Kickball League Rules

Last updated:  2019 January

Overview

Think back to recess in grade school; Yes Kickball with plastic bases and a big plastic ball.  Come with the attitude to get a little exercise, have fun, meet some new folks, and maybe enjoy a cold one.

Participating Players

• Up to 10 players can start in the field.
• There must be at least 6 players in the field to start.
• 4 players must be in the outfield (minimum 2).
• 4 players in the infield (minimum 2).
• 1 pitcher and 1 catcher.
• If a team is unable to field a legal team of 6, their opponent will receive 1 point every 2 minutes after the scheduled game time. After 10 minutes a win will be awarded.
• There may NOT be more than 6 men in the field.
• You must have at least 2 men and 2 women.
• Teams must field 1 pitcher, 1 catcher, 2 infielders, and 2 outfielders.
• At least 2 woman must play in the outfield.
• All players on the team can be in the kicking order.   (see below for lineup tips)
• No more than 2 men can kick back to back w/o penalty.
• If more than 2 men are together in order, a “ghost” player will be inserted into the lineup and it will be an automatic out when it’s that players turn to kick.
• Player(s) who show up after the lineups have been submitted will be added at the end of the lineup or inserted into open lineup gaps.
• Only active players may be within 10 feet from the first or third base lines. (Those not kicking, running, or playing in the field must stay back.)

• If your team wants to substitute a player, follow the rules outlined in the 'subs' section of the FAQ  (FAQ - League Information - Are subs allowed?).

Rosters

• You can have as many players as you want on a roster, but the minimum number of players is 12.
• We recommend having 14 players on each roster.
• Players who register as free agents may be added to teams with rosters smaller than 14 players (captains will be notified first).
• Additional players, including players who register as free agents, can be added to the roster anytime until the third week of the season.
• Captains are responsible for the conduct of teams. This means they’ll need to make sure all players are legal and conform to league play standards.
• All players must meet league player requirements. (FAQ - League Information - Player Requirements)
• All players must wear their league tshirts to participate. (FAQ - League Information - What if I paid late and have not received a league tshirt or forget my league tshirt one night?)
• From time to time for various reasons players may become upset and curse, complain, and more.  When this occurs, our staff will respond and take actions from issuing a warning, to taking a time out, up to ejecting a player form the game.  For more info reference our FAQ. (FAQ - League Information - Ejections)
• Team captains can request the referee for a roster check on thier opponents.  The roster check must be requested before the game begins.  Exception: a player who showed up and joined in after the game began, in this case the team captain needs to request the check when that new player first enters the game.

* Number of men who can play in the field; additional can be in kicking order

NOTE:  there are player gender position requirements both in the field and kicking order

Equipment & Field Setup

• All equipment will be provided by Be Social Richmond.
• Lineup books
• Kick balls
• Bases
• Players may wear plastic cleats when playing outdoors.
• Players may NOT wear metal cleats.

Field Layout

• Orange bases will be used to mark home plate, first, second, and third bases.
• White bases will also be at first base.
• Runners may only go to the white bases at first.
• First basemen may only use the orange bases.
• Any offensive runner who runs from home to first and touches an orange base will be out if there is a play at that base. (If there is no play at the base, then they will be safe.)
• Any defensive player making a play at first who touches the white base will cause the runner to be safe.
• If both offensive and defensive players make the same mistake of touching the wrong base, they will cancel each other out and the play will be ruled as normal.
• An orange box will mark the pitching area.

League Scoring, Standings, Seeding

Regular Season

Game Play Situations

• A ball that is kicked over a fence or into a road in the air in fair territory will be a home run.
• A ball that bounces over or rolls through a fence in fair territory will be a ground rule double.
• A ball that bounces or rolls into a road in fair territory will be a ground rule double.

Nightly Games

• The home team will be on the first base side of the field and will play in the field first
• All games will last 50 minutes
  • The game will end as soon as the current play finishes after 50 minutes (the end of regulation)
  • NOTE:  the score will revert back to the score of the last full inning played if when time has expired and the game is in the middle of an inning
    • Exception: if the home team has taken the lead or ties the game when time expires, the score will not revert back
• There is no inning limit or maximum
  • Games will be official after 4 innings or 3½ innings if the home team is ahead
• TIE SCORE
  • Regular season games can end in a tie
  • In the playoffs after time expires one extra innings will be played (not counting an inning in progress when time expires)
    • After one extra innings if the game is still tied, the tie will be broken by "kick it to win it"
      Kick It To Win It = The visiting team will select a pitcher who will pitch one pitch to a visiting team kicker who will have one attempt to kick the ball as close to the cone at 2nd base as possible.  The ball is replaced with a marker and then the home team will select a pitcher to pitch one pitch to a kicker from the home team who also will get one try to kick the ball as close to the cone at 2nd base as possible.  The ball kicked closest to 2nd base cone wins.  (balls will be marked where they stop rolling)
• Runs scored
  • No team can score more than 9 runs in any inning
    Unless the team scoring the runs was losing to their opponent and then they can only score up to 9 more runs than the other team
    EXAMPLE:  Team A is winning 7 to 3 vs team B.  Team B is kicking, because they are behind they can score up to (9 max runs per inning + 4 number of runs they are behind =) 13 runs that inning.
• Five minutes before game play starts both team captains will meet with the ref at home plate. Captains will fill out their batting order on the referee provided scoresheet.
  • Ref will record players first name and list name first initial
  • Captains reporting their lineup late will start the first inning with 1 out
  • Games cannot start until both teams have submitted lineups
  • Late arriving players can be added to lineups at the end of any half inning. To add players after a half inning a captain should approach the ref who will call over the other captain.   The first captain will announce the additions to their teams lineup to the referee and play will resume after the ref has recorded the lineup addition(s).
• Pitchers may have 4 warmup pitches the first inning and 1 pitch before every other inning

In the Field & Pitching

• The strike zone extends 1 foot left, 1 foot right, and one foot above home plate
• All pitches must be underhand and "kickable"; pitches that don’t meet that standard will be called dead and will count as a ball
  • Calling these pitches are at the discretion of the referee. Guidance to refs is simply that all pitches should be kickable.
• If a kicker kicks a ball that has been called a ball, then the ball is in play overriding the referees ball/strike call
• If a pitched ball rolls past the front of home plate and comes to a stop the ball is kickable until the catcher picks it up. 
• Over hand and side arm pitches, pitches that are bouncing, spinning, fast balls, curving balls, and pitches that fail to make it to home plate will be called dead and count as a ball
• No fielder may advance forward beyond a line from first base to third base until the ball is kicked; if so and that player makes an OUT it will not count, the play will be rules a single with all runners safe and advancing one base
• Outfielders may not come within 10 feet of any base before the ball is kicked; if so and that player makes an OUT it will not count, the play will be rules a single with all runners safe and advancing one base
• Catchers should begin lined up at least 10 feet behind home plate and must avoid contact with kickers
• Fielders are only allowed to switch positions once during an inning
• Fielders must stay out of the baselines unless they are making a play on the ball
  • If a fielder is in the baseline and makes contact with a runner then the runner will be allowed to safely advance to the next base
• Once the pitcher (and only the pitcher) has control of the ball within 5 feet of the pitchers strip/box the ref will blow the whistle and the play will be over; play resumes once the next pitch is thrown

Kicking & Running

• The count begins with 1 ball and 1 strike
• Kickers may start anywhere within 6 feet from home plate
• The kicker is out on strike 3 and walks on ball 4
• Any kick make in front of home plate will not count and will be called a strike; referees best judgement
• Foul balls count as a strike
  • A foul ball with 2 strikes will count as a third strike
• There will be a line painted in the field that will mark the distance a ball must travel to reach fair territory; the white line will run across the field 40ft in front of home plate
• Any runners who advanced during a kick that does not land in fair territory and that was not played by a player in the field will return to their starting base
• A kicker stopping a pitched ball will count as a strike; that’s the catchers job
• Any player caught kicking out of order will be out, any runners that may have advanced will return to their bases, and the correct kicker will kick next
• Once a ball has been kicked that player is a runner
• Any ball that has been kicked that hits a runner; that runner is out
• Runners must stay within 4 feet lines from home to 1^st, 1^st to 2^nd, 2^nd to 3^rd, and 3^rd to home
• Runners may tag up and try to advance on any ball that is caught
• When a man is walked and the kicker behind them is a woman, the woman will have to option to also take a walk (this means the man will go to second base and the woman to first base; any players on base in front of them would advance accordingly) 

More Rules

• Runners may only advance one base on over throws that leave the field of play (FOP = in between the first and third base lines)
  CLARIFICATION: if a runner is at least half way to the next base (ref judgement call) that runner may advance one additional base beyond the one they were running to.
• When the pitcher gets control of the ball in the box play stops and runners more than half way to a base advance and if not return to the previous base
• Infield Fly Rule –  (this will be called at the umpires discretion/judgment)  this rule treats certain fly balls as though caught even if the infiielder fails to catch the ball or drops it on purpose.  The declaration of an infield fly means the kicker is out and all runners on base remain where they started.  This rules is to prevent the defense from achieving a double or triple play by failing to catch a ball that would typically be caught with ordinary effort.  This rule may be called at the referees discursion even after a ball has hit the ground.
• A fielder attempting to make an out by tagging a base may have his or her foot on the base, but he or she must lean out of the way of the baseline
• All ties go to the runner
• Any runner intentionally making contact with a fielder will automatically be out
• Runners must avoid fielders who are making a play within the baseline
• Throwing the ball and hitting a runner above the shoulders results in the runner being safe
• No leading off base nor stealing of bases is allowed if you do you will be OUT
• No sliding or you will be OUT
• ** Avoid person to person contact at all costs **   Any player who is deemed to make intentional contact may be kicked from the game or for the season.
• After a kicked ball is caught, runners must tag their original base before proceeding to the next base (tag up) But, if the runner has not left their base they may simply run to the next base without a tag up
• If two runners are on the same base at the same time, the fielder has a choice to tag either runner with the ball. That runner is out and the other may stay on that base
• Once the pitcher has control of the ball any base runners that are less than halfway between bases must return to their original base (ref’s judgement call).
• At any time a runner touches or stops a ball that runner is OUT
• Injured players may be replaced by any available player of the same gender
• A play on a ball in foul territory can only result in
  • A foul ball if the ball is not caught in the air
  • An out if the ball is caught in the air; in this situation runners are allowed to tag up and advance after the catch
• Kickers can get out by
  • Striking out (3rd strike)
  • Fouling out (kicking foul with 2 strikes)
  • Kicking the ball and it’s caught by a player in the field
  • Kicking the ball and they are tagged or hit by the ball
  • Kicking the ball and forced out at first base
  • Otherwise touching a ball in play
• Runners can get out by
  • Touching a ball in play (themselves, being tagged, being hit by a thrown/kicked ball)
  • Leading off, trying to steal, sliding
  • Being forced out at a base
  • Running outside the base lines
• No player should bring or take anything into the playing area not provided by the league or used to play the game; if you have a question on if you can bring something ask the referee or email info@besocialrichmond.com

Playoffs

• Teams with 1+ forfeits during the regular season will be excluded from the playoffs
• Teams caught using players that are not on their roster or whom were not signed up as legal subs will be excluded from the playoffs
• Seeding details this single-game per night sport can be found in the FAQ (FAQ - League Information - How are standings calculated for the regular season?)
• Single elimination match format unique each season

Lineup Tips

Come to the field with your lineup ready.   BUT ONLY write down the names of players who are at the field.   More names can be added as players show, but those names must be added to the end of the lineup.  

• If you are sure someone is going to show but they have not arrived when you are filling out the lineup you can leave an open slot that they could get inserted into when they arrive.  BUT WE DONT RECOMMEND - for example lets say a team is waiting another female to show.  So they decide to have players 2,3,5,6 in their lineup be guys leaving the 4th spot open for the girl who's running late.   When she shows, she can be put into the 4th slot in the order.  BUT, if she hasn't arrived by the time it's her spot to kick, she'll get skipped.   But this will also cause more than 2 guys to kick in a row causing a ghost out.  

Because there is a penalty of a ghost out if more than 2 guys kick in a row we suggest the following:

• Have the 1st or 2nd kicker be a female.  That way if a guy show up late and get added to the end of the roster they dont cause a situation of a needless ghost out that could have been avoided.
• If your lineup had extra guys front load the lineup w/ them.  
• If you have players who have not yet arrived but you want to work them into the lineup you can leave a gap or two for them in the lower part of the order for them to slide into.  But we recommend doing so in such a way so you dont cause a situation where you'll be forced to take a ghost out.

BSR recommends:   Have a female kick 1st, followed by 2 men, 4th, another female, followed by 2 men, and so on.  

Rules are subject to change when and as needed by BSR staff.