Yard Ball League and Tournaments
Official Rules
2019 Official Rules
DIVISIONS OF THE CODE
1.00 Objec ves of the Game, the Playing Field, Equipment. 2.00 Defini on of Terms. 3.00 Regula ons and Rosters. 4.00 Ba ng, Baserunning. 5.00 Fielding, Ball in Play. 6.00 Pitching. 7.00 Pitching Rota ons. 8.00 Umpiring
1.00 – Objec ves of the Game.
1.01 The Yard Ball games are between two teams of five to ten players each.
1.02 The winner of the game shall be the team which shall have scored, in accordance with these rules, the greater number of runs at the conclusion of a regula on game.
1.03 The pitcher’s plate shall be a rectangular slab of whitened rubber. It shall be set in the ground so that the distance between the pitcher’s plate and home base (the rear point of home plate) shall be 30 feet.
1.04 STRIKE ZONE. There will be an object strike zone, measuring 20 Inches wide, 30 Inches high and 12 inches above the ground. The strike zone will be 42 feet from the pitching rubber, and 2 feet behind the p of home plate.
1.05 The ball used shall be only the classic trademarked Wiffle Ball which is about the same size as a regula on baseball. One half is perforated with eight oblong holes, with the second half solid.
1.06 Any plas c bat can be used and all modifica ons to its original form are permi ed unless you load the inside of the barrel with a foreign object.
1.07 Baseball gloves are NOT allowed, but ba ng gloves may be used while ba ng only.
1.08 Metal spikes of any sort are not allowed.
2.00 - Defini on of Terms.
BOARD K is a fouled third strike that hits the object strike zone. The result is a strikeout.
A GROUND RULE DOUBLE is a ba ed bat, which - (a) goes through or under the ou ield fence in any way; (1) a ground ball down the first or third base line that is fair but rolls past the loca on where the fence should extend to. (c) bounces off the ground and goes over the fence.
A HOME RUN is a ball that goes over the fence: in the air, off a fielder but doesn’t touch the ground, or hits a foul pole in the air. (a) A home run is also scored if a ba er legs out all four bases without a defensive error.
A STRIKE is a legal pitch, which – (a) Is swung at by the ba er and missed; (b) Is not swung at, but hits the object strike zone; (c) Is fouled by the ba er when he has less than 2 strikes; (d) Touches the ba er a er he swing at it; or (e) Hits a ba er who is leaning into the pitch (no first warning).
A STRIKEOUT is 3 strikes.
A WALK is 4 balls.
3.00 – Regula ons and Rosters.
3.01 At least 5 players per team must be present to play a legal game.
3.02 Teams may have at most 7 players playing defense.
3.03 Games are 6 Innings, using extra innings if necessary, 3 outs per team. (a) 10-run Mercy Rule will be used a er 4 innings if one team is ahead by 10 or more runs. If the home team is ahead by 10 or more runs in the bo om of the 4th,inning or later, or the away team is ahead by 10 at the conclusion of inning 4 or later, the game will be declared a victory for the leading team. (b) For games which are unable to be completed due to darkness and/or weather condi ons, a game will be considered official a er 4 innings are complete using the score at the me of the last completed inning. If the game is ed, the game will be completed at a later date.
4.00 – Ba ng, Baserunning.
4.01 A team ba ng order must consist of a minimum of 4 players. (a) Teams may bat up to 8 players, but the extras are considered designated hi ers.
4.02 Ba ng out of order results in an automa c out.
4.03 No inten onal bun ng is allowed. (a) A check swing that makes contact with the ball is not cons tuted as a bunt a empt.
4.04 A ba er may not stop poten al strike from hi ng the object strike zone by leaning into them or stopping them with their hand, hand on bat, elbow, or body. (a) The opposing pitcher is en tled to make this call. First offense will result in a strike on the ba er.
4.05 Throwing of bats to deliberately distract fielders when the ball is put in play by the ba er will result in an automa c out for the ba er and all baserunners will return to their original base.
4.06 No stealing or lead offs are allowed. The runner must wait un l the ball crosses the plate or is hit to leave the base.
4.07 Tagging on flies and liners is allowed; runners who leave early can be tagged out at the base they le .
4.08 Runners are allowed to "get in the way" of a ground ball for distrac on as long as the runner remains in the base line and does not interfere with the ball.
4.09 If needed runners can be subs tuted so that the ba ers can remain in the order of the line-up.
4.10 Runners are awarded the base they were headed to PLUS ONE on an errant throw that cause the ball to be considered unplayable. If the player a empts to retrieve the ball it is considered s ll in play. The player must throw their hands up in the air to no fy that it is out of play.
4.11 It is allowed to throw the ball and hit a runner. This is considered the same as tagging the runner. However, if a ball is thrown at a runner it is s ll considered a live ball whether it actually hits the runner or not. All other runners can con nue to advance.
5.00 – Fielding, Ball in Play.
5.01 No more than 6 fielders at one me on defense. Players may subs tute freely on defense.
5.02 Fielders may throw balls at runners for outs.
5.03 Players on defense MUST play barehanded. No gloves of any kind are allowed.
5.04 It is the pitcher's (defense's) responsibility to make sure the field of play is clear of extra balls. (a) A ba ed ball that hits any ball or ball bucket in the field of play (fair territory) results in an automa c single. It is a dead ball, and all runners advance one base.
5.05 A baserunner is called out if – (a) the ball touches any baserunner and he’s not standing on a base at the me. (1) A ball hit or thrown that bounces off the ground and hits the runner is an out. (b) he is forced out when a fielder tags the base he is headed to. (c) he is tagged out or hit with a thrown ball.
6.00 - Pitching.
6.01 Pitchers must pitch from the rubber or any mark on the ground meant to simulate the rubber.
6.02 Any type of pitching grip is allowed, but pitchers may not dent or otherwise deform the ball.
6.03 No loading balls (i.e., pu ng rocks/sand inside the ball.)
6.04 BALL IN HAND RULE. Pitchers may have one ball in hand, that is the one he is pitching. Offensive team should make pitcher aware of holding more than one ball. If called on this viola on a second me, it is an automa c ball. The pitcher or defensive team may not overrule a hit or other favorable offensive result by invoking the ball in hand rule. It's purely the offense's call. Balls in a pitcher's pocket or clothing do not count as “in hand.”
6.06 PITCH SPEED. Pitching speed is capped at 70 miles per hour. This will be enforced by using a radar gun that is set-up to measure each pitch. a) If the pitch is over 70 mph it will be considered a no-pitch and not count. 7.00 – Pitching Rota ons.
7.01 Any pitcher who started and/or pitched 3 or more innings the previous game may not pitch at any me during the following game. (a) No ma er how many innings a starter threw, they s ll may not pitch at any me during the following game. (b) If the starter is removed he may re-enter the game as the pitcher only once. A er he is removed the second me he is no longer eligible to pitch.
7.02 Relievers who threw less than 3 innings in the previous game may start or come in relief during the following game with no limit on the number of innings they pitch in that game.
7.03 If a pitcher walks 4 ba ers in a row they automa cally are changed. If the pitcher is the starter they may re-enter a er the new pitcher has thrown to at least one ba er.
8.00 – Umpiring. 8.01 All calls, safe, out, ball, strike, home run, etc. will be made only by players in the game. On close plays, players are encouraged to ask people on the bench or others watching if they saw the play. (a) If both teams agree, the call made by an independent party can stand. (b) If the call cannot be resolved by the players involved in the game, and they can not agree to let the independent person mediate the process by making the call, then a "do-over" will occur. (1) Every effort should be made by both teams to not have a play result in a “do-over.”