Actually, it’s all three. For one thing, it’s not Wiffle Ball. Ripken Quickball, the official grassroots sport of Ripken Baseball, is a unique concept that takes the traditional concept of playing baseball in the backyard with a plastic ball one step farther.  Ripken Quickball is a revolutionary new sport promoting agility and eye-hand coordination that combines the most exciting elements of baseball and softball. Home runs, extra-base hits, double plays and pickoffs are all a part of the game. Quickball diamonds are compact, the games are fast and gloves are not required. Size and strength do not matter. Ripken Quickball is fast-paced and keeps kids moving. There are different games and formats to suit all ages and skill levels. Whether you are playing Home Run Derby, Crossfire or 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 Quickball using baseball rules, there is something to meet everyone’s needs and challenge everyone’s abilities. Depending on the format, games can last one minute or nine innings. Ripken Quickball definitely provides something for everybody. What sets Ripken Quickball apart from other backyard plastic ball games is the technology behind the ball. The Quickball is a patented hard plastic ball that plays like a real baseball. It comes in various sizes that can challenge players of all skill levels, has raised seams like a real baseball and asymmetrically positioned holes. If you want to throw it straight for a strike, you can do it. But if you want to have fun and try different trick pitches, you can do that, too. And most important of all, if you get a hold of one, it will really fly! Click here to read an article from Wired magazine. Possibly the most impressive thing about the Quickball is its durability. In 2002 the staff at Ripken Baseball held a Quickball tournament at one of its overnight camp. The first thing the staff noticed was how much fun the kids had playing. Of course, the adults had to take a stab at it, too. When they did, the Ripken Baseball staff realized immediately that this product not only could provide hours of enjoyment, but also could serve as a valuable training tool because of its size and durability. “We’ve been using Quickballs at our camps for the past four years, and couldn’t be happier with the results,” said Ripken Baseball Executive Vice President and 12-year major league veteran Bill Ripken. “Quickballs are the perfect choice whether you want to have kids play a fun pick-up game or work on their hitting skills.” Since then Quickballs have been used at ever Ripken Baseball Camp – as a diversion and a training tool. Drills have been designed specifically to use the balls, and they have been hit over and over with real aluminum and wood bat products. Even after a summer’s worth of pounding the Quickballs rarely break, bend or split.
 

Ripken Quickball Hitting Set Priced at $12.00, the Ripken Quickball Hitting Set comes with a plastic bat, three white Quickballs, three orange Quickballs and a Game Book. Play backyard baseball or any one of the other quick and exciting games outlined in the Game Book. Ripken Quickball provides hours of fun for baseball enthusiasts of all ages while allowing players to work on their eye-hand coordination, throwing and hitting skills. Ripken Quickball Bucket of Balls Priced at $29.95, this bucket of balls can be carried anywhere. There’s nothing worse than going out to the backyard or local park and not having enough balls. Chasing one ball every time it is it is not most people’s idea of an enjoyable afternoon. This bucket of balls solves that problem. It’s also great for youth teams who want to take batting practice before a game, but have limited field space. The bucket provides an efficient means to store and pick up the balls, the aerodynamics of the balls allow for accurate pitching, the balls are safe, and the durability of the balls makes them perfect for use with aluminum bats. Keep looking here for future training aids to be used in conjunction with the buckets of Quickballs. Other Quickball Products More than 150 college intramural programs have leagues that feature some form of Ripken Quickball. Most of these colleges purchase Ripken Quickball Game sets, complete with an automatic strike zone, foul poles and customizable outfield fencing.