Wiffleball

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Image:Wiffle bat and ball.jpg Wiffleball is a variation of the sport of baseball designed for indoor or outdoor play in confined areas. It is played using a plastic perforated ball and a long, plastic (typically yellow) bat, generally on a triangular playing field. Although "wiffleball" might commonly refer to the game played with other, similar products, "Wiffle®" itself is a registered trademark of The Wiffle Ball, Inc.

The Wiffle ball was invented by David N. Mullany of Shelton, Connecticut in 1953 when he designed a ball that curved easily for his 12-year old son. It was named when his son and his friends would refer to a strikeout as a "wiff" (actually whiff). A classic Wiffle ball is about the same size as a regulation baseball and is hollow plastic no more than 1/8th of an inch thick. One hemisphere is perforated with eight 3/4" inch oblong holes, with a solid second hemisphere. This construction allows pitchers to throw a tremendous variety and size of curveballs. Wiffle balls are typically packaged with a hollow, hard plastic, yellow bat that measures 30 inches in length and about 1.25 inches in diameter. The bat is manufactured for The Wiffle Ball, Inc., by another company.

The game of wiffleball, which sprung from the invention of the popular Wiffle ball and its knockoffs, became immensely popular as a backyard, sandlot and picnic game in the 1960s and '70s. Since 1980, the game has also exploded as an organized sport, with many successful leagues and tournaments now played across the United States and as far away as Spain. These competitions have been known to draw dozens of teams or more, typically consisting of 2-5 players per team, with widely varying rules and field dimensions. Since 1996, the internet has facilitated the expansion of wiffleball throughout the world, bringing players and teams closer together through hundreds of Web sites.