Wiffleball Rules
Overview
- Games are played 5 vs. 5
- Maximum of 8 players per team
- No gender requirements
- Five defensive players are allowed on the field at one time:
- Pitcher
- 1st Base
- 2nd Base
- 3rd Base
- Outfielder
GAME Play
- Games are 7 innings or an hour, whichever comes first.
- Three outs per half inning.
- Each team receives one Golden Batter per game.
- The batting team must announce their Golden Batter before the at-bat begins.
Balls & Strikes
- Batters begin with a 1-1 count.
- Each batter receives:
- 2 Strikes
- 3 Balls
A strike is:
- A pitch that hits the strike zone stand.
- A swing and a miss.
- Any foul ball.
A ball is:
- Any pitch that misses the strike zone.
- A hit batter (HBP counts as a ball).
Batting Rules
- No bunting.
- An 8-foot No Bunt Line is in play.
- Any ball that does not travel beyond the no bunt line is automatically ruled foul.
- There are no foul outs.
Base Running
- No stealing.
- No leading off.
- Runners may leave their base only after the ball is hit into play.
- Defensive players may record an out by tagging the runner with the ball or by throwing the ball and hitting (“pegging”) the runner while they are off a base.
- Any runner hit in the head or neck by a thrown ball is automatically safe. Defensive players should always aim below the shoulders when attempting to record an out by pegging a runner.
- At home plate, a runner may be retired by pegging the runner or, on a force play, by stepping on home plate while in possession of the ball before the runner scores.
- Runners who are safely touching a base cannot be pegged out.
Field Dimensions
- Home Plate to 1st Base: 45 feet
- Home Plate to 3rd Base: 45 feet
- 1st Base to 2nd Base: 40 feet
- 2nd Base to 3rd Base: 40 feet
- DURING THE PLAYOFFS, ONLY PLAYERS ON YOUR ROSTER ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY.
League policies
Forfeits
If you know in advance that your team will be unable to attend a scheduled game, please notify the Hive Athletic office as soon as possible by calling 201-528-5129 or emailing info@hiveathletic.com. Early notice allows us to inform your opponent and update the schedule.
playoffs
- Playoffs will begin immediately following the regular season and will typically be played in a single evening.
- All playoff games are single elimination.
- Championship night will include a Home Run Derby before the championship game.
- No substitute players are permitted during the playoffs.
- All players must be on the official roster and have signed the online waiver by the third week of the season to be eligible for playoffs.
- 50% of teams make the playoffs
- Any questions regarding rules or player eligibility must be addressed before the start of the game.
Waivers
Every participant must complete the online Hive Athletic waiver before playing. Players who have not signed the waiver are not eligible to participate and will not be eligible for the playoffs.
Sportsmanship
Hive Wiffleball is built around fun, sportsmanship, and bringing back the backyard games we all grew up playing.
While competition is encouraged, respect for teammates, opponents, officials, and staff is expected at all times.
The following behaviors will not be tolerated:
- Fighting
- Threatening or abusive language toward players, officials, or staff
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
- Excessive arguing or disruptive behavior
Hive Athletic reserves the right to issue warnings, eject players from games, suspend players, or remove individuals from the league if their behavior negatively impacts the experience of others.
Fighting will result in an automatic ejection and will typically may result in suspension or ban from the league.
Player Safety
Player safety is our top priority.
- Defensive players should always aim below the shoulders when attempting to peg a runner.
- Any runner struck in the head or neck by a thrown ball is automatically safe, unless the runner intentionally lowers or moves their head into the throw.
- Dangerous or reckless throws may result in warnings or ejections at the discretion of Hive Athletic staff.
League Tiebreakers
If two or more teams finish the regular season with the same record, playoff seeding will be determined using the following tiebreakers, in order:
- Overall Record
- Head-to-Head Record
- If the tied teams played each other during the regular season, the winner of that matchup receives the higher seed.
- Record Against Other Playoff Teams
- If teams remain tied, their record against all other playoff-qualified teams will be compared.
- Coin Flip
- If teams remain tied after all previous tiebreakers, a Hive Athletic staff member will conduct a coin flip to determine the higher seed.
Standings
The updated standings will be posted weekly online.
Player eligibility
Players who have been placed on the roster and signed the waiver are eligible for playoffs. A formal protest may be filed before a playoff game if an opposing player’s eligibility is in question. The player in question will be required to provide his/her player information (name, address, phone #) in writing to a HIVE ATHLETIC staff member prior to the start of the game. This qualifies as an official protest. Any protest made during a game or after a game will NOT be considered a formal protest. The game will then be played in its entirety as scheduled. If the protest is proven to be legitimate, it will result in the forfeiture of the game in question.
LEAGUE CANCELLATION/RAINOUT:
Please call our weather hotline for the most up to date information on any cancellation (201-528-3271). Leagues may be postponed due to existing weather conditions, dangerous or unplayable field conditions, facility constraints, etc. HIVE ATHLETIC staff makes every effort to play all scheduled games, thus we will not cancel games until absolutely necessary. Therefore, if you are calling concerning a decision on a cancellation, remember we will not have an answer until close to the start of the league.
If a game is postponed, HIVE ATHLETIC will change the weather hotline immediately. HIVE ATHLETIC will then email/text all of the captains to let them know if possible. It is then the captains’ responsibility to inform all teammates of the cancellation. If a league is canceled on site, HIVE ATHLETIC staff will attempt to contact those teams still scheduled to play the remainder of the league day/night. Depending on the time of cancellation, some teams will have to be notified on site or not at all. If we do cancel, follow next week’s schedule (ex. If April 13 is canceled teams should follow the April 20 schedule for their next game). The games that are canceled will be made up towards the end of the season. In extreme circumstances, HIVE ATHLETIC reserves the right to move games or weeks to an alternative location or schedule games on days other than your regularly scheduled league day/night if necessary