounce, goes under the fence, or goes through an opening on the fence, then a ground rule double is called.

30. If a ball is hit in the air above a foul pole, umpire discretion may be necessary to determine whether a home run or foul ball should be called. An imaginary vertical line running vertically upwards from the foul pole will be used to determine whether or not a ball was inside or outside of the fair line.

31. If a player throws the ball out of play, each runner will be awarded one base and the play is ruled dead.

32.  If a ball is thrown home and hits either the backstop or strike zone, then time is called on the field meaning that the play is dead as soon as the play at the plate is over.

33.  The ball has to touch or be inside of the foul lines for a ball to be in fair territory.

34. On a play at the plate, the runner will be ruled out if the ball hits the strike zone or backstop before the runner touches home plate.

35. If there is no backstop, the same rule applies except the ball must simply cross the plate to beat the runner and get him out.

36. There is no stealing.

37. There is no leading off. Players can leave a base once a pitched ball has reached home plate.

38. Ghost runners may be necessary.

39. Ghost runners move at the same pace as the player behind them.

40. The only way to get a ghost runner out is either at a play at the plate, or a force out. You cannot peg or tag a ghost runner out.

41.  Players are allowed to tag up. Ghost runners are not.

42. If a runner gets in the way or interferes with the fielder intentionally, then the runner is out.

43. On an over the fence home run, it doesn't matter if you miss a base.

44.  If a batter hits the ball and it hits a runner in the air or on the bounce, then the runner is ruled out.

45.  If a team has multiple baserunners on, the runners may switch positions if desired.

46. Once players are on bases and obviously staying, or all runners give consent and say they are staying the play is dead.

47. Each team/manager has one challenge per game.

48. They may challenge any call. If the challenge is reviewed and overturned in their favor, they may retain their challenge and use it over and over until they lose it. If a team challenges, and the call stands and does not go in their favor, they lose their challenge and may not challenge a call for the rest of the game. The umpire may review a call unlimited times.

49. Be respectful to other teams/players at all times. Bat-flips/celebrations of any kind is allowed as long as you're not mocking a certain team or player.

50. The pitchers mound is positioned 38 ft. from home plate for players 13+. Players under 13 may pitch from 32ft. away from home plate.

1. There is no base running, ghost runners only. Hit balls that stop before the fence or are not fielded cleanly by the defense is a single resulting in one base. Hit balls that roll to the fence are doubles resulting in two bases. Balls that hit off the fence on a fly are triples and balls that are hit over the fence are home runs.

2. Ghost runners advance the same number of bases as the hitter. One base on singles, two bases on doubles, three bases on triples and a homerun results in all runners and the batter scoring.  On walks, runners only advance if forced.

3. A line will be on the ground from which pitchers must pitch from. The front line will be set at 32 feet from the front edge of home plate and the back line will be 38 feet from the front edge of home plate. For players 13+, they will pitch from the 38 ft line.

4. Instead of a catcher, a strike zone target will be positioned behind home plate.  It will measure 17” wide by 22” tall. Pitched balls that hit any point on the strike zone target (on the fly) will be counted as strikes.  A net may be placed behind the strike zone targets to stop errant or fouled off pitches and to keep game play going.

5. Only the white baseball sized official “Wiffle Ball” (eight slots) will be used in this tournament.  Any balls torn with more than two cracks in the ball will be removed from game play and replaced. 

6. No foreign matter may be added to the ball.  All balls will be scuffed with sandpaper/concrete/knife to improve grip.

7. The official skinny yellow Wiffle bats and bats smaller than a baseball bat will be the only ones allowed for use in the tournament.  At least two bats will be assigned to each field/game, but teams are also allowed to bring their own bats if they choose. The entirety of the bat will be allowed to be taped up with bat tape/duct tape (the assigned bats may also be taped up). Excessive amounts of tape may result in a bat being deemed illegal (tourney director discretion). Bats may not be modified in any other way.

8. No baseball mitts allowed (bare hands).

9. Batting gloves may be worn, but only when batting and not while in the field.

10. Teams may consist of two to five players.  All players bat in a predetermined order. Only three players play in the field at any one time, the pitcher and two fielders.

11. The names submitted at time of registration are the only players that can play on your team in the tournament.  Revisions to team rosters will be allowed up until the start of the tournament.

12. You must have a minimum of two players to play. Less than two players present at 5 minutes past your scheduled start time results in a forfeit.

13. Fielding/pitching substitutions may be allowed during an inning.

14. If a player is injured during the game and cannot continue, the team may continue on with one player if they choose to.  The injured player cannot return to the game and is each time his spot in the lineup comes up, it counts as an out.

15. Uniforms are not required, but are encouraged.

16.  Games will last three innings other than the championship game which is five.  Extra innings will be played as needed to determine winners on games tied after the final scheduled inning ends.

17. A bat toss before the start of the game will determine the home team. The two captains/managers of each team will take turns placing there hands on top of the others until one player must place there hand on the knob/top of the bat. That player may now call home or away.

18. The mercy rule is a 10 run lead after the end of two innings. Mercy rule for an inning is 6 runs before the final inning.

19. The initial order of batters in the first inning establishes your batting order.

20. Four balls constitutes a walk. Three strikes is a strikeout.  Pitched balls that directly the frame of the strike zone target, as well as pitches that are swung on and missed or fouled are considered strikes. Pitches that are not swung at that do not hit the strike zone target are balls.  A foul tip with two strikes that directly hits the target is a strikeout.

21. Intentional walks are allowed, and must simply be called out by the pitcher, and may be done before or during an at bat.

22. There are no hit by pitches.  A hit batter simply counts as a ball.  The hands are considered part of the bat, balls striking the hands are live or foul balls. 

23. Batters who intentionally throw a part of their bodies in front of pitched balls that are headed towards the strike zone will be called for batter’s interference and called as an automatic strike.

24. The batter is responsible for calling out the situation with the runners and outs before he steps in for the first pitch of each at bat.

25. Balls that are hit that touch in fair territory that stop before the wall are singles resulting in the batter reaching first base.  This would include balls that land on a fly without touching the fence, or ground balls that are not cleanly fielded.

26. Balls that are hit that touch the fence in fair territory on the ground are doubles resulting in the batter reaching second base.

27. Balls that are hit off of the fence in fair territory on a fly (even if tipped/touched by a fielder while still in the air and still hitting the fence) are triples resulting in the batter reaching third base.

28. Balls hit over the fence between the two foul lines/poles are home runs. Balls knocked over the home run fence by a fielder attempting to rob it without the ball touching the ground first are home runs.  Balls that hit the foul poles are fair balls and home runs.

29. Any fly balls/line drives dropped by/deflected off of a fielder in fair territory without hitting the wall or going over the wall before touching the ground are counted as an error and will result in the batter reaching first base which is the same as an single.

30. Popped up foul balls may be caught for outs.  If dropped in foul territory, they are not considered singles and will be treated the same as a foul ball.

31. Any hit ball that touches the ground in foul play without spinning back into fair territory will be counted as a strike other than strike three.

32. Cleanly fielded hit ground balls in fair play that do not make it to or past the fence are outs. The hitter is out and the runners do not advance.

33. Ground balls that stop before being fielded or hitting the wall in fair territory will be counted as a single.

34. There is no tag up, sacrifice fly play, or double play rules in this tournament. Caught fly balls are outs and the runners do not advance.

35. Tournament officials/director will settle disputes on calls.

36. There are 3 outs per half inning.

37. The home team will pitch first.

38. A pitcher cannot pitch more than two innings in a game, with an “inning” being defined as throwing one pitch in any inning. The only exception would be an extra inning game, where in the event of extras, any pitcher may throw until the game is over.

39. There is no limit to how much a pitcher can throw in the bracket play/playoffs/championship game(s).

40. Pitchers must face at least one batter in one complete at-bat before being replaced by a relief pitcher.

41. New pitchers get five warm up pitches before the start of the game or when coming into the game for the first time. All pitchers get three warm up pitches before the start of the second and all subsequent innings.

42. Both feet must start on or right in front of the pitching line/mound and only the stride foot may extend past the pitching line/mound when the ball is released.

43. Distracting jewelry or clothing (as decided by tournament officials) may not be worn by pitchers.

44. All teams will play 2 pool play games to determine seeding for bracket play.

45. Teams are seeded in this order of tiebreakers: W-L record, matchups, run differential, bat toss.

46. The pool play matchups will be randomly decided by the tournament director

47. Any disputes over game outcomes will be handled by the tournament director, whose decision is final.

48. In the event of rain that prohibits or limits play, every effort will be made to have all teams get in at least one game.  If needed, we will seed bracket play off of games we were able to play and resume play another day TBD.

49. In a tournament with 8 teams or less, the top 4 teams will be seeded into semi-final matchups, then the winners of those two games will play in the championship game. In a tournament with 10 teams or more, the top 8 teams will be seeded into quarter-final matchups, the winners of those four games will play in semi-finals matchups, then the winners of those two games will play in the championship game.

50. The 1 seed will always take on the worst seed in bracket play, the two middle seeds will play, and so on.