WATER WIFFLE BALL 2012 OFFICIAL RULES

- SEASON RULES
- 5 Teams (Sharks, Seahawks, Classics, Dash, Team5)
- 32 Game Regular Season
- 8 Games against each team (4 Home, 4 Away)
- 5 and 4 seeds play 1 game playoff to see who makes playoffs
- 1 seed decides whether they want to play winner of 4/5 game or 3 seed after 4/5 game is completed.
- 1st round is a 5 game series
- Championship is 7 game series


- TRANSACTION RULES
- Trades are allowed must be agreed upon by the two team captains
- Team Captains (Sharks - M.Gibson, Dash - D.Gibson, Classics - C.Martin, Seahawks - Shelton, Team5 - P.Bullock)
- Team Captains can change teams but only after 10 games into the season and they will be subjected to waivers with the worst team getting first chance to claim them and so on. If a captain does quit a team he can never be a captain or a keeper again.
- If you release a player they go to waivers and can be picked up but you have to take whoever the claiming team cuts, if no one picks up the released player he goes back to the original team.

- GAME RULES
- Outside of the original baseball like structure 3 strikes your out runs score crossing home plate etc.
- Every game will have at least one official umpire who will make close calls regardless of arguments.
- If you continue to complain about a call or if you try to start a fight with someone you can be ejected at the umpire's discretion.
- PITCHING RULES
- Must pitch from the mound which is located close to the 1st base straight in line with the strike zone chair and right at where the shallow meets the deep so right on the dip.
- Must have some sort of wind up twist basically just to keep people from quick pitching.
- No sliding wind ups need to wind up then come straight ahead with the ball.
- Pitching speed is a slow to medium throw
- IF the umpire calls you for a speed pitch or quick pitch the pitch will not be counted.
- You will receive up to 5 warnings if you hit the 5 warnings you are done pitching for the rest of the game.
- If you get ejected two pitching games in a row you will receive a 5 game pitching band.
- If it happens any after that you will be given a season pitching band.
- The hope is to not give any pitching bands but to keep the integrity of the league the pitching has to be at a hittable speed due to the short distance of the mound.
- The strike zone is the chair bar and up any close calls are up to the umpire's interpretation.
- If you are pulled from pitching you can not go back into the game unless you pitch with the opposite hand.
- A new pitcher can have 5 warm up pitches.

- BATTING
- Bat from the diving board can't switch from righty to lefty in the midst of an at bat.
- Throwing the bat whether out of frustration or on accident is an out unless you catch it before it hits the ground.
- Optional Walks, if you get walked you have about 30 seconds to decide whether or not to take the walk. If you choose not to take the walk the balls in your count will reset but your strikes will remain. So if you get walked 4-1 and choose not to take it the count is now 0-1.
- Bunt, each game each team will be allowed to use 1 bunt. This has to be called before the batter gets 2 strikes but if it's called the person batting is out but every person on base gets to advance one base EXCEPT if a runner is on 3rd he will not advance home.
- If you have complaints about the pitches and they aren't called by the umpire call time and talk to the ump and tell him what you have a complaint with or after the at bat and they will pay closer attention to it if it is a legitimate complaint.
- Hits short of the in play part of the pool are fouls and count as strikes just as a regular foul would.



- BASERUNNING
- No lead offs
- Can start moving upon ball being released from pitcher's hand.
- No stealing bases.
- Can advance one base on an out of play over throw.
- No messing with the pitcher splashing him or whatever while on base a continued habit of this could resort in an out.
- Must swim the bases.
- Ghost runners can be issued if need be but they only go as far as they are pushed. if someone hits a double with a man on first the ghost man is just moved to third.
- Ghost runner outs, you can get the ghost runner out as long as you hit the force out base before the runner gets to first.

- DEFENSE
- Foul tips are elegible to be caught for an out
- Can place fielders anywhere except in the foul area of the pool, to the right of the diving board before first base in the hitter's field of vision, or on the deck.
- You can have a fielder on the first step of the deck and anything they catch or knock down is an out or in play but if it bounces off of them and goes out it's a homer.
- You can catch a ball off of the umbrella for an out if the umbrella is put up. That is the only object you can catch a ball for an out from.
- You can touch the base with foot or hand while having the ball to get an out or hit the base before the runner gets there if it's a force play, You can tag the runner with the ball or you can peg the runner as long as it's not a hard peg, a hard peg is determined by the umpire. Throw a soft peg since you'll be throwing at people's heads anyway.
- If it's not a force play as long as the base runner doesn't touch the base you hit they just have to go back to the previous base.
- Can make outs in foul territory
- Can stand on the black fence ledge and rob homers if that's where you want to place your defender.
- If there is a fan interference it will be up to the umpire to redo the play or call it an out but the fan if it was delibarate interference will be given an out his first at bat of his next game.
- Can't trap a ball on the wall.
- Can get an out at first by hitting the bucket or the two bricks directly below the bucket.
- Can get an out at 2nd by throwing it in the white stair area or hitting the silver rail.
- Can get an out at 3rd by hitting the bucket or the two bricks directly below the bucket.
- Can get an out at home by hitting diving board, blue net, or the strike zone of the chair the most recent player batted from.
- Infield fly rule if there's a fly ball that lands in the pool AND a person is on base it's an out and you can't turn a double play off of it. If it lands outside of the pool it's alive for double plays or whatever. If a person trying to field it in the pool hits it out it is still an infield fly if there's a man on base.



- FIELD AREA
- Balls are in play if their within the pitchers arm length and he goes for it this is mostly an umpires call so if it's a short hit and it's anywhere near 1st go ahead and jump in or field it if you're the pitcher just to be safe.
- Hits that hit the top of the deck railing where it's flat are homeruns.
- The foul pole to the left is that window facing the batter, if it hits the window it's a fair ball (not a home run) if it hits to the left of the window it's foul. If the ball hits the gutter or higher it's a homerun as long as it's fair.
- To the left of 3rd base before going past third base is foul if it's not at the window. It will most likely hit the hammock confirming that it's foul but if it doesn't it's the umpire's call.
- On the first base side anything to the batter's right of first is foul unless it's past first base these spots will be marked.
- On the deck or roofing of the house is a homerun including the window facing the batter past the deck as long as it hits window or above. The window that's farther than the deck but faces sideways next to the black fence is in play and not a homerun unless it bounces off of it and goes over.
- Over the straight away black fencee is a homerun even in the foul area so left handers can pull the ball for homers.
- Non homers in the foul area around the black fence are foul.
- A ball that goes through the black fence instead of over is a ground rule double which runners on base just go as far as they're pushed.
- A ball on the ledge is also a ground rule double.
- MISCELLANEOUS
- If a player shows up late and his team is hitting he can not hit that inning he must wait and lead off the following inning.
- All players from teams need to be invited to every game.
- Ideally each team will have at least three players present for a game if there are extenuating circumstances we will discuss with the umpires and opposing teams if you could play with two.
- Competitiveness but no all out wars this year rivalries are great but not to the point where people are legitimately mad at each other outside of the sport.