The Big Wiff

The Big Wiff Tournament – Hosted by Hillcrest Baseball

Date and Time: October 19th , 2024

Location: Hillcrest High School – Baseball/Softball Fields

Divisions: 13 and under,  14 and over

Roster Size: 4-6 players

Team Fee: $100

Registration Time: 8:00am

Pool Play Starts: 8:30am

PAST CHAMPIONS:

2023 – The Dirtbags (Tarik Allen, McKade Robinson, Rook Weatherly, Matt Gardels)

2022 – The Great Bambinos (Mason Reichelt, Easton Hughes, Aiden Ellett, Preston Osterman, Chase Bateman)

Tournament Rules

All rules used in Major League Baseball’s League will be adhered to with the following
exceptions:

1. Sportsmanship – All teams engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct will be removed from the tournament IMMEDIATELY at the discretion of the commissioners!

2. Umpiring – All calls are final!!

3. Equipment – All bats used in league play must be regulation, yellow WIFFLE bats. They may not be altered in any way, however, they may have plastic tape on the handle. Aluminum WIFFLE bats are not allowed. Balls will be WIFFLE baseball size. No steel cleats will be worn on the playing field. (Plastic cleats are allowed.)

4. Rosters – An official game will be four-on-four. All teams must have no less than four players and no more than six players on their rosters. Each team shall have at least 3 players on defense and no more than 4 players on defense.  Defenses are not required to have a catcher, as a pitcher could cover home in the event of a play at the plate. Teams must bat their entire roster.  No roster changes without the commissioners approval.

5. Players in a game – Teams unable to field two players from their original roster, at any time, for any reason, will forfeit any games until able to field at least two players from the original roster. “Yes, you can play with only 3 players in the event of an injury”.

6. Substitutions – Substitutions may be made. Teams can rotate or shuffle players defensively throughout the game, (especially on 5-6 player rosters). But you cannot change the starting batting order. If a player suffers a tournament-ending injury, they may be removed from your lineup without incurring an out, as long as you have 3 players or more available to hit.  If bases become loaded in this situation where a team of 4 loses a player due to injury, an automatic out will be given to the player at 1st to free up a hitter, and players will be shifted so that the runner at 3rd becomes the hitter.  No designated hitters allowed. You must stay with the same lineup throughout the game. No substituting players in and out of any current lineup during a game. (The commissioner will make all final decisions on Injury substitutions.)

7. Pitching – (Underhand Style) All pitches must be slow and have an arc on them. No sidearm pitching will be allowed. The batter may ask the pitcher to slow the pitches down. Balks are legal. The pitcher must have one foot on the rubber when the ball has been released. The legal arc range for strikes falls between 3ft and 10ft. The strike zone is the carpet or wood plate behind home plate. Balls meeting arc criteria that hit the orange plate will be called a strike. “Flat Pitching” is illegal and will not be allowed. Pitchers doing this will be asked only 3 times per game and the umpire has the right to change that teams pitcher at his discretion.

8. At bats – There will be no balls or walks. Batters may strike out swinging or by called 3rd strike or by hitting a foul ball with 2 strikes. Batters may choose not to swing at any pitch. Hit batters will not advance.

9. Intentional Walks – There are NO intentional walks.

10. Pitcher’s Hand – All force plays on the lead runner may be made to the pitcher, or any other player, who may be anywhere in the pitcher’s circle (Designated as “Pitchers Poison”) The runner may also be put out by any legal play at a base. For example, a ground ball to third, fielded and thrown to the pitcher standing within the pitcher’s circle, would result in a force play at any base. The force play is always the lead force-out runner.

11. The infield fly rule – Remains in effect. The infield is defined as the area between straight lines drawn directly from home plate to 1st to 2nd to 3rd and back to home.

12. Stealing or Leading Off – Base runners may not lead off from any base. Nor may they steal at any time. Runners may leave their base only after the batter makes contact with the ball.

13. Pegging – Fielders may throw the ball at runners ONLY from 3rd to home. Runners struck below the neck will be out. Unnecessary force will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and is possible grounds for dismissal from the tournament.

14. Runner/ ball contact – Base runners hit with a batted ball within fair territory will be called out.

15. Home Runs – All fair balls hit over the designated homerun fence will be homeruns!

16. Regulation Game – A regulation game will consist of five innings or 25 minutes, whichever comes first.  Games will be drop dead on time and scores will revert back to the last completed inning.   Semifinal and championship games will not have a time limit.

17. Mercy Rule – If at the end of the home team’s third inning a team leads by 15 runs or more, the game will be over. (Their are no Run Rules in the Double Elimination Tournament Games)

18. Slow Play – Wind or Slow play may cause games to run long. The commissioner may, at his discretion, shorten the games by informing the captains that the game being played will end at the end of any inning after the third.

19. Defense – On the field you must have a pitcher and you can field a catcher if desired. Your other fielders can play any position on the playing field, with a maximum of 4 total fielders.

20. No Sliding – There will be no sliding into any base. If someone slides they will be called OUT automatically.

Wiffleball Field Regulations:

Home to Fence 90-110 feet
Home to 1st Base 50 feet
Home to 2nd Base 68 feet
Home to 3rd Base 45 Feet
Pitchers Mound 22ft away from home plate.
Pitcher Poison 5ft circle radius.
Dead Ball area 7ft line in front of home plate (treated as a foul ball, despite being in regulation fair territory).

TIE BREAKERS: (Pool Games can end in a tie, bracket play will enforce international speed up rules for extra innings with a runner on second and 1 out)

1) Head to Head

2) Runs allowed vs Common Opponent

3) Runs Allowed vs all opponents

4) Run differential vs common opponents

5) Run differential vs all opponents

6) Coin Flip or Rock,Paper,Scissors