CWL 2008
CWL League Rules
SECTION I: THE BASICS
1.00 At least six total players (three per team) must be present to play a legal CWL game.
1.01 All games are six innings long with as many extra innings as needed. No ties.
1.02 CWL teams must consist of at least three players but no more than five. In an emergency situation where a team does not have at least three players for a particular game day, an emergency fill-in player may be picked up just for that game day. That fill-in, however, cannot be a player already on a CWL team.
1.03 Only two outs per inning.
1.04 10-run Mercy Rule goes into effect after four innings if one team is ahead by 10 or more runs. A 15-run mercy goes into effect after three innings.
1.05 Games become official after three and a half innings of play.

SECTION II: EQUIPMENT
2.00 Only baseball size Wiffle Ball brand balls are allowed in the CWL.
2.01 Most plastic bats are legal. Yellow bats, Ken Griffey Jr. bats and Easton bats are all used, and preferred. "Captain Caveman" bats, however, are not allowed, and if you try to use one, you'll be pummelled immediately by the rest of the players for being a tool.
2.02 Fielding gloves are allowed, but only if you're willing to endure the torture that comes with wearing a freakin' glove in wiffleball.
2.03 An object strike zone is placed a few feet behind home plate that acts as an umpire in itself. If a pitched ball hits the strike zone, it's a strike, if not, it's a ball.

SECTION III: BASERUNNING
3.00 "Ghost" runners can only be used if the bases are loaded and there are not enough players available to have live baserunners. In any other instance, live runners must be on the bases.
3.01 Live runners can tag on fly balls, a ghost runner cannot.
3.02 Runners are awarded the base they were going to PLUS ONE on an errant throw or peg attempt that goes into foul territory. If a errant peg attempt or throw stays within the fair lines, the runner can advance at will, or stay put, it's the runner's choice.
3.03 If a runner is hit with a batted ball while in fair territory, the runner is out and the hitter is awarded a single.
3.04 Pinch runners are allowed to be used at any point during a game.

SECTION IV: UMPIRING
4.00 Umpiring is done as a whole on most occasions. Guys are expected to be fair and honest at all times. If you check your swing and you know you went, say so.
4.01 Any "close calls" will be handled by the team captains. If a call cannot be resolved, a "do-over" will occur.

SECTION V: HITTING
5.00 Each team must bat in the order determined before the game. There's no penalty for batting out of order, but it keeps the game flowing nicely, and makes it easier to tally stats when everyone is batting in the right place.
5.01 Bunting is not allowed in the CWL. If you try to bunt, you'll be beaten severely and shamed for life. This is about hitting bombs, not bunting.
5.02 A "foul" line that runs from first to third base serves as a guide for foul balls. If a ball lands within the "foul" area, it's foul. If it travels past, it's fair.
5.03 Any batted ball that goes around, under, bounces over, or goes through the fence is ruled a double.
5.04 If a hitter does anything to stop a potential strike (leaning over the plate, sticking elbow out, catching ball, etc.), the hitter will be warned once. Subsequent offenses result in an automatic strikeout.

SECTION VI: DEFENSE
6.00 Only three players can play defense (pitcher and two outfielders) at any given time. If a team consists of more than three players, the players must alternate in the field, if they choose. It is not required that everyone gets a turn in the field.
6.01 Any batted ball that hits within the "foul" area and travels into the field of play is considered a groundball. If a groundball is fielded cleanly before the batter reaches first base, an out is recorded. A ball is considered cleanly fielded as long as the player has control and the ball doesn't touch the ground again before the runner reaches base. A ball can be bobbled as long as it doesn't touch the ground again. This same rule applies to the pitcher as well. The mound area is not considered a base.
6.02 A double play can be turned on any groundball hit. The batter is automatically out but the runners must still run, regardless of the force out being removed from the play. The runners can be pegged or a base can be tagged in order to get a double play.
6.03 "Pegging" runners is also allowed in the CWL. If a defender hits a runner with the ball, the runner is out. If the defender misses the runner, the runner gets the base he was going to PLUS ONE, if the ball travels into foul territory. If the ball stays in fair territory, the runner can stay put or attempt to get as many bases as he can.
6.04 If a runner is pegged with a ball, the ball is "dead" once it makes contact with the runner. Any other runners on base get the base they were going to, but no more.
6.05 Any ball that makes contact with a runner not on a base is an out regardless if the ball was intentionally thrown at that runner or not. For example: And this is very random, if a runner is running the bases and steps on a ball in the field, the runner is out. It's the same as being pegged. How a ball hits someone is irrelevant, it is still an out.
6.06 A defender cannot deliberately drop a fly ball with runners on base for a double play.

SECTION VII: PITCHING
7.00 Gone are the days of new counts after four balls. Instead of an optional new count, hitters must take their base after a walk, but instead of four balls, hitters are given six balls and three strikes.
7.01 If a pitcher hits a batter with a pitched ball it counts as a ball only. No free base is awarded to the hitter.
7.02 A pitcher must finish the inning he started. No pitching changes in mid-inning.
7.03 The CWL has a set speed limit of 63 MPH. If a ball goes over the limit, it's a ball. If a batter hits a ball over the limit, he can choose whether to keep the at-bat or do it over, with the pitch being counted a ball. We do use a radar gun to gauge speeds.
7.04 Pitchers must pitch from the rubber. Players cannot inch closer to the plate to gain an advantage. The starting point must be from the rubber.
7.05 Every player has seven innings available to pitch each game day. However, if a player starts a particular game, that player may not start again until the next weekend, but may pitch in relief as long as he has innings available.
7.06 Once a pitcher is pulled from a game, that pitcher may not return in the same game to pitch.