Intramural Wiffleball Rules

GENERAL RULES: A. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: A team consists of three players on the field at one time. A minimum of three players are required within five minutes of the scheduled start time in order to start a game or the game will be forfeited. B. GAME LENGTH: a. All games are six (6) innings long. In the event of a tie after six innings, extra innings will be played. Beginning in the 7th inning, each team will start their at-bat with the bases loaded. b. There are three (3) outs per inning. c. If the first game of the double-header is not completed within forty minutes of the scheduled starting time, the game will be called after the next complete inning so the next game may begin. The second game must end five minutes before the next scheduled game is to start, even if the required number of innings are not played, unless it is the last game of the night. C. KEEPING SCORE: Keeping score is the responsibility of the batting team. D. START OF THE GAME: All scheduled regular season games are double-headers. A coin toss will determine the choice of home team for the first game. The home team will then become the visiting team for the second game. E. FIELD SPECIFICATIONS: a. Pitcher’s rubber is three feet wide and located approximately forty (40) feet from home plate. b. The object strike zone is approximately twenty-eight (28) inches high by eighteen (18) inches wide, and situated sixteen (16) inches from the ground. c. The single line is approximately forty (40) feet from home plate. d. The double line is approximately fifty (50) feet from home plate. e. The triple line is approximately seventy (70) feet from home plate. f. Home run line is approximately 12 feet high, or above the top of the black separating line. g. Foul lines are considered fair territory. h. The intersection of the first line (singles line) and the foul lines act as first and third base on the field in determining whether a batted ball is fair or foul. F. GAME EQUIPMENT: a. Only officially licensed Wiffleball bats and balls are allowed for use during games. b. Tape may only be applied to first eight (8) inches of the handle portion of the bat. c. Any other alterations to the bat and balls are illegal. This includes the addition of any foreign substance such as pine tar, spit, etc. d. Both teams are allowed to use all legal bats on site. e. All game balls will be provided by the Boston University Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. G. PLAYERS: a. Batting order may consist of three (3) to five (5) players, but the number of players in the batting order must remain consistent throughout the game. b. Only three (3) players are allowed to play the field at any one time, including the pitcher. c. Free substitution in the BATTING ORDER is NOT allowed. Once a player is replaced in the batting order he/she may not return to the game. Free substitution IS allowed in the field among players already in the batting order. H. PITCHING: a. The pitcher shall assume a pitching position with one or both feet in contact with, but not to the side of the pitching rubber. During the delivery of a pitch the pitcher’s feet must remain within the width of the pitching rubber. No side step deliveries. b. The pitcher may hold or grip the ball in any manner before delivery without altering the shape of the ball. c. The pitcher may release the pitched ball in any manner when delivering the pitch. d. “No pitch” will be declared when the pitcher delivers any pitch not in accordance with the rules. e. There are no balks. f. A pitcher entering the game must face at least one (1) batter before leaving the mound. g. A pitcher must finish pitching to any batter he/she starts pitching to, barring injury. h. A pitcher may not wear distracting jewelry. i. Pitching velocity will be at “medium” speed (approximately 30-35 mph maximum). j. No warm-ups are allowed between innings. I. BATTING: a. The object strike zone is located behind home plate. Any pitch that strikes the object strike zone, excluding the legs, will constitute an out. b. Any pitch that does not contact the object strike zone in the air is a ball. c. Five (5) balls constitute a walk. d. Any foul ball is considered a strike. e. Any combination of four (4) foul balls and/or three (3) “swinging” strikes constitutes an out. Note: After the second strike, batter has two foul balls or one swinging strike to be out. f. Batting out of order is an appeal play. 1. If the error is discovered while the incorrect batter is at bat, the correct batter may take their place and assume any balls or strikes-no outs are called. 2. If the error is discovered after the incorrect batter has completed their turn at bat, the player that should have batted is out, all runs are canceled and the base runners must return to their original positions. The next batter is the one who follows the player who should have batted. 3. If the error has been discovered after there have been one or more pitches since the incorrect batter in the order, anyone skipped loses their turn at bat. g. A hit batter does not take his/her base. h. A batter cannot catch any pitched ball. A caught pitch is automatically a strike. i. A batter in his/her natural batting stance may not encroach closer than six (6) inches from home plate as designated by the batter’s box. j. If a batter is struck by a ball while breaking the six (6) inch plane of the batter’s box, the pitch is called a strike. k. Any ball hitting any object in the ceiling area prior to crossing the double line is considered foul, and can be caught for an out. J. BASE RUNNING: a. There is no base running. b. Getting runners on base: 1. A runner is placed on first following a walk. 2. Any ground ball hit in fair territory and continues beyond the single line before being fielded cleanly by a fielder is considered a single. 3. Any fly ball landing past the single line, at the 40 foot mark, in fair territory is a single; runner is placed on first. 4. Any fly ball landing past the double line, at the 50 foot mark, in fair territory is a double; runner is placed on second. 5. Any fly ball landing past the triple line, at the 70 foot mark, in fair territory, or hitting the wall or support beams below the twelve (12) foot line in the air and in fair territory is a triple; runner is placed on third. 6. Any ball hitting the wall or support beams above the twelve (12) foot line in fair territory is a home run; a run is scored. 7. Any ball hitting any object in the ceiling area beyond the double line will be declared a homerun. c. Runners already on base at the time of a hit advance the same number of bases as the batter does. Example: Runner on second. Batter hits a single. Runner advances to third. d. Runners do not need to be forced. e. Members of the batting team are responsible for returning pitched balls to the pitcher. K. FIELDING: NOTE: The pitcher is considered a fielder. a. All fielders must be in fair territory at the time of the pitch and no fielder can be in front of the pitching rubber. b. Fielders may only take one step forward over the first line (single line) to field a ground ball. If the ball does not reach the fielder within one step of the line, the ball is ruled a foul. c. A fielder can go anywhere in play to catch a fly ball. d. A batted fair fly ball that is dropped by a fielder attempting to make a catch in front of the singles line is a single even though it did not cross the singles line. e. If there is at least one (1) runner on base, and a fly ball is caught, the fielder can attempt a double play by throwing the ball at the object strike zone. The ball MUST be caught and thrown ALL IN ONE MOTION and hit the object strike zone on the fly. f. Ground balls must be fielded cleanly in front of the singles line for an out. 1. Ground balls may only be fielded for an out by the fielder making initial contact with the ball. 2. “Cleanly” is defined as not allowing the ball to touch the ground after the fielder makes contact. g. There is no infield fly rule. h. Baseball gloves are not allowed. L. MERCY RULE: Any team leading by twelve (12) or more runs after four (4) innings, or 3 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead, will be declared the winner of the game. CO-REC RULES: * All of the previous rules which apply to men’s and women’s intramural wiffleball also apply to co-rec wiffleball, plus the following. 1. There must be at least one woman on the field at all times. 2. Women can bat at any position in the batting order.