What we do…



The BWBL, or Backyard Wiffleball League, is a medium-pitch wiffleball league located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Founded by Kevin Sickle and Tom Hannon in 2004, the BWBL has tjree main events; the BWBL Charity Classic, the league format, and the Autumn Classic, which also benefits a local charity. The Charity Classic takes place in May/June and always benefits a charity. Past charities have included Sears’ Heroes at Home, the Colleen Shea Foundation, the North Wilkes-Barre Little League, and the Tyler Winstead Fund. The week following the tournament is the first week of the regular season. The season usually consists of about 20 games per team, plus a playoff system to determine the champion. The season typically consists of about 8 teams and the tournament fields roughly the same amount.

With the addition of Diamond City Park and room for additional fields, look for the BWBL to expand the number of tournaments offered each year. 





Where we play…



As of September 29th, 2012, the current home field for the BWBL is Diamond City Park, old home to the North-Wilkes Barre Little League.  DCP was built thanks to the $10,000 grant the BWBL received from the Pepsi Refresh Foundation, and was the product of almost a years worth of work.  The grant for the field was secured in January of 2012, and after a few months of negotiations, the BWBL was granted use of the old Little League field.  Construction started in August of the same year, with the Autumn Classic marking the first official games on the field.  The signature aspect of the field is the 12 foot wall in left field.  While only 82 feet to the line in left, one must clear this behemoth to earn a home run. Center field sports a unique semi-circle and runs 118 feet from home plate - a deep fly ball to this area can easily mean extra bases.  The right field line measures 90 feet, giving lefties a real advantage.



How we play…



For years, the BWBL was a fast pitch league. It was dominated by a select few pitchers who could routinely throw shutouts. Although this made for some truly exciting games, it also made for some boring ones as well. To fight this, and to increase parity, the league moved to a medium-pitch format. Games have become even more competitive, and there is a much higher need for solid defense. Unlike many other leagues (GSWL and the former Fast Plastic Assn., to name just two), the BWBL plays with base runners. This keeps the game as much like baseball as possible and almost every player in the league has embraced it. Plugging below the neck is allowed, but runners are free to take extra bases if you miss! See our rule book for a closer look at the way we play.