Wiffle Ball League Rules

Wiffle ball is a variation of baseball, but without the spaciousness of huge ball parks. The game is ideal for children to play in backyards and on city streets. The ball is constructed of a lightweight, rubbery plastic, so it will not travel far when thrown or hit with a bat. Wiffle ball was invented in 1953 in Fairfield, Connecticut, and the game quickly became an organized sport. In the United States, more than 40 leagues and close to 300 teams belong to the National Wiffle Ball League Association. The leagues follow the official Wiffle ball rules.

  1. Equipment Required

    • Wiffle ball leagues require that you use the official Wiffle ball, a lightweight and plastic ball with eight holes. (The ball is sold and manufactured by Wiffle Ball, Inc.) Ideally, the Wiffle bat should be used during play, but many leagues allow you to use any hollow, plastic bats for the game. In the official Wiffle ball rules, an ordinary broom handle may also be used during play when the Wiffle bat isn't available.

    Size of Playing Field

    • According to the official Wiffle ball rules, no set playing field size exists. The playing field is triangular shaped. Four home run markers exist in the game of Wiffle ball by how far the ball travels off the bat: single area (recommended to be 24 feet from home plate on the foul line), double area (20 feet behind the single area on the foul line), triple area (20 feet beyond the double area on the foul line) and home run area. Balls that are hit past the triple marker give the player a home run. The Wiffle Ball, Inc., which is the company that invented the game, recommends the width at each home run marker is at least 60 feet in width.

    Number of Players

    • At least two players are rquired to play Wiffle ball: the pitcher and the batter. The official Wiffle ball rules state that the maximum number of players allowed to compete are 10: five players per side. When a full team is playing Wiffle ball, each side will have a pitcher, catcher, home run area fielder, double area field, and triple area fielder. With a full team, the fielders are not allowed to move from one area to the next. When more than two are playing Wiffle ball, each side must pick a captain. The captains get to choose players for their respective teams. Similar to baseball, Wiffle ball is played with one team in the field and the other team at bat.

    How to Play

    • The rules of Wiffle ball resemble those in baseball, with imaginary base runners. As such, an imaginary runner on first base advances one base for a single, two bases on a double and scores on a triple. An imaginary runner on second or third scores on any base hit. A Wiffle Ball game consists of nine innings. In the event of a tie, the game moves into extra innings. After three outs, the sides switch position (field players go to bat, and vice versa). To complete one inning, both sides have to bat. During a game, an out for the batter is recorded when a fielder catches a ball in foul or fair territory; when a fielder catches a ground ball while the Wiffle ball is in motion; or if the batter strikes out. Bunting is not allowed. When scoring, normal baseball rules are applied.