Official Rules

The Lawrence Wiffleball League will utilize the same rules used in Major League Baseball, with the following exceptions:

1. The Field – The field shall be a level playing surface of grass or dirt to the extent possible.  Fair territory shall be the area no less than 15 feet in front of home plate, between lines that could be drawn from the back point of the plate, through the top left and top right corner of the plate extending to the home run fence or area.  This will make an angle at home plate of approximately 54 degrees. First and Third base shall be 40 feet from home plate, on their respective foul lines.  Second base shall be 65 feet from home plate, on a line draw directly through the center of the two foul lines.  The Pitchers rubber shall be placed at 30 feet on the same line as second base.  The home run area or fence shall at no point be less than 65 feet from home plate, and the sum of the length from home plate and the height of the fence shall at no point be less than 69 feet.

2. Umpiring - In the absence of an umpire, teams will umpire their own games. Consensus among players will settle all disputes.  On close plays, ties go to the fielders.

3. Equipment - All bats used in league play must be regulation, yellow WIFFLE® bats. They may not be altered in any way, however they may have plastic tape on the handle. Balls must be WIFFLE®, baseball size. All shoes must be flat-soled (no cleats, turf shoes, or shoes with ridges, heels or exterior arches).

4. Rosters - All teams must have a minimum of two players on their roster. Each team shall have a maximum of three players in the game at all times.  If three players are used,one shall be a catcher.

5. Pitching - All pitches must be slow and have an arc on them. The batter may ask the pitcher to slow pitches down. There are no balks. The pitcher must have one foot on, and one foot in front of the rubber when the ball is released.  Pitching shall rotate between innings between the members of the team.

6. At bats - There will be no balls, walks, or called strikes. Batters may strike out swinging (including fouls before the third strike). Batters may choose, if they believe a pitch was a strike and they should have swung, to call a strike on themselves at their sole discretion.  Batters may choose not to swing at any pitch. Hit batters will not advance. One-handed batting will not be allowed.

7. Pitcher's Hand - All force plays on the batter going to first base may be made to the pitcher, who may be anywhere in fair or foul territory. The runner may also be put out by force at first base. All other force plays must be made to the bases or to home plate.

8. No infield fly rule will be in effect.

9. Stealing first - Batters may not steal 1st base after the catcher drops strike three.

10. Stealing and leading off - Base runners may not lead off; nor may they steal. Runners may leave their base after the batter makes contact with the ball.

11. Pegging - Fielders may throw the ball at runners. Runners struck below the neck will be out. Runners hit below the neck with a thrown ball which first hits any player, a base, or the ground first, will be out.  If a fielder misses a runner in an pegging attempt, the maximum amount of bases that the runner who was thrown at may advance is the base they were heading to, plus one.  Runners must advance at their own risk, and should more than one pegging attempt be made, the rule will be applied at the time the last pegging attempt is made.

12. Runner/ball contact - Base runners in contact with a base that are hit with a batted or thrown ball will be safe. Base runners between bases hit with a batted ball will be out.

13. Home runs - All balls hit over the designated home run fence in fair territory will be home runs.

14. Game – A complete game will consist of 6 innings. In the event of weather or other factors as agreed upon by both teams, the completion of 4 innings, or of 3 and a half innings if the home team is leading, shall constitute a complete game.

15. Mercy rule - If at the end of any inning a team leads by 15 runs or more, the game will be over. If the home team leads by 15 or more runs at any time during the bottom half of any inning, the game will be over.

16.  Batting out of Order – If a player bats out of order, the at-bat of that player shall stand, and each player who was skipped over, or who should have batted, will be called out. If two batters were skipped, the inning shall be immediately over, because of the two outs, and the at-bat of the person who batted out of order shall not count.

17. Sliding - Sliding on the basepaths shall not be allowed.  Any player who slides to avoid a throw or a tag shall be called out.