SEWWL Rules and Regulations

Welcome to the South-East Wisconsin Wiffleball League: SEWWL Rules and Regulations

In the South-East Wisconsin Wiffleball League (SEWWL), we take our wiffleball games seriously, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun! Here are the rules and regulations that govern our league:

Field Dimensions

  • Base paths – 40’
  • Left field foul pole – 70’
  • Center field – 85’
  • Right field foul pole – 60’
  • Pitcher’s mound – 35’

League Rules

  • Games are 3 innings long, with an extra 4th inning if tied. If a game goes into the 5th inning, it ends in a tie (5 innings max in playoffs).
  • The two pitchers facing off against each other decide who will be home/visitor and pick teams from the present player pool.
  • Line ups will consist of no more than 5 players for each team, and each pitcher may only play up to 3 players in the field, including themselves.
  • We use the classic yellow bat, and tape or grip is allowed on the handle up to 12”, but not the barrel.
  • You cannot bat from the same side of the plate 3 times in a row.

Ways to Get on Base and Advance Runners

  • BB – 4 balls to walk
  • 1B – ball reaches outfield grass via fly ball or ground ball through the infield, runner gets to 1st base on a ball in the infield before a ground out or pitcher’s hand can be enforced.
  • 2B – ball rolls to fence trench or touches the outfield fence
  • 3B – ball hits outfield fence on a fly
  • HR – ball clears outfield fence on a fly

All base runners advance the same amount of bases as the batter. If the batter does not get on base, the runners stay on the base they occupy.

Ways to Make an Out

  1. 3 strikes (strikeout or K)
  2. Fly ball caught (fly out or FO)
  3. An infielder fields a ball in the infield (grass or base paths) and gets the ball to the pitcher at the ball bucket before the runner reaches first (ground out or GO)
  4. The pitcher fields and controls the ball by themselves anywhere within the infield grass or base paths before the runner reaches first (pitcher’s hand out or PH).

How outs are recorded in the stat book: K FO GO

Notes

  • If a fielder touches the ball before the pitcher, the pitcher must get the ball at the ball bucket (which represents 1st base) in order to get the runner out at 1st for a GO.
  • If the pitcher touches the ball first, the pitcher’s hand becomes live, and the pitcher may retrieve the ball anywhere on the infield grass or base paths to get the runner out at 1st. If another player touches the ball after the pitcher, the ball may still get to the pitcher anywhere on the infield grass or base paths for an out because the pitcher’s hand is in effect.
  • Any player can catch a fly ball for a FO.
  • Only infielders can make a GO play, outfielders cannot make a GO play unless they establish both feet on the infield first.
  • Getting hit by a pitch in the head results in an automatic base on balls.