Athletics

Wiffleball

Wiffleball Roster/Registration Form

Wiffleball Rules (printable version)

Schedules & Dates

Brackets will be emailed to each captain, placed on the bulletin board across from the Rock Wall and posted online following the captain’s meetings.
This is a one-day tournament and will be held on Sunday, December 13^th in the field house.
The format of the tournament (single vs. double elimination) will be determined by the number of teams.

Teams

A team will play with five (5) players in the field.
Co-Ed teams must have at least 2 females in the field at all times.
A team can have up to eight (8) players on their roster, they may substitute freely during the game, and all players must bat.
Players arriving late may be added to the bottom of the lineup and enter the game at any time.

Forfeits

A team may start and play with as few as three (3) players.
- If starting with 4 players a co-ed team must have at least 2 females
- If starting with 3 players a co-ed team must have at least 1 females
If neither team has at least three (3) players at game time it will be considered a double forfeit.
Teams that forfeit their first game will be dropped from the tournament.

Equipment

Proper athletic shoes and clothing are required.
Whiffleballs and bats will be provided for each game.
Fielders may NOT use baseball/softball gloves. Hats may NOT be used to catch the ball.

Playing Field

All games will take place in the M&T Bank Field House in the GSFC.
The pitcher’s mound will be located 30 feet from home plate.
The distance between bases will be 45 feet.
The home run boundary will be approximately 90 feet from home plate.

Start of Game

The winner of the coin toss will have their choice of being the home team or visiting team.
The home team will play in the field first and have the last at-bat during the game.

Game Time & Length

Games will be 5 innings long with a 35-minute time limit. If time expires during the top part of an inning, the bottom half of the inning must be played (unless the home team is winning).
If a team is ahead by 10 or more runs after 3 complete innings, the game will be called.
A team may score a maximum of 10 runs in an inning, except for the last inning where there will be no maximum.
Extra innings will be played to settle any tied games.

Pitching

Teams will pitch to their own batters.
All pitches must be overhand.
An at bat will consist of a maximum of 3 pitches.
- If the batter fails to put any of these 3 pitches into play in fair territory they will be called out.
The ball cannot make contact with the ground prior to being hit.
The pitcher has no obligation to field a batted ball but they shall not intentionally interfere with a batted ball.
- If the pitcher does interfere with a batted ball, the batter is out and all runners must return to the bases occupied before the pitch.
- If a pitcher contacts the ball unintentionally, the ball is dead, all runners return to the previously occupied base, and the pitch is re-taken.

Batting

Each batter will receive a maximum of 3 pitches.
- - If the batter fails to put any of these 3 pitches into play in fair territory they will be called out.
There is NO bunting!
- - Any player that attempts to bunt will automatically be called out – even if a bunt is not made.

The batter must take a full swing at the ball.
- Chopping or half swings are not permitted.
- The batted ball must go past the 20-foot bunt line to be considered a live/fair ball. Any ball that does not go beyond this area or is fielded by the defense in this area is considered a foul ball.
  - The ball must roll completely past this line to be fair.

Running

Base runners may not lead, steal or leave their base until the ball is hit by the batter.
- Runners who leave their base early will be called out.
If a runner makes contact with a base and the base slides away from its original position, the runner cannot be tagged out.
- If the runner attempts to advance to another base, they may be put out and must return to the position of the dislodged base, not the original position of the base.
The base path of the runner is determined by the direct path between the runner and the base to which they are advancing to at that point in the play and three (3) feet to either side of that direct path. A player who runs outside his/her base path in an attempt to avoid a tag will be called out.
- NOTE: This path may be different than the straight line connecting the two bases. If a player runs 10 feet past 1^st base and then decides to run to 2^nd base, their direct path to 2^nd base will be different than someone who is standing on 1^st base and attempting to run to 2^nd base.
- For plays between home plate and 1^st base, the runner shall run in the 3-foot lane on the foul side of the foul line.
Runners are responsible for avoiding all collisions with fielders when they are attempting to make a play on the ball.
- If the runner fails to avoid contact, the runner will be ruled out, the batter is awarded first (unless they are involved in the collision) and all runners return to their original base (unless forced to the next base).
  - If the act is determined flagrant or intentional the offender shall be ejected.
A defensive player may not stand in the base path or obstruct the path of the runner unless he/she is making a play on the ball.
- If this takes place, the umpire should award the runner and each other runner affected by the obstruction the base they would have, in the ump’s opinion, reached if the obstruction hadn’t taken place.
There is no sliding.
There are no courtesy runners.
In the event that a player is on base when it is their turn to bat, the last batted out shall substitute for the player on base.
- If there are not enough players to fill in for a player who is on base and up to bat, a “ghost runner” will take their place and advance based on the batter’s hit.

Defense

The defensive team may put their five (5) players in whatever defensive positioning they would like.
- NOTE: The pitcher (supplied by the offensive team) has no obligation to field a batted ball.
Teams are not required to have a catcher behind home plate. The offensive team will be required to retrieve all pitches not put into play. However, the offensive team is not required to make plays on their own team at the plate – the defensive team will be required to have a catcher when this situation occurs.
There is no infield fly rule.
Overthrows that land out of play will result in each base runner being awarded two (2) bases from their position when the ball was thrown.
- Ex. If a player is standing on 1^st base when the ball was thrown they will move up two (2) bases to 3^rd base.
- If a player is in between 1^st and 2^nd base (no matter which direction they were running) when the ball was thrown, they will be awarded the 2^nd and 3^rd base.
  - If there are two runners between the same two bases, the front runner shall be awarded two bases and the other runner shall receive the base behind the front runner.

Outs

A batter or runner is out if:
- He/she fails to hit the ball in fair territory in 3 pitches
- The pitcher intentionally contacts a batted ball
- Batted ball is caught in fair or foul territory
- Ground ball is fielded to a base for a force out
- Defensive player tags a runner not in contact with a base
- Defensive player throws the ball and contacts a runner who is not in contact with a base BELOW THE SHOULDERS
  - If the ball hits the runner above the shoulders because the runner bent down to avoid the throw then the throw is legal.
  - If the thrown ball hits the ground before hitting the runner, no out will be made
- A batted ball contacts a runner
  - Ball is dead, runner is out, batter is awarded 1^st base, and all other runners return to their previously occupied base unless forced to advance by runner at 1^st base
- Runner slides or dives into a base
- Runner leads off base, attempts to steal or leave the base before the ball is hit
- Batter attempts to bunt

Substitutions

Teams are allowed to make as many substitutions as they would like.
If a player is ejected from the game, they may NOT be replaced. They must leave the playing area immediately. This means that that team will play with one person down.

Miscellaneous

Each participant must present their ID and sign in prior to the start of each contest.
Players arriving late must sign in upon arrival.
All fans must remain out-of-bounds for the entire contest.