"W-BALL" goals"

1) Have fun
2) Stay safe
3) Develop baseball skills

"W-BALL" Play Guidelines:

Field

- All players get a turn to bat each inning, regardless of the number of players present for each team.
- All players present can play in the field each inning.
- There are no strikeouts. Each player keeps hitting until he/she hits a "fair" ball (outside 10 foot semicircle).
- No intentional bunting.
- Teams will not keep score.
- Both teams "win".
- "Out" Players may continue to run the bases (see "Outs" below).
- There is no limit on the number of "outs" per inning.

SAFETY

- No throwing the bat. Batters who throw the bat are "out" and not permitted to run around the bases.
- Batters and base runners must wear batting helmets.
- The batter currently at bat may only hold the bat. No one else may have a bat in his/her hands.
- There is no "on-deck" circle.
- Team members waiting to bat all sit together in a designated safety zone.
- Batter must wait until all play stops on the field and ball is on the tee before going to the batting area.
- The hitting team will supply a parent catcher who will assist hitters at bat and field any ball thrown to home plate.
- The parent catcher is responsible for placing the ball on the tee when all players are ready, and handing the bat to the hitter.
- Players in field should stay out of the base bat.
- The pitcher must keep one foot on the pitcher's plate until the ball is hit.
- No sliding.
- No base stealing. Players must keep one foot on base until the ball is hit.
- Parents of younger children are encouraged to stand with their children in the field.

Base Running

- On a ball hit to the outfield, play stops when the ball is returned to the infield (past the imaginary lines between 1st and 2nd and 2nd and 3rd bases.) When the ball is returned to the infield, any runner who was not more than halfway to the next base must return to the last base touched.
- On the balls in play in the infield, runners can advance one base touched. Play stops after runners have advance on base, and the ball is returned to home.
- Team Captains are encouraged to assign parents from the hitting team to act as base coaches for runners.

"Outs"

- If a fly ball is caught, the batter is "out".
- If the runner is tagged with a fielder holding the ball, he/she is "out".
- If a base player catches the ball and tags the base before the runner tags the base, the runner is "out".
- "Out" players may continue to run the bases.
- There is no limit on number of "outs" per inning.
- NOTE: We expect that there will be 1-2 "outs" made per game, at most. The goal here is to begin to have kids understand the concept of outs, and work to develop fielding skills.

Game Length

- Each team has bat. Second innings are optional if time permits.