Physical activity is very important for our body. People often engage in physical activity to keep themselves fit, healthy and full of energy. Some prefer physical activities like jogging, walking, yoga, gymnastic while some prefer playing sports.
If you are interested in playing sports to keep yourself physically fit then you have many options to choose from. Football, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Baseball, Wiffle ball these are some of the games you can play in your spare time in a club or community centre.
But in today’s busy and hectic life people hardly get any time for themselves let alone driving to a club to play sport. To solve this problem and make sports readily available for you at home, you can make a small Wiffle ball field in your backyard.
What is Wiffle ball?
Wiffle ball is game that is a variation of a Baseball game. As in Baseball, wiffle ball is also played with a bat and a ball, but the materials are different. The ball used to play wiffle ball is a light, perforated, plastic ball and the material of the bat (Usually yellow in colour) is also plastic.
The ground space required to play wiffle ball is smaller than that of a baseball stadium, that is why it is ideal to set up a backyard wiffle ball field. This game can be played in outdoor or indoor confined areas. Wiffle ball is designed for 2-10 players and each game consists of 7 innings.
Wiffle ball started out as a leisurely variation of baseball in the backyard of David A. Mullany. He didn’t have many players and space to play baseball, so he improvised some things and the game quickly got fame and resulted in being named Wiffle ball.
How to Make a Backyard Wiffle ball Field?
Wiffle ball field is very easy to make if you have a spacious backyard. But there are some factors that you should consider before planning to make a backyard wiffle ball field.
Firstly, measure your backyard and see if the space is enough for the backyard wiffle ball field dimension. Although the game does not have fixed values of the dimensions, a spacious field can be fun to play in and more players can join.
Secondly, wiffle ball can be played in any type of ground whether it be grass, gravel, stone, dirt, pavement, but still, you should consider seasonal changes the ground bear. For example, the muddy ground will be non-playable in the rainy season.
Dimension of the Wiffle ball Field
The backyard wiffle ball field dimension is suggested to be over 40 ft at least with an ideal field being around 60 ft. If you have a spacious backyard and plan to invite more players to the field then a 100 ft field is suggested to make.
Equipment Required to Make Wiffle ball Field
To prepare the field order things according to the dimension of the field. Things required are:
- Chalk or paint to mark lines
- Measuring tape
- Home Plate
- Pitcher’s plate
Steps to Make a Wiffle ball Field
- Measure and built home run
Start by measuring the boundary of your field area. Then cover the home run area with any type of bush or fence according to the desired length. The suggested height of the bush or fence is 4ft to 16ft.
- Mark Lines on the Ground
Now measure and mark home run, foul lines of both sides white paint or chalk. Chalk can be a temporary fix but if you use paint, it will last much longer, for years at least.
- Single, Double and Triple Zones
Measure and mark single, double and triple zones. Single area is nearest to the foul area then comes double area and at last triple area near the home run. Mark according to the measurement divided equally.
- Batter Box
The batter box is the mark on the ground where the batter stands and take swings. Usually, there are two batter boxes drawn in a wiffle ball field, one on the right side and the other on the left side. But a wiffle ball game can also be played with a single batter box if the space is limited.
- Pitcher’s Plate
Lastly add the pitcher’s plate in the field. Make sure the pitches are properly placed near the single zone area, which is most suitable for pitches.
Conclusion
Wiffle ball is a game that is a variation of Baseball. Hence baseball is played in stadiums and requires a large space and many players, wiffle ball is usually a small-scale game and can be played with fewer players as well. That is why it is possible to make a wiffle ball field in your backyard.