WHERE: Spooky Nook Sports
75 Champ Blvd.
Manheim, Pennsylvania 17545
WHEN: Saturday, March 26, 2022, 9 AM to (approximately) 6 PM
WHO: Anybody - current MAW participants, future MAW participants, non-MAW participants!
MAW Training Day is a new concept for 2022, combining some of the elements of the MAW Winter Classic and Draft Tournaments, but primarily serving as an opportunity for players to get some work in before the regular season commences one month later. In addition, the day will be used as the spring Media Day to gather interviews and other assets for the upcoming Wiffle®Ball season (MAW, United Wiffle®Ball, etc.).
Players wishing to participate in the Draft Tournament must register and pay the registration fee. The fee goes towards covering part of the field rental costs. Batting cage/tunnel access will be made available for a portion of the day courtesy of MAW. There will also be ample opportunity for registered players to win giveaways both prior to and at the event.
Non-registered players are welcomed to hang out, scout, or utilize the tunnels when available. The Spooky Nook facility also includes a 60+ game arcade center for those looking to stay occupied during any Wiffle®Ball down time. In addition, the on-campus Forklift & Palate restaurant is open all day (7 AM to 10 PM on Saturday) with full food and bar menus.
An outline for the draft tournament is provided below. Tournament rules have been slightly modified to reflect both the size of the playing area and to recognize that this is a spring training event meant to help players prepare for the season, not a full-blown regular season tournament. Rules guiding inning limits or playing times have not been put into place to allow team captains and players to manage those aspects in the way that best meets the needs of both the individual player and team. Once chosen, the four team captains will have the responsibility to make sure that every player on their team leaves the event having received ample opportunities during their three tournament games.
We hope you will join us on Saturday, March 26th for this unique event! Any questions or suggestions? Let us know by emailing us at midatlanticwiffle@gmail.com or contacting Tim at 301-661-7980.
What to except at MAW Training Day:
4-team round robin draft tournament on Spooky Nook’s indoor turn baseball diamond (3 total games for all teams)
Pitching Lane/Hitting Cage tunnel access at specified periods during the day
Opportunities to play alongside, practice with, and learn from different players in preparation for the season
Scouting opportunity for teams looking for players or players in search of a team
A chance to “get your work in” for the regular tournament season by facing live pitching and facing live batters in a controlled, non-pressure, spring-training-like environment
2022 spring media day – as soon as teams are drafted, MAW will schedule times to conduct interviews and promotional video and photo shoots for 2022 MAW and United Wiffle®Ball purposes. We kindly ask that all participants schedule time for these activities as it will be a great help to us in building up our 2022 assets before the chaos of the regular tournament season ensues. Requests are welcomed and all assets (interviews, photos, and video) will be available to players/teams upon request immediately after the event.
Giveaways leading up to the tournament and at the tournament for registered players
More (hopefully) to be announced!
Draft Round Robin Tournament x the Numbers
4 teams of 8-10 players (depending on total number of participants)
7-inning games
1 game versus every other team
3 games for each team
5 players in the field at all times (4 position players + pitcher)
5 or more players in the batting order at all times
∞ designated hitters – every position player and pitcher can be assigned a DH (see below for additional DH switching rules)
∞ substitutions (see below for additional rules)
21 innings guaranteed per team
10 hours allotted for the tournament – if running ahead of schedule, there might be opportunities for batting practice, pick up game, etc. on the field.
0 inning limits – the onus will be on the team captain to make sure that all pitchers on their team get their work in and that nobody is overworked
125 ft. down the lines, 150 ft. to CF – a slightly larger field than a normal MAW field will allow for a 4th regular fielder (5 total, including the pitcher)
Player Pairing Rules for Designated Hitters & Substitutions
This is a spring training tournament, designed to allow players to get their work in before the regular tournament season. As a result, some rules are being lightened in order to allow greater roster flexibility. Designated hitters can enter the game to play the field or pitch before returning to DH and players can exit and re-enter the game. This allows captains to make sure that all of their players are receiving fair opportunities while not also not tying them to a roster decision.
To keep the games orderly, designated hitters and substitute players are tied to the player they are hitting for or initially enter the game for (and vice versa), respectively. They can only re-enter the field or re-enter the game for the player they are tied to in the same spot in the batting order.
Example #1: Andrius Fink begins a game batting 2nd as the designated hitter for Bice Clark, who is playing the outfield. In the 4th inning, the team captain wants to get Clark at bats. Clark must switch places with Fink – Fink goes to the field, Clark takes his spot batting 2nd. In the top of the 7th, Clark goes into pitch for his team. Fink slides back into the DH role and assumes the 2nd spot in the order once again.
Example #2: Andrius Fink begins a game batting 2nd. Brice Clark begins on the bench. In the 4th inning, the team captain wants to get Clark at bats. Clark must switch places with Fink – Fink goes to the bench, Clark takes his spot batting 2nd. In the top of the 7th, Fink goes into hit. He must switch spots with Clark (and only him). Fink bats in the 2nd spot in the order in the 7th and Clark goes to the bench.
If a designated hitter does not occupy a certain spot in the batting order at the start of the game, a designated hitter cannot occupy that spot in the order at any time in the game. In the above example #2, Clark could not enter the game in the 4th inning as a DH for Fink and can only enter as substitute for him.
Non-Roster Rule Modifications
Due to the size of the field, the following non-roster rule modifications will be in effect.
5 total players in the field at all times (mandatory) – 4 fielders, 1 pitcher
Singles – any ball that makes it over the green turf infield area onto the brown turf base line area without being fielded is a single. A ball that isn’t touched is a clean single (runners move two bases), all others are dirty singles (runners move one base)
Doubles – any ball that passes by the brown turf base line area without being fielded is a double. All doubles are considered clean and runners move two bases. Note: this is different than the regular MAW rule where doubles clear the bases.
Triples – any ball that reaches the outfield wall (either in the air or on the ground and regardless of whether the ball is touched) is a triple. Players move three bases on any triple.
All other rules follow the MAW Rulebook.
Registration Giveaways
Registration begins on Monday, February 14th and is tentatively scheduled to close on Sunday, March 13th.
For every FIVE players that register for the event, MAW will hold a raffle. Prize items include (but are not necessarily limited to) Wiffle®Ball apparel and playing equipment. The eligible pool for each raffle will be ALL the players registered through that cutoff point. For example, the first five players registered will be entered into the first raffle. Once 10 players total have registered, there will be a second raffle which include all 10 currently registered players (including the winner of the first drawing). The earlier you register, the better your changes of winning (and winning multiple times!).
All prizes must be picked up at the event and are non-negotiable.