2024 TWBL Rulebook

General Rules

All players will respect and adhere to the rules of TWBL and will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike fashion. Taunting, berating, or other types of disrespectful conduct towards opponents/commissioners will not be tolerated. Any violations may result in an ejection from the game. Formal protests can be made to the commissioner on staff at your field. Judgment calls cannot be protested. Calls by the commissioner will be final. Rules not stated herein will follow the rules of Major League Baseball. And lastly, live your backyard wiffle ball dreams to the fullest and have fun.

Equipment

1. Each team has been given 10 official Wiffle® Balls for games & practices.
2. You are responsible for your own foul balls.
3. An illegal ball will be declared when it has a crack greater than ¼ inch and will be removed from the game.
4. The ball may be scuffed, sanded, or knifed, but cannot have foreign matter added to it.
5. In preparing a ball you may not alter the sphereness/roundness or overall quality of the ball.

Teams and Rosters

1. A maximum of 4 players (1 pitcher and 3 fielders) may take the field at one time but you may bat your entire lineup and rotate people in and out of positions.
2. The batting order must remain constant throughout the entire game, batting out of order will result in an out.
3. Once a pitcher exits the game he may not re-enter to pitch but he can play another position.

The Game

All Texas Wiffle Ball League games will last 4 innings or 35 minutes. If the time limit is exceeded, the current inning will be deemed the last inning. If teams are tied at the end of 4 innings the winner will be determined on total bases.

Default or Standard Rules

• Each team receives 3 outs per inning.
• Fouls are unlimited unless a foul tip with two strikes hits the strike zone in which case the batter will be out.
• There is no physical baserunning. All baserunners will be imaginary/ghosts. There is no stealing.
• Fair and foul balls adhere to standard baseball rules.

Caught-Looking

The pitch count is 4 balls to a walk, 3 strikes to a strikeout. Unless, at any point, the batter watches a called strike, he is deemed out via strikeout. 

Mercy Rule

The mercy rule is 20 runs after 1 complete inning, 15 runs after 2 innings, and 10 runs after 3 innings. A 10-run mercy rule will remain in effect for the remainder of that game. If a game exceeds the 35-minute time limit, the current inning will be deemed the final inning, regardless of the score.

If a team's lead satisfies the differentials described above at the end of a complete inning, that team is deemed the winner.

Hits

• If a batted ball is dropped by a fielder and the ball falls on the ground, it will be ruled a hit.
• Any fair ball that passes the infield line will be ruled a single unless an eligible infielder (see below)  fields the ball before it comes to a complete stop. In which case, the infielder may proceed with attempting to record an out.
• A ground ball that comes to a complete stop inside of the infield line is ruled an infield single.
• A ball that rolls and hits the fence is ruled a double.
• A fly ball hitting the wall in the air is ruled a triple.
• A fly ball that goes over the outfield fence in fair territory has ruled a home run.

Tagging Up

With runners on third and/or second base and less than 2 outs, a team may try and advance the runners on a fly ball. When the ball is in the air the offensive team can yell “TAG” to activate the runners. If the fielder hits the backstop or strike zone in the air the lead runner will be out. If he doesn’t, the lead runner will advance 1 base. The throw to the zone or backstop must be made within reason. In general the fielder 1-2 seconds or 1-2 steps to make a throw. The timeliness of this throw is adjudicated by a commissioner or the batting team if no commissioner is present.

Total Bases

Total bases are determined by the outcome of the batter’s plate appearance. The batter does not earn a base when he reaches via fielder’s choice. There are no errors.

• Homerun = 4 bases
• Triple= 3 bases
• Double = 2 bases
• Single and Walk = 1 base

The Pitcher

The pitcher is allowed 8 warm-up pitches or 2 minutes before the start of the game, 5 pitches between innings, and 3 if he has to change balls due to an illegal or lost ball. He receives no warmups if he decides to change balls on his own during an inning. Relief pitchers will get 8 warm-up pitches if they need them.

• A pitcher must start his wind-up from the pitching rubber. The pitcher must have one foot touching the rubber when he releases the ball. If the ball is thrown in violation of this rule it will be ruled “no pitch”. Repeated violations may result in the pitcher being removed from the game.
• A pitcher entering the game must face 1 complete batter before being replaced.
• A wild pitch will be declared whenever a pitched ball completely misses and breaks the plane of the backstop without hitting the target, strike zone, batter, or the bat. All base runners will advance one base.
• There are no called balks in wiffle ball. However, the pitcher is not allowed to intentionally deceive the batter by balking.

Pitch Speed Limits

• The speed limit for pitchers is 60 MPH. The batting team is responsible for enforcing this rule.
• For pitches clocked between 60 and 65 MPH, the pitch will be deemed a "no pitch"
• For pitches above 65 MPH, the pitch will be deemed an automatic ball

The Batter

The batter may not intentionally move into the path of a pitch. If he does, he will be called for batter’s interference, and the pitch will be called a strike. A warning must be given first and will result in a “no-pitch”. The warning remains with that batter for the remainder of the game.

• A batter must move out of the way of a fielder’s throwing attempt. If the batter is standing in front of the backstop and or strike zone target and is hit by a fielder’s throw while the ball is in the air, a successful fielding play will be recorded, i.e. the batter will be called out.
• The batter’s hands are considered part of the bat ONLY if the batter is swinging.
• The batter will not touch foul balls until they come to a complete stop. If the batter does touch a moving foul ball and the ball is determined to have a chance of rolling into fair territory the batter will be ruled out. Bunting is not allowed.

Base Runners

There is no physical base running. Base runners are imaginary.

Base runners move as follows:

• One base on a single
• Three bases on a double and triple
• With two outs, all runners advance one extra base on a clean (untouched) hit through the infield.
• An infield hit does not get the two-out extra base

Fielders and Double Plays

All fielders must start in fair territory and must not line up in any manner to distract the batter. A fielder that started in the outfield is not allowed to field and record outs for ground balls in the infield. (see Double Plays for note)

Positioning of Eligible Fielders

• Fielders must position themselves on or before the line created by the outside edge of the base paths in order to be eligible to play a ball in the infield and record an out.
• The fielder must take this position before the pitch is released from the pitcher's hand
• A fielder that is not in the proper position to field the ball may not enter the eligible zone after a pitch is thrown and still make a throw home for the out. However, they may stop the ball from advancing any further.
• The batting team is responsible for adjudicating whether a fielder was positioned correctly before the pitch was released.

Infield Throwing Outs

An out is recorded when a ball is thrown directly toward home plate and hits the backstop or any part of the strike zone target in the air. In general, the infielder has about 2 seconds or 1-2 steps to release the throw. The timeliness of throwing outs is determined by the offense.

Double Plays

A double play successfully performed in three main parts:

1. A ground ball is fielded cleanly by either the pitcher or fielder (the fielding player)
2. The ball is tossed or thrown to another player (the receiving player) standing on second base
3. The player who received the ball throws from second base, hitting the backstop or strike zone in the air

An outfielder who was not declared an eligible infielder is still allowed to be a part of double plays as the receiver of the ball as part of an attempted double play. If they are not eligible, they cannot be the fielding player (step 1).

If the receiving player fails to get the out at home, one out is recorded for the batter and the lead, forced runner is safe at the next base.

The fielding player may perform an “unassisted” double play if he is on or near the base when the ball is fielded. At this point, he becomes the receiving player.

If the initial ground ball is not fielded cleanly, the fielder can still complete the out at home like normal, but the possibility for a double play is negated. Similarly, if the throw or toss to the receiving player at second base is dropped or significantly bobbled, all runners are safe and the batter is credited with an infield single.

Successful double plays will always record an out for the lead, forced runner. For example, with the bases loaded and less than two outs, a successful double play will record an out at home and the second out at first. The remaining ghost runners reside at second and third base.

With runners at first and third with less than two outs, the team must decide between a double play or holding the runner at third by performing a typical ground-out play at home. The runner at third can not advance home if a team chooses to forego a double play by throwing to the strike zone or backstop like normal. Successfully turning a double play awards the defense two outs, but the runner at third has now scored a run.

With two outs, double plays may not be performed. Though this may seem obvious, teams may not get the final out of an inning using the fielding and tossing parts of a typical double play.

Triple Plays

A triple play successfully performed in three main parts:

1. An eligible fielder cleanly fields a ball
2. If he is in the vicinity of third base, he is allowed to step on third base to record an out. If not, another fielder must cover third base to record the 1st of 3 outs.
3. The fielder on third base (whether that's the initial infielder or his teammate) must then throw to second base where another fielder is positioned to receive the throw similar to how a double play is turned. This receiver must cleanly catch the ball throw from third.
4. The receiver then must execute a throw home to hit the strike zone. If the ball misses the zone but hits the backstop, a double play is recorded. Missing the backstop completely will result in a failed triple play wherein an out will be recorded for the lead runner.
5. If all of the above steps are completed in a timely fashion with clean fielding and receiving, the fielding team will be awarded three outs and the inning is over.

If the initial batted ball is not fielded cleanly yet a triple play is still attempted, the batter is safe. However, the same rules that apply to bobbled or juggled balls apply if the eligible fielder forgoes a triple-play attempt.

The timeliness of a triple play will be assessed like a double play with slightly more grace for the added step.

Who makes the call?

1. Fair/Foul: Batter
2. Foul balls off the batter’s hands: Batter
3. Singles, doubles, and triples: Fielder closest to the ball
4. Check swings: Pitcher
5. Batter’s interference: Pitcher
6. Determining the timeliness of “TAG” calls: Defense
7. Whether a thrown ball hits the backstop/strike zone (tags and infield ground balls) & the timeliness of the throw: Offense
8. Wild Pitch: Offense
9. Legal Pitch: Offense
10. Infield positioning: Offense

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