2018 KICKBALL KLASSIC RULE BOOK

(All rules are subject to interpretation of the umpire & event organizer.  Umpire will have final call on all on field rulings.)

  • KICKBALL AT A GLANCE
    • Kickball is a simple game consisting of two teams, bases and a big yellow ball.  Played like baseball, the object is to score more runs than the opposing team.  In short, the game is played with 11 fielders, 5 innings, 2 base coaches, no bouncies, no head shots, one base on an overthrow, forced outs, and no ghost men.  At the end of the game, the team with the most runs wins.  The following rules will govern all KICKBALL KLASSIC games.  For the enjoyment of all, proper respect and civility is required of all participants toward one another.  Fighting is not allowed or tolerated.
      • If a fight takes place, the umpire has the right to disqualify single players or an entire team from the specific game.
      • If an entire team gets disqualified for fighting, that game will be counted as a loss.
  • THE PLAYING FIELD
    • The field is the same as standard softball dimensions
    • The strike zone extends to 1 foot on either side of home plate, and 1 foot high.
      • A kicker may not strike the ball before it crosses the front edge of home plate
    • Any ball touched by a player or Referee wholly or partly in fair territory is automatically in play.  A participant jumping from fair territory is in fair territory while in the air.  A participant jumping from foul territory is in foul territory while in the air.
    • Alcohol is prohibited on the field of play
  • REFEREES
    • Referees have jurisdiction over play and may:
      • Call a time out
      • Call off a game at the his/her discretion
      • Penalize a player, including game ejection, for any reason.  This includes but is not limited to unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting, delay of game, excessive verbal abuse.  Ejected participants must leave the field area and may not return to the game.
    • Referees have jurisdiction over play and must:
      • Cancel the game if lightning is seen
      • Call any game at the end of any inning that finishes after 50 minutes of play
    • The Referee must ensure that the team captains exchange their written scorebook kicking orders
    • Referees may make rulings on any points not specifically covered in the rules (at the time of occurrence), but the ruling shall not be deemed as a precedent for future rulings.
    • Referees have FINAL call on any plays.  If an event director needs to be brought on the field, a timeout will be called and that time will count towards the entire game.
  • PLAYER ELIGIBILITY AND EQUIPMENT
    • All players must be of at least 16 years of age
    • Athletic shoes are required.  NO METAL CLEATS!
    • All players must sign a release waiver before play.  If a player is caught playing without a signed waiver, his/her team will forfeit the game.
  • TEAMS
    • Each team must consist of a minimum of eight (8) and no more than sixteen (16) registered players.
    • Teams must field at least eight (8) players and no more than eleven (11).  Teams must field a minimum of five (5) females at all times.  If fielding 11 players, one player must play the position of catcher.  At any time during the game, teams may only field one catcher and one pitcher.
    • If you are only able to field 4 women, you will only be able to field 4 men, making the total defensive players you will have on the field 8
    • The kicking order must include all field position players and at least one (1) Designated Kicker.  If desired, up to eight (8) Designated Kickers may be used.
      • Designated Kicker is any player who is not playing in the field defensively, but is still included in any part of the kicking order.
      • The kicking order does not require a specific sex order.
      • Up to 16 players can be in the kicking order.
    • Only the Captain may dispute calls with the Referee.  A team captain may raise a protest with the Referee for blatant infraction, but will accept the Referee’s final ruling
    • Any two members of the team may be used as base coaches, but must be prepared for their place in the kicking order.
  • REGULATION GAMES
    • Regulation games last five (5) full innings
    • There will be a time limit of 50 minutes for all games.
      • For any games that are still in progress at the fifty minute mark, the current inning will be finished and considered the final inning.
      • If there is a tie at the end of the final inning, the next team to score wins.
    • Any game may be ended at the discretion of the losing team, if losing by 12 or more runs at any point in the game.  Otherwise, no mercy run rules will be enforced
  • PITCHING AND CATCHING
    • THIS IS SLOWPITCH KICKBALL. KEEP PITCHING SLOW SO THAT EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO KICK. REFEREE HAS THE FINAL CALL ON IF A PITCH IS TOO FAST, WHICH WILL RESULT IN A BALL.
    • No bouncies.  A bouncy called as such results in a ball.  A bouncy is:
      • A pitched ball that does not touch the ground at least once before reaching the strike zone
      • A pitched ball that exceeds one foot in height from the bottom of the ball during the last bounce prior to or when crossing the plate
    • The pitcher must start the act of pitching within the pitching mound.  The pitcher must stay behind the pitching strip until the ball is kicked.  No part of the pitcher’s front foot may be in front of or across the front edge of the pitching strip.
    • Pitching must be done by hand; Other than this there are no restrictions on pitching style
    • Other than the catcher, no player may field forward of the pitcher until the ball is kicked.
      • The catcher must stay behind the kicker and home plate until the ball is kicked
    • A strike outside of the previously described strike zone is considered a ball
  • KICKING
    • All kicks must be made by foot or leg, below the knee.  Any ball touched by the foot or leg below the knee is considered a kick
      • All kicks must occur at or behind the plate.  The kicker may step on home plate to kick, however no part of the planted foot may be in front of or cross the front edge of the home plate
    • Bunting is allowed
  • RUNNING AND SCORING
    • Runners must stay within the base path
    • Fielders must stay out of the base line.  Fielders trying to make an out on base may have their foot on base, but must lean out of the baseline.  Runners hindered by any fielder within the base line, not making an active play for the ball, shall be safe at the base to which they were running.
    • Neither leading off base, nor stealing a base is allowed.  A runner may advance once the ball is kicked.  A runner off his/her base when the ball is kicked is out.
    • Hitting the runner’s neck or head with the ball is not allowed, except when the runner is sliding.  Any runner hit in the neck or head is safe, and advances to the base they were running toward when the ball hits the runner.  If the runner intentionally uses the head or neck to block the ball, and is so called by the Referee, the runner is out.
    • Tag-Ups are required before advancement on a caught ball.  After a kicked ball is caught, runners are forced to tag their originating base before running to the next base.
    • All ties go to the runner; Runners may overrun first base as long as they stay in foul territory and do not make a turn with intent to run towards second base.
    • Base Running on Overthrows
      • An overthrow is a ball thrown, kicked, or deflected into foul territory while making a defensive play toward a player or base.
      • A runner may advance only one base beyond the base the runner is on or running towards when the ball travels into foul territory.
      • One base on an overthrown is a restriction on the runner NOT an automatic right for the runner to advance
      • Once an overthrown ball is back on the field of play, and the defense attempts a play other than returning the ball to the pitcher, the runners may commence base running.
    • Running past another runner is not allowed.  The passing runner is out.
    • A run scores when a runner touches home plate before the third out is made, EXCEPT that no run can score when the third out is the result of a force play, or when the kicker is put out before touching first base.  At the end of the game the team with the most runs wins
  •  STRIKES
    • A count of three (3) strikes is an out
    • A strike is:
      • A pitch within the strike zone that is not kicked
      • An attempted kick missed by the kicker inside or outside of the strike zone
      • No foul balls are considered strikes
  • BALLS
    • A count of four (4) ball advances the kicker to first base
    • A ball is:
      • A pitched ruled by the Referee to be outside of the strike zone where a kick is not attempted
      • An illegal bouncy
      • Any player in an illegal position (as determined in earlier rules) before the ball is kicked
  • FAIR AND FOUL BALLS
    • A count of four (4) fouls is an out
    • A foul is:
      • A kicked ball landing in foul territory
      • A kicked ball landing in bounds, but traveling foul on its own at any time before reaching first or third base
      • A kick made on or above the knee
    • A fair is:
      • A ball kicked that lands and remains in fair territory
      • A ball kicked that lands in fair territory then travels into foul territory beyond the 1st-3rd baseline
    • All fair and foul balls are in play unless specifically mentioned
  • OUTS
    • A count of three (3) outs by a team completes the team’s half of the inning
    • An out is:
      • A count of three (3) strikes or four (4) fouls
      • Any kicked ball (fair or foul) that is caught before hitting the ground
      • A ball tag on a base to which a runner is forced to run, before the runner arrives at the base
      • A runner touched by the ball or who touches the ball at ANY time while not on base while the ball is in play
      • A ball tag of a runner on base in which the runner does not tag their originating base when the ball is caught
      • A runner off his/her base when the ball is kicked
      • Any kicker that does not kick in the proper kicking position as determined by the line-up
      • A runner that passes another runner
  • HAVE FUN