TOURNAMENT RULES

1) REGISTRATION & PREGAME

A. Each NVWWS team must check-in at the registration table upon arrival at the park entrance. Check "Event Schedule" icon on event website for game times. After team captain signs waiver, teams will pick up their registration pack in the locker room area (includes t-shirts, souvenir water bottles and other team items). All ages welcome; however, most teams consist of adults and it is recommended that any team with players under 12 should have one adult or a teenage player to pitch.

B. Uniform team baseball caps are required (lose home field advantage without -see rule 2C).

C. Team encouraged to wear official NVWWS issued jersey to play, with gold/yellow jerseys going to the top fundraising team.

D. 5 minute late grace period will be given to all teams - After 5 minutes, the team is awarded a 7-0 loss.

E. All teams will be awarded Bedell points for attending Captain's rules meeting. 1 dollar raised for The Brian Bedell 2-Young Foundation = 1 “Bedell Point". Top fundraising team is granted immunity and automatic bid to playoffs. Top 3 teams receive special recognition and prizes.

2) THE TEAM
A. NVWWS teams consist of 3 or 4 player teams; however, only 3 players can play the field at any time (1 Pitcher and 2 Fielders). 4th player is DH and will bat only. Note: The DH can substitute in at any time during the game.

B. Team must announce to the Umpire at the start of the game whether they are batting 3 or 4 players. If the 4th player is late for some reason, you can add him to the order at any time. However, teams must have at least 3 players to start and play the duration of any game. The 3 or 4 players must be listed on official roster submitted by Team Captain.

C. Regular Season home field advantage is determined in this order: 1) Team without uniform ball caps is the visiting team 2) If both teams have uniform ball caps, team will throw 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine home team. Note: With the exception of the NVWWS championship game where 'rock, paper, scissors' will be implemented, all playoff home field advantage will be given to higher seed team based on criteria unless no uniform ball cap worn by higher seed team.

3) THE GAME - General Rules
The distance from the pitcher's rubber on the mound to the strike board is 44 feet. The distance from the pitcher's rubber to the tip of home plate is 41 feet. The average distance from the home plate to the foul poles is about 75 feet; however, all NVWWS ballparks will vary in distance to home run fences. The strike board is 11" off the ground and measures 30" inches tall by 28" inches wide. Note: The only exception to this is that a women pitcher has the option to pitch from the rubber or start her delivery from the women pitcher's circle line which is about 3 feet closer to home plate.

A. NVWWS time limitations allow 30 regulation minutes (or as stated by umpire and/or NVWWS Commissioners depending on time constraints) for each regular season divisional game.

B. Regular season and playoff games last 3 innings.

C. During bracket play - if a game is tied after 3 innings, there will be 1 extra inning. However, bases will automatically be loaded with ghost runners at the start of each extra inning until winner is decided*.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: At Umpire’s discretion, if time does not permit the play of extra innings, then Home Run Derby (HRD) will be implemented (See Rule 4F-HRD).

D. If tied after regulation and through 1 extra inning (bases loaded with ghost runner rule applies), playoff games will continue to extra innings or HRD (See Rule 4F) depending on time (Umpire Discretion) to determine winner.

E. 2 outs per innings for each team.

F. Outs: 1) Strikeout. 2) Fly ball caught by opposing team in field of play or foul territory. 3) Any ground ball fielded 'cleanly' by a fielder BEFORE it stops rolling (Umpire discretion), AND BEFORE it rolls past single line designated with white paint/chalk (also, Umpire discretion) - and then with a continual motion is thrown to pitcher who has at least 1 foot on pitcher's circle marked with chalk (e.g., fielder can not hold ball for extended period and can not take more steps than natural throwing motion-Umpire discretion). 4) Any ground ball fielded 'cleanly' by the pitcher (see rule 2F5) BEFORE it stops rolling (Umpire discretion) AND BEFORE it rolls past single line designated with white paint/chalk (Umpire discretion). 5) A 'cleanly' fielded ball is defined as one that rolls into players hands and does not subsequently hit ground (therefore, bobbled balls in the air are allowed, but a grounded ball which touches a players hands and then hits ground is ruled a hit by error). Note: A ball that is hit and rolls into fielder's hands, then proceeds to hit ground is ruled a dead ball and classified as a single by fielder error (this justifies why a bobbled ball in air is considered 'clean' as long as it doesn't hit the ground). A good way to remember is that if a ball hits the ground after player touches it, then it is ‘dirty’ and no longer ‘clean’!

G. Double-play: When ghost runner(s) on base is (are) in a 'force-out' situation (runner on first, runners on first & second, bases loaded), ball can be fielded 'cleanly' by fielder and subsequently thrown to pitcher for 1st out and then pitcher can turn and hit strike board for double-play (pitcher must have continual motion throw with no extended pause - Umpire discretion). When receiving ball from fielder to complete double play, pitcher must have one foot within marked pitcher's circle. However, if pitcher fields ball for 1st out he can immediately throw to hit strike board for double play no matter where he is standing after fielding ball for 1st out. Note: No double plays with fly outs.

H. The Pitch: 1) There is a "No Speed Rule" - see TIP note below for further clarification on "No-pitch".  2) Any pitch that is lobbed in (over 10 feet tall) will be ruled illegal and will also be called a 'No-pitch'. 4) A men’s slow pitch or women’s fast pitch softball pitching motion is also ruled illegal.   *Note:  If both captains decide at the start of the game that the "No Speed Rule" will be removed from game, then the heat is on! Captains must notify Umpire at the start of the game.  TIP: The only way to truly judge Umpire speed threshold is to watch and play the games to note which pitches have been called as 'No-pitch' -- Fastballs down the middle with no action will be guilty -- This call does not hurt pitcher's count but helps to understand speed threshold -- Please keep in mind that both teams benefit from this rule, as do spectators (promotes a hitters game)!

 I. Strikes: 1) Pitched ball that hits the strike board. 2) Batter swings and misses. 3) Foul ball. 4) When batter has 2 strikes in the count and hits a foul ball, 1 'Courtesy Foul' is awarded -- any foul ball after Courtesy Foul has expired is ruled an out. 5) Any pitched ball that hits the top, side or bottom edges of the board is considered a strike. 6) At Umpire's discretion, any batter caught leaning into the zone to intentionally cause ball to hit batter and disrupt flight of pitched ball to the strike board will be first warned and be ruled a "no pitch" by the Umpire. The pitch will be ruled a strike if this occurs again by the same batter any time during the remainder of game. Note: A Courtesy Foul is defined as ball hit off bat into foul territory when count is full.

J. Foul balls: 1) Ball hit outside of fair territory marked with white chalk foul lines. 2) Any ball hit forward but not past 'foul arch' marked with white lines in front of batters box (any ball hit off a batters body into fair territory -other than batters hands around bat- is ruled a ball). 3) Ball hit that stops rolling on the left or right field foul line (past the foul arch) is ruled a hit. 4) Any ball that hits chalk on line is rule fair. Note: Rule 3I defines Courtesy Foul.

K. Balls/Walk: 1) Pitched ball that does not hit the strike board and batter does not swing is ruled a ball. 2) 4 pitched balls that do not hit the strike board are ruled a Walk. 3) Batter keeps his 'At Bat' when Walk is awarded and ghost runner goes to first; Batter is awarded 0-0 count. 4) Any pitched ball that hits strike board erases all previously pitched balls (e.g., 2-0 count, pitcher throws strike, count now 0-1).

L. Substitutions. 1) Fielders and DH can be substituted any time during the course of the game. 2) Pitchers can be substituted any time during the game but if a pitcher is "pulled from the mound", then he cannot go back to the mound during the game (with the exception of HRD-see Rule 4F).

M. Player Injury/Player Exit. 1) If a player from a 4 person team suffers an injury (Umpire discretion - see #2 below) during course of game, batting order automatically goes to 3 (no new players from the "stands" can be added during the tourney and no automatic out if player injury). 2) Teams with 3 players where player is injured can play remainder of current game with 2 players. If third player cannot play next game, then a new player must be added from the "stands" (see #4 below) to bat/field only for remainder of tourney or team must forfeit (team can not continue to play in tourney with only 2 players). However, this new player cannot pitch (this situation is very rare but the rule is in effect to deter teams from adding "ringer pitchers" late in the tourney). 3) A player from the "stands" is defined as someone who is/was not on another team in the tourney and would like to play ball.

N. Base runners: No base running. All runners are 'ghost runners' and situation will be announced by Umpire before each 'At Bat'. The only time a player can run bases is when a home run is hit (touching all bags is optional for hitter).

O. Single: 1) Ground ball that comes to a complete stop (past the foul ball arch) before fielded by a player. 2) Fly ball not caught by a pitcher or fielder -- NOTE: Fly ball is defined as one that is hit in the air above 6 feet and comes down into field of play (Umpire discretion). 3) An error by the pitcher or fielder in the field of play is constituted as a single by error. 4) Any ball hit on the ground past 'single line' designated on field with white chalk/paint before being touched by fielder. Note: The distance from home plate to the single line is approx. 50 ft. 5) Fielders must play ball that rolls past single line in order to stop hard grounder from reaching fence for double. 6) Ball must clear ENTIRE white line to be ruled a single (Umpire discretion).

P. Double: Hard ground ball, which rolls to the home run fence without touching a fielder or pitcher. Note: A hard hit ball the rolls past single line fair down left or right field line, then continues to roll into foul territory past foul post without touching fence is still ruled a single, not a double (ball must hit fence on the roll to be a double).

Q. Triple: Any fly ball that reaches home run fence 'on the fly'!

R. Home Run: 1) Fly ball that goes over fence (Batters name will be credited to the "Babe Ruth Dinger Diary Tally Board – Team Captains must keep track of home runs hit on Official Scorecard). 2) Fly ball that hits foul pole above fence. 3) For safety reasons, fielders cannot hurdle over, run or crash through fence to catch well-hit home run (Leaning on fence is permitted, but fielder must remain in the field of play while trying to 'rob' a home run - umpire discretion).

S. Advancing ghost runners: Every ghost runner is automatically advanced as many bases as the hitter behind him earns (e.g., if a ghost runner is on first and the batter hits a double -- ghost runner advances to third and new batter/ghost runner goes to second)

NOTE: Walks DO NOT always advance ghost runner on base -- ONLY when ghost runner 'forced' to next base (e.g., ghost runner on 1st, ghost runners on 1st and 2nd, bases loaded).

T. NO bunting is allowed.

U. Batter can use one hand to hold and swing the ball if desired.

V. NVWWS will be played RAIN or SHINE!

4) HOME RUN DERBY (HRD)
Top homerun hitters of the regular season will compete in a homerun derby to be held at the championship field.

A. Each hitter will draw a number from the hat to determine who goes first, second, third, etc.
B. Each hitter elects 1 pitcher from his/her own team to throw meatballs to him/her.
C. Each hitter has 5 outs. NOTE: Batter can take as many “meatballs” as needed to find their "sweet spot".
E. Derby homerun is awarded if the ball clears the fence in fair territory.
F. An out is awarded if:
1. Batter swings and misses
2. Batter swings and hits a foul ball
3. Batter hits ball into fair play but does not hit a home run.
G. At Umpire’s discretion - if batters are tied after 5 outs or batters do not hit homeruns, HRD goes another round of sudden death. The batter that takes the fewest number of outs to hit his/her first homerun will be determined as the winner.
H. During regular season, HRD may take place to determine winner after extra innings if time does not permit complete inning of play (Umpire and Commissioner discretion). Captains throw 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine home team. Captains decide who will hit for their team, and who will pitch for their team. Pitcher from same team pitches to designated batter on their team. Visiting team batter goes first and gets 3 "cuts" to hit as many home runs as possible. A "cut" is defined as "batter swings and misses", "batter swings and hits foul ball", "batter hits ball into fair play but does not hit home run" or "batter hits a home run". Batter can take as many balls as needed (pitcher should throw 'meatballs"). Sides change and home team takes their cuts. Team with most home runs after complete round wins. If winner is not determined after 1st round, then new batter for each team - and same 3 cuts apply for 2nd round until winner is determined. New batter every round - and if no winner determined after all have been up to bat, order starts over again with 1st batter from 1st round.

5) THE WIFFLE® BALL AND BAT (and other equipment)
A. Regulation NVWWS bats will be provided (However, you are welcome to bring your own plastic bats of any shape or size pending Umpire/Comissioner approval prior to start of game).

B. NVWWS balls are regulation wiffle® ball trademark ball.

C. Mitts are not permitted (batting gloves optional).

D. Cleats are useful when playing the field; however, please note that NVWWS fields are artificial grass.

6) BRACKET PLAY (Winners Bracket, Elimination Bracket and "Buy-ins")
A. All teams will be placed in the winners bracket and play in a double elimination tourney (minimum 2 games).
B. “Bedell” Point Rank" will play a critical role in determining bracket location for each team (i.e., lowest ranked team based off Bedell Points will be placed 1st, then next lowest. etc. Top ranked Bedell Point Teams will choose location on bracket board.
C.  Buy-ins: If teams are eliminated, they will have the opportunity to buy into the elimination round by donating to the foundation.
D. NVWWS Championship Game: Game played under the lights and will go 1 extra inning if tied, then Home Run Derby.

7) SLAUGHTER RULE
A. Once 10 run limit in one 1/2 inning takes place, teams change sides.
B. After 3 complete innings, if one team is ahead by 10 runs - game is over.
C. During regular season, home team is allowed their 2nd inning 'at bats' even if ahead by 10 runs after top of inning.  No matter what the score, all teams must play 2 complete innings. 

8) OTHER A. Profanity or excessive arguing with (or harassing) the Umpire will not be tolerated and means for immediate ejection. (Subsequently, if the team is left with less than 3 players, the team must forfeit the remainder of games).
B. All other situations not addressed here will be dealt with on a 'case by case' basis by the NVWWS Commissioners and Umpire staff during the course of play.

C. Remember, have fun as this is for a great cause. Let’s set an example for the kids at the event and keep in mind that it’s a wiffle® ball game!