Post by Beau Reznak on Aug 18, 2014 14:42:32 GMT -5
Here are a few proposed rule changes for 2015:
1. Stolen bases – This is something that was briefly brought up at the 2014 preseason meeting. Stolen bases in wiffleball? I know that this might sound confusing, but the league Wiffle in Southeast Michigan found a creative way to implement this into their league and it seems to work very well. Their rules regarding stealing are worded like this (although we can put our own variation on it if we'd like to change anything):
- Steals:
- Teams have 2 steal attempts per game
- While the pitcher is in their wind-up, a batter attempts a steal by shouting "STEAL" and leaving the base
- The pitcher must throw the ball home; they may not step off the mound
- If the ball misses the zone, the runner is SAFE
- If the ball hits the zone, the runner is OUT
- If the batter fouls off the pitch, an attempt will not be counted as used; the runner will return to the base
- If the batter puts the ball in play, it is live and the attempt will be counted as used
- No stealing of home
- No double steals are allowed
- Only 1 runner with an open base in front of them may attempt at a time
- If multiple runners attempt:
- The trailing runner(s) will be called out for leaving their base before the ball is put in play
- The lead runner's attempt will play out as normal
2. Change postseason pitching rotation rules – During the regular season, teams are forced to use at least two pitchers equally. However, under current playoff rules, a team that qualifies can win in the postseason with one great pitcher, regardless of how poorly the other pitcher performs. This is something that I have never liked, but had not thought of a good enough solution when I started the league. However, I put a lot of thought into it during the season and now have the following changes to propose:
- In a one-game playoff, pitchers will be limited to 3.0 out of the first six innings. If the game goes into extra innings, then anyone shall be allowed to pitch as long as rule VI – 7 is still adhered to.
- In a three-game postseason series, the first two games of the series shall be treated like a regular season doubleheader. If the series makes it to game three, then the following rules shall apply regarding pitching restrictions for that game:
- If a player started either of the first two games OR pitched more than 2.0 (including 2.0+) regulation innings combined between the two games, then he/she shall be restricted to pitching 3.0 out of the first six innings. If the game goes into extra innings, then anyone shall be allowed to pitch as long as rule VI-7 is still adhered to.
-If a player did not start either of the first two games and pitched 2.0 or fewer regulation innings combined between the two games, then he/she shall be eligible to pitch the entire game. Extra innings pitched in the first two games do not count toward the 2.0 inning total.
3. Make successful pegs at home a dead ball – currently, if a runner is retired by hitting the strike board, it causes an immediate dead ball. The Wiffle Ball Gods propose that when a runner is pegged between the commit line and home, this should also cause a dead ball situation.
4. Lower the strike zone – I like the big strike zone that we have. However I think that there were way too many high strikes this year that were just incredibly difficult to hit, especially for shorter batters. I propose that we keep the same dimensions but lower the whole zone by 3 inches.
5. Expand upon the definition of “cut ball” - There were many borderline cases this year that I let go because there was no clear definition in the rulebook.
As for scheduling plans, I intend to keep the same 9-team format for next year. I will be contacting all of this year's teams in early February to gauge their interest in returning. Once again, the entry fee for returning teams will be due March 31st. The plan is for the World Series to always be one full week before King's and Wilkes start classes. Everything will be backdated from there so that we have 14 weeks of play (12 regular season, 2 postseason) while also factoring in any league-wide bye weeks, like we had for the NWLA tournament this year. I will also organize a pre-season meeting in early April to discuss changes, points of emphasis, and all other important business for next season.
1. Stolen bases – This is something that was briefly brought up at the 2014 preseason meeting. Stolen bases in wiffleball? I know that this might sound confusing, but the league Wiffle in Southeast Michigan found a creative way to implement this into their league and it seems to work very well. Their rules regarding stealing are worded like this (although we can put our own variation on it if we'd like to change anything):
- Steals:
- Teams have 2 steal attempts per game
- While the pitcher is in their wind-up, a batter attempts a steal by shouting "STEAL" and leaving the base
- The pitcher must throw the ball home; they may not step off the mound
- If the ball misses the zone, the runner is SAFE
- If the ball hits the zone, the runner is OUT
- If the batter fouls off the pitch, an attempt will not be counted as used; the runner will return to the base
- If the batter puts the ball in play, it is live and the attempt will be counted as used
- No stealing of home
- No double steals are allowed
- Only 1 runner with an open base in front of them may attempt at a time
- If multiple runners attempt:
- The trailing runner(s) will be called out for leaving their base before the ball is put in play
- The lead runner's attempt will play out as normal
2. Change postseason pitching rotation rules – During the regular season, teams are forced to use at least two pitchers equally. However, under current playoff rules, a team that qualifies can win in the postseason with one great pitcher, regardless of how poorly the other pitcher performs. This is something that I have never liked, but had not thought of a good enough solution when I started the league. However, I put a lot of thought into it during the season and now have the following changes to propose:
- In a one-game playoff, pitchers will be limited to 3.0 out of the first six innings. If the game goes into extra innings, then anyone shall be allowed to pitch as long as rule VI – 7 is still adhered to.
- In a three-game postseason series, the first two games of the series shall be treated like a regular season doubleheader. If the series makes it to game three, then the following rules shall apply regarding pitching restrictions for that game:
- If a player started either of the first two games OR pitched more than 2.0 (including 2.0+) regulation innings combined between the two games, then he/she shall be restricted to pitching 3.0 out of the first six innings. If the game goes into extra innings, then anyone shall be allowed to pitch as long as rule VI-7 is still adhered to.
-If a player did not start either of the first two games and pitched 2.0 or fewer regulation innings combined between the two games, then he/she shall be eligible to pitch the entire game. Extra innings pitched in the first two games do not count toward the 2.0 inning total.
3. Make successful pegs at home a dead ball – currently, if a runner is retired by hitting the strike board, it causes an immediate dead ball. The Wiffle Ball Gods propose that when a runner is pegged between the commit line and home, this should also cause a dead ball situation.
4. Lower the strike zone – I like the big strike zone that we have. However I think that there were way too many high strikes this year that were just incredibly difficult to hit, especially for shorter batters. I propose that we keep the same dimensions but lower the whole zone by 3 inches.
5. Expand upon the definition of “cut ball” - There were many borderline cases this year that I let go because there was no clear definition in the rulebook.
As for scheduling plans, I intend to keep the same 9-team format for next year. I will be contacting all of this year's teams in early February to gauge their interest in returning. Once again, the entry fee for returning teams will be due March 31st. The plan is for the World Series to always be one full week before King's and Wilkes start classes. Everything will be backdated from there so that we have 14 weeks of play (12 regular season, 2 postseason) while also factoring in any league-wide bye weeks, like we had for the NWLA tournament this year. I will also organize a pre-season meeting in early April to discuss changes, points of emphasis, and all other important business for next season.