TAKIN IT YARD!
2012 Yardball Rule Book:
1. Field Setup
1.01 The bases will be set at 36 feet apart.
1.02 The pitcher’s mound will be 38 ft from home plate
1.03 The strike zone will be 2 ft behind home plate.
1.04 The fence distance will be anywhere from 65-110 ft.
1.05 The strike zone will be 23in x 29in
1.5 Equipment
1.5.01 The WIFFLE® Brand “baseball size” ball will be the official ball used by the YardBall.
1.5.02 Any hollow plastic bat approved by the YardBall may be used, this will include the WIFFLE® Brand yellow bat, Easton brand plastic bats, Moonshot brand bats and Junkball brand bats. All other brands will need approval first.
1.5.03 Teams are required to wear uniforms.
Digram of the field:
2. Teams and Rosters
2.01 Teams may consist of 2-4 players. 2 players must be ready to play at the start of the game. 3 players may play the field at one time. If a team has a third player, that player will be an extra hitter. Players may substitute players freely.
2.02 Teams must have a player designated as the team captain. The captain will be required to produce a batting lineup before the start of each game.
2.03 A player will not be allowed to play in any YardBall event without a signed waiver form. Any player under 18 years of age must have waiver signed by a parent or guardian
2.04 Teams may be co-ed.
3. Rules of Play
3.01 Games will be 5 innings. Extra innings will be allowed to settle a tied score.
3.02 All regular season games have a time limit of 1HR and 45 minutes.
3.03 There will be 3 outs per inning, 3 strikes per out, and 4 balls to a walk.
3.04 Pitches that strike a batter will be called balls. The batter must at least try to avoid being struck by the pitch. If a batter leans into a pitch to gain a ball in the count the official may call it a strike instead. A batter struck in the head by a pitch will be awarded a walk.
3.05 Check swings will be called strikes. A check swing will be called if a batters front shoulder opens to the pitcher. The shoulder has to obviously open. A flinch will not be called a strike.
3.06 Leading off and stealing bases will not be allowed. Any of these will be called an out. The runner may not leave the base until contact has been made. The runner is ruled out if they leave the base before the batter makes contact with the ball.
3.07 Peg-outs are allowed. If the runner is hit in the head without ducking, he is safe. The ball must hit the runner in the air for an out. If the ball deflects off one base runner and hits another base runner, both are out. A base runner may dodge the ball at any time, but must stay in the baseline. If the ball is thrown at a runner for an out and misses the play is still live. If the ball is thrown at a runner for an out and hit’s the runner the play ends and all other base runners remain at the base they are currently occupying. If the base runner is trying to advance to the next base when a runner gets pegged, he must be at least half way to the base.
3.08 Any ball that has been thrown and hits a fan will be called a dead ball. Each runner moves up one base.
3.09 Sliding will be allowed at players own risk.
3.10 Bunting is not allowed. This will be ruled an out and the ball will be called dead.
3.11 If for some reason the ball shatters, the play is re-done
3.12 A ground ball that rolls past the fence boundary is a live ball.
3.13 If bases are loaded and a ground ball is hit, a defensive player may throw to plate to get a force out by hitting the strike zone. If the player hit’s the strike zone the play is dead. If the player misses, the ball is still live.
3.14 The batter may not interfere with the pitch while in flight such as catching the pitch. This will be ruled as an automatic strike no matter where the pitch is located.
3.15 When attempting to get an out the tie goes to the fielder, not the base runner.
3.16 A pitcher may not possess more than one ball when pitching. The pitcher may only possess the ball he/she is pitching. On the first offense the pitcher will be given a warning. On each offense following the warning the play will be ruled an illegal pitch which will be ruled a ball. The will be made once the pitcher toes the rubber.
4. Ground Rules
4.01 A fielder must catch the ball with both feet in play when attempting to rob a homerun. The fielder must keep both feet in play and maintain possession without stepping over the fence line in order for the catch to count. If the fielder makes the catch and then steps over the line due to momentum, the batter is ruled out. A fielder may dive over the fence line and knock the ball back into play as well. If this is the case the ball is live and the fielder who knocked the ball back into play cannot be the first person to touch the ball, if he does touch the ball first the hit will be ruled a home run. If the fielder attempts a catch and drops the ball over the line the hit will be ruled a homerun.
4.02 When a defensive player is attempting to make a play at the plate, if they miss the runner and/or K-Zone the play is still live. If the ball for some reason hits an object behind the K-Zone, the play is then ruled dead and all runners advance one base from last base reached.
5. Mercy Rule
5.1 A game will be called if a team is up by 10 after the 3rd inning.
6.Other Rules
6.1 Same as MLB.
1. Field Setup
1.01 The bases will be set at 36 feet apart.
1.02 The pitcher’s mound will be 38 ft from home plate
1.03 The strike zone will be 2 ft behind home plate.
1.04 The fence distance will be anywhere from 65-110 ft.
1.05 The strike zone will be 23in x 29in
1.5 Equipment
1.5.01 The WIFFLE® Brand “baseball size” ball will be the official ball used by the YardBall.
1.5.02 Any hollow plastic bat approved by the YardBall may be used, this will include the WIFFLE® Brand yellow bat, Easton brand plastic bats, Moonshot brand bats and Junkball brand bats. All other brands will need approval first.
1.5.03 Teams are required to wear uniforms.
Digram of the field:
2. Teams and Rosters
2.01 Teams may consist of 2-4 players. 2 players must be ready to play at the start of the game. 3 players may play the field at one time. If a team has a third player, that player will be an extra hitter. Players may substitute players freely.
2.02 Teams must have a player designated as the team captain. The captain will be required to produce a batting lineup before the start of each game.
2.03 A player will not be allowed to play in any YardBall event without a signed waiver form. Any player under 18 years of age must have waiver signed by a parent or guardian
2.04 Teams may be co-ed.
3. Rules of Play
3.01 Games will be 5 innings. Extra innings will be allowed to settle a tied score.
3.02 All regular season games have a time limit of 1HR and 45 minutes.
3.03 There will be 3 outs per inning, 3 strikes per out, and 4 balls to a walk.
3.04 Pitches that strike a batter will be called balls. The batter must at least try to avoid being struck by the pitch. If a batter leans into a pitch to gain a ball in the count the official may call it a strike instead. A batter struck in the head by a pitch will be awarded a walk.
3.05 Check swings will be called strikes. A check swing will be called if a batters front shoulder opens to the pitcher. The shoulder has to obviously open. A flinch will not be called a strike.
3.06 Leading off and stealing bases will not be allowed. Any of these will be called an out. The runner may not leave the base until contact has been made. The runner is ruled out if they leave the base before the batter makes contact with the ball.
3.07 Peg-outs are allowed. If the runner is hit in the head without ducking, he is safe. The ball must hit the runner in the air for an out. If the ball deflects off one base runner and hits another base runner, both are out. A base runner may dodge the ball at any time, but must stay in the baseline. If the ball is thrown at a runner for an out and misses the play is still live. If the ball is thrown at a runner for an out and hit’s the runner the play ends and all other base runners remain at the base they are currently occupying. If the base runner is trying to advance to the next base when a runner gets pegged, he must be at least half way to the base.
3.08 Any ball that has been thrown and hits a fan will be called a dead ball. Each runner moves up one base.
3.09 Sliding will be allowed at players own risk.
3.10 Bunting is not allowed. This will be ruled an out and the ball will be called dead.
3.11 If for some reason the ball shatters, the play is re-done
3.12 A ground ball that rolls past the fence boundary is a live ball.
3.13 If bases are loaded and a ground ball is hit, a defensive player may throw to plate to get a force out by hitting the strike zone. If the player hit’s the strike zone the play is dead. If the player misses, the ball is still live.
3.14 The batter may not interfere with the pitch while in flight such as catching the pitch. This will be ruled as an automatic strike no matter where the pitch is located.
3.15 When attempting to get an out the tie goes to the fielder, not the base runner.
3.16 A pitcher may not possess more than one ball when pitching. The pitcher may only possess the ball he/she is pitching. On the first offense the pitcher will be given a warning. On each offense following the warning the play will be ruled an illegal pitch which will be ruled a ball. The will be made once the pitcher toes the rubber.
4. Ground Rules
4.01 A fielder must catch the ball with both feet in play when attempting to rob a homerun. The fielder must keep both feet in play and maintain possession without stepping over the fence line in order for the catch to count. If the fielder makes the catch and then steps over the line due to momentum, the batter is ruled out. A fielder may dive over the fence line and knock the ball back into play as well. If this is the case the ball is live and the fielder who knocked the ball back into play cannot be the first person to touch the ball, if he does touch the ball first the hit will be ruled a home run. If the fielder attempts a catch and drops the ball over the line the hit will be ruled a homerun.
4.02 When a defensive player is attempting to make a play at the plate, if they miss the runner and/or K-Zone the play is still live. If the ball for some reason hits an object behind the K-Zone, the play is then ruled dead and all runners advance one base from last base reached.
5. Mercy Rule
5.1 A game will be called if a team is up by 10 after the 3rd inning.
6.Other Rules
6.1 Same as MLB.
