Outdoor Games
How to play Wiffle Ball
Bat into distance zones and track imaginary runners. This manufacturer format removes base running, walks and bunting; it is different from many modern league games.
What you need
Perforated plastic Wiffle ball, plastic bat, zone markers and a score sheet
Set up the game
- Mark a fair wedge from home with single, double, triple and home-run zones. The archived sheet suggests singles markers about 24 feet out, then successive markers roughly 20 feet farther apart; adapt all distances to the available space.
- Use one to five players per side. With five defenders assign pitcher, catcher and double/triple/home-run-area fielders; keep zone assignments. Record a fixed batting order.
Playing Wiffle Ball
- One side pitches and fields while the other bats. Only swinging strikes count toward strikeout; a foul tip adds a strike only before two strikes. No walks and no bunting.
- A caught fair or foul fly is out. A fair grounder fielded while still moving is also out in this format. Three outs changes sides.
- An uncaught fair hit receives the value of its marked zone. Record an imaginary batter-runner on first, second or third; a home run scores the batter and all runners.
- On a single, a runner on first advances to second; a runner already on second or third scores. A double advances a runner from first to third and scores runners farther along; a triple scores all runners.
- Both sides bat in each inning. Play nine innings, adding complete innings for a tie; higher run total wins. Agree a shorter inning count before starting if desired.
Imaginary runners change the score
A double puts an imaginary runner on second. The next batter hits a single, scoring that runner and leaving the new batter on first. A following double moves the first-base runner to third and puts the batter on second. The team has scored one run, not three; nobody scores merely for reaching a zone short of home.
Make the field unambiguous
Before batting, walk the foul lines and identify which marker separates each zone. If a yard obstacle will stop or deflect a hit, assign its result before the first pitch. A declared local obstacle rule is fairer than inventing a result after seeing which team benefits. Keep spectators behind the batter and outside the swing path.
Beginner decisions
- Judge hitting success against the actual field and zone markers. A controlled ball through a gap can be more useful than a big swing that offers a fielder an easy catch.
- Write imaginary runners after every hit. Trying to remember several singles, doubles and outs without a record creates disputes that real bases normally prevent.
Common rule mix-ups
- Calling four taken balls a walk.
- Running bases or using professional baseball’s ordinary ground-ball fielding rules without announcing a different version.
Questions about this game
Do I need a strike-zone target?
Not for this manufacturer format, which uses swinging strikes. Target-based leagues have their own rules.
Can the pitch curve?
Yes. The perforated ball is designed for curving flight; speed is not necessary to experiment with movement.
Sources and edition notes
The Wiffle Ball, Inc. traditional no-running game, archived manufacturer rules. Not a strike-zone-board league variant.
Sources and stated format checked October 14, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
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