Rule Book Adjustments for 2025 - Wifflepalooza XIX

 VINELAND - After some discrepancies during last year's tournament, the Office of the Commissioner has taken to clarifying, codifying and adjusting some of the rule book for this year. Listed below are the adjustments made for 2025.

- Playing Surface Integrity Clause (Rule 13)

    This new piece added for 2025 is in response to the condition of the playing surface as the day wore on. As has been the case for years, teams that are off/warming up will use the dirt areas to warm up, but this causes significant wear and tear that cannot be maintained by tournament officials throughout the day.

13.    UPON ARRIVAL AT THE COMPLEX, AND THROUGHOUT THE DAY, IT IS MANDATED THAT PLAYERS, COACHES AND FANS, RESPECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE PLAYING SURFACES. IN ORDER TO KEEP THE SURFACES AS HIGH QUALITY AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM USING THE DIRT AREAS FOR PRACTICE. INSTEAD, WE ASK THAT PARTICIPANTS USE THE DESIGNATED BULLPEN AREAS FOR FURTHER PRACTICE.VIOLATERS OF THIS CLAUSE ARE SUBJECT TO PENALTIES AT DISCRETION OF THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER

- Eligible Equipment Rules Codified (Rule 18)

    This firming up of previous rules stemmed from a pre-tournament dispute over the types of bats to be used. The equipment rule has been in place since WP7, when Fresh Cuts got caught using a bat that was lined with aluminum. This codification includes guidelines for pitchers scuffing balls. The rule states as follows:

18.    BALLS & BATS:

NO OUTSIDE BATS ARE PERMITTED FOR PLAY, PER COMMISIONER RULING AFTER THE FRESH CUTS INCIDENT OF 2013. OUTSIDE BALLS ARE ONLY PERMITTED WITH APPROVAL OF THE COMMISIONER OR DEPUTY COMMISIONER. THE ONLY BATS TO BE USED ARE THE ONES PROVIDED BY TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS.ANY EXEMPTION REQUESTS MUST BE PRESENTED TO THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER, NO LATER THAN ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE TOURNAMENT.

18A. ANY BALLS DEEMED TO BE INTENTIONALLY MODIFIED, VIA KNIFING, SLICING, DIPPING, PAINTING, ETC., WILL BE DISPOSED OF AND THE TEAM CAUGHT DOING IT WILL BE PENALIZED, AS A FIRST OFFENSE, ONE (1) RUN, AS A SECOND OFFENSE, THREE (3) RUNS AND AS A THIRD OFFENSE, FIVE (5) RUNS AND THE DISQUALIFICATION OF THE PLAYER IN QUESTION.

18B. PITCHERS MAY USE OBJECTS WITHIN THE FIELD OF PLAY TO “SCUFF” THE BALLS, HOWEVER ANY OUTSIDE OBJECTS ARE NOT PERMITTED AND THE SAME PENALTIES LISTED IN 17A. APPLY.

- Foul Ball Caught by Catcher Height Change (Rule 7)

    This rule has existed since the beginning, but needed some clarification after a dispute last year. Essentially, if the catcher is standing OUTSIDE of the "Dead zone" (Painted area behind strike zone) and is able to catch a batted foul ball in the air above the strike-zone, the batter is out, even if the ball is hovering above the "Dead zone"

7.    ANY BALL BATTED DIRECTLY BACK TO THE CATCHER THAT DOES NOT GO ABOVE THE STRIKE ZONE IN HEIGHT IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PLAY.

7A. ANY BALL BATTED WITHIN THE MARKED BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE BACKSTOP AND THE STRIKE ZONE THAT TOUCHES EITHER STRUCTURE IS A DEAD BALL.

7B. A BALL BATTED IN THE AIR WITHIN THIS ZONE MAY BE RECORDED FOR AN OUT IF CAUGHT IN THE AIR WITH THE ENTIRETY OF THE FIELDER’S BODY NOT TOUCHING THE DEAD BALL AREA, WITH AT LEAST ONE FOOT TOUCHING THE GROUND. SHOULD ANY PART OF THE FIELDER BE TOUCHING WITHIN THE ZONE, THE BALL IS RULED DEAD.

- 3-team Tiebreaker Procedure Codified (Rule 15AA)

    After a dispute over last year's 3-way tie for the final 2 playoff spots, the following rule shall be 

15AA.   A 3-TEAM OR MORE TIEBREAKER IMMEDIATELY GOES TO RUN DIFFERENTIAL. SHOULD THERE BE A TIE IN RUN DIFFERENTIAL AMONG 2 OF THE PARTICIPANTS, A HEAD-TO-HEAD COIN TOSS WILL DECIDE. SHOULD THERE BE A TIE IN RUN DIFFERENTIAL AMONG 3 OR MORE PARTICIPANTS, MOST RUNS SCORED WILL BE THE NEXT TIEBREAKER. SHOULD THERE BE A TIE IN MOST RUNS SCORED, THE DECISION ON WHO ADVANCES WILL FALL TO THE DISCRETION OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER.

- Substitution & Flex Spot Rules Codified (Rules 21-24)

    No real issue caused this change, it was verbiage and language that felt vague that brought in this modification.    

              21.    IN THE BATTING ORDER, THERE MUST BE 6 SLOTS, OR 6-8 HITTERS.

21A. FLEX SPOT RULE – HOWEVER, 2 SLOTS OF THE 6 SLOTS ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN THAT SPOT, THAT WILL ALTERNATE TURNS EACH TRIP THROUGH THE ORDER.

            21AA. ONLY 2 SPOTS OF THE 6 SPOT BATTING ORDER MAY BE FLEXED. IF OTHER PLAYERS ARE TO BE USED, THEY MUST BE SUBSTITUTED DIRECTLY FOR A PLAYER CURRENTLY IN ONE OF THE 6 BATTING ORDER SPOTS.

22.    IF A PLAYER IS SUBSTITUTED FOR, HE CANNOT RETURN FOR THAT GAME.

22A. A COURTESY PINCH-RUNNER MAY BE USED FOR ANY PLAYER AT ANY TIME, SO LONG AS THE PINCH-RUNNER IS NOT CURRENTLY IN THE GAME ALREADY.

23.     ONCE A PITCHER IS PULLED FROM THE MOUND, HE CAN REMAIN IN THE GAME, BUT HE CANNOT PITCH AGAIN THAT GAME.

24.     EACH TEAM MUST HAVE A MINIMUM OF 6 PLAYERS ACTIVE FOR TOURNAMENT DAY. TEAMS CAN ACTIVATE UP TO 12 PLAYERS ON TOURNAMENT DAY.