2019 KICKBALL RULES
OFFICIALS
1. Officials will be provided by SARC. These are not professional referees, so please be courteous to them, as they have the power to throw you out with our ZERO TOLERANCE policy.
PARTICIPANTS
1. 21 to participate.
2. Should have health insurance.
3. Must be registered ONLINE. Paying online is optional.
4. All players must be in sneakers or cleats (no metal on shoes).
TEAMS
1. Teams should have a minimum of 15 players- NO MAX of players.
2. 4 Females and 6 Males on the field.
3. Females can compensate for males, but not vice versa.
4. Minimum of 2 females in the INFIELD.
5. Teams can play with the minimal of 7 players from their roster, but outs will be assumed in place of missing players. Teams without a proper starting lineup must take outs in the lineup (male or female).
6. Teams must have a pitcher and catcher unless playing with 7.
7. Every player present kicks in the designated kicking lineup. Kicking out of order results in an out for the kicker that was out of order and the kicker at faults turn is skipped when it comes up.
8. Players that are late are added to the end of the lineup as long as they arrive before the start of the 4th inning.
9. No more than 3 guest players allowed playing in a game. Guest players do not have to be okayed by opposing team unless they normally play up on a higher team. No guest players are permitted if other team is short handed as well until teams are at equal strength. ALL guest players must kick at the end of the lineup and only eligible to play OF. The only exception is if all 3 guests are females then one can play catcher.
BASE COACHES
1. Are optional.
2. Cannot touch the ball in play or interfere with the defense or kicker is out.
3. Canâ??t physically assist runners or the runner is out.
GAME PLAY
1. Minimum of 4 innings and Max of 7 innings or 60 minutes.
2. Top of the inning must be started by minute: 50 and so is the last inning.
3. Tie games are possible but not favored. OT if time permits.
4. 10 minute grace periods for shorthanded teams. Forfeits get recorded as a 10-0 win.
5. Rock, Paper, Scissors will determine home and away during regular season.
PITCHING
1. Pitches can be any speed or spin, but do not have to be kicked.
2. Pitcher cannot have an approach to the mound. Pitcher must START THE PITCH & RELEASE THE BALL while foot is on the mound (rubber if its there).
3. Pitcher must stay at or behind the pitchers line until the ball is kicked.
4. Pitch by hand only.
5. A â??ballâ?? or â??strikeâ?? is at the referee discretion and a pitch is determined based on speed, spin, bounce, and location of ball as it crosses the strike zone.
KICKING
1. Foot or lower leg (below the knee) only or else foul ball.
2. Contact with the pitch must be made within 1 step of the plate in any direction. Infraction is a foul ball or result of play (defense choice).
3. Bunting is permissible.
4. Defensive bunting lines in place to protect bunters. Lines are connected between pitching mound and 1st and 3rd base lines.
5. Immediate double touch is a foul ball.
6. ICING THE KICKER: After 4 bad pitches (referee discretion) the kicker will place the ball on top of home plate and kick it from there. Kicker cannot refuse the â??free kickâ??, but can opt for a walk instead. Kickers may bunt if they choose. Additionally, a kicker who receives 4 balls without a strike or foul would receive a double walk (go straight to 2B).
RUNNING/SCORING
1. Runners must stay within 3ft of the baseline/vice versa for fielders. Exceptions are made when rounding bases at full speed.
2. Runnersâ?? interference is safe to base (catcher making contact with kicker while kicker is attempting to make contact with the ball or a fielder impeding the baseline). If referee deems that runner could have another base as a result, another base can be awarded.
3. If a defensive player is encroaching at contact of the ball and involved in the play, kicker will be announced safe at 1st and play over (or result in the play).
4. NO leading off when pitcher has ball until ball is kicked.
5. Base runners leaving early while a player is kicking will be called out, and play is dead. Kicker must re-kick.
6. Tagging runner or base or hitting runner is permissible.
a. NO head shots (thatâ??s above the shoulders)
b. If runner gets hit in the head then, allowed on that base plus 1 extra
c. If runner is heading home, lead runner on base at the same time gets an extra base, but if no additional runners then nothing.
7. Alter #5 rules if runner is sliding, ducking, or purposely uses their head to block the ball.
8. Tagging up is permitted. As soon as the defensive player TOUCHES the ball a runner may leave the base. It doesnâ??t have to be a clean catch.
9. Ties DO NOT go to the runner.
10. Overthrows/kicks/deflections etcâ?¦over the fence or in the dugout or touches a player on defensive team standing outside the dugout are out of bounds and give a runner an extra base and dead ball. (1 extra base past the one they are heading towards). If offensive team interferes with a live ball the play is dead and runners can be deemed out or made to return to previous base based on referee discretion.
11. NO running past another runner (2nd runner will be out)
12. Runs scored = Baseball rules.
13. In the event a runner and fielder collide in the base path or on the base, the runner is automatically safe (unless the fielder has the ball in clear possession or is there to make a play on the ball.) and could be awarded the next base if deemed necessary by referees. This (*) includes a bad throw to 1B where the fielder goes into the baseline to catch the ball. Itâ??s up to the runner to avoid contact.
14. INFIELD FLY RULE: There is no CALLED infield fly rule. Any dropped infield pop up that results in a double or triple play will not be allowed and if more than one out is made, only LEAD runner involved will be out.
15. There will be NO SLIDING allowed into 1B when running from home plate.
16. All kickers running through 1B must use the safety base or they will be called out. Runners looking to round the base can use the inside base.
17. DODGEBALL RULE- Any runner who catches the ball being thrown at them will be deemed SAFE and allowed to go to next base. Play is dead. Any runners currently running simultaneously will be awarded next base. This CANNOT take place running from home to first. Any runner attempting to catch it and fails will be deemed out and play could be called dead by referee if deemed necessary. If the ball touches the ground first it is not catchable. Also if a player fails to tag up and then catches the ball, they will be deemed safe at the base they failed to tag up on and can remain there.
18. Interfering with a tag out by snatching the ball, holding the ball, etc. will result in all base runners going back to the base they had just previously left before the incident happened.
STRIKE OUTS
1. 3 fouls equal an OUT.
2. 3 good pitches is a strike out.
3. A combination of any 4 strikes or fouls is an out.
4. A swing and a miss is a strike.
FOULS
1. The ball must stay in between the 1st and 3rd base, but after the bases it can roll out of the foul line and still be fair.
2. If the ball ever touches a player in fair territory, ball is fair. If ball ever touches a player in foul territory then ball is foul. Where ever it is first touched determines if it is fair or foul.
3. If a player is standing in fair territory and reaches into foul territory to touch the ball, itâ??s a foul ball.
BALL IN PLAY
1. Ball in the pitchers hand in the vicinity of the mound ends the play. Any runners more than halfway may continue. The ball can be live again IF the pitcher makes a play on a runner by the ball leaving that vicinity.
2. Ball CAN be kicked at a player to obtain an out. Any ball touching a base runner is an out as all balls in play are LIVE balls.
EXCEPT:
a. ball over fence ends play
b. runner has run through the first base bag or standing on a base
3. If a kicker runs through first base, and turns around back to base, they must show intent to run to second to be considered in play.
SUBSTITUTIONS
1. All present players kick in the designated lineup.
2. Free and unlimited subs allowed in the field.
3. 1 defensive switch per position, per inning (pre-pitch). Once players move to a position they must remain there for the duration of the inning. Players can move wherever after the ball has left the pitchers hand.
CATCHER POSITIONING
1. Catchers must stand behind the kicker and/or home plate until the ball is kicked.
2. Catchers cannot sneak up the baseline a few feet to attempt to play the bunt better until ball is kicked.
PINCH RUNNING
1. Pinch runners must be of same gender.
2. Limited to one per inning.
3. In the event of an in game injury, player may be removed without penalty (as long as game minimum requirements are met), and cannot reenter.
FORFEIT FEE
1. Any team that forfeits within 4 hours of scheduled game time is to assume a $25 inconvenience fee.
2. 3 forfeit fees in one season are grounds for removal the league with no refunds.
CLEAN UP RULE
1. Bring a trash bag or any sorts to clean up after your self after each game. Iâ??m not a janitor and will not clean up after you. If season gets cancelled, there will be no refunds. TAKE YOUR TRASH WITH YOU.
2. If failure to clean up happens, there will be a warning, then a $25 fine and/or a loss in the standings, then subject to removal from league.
3. Any adult beverages MUST BE IN A CUP if inside the park.
PLAYOFFS RULE
1. All playoff games are subject to mercy rule. 15 run lead after 3, 12 after 4, 10 after 5.
2. NO guest players are allowed for playoffs unless team is shorthanded.
1. TEAMS MAY NOT PICK UP PLAYERS ON ANOTHER TEAM IN SAME TOURNAMENT OR HIGHER DIVISION.
2. Guest players must pay $20 to participate in playoffs.
3. Players must play at least 1 game during the regular season to be eligible for playoffs or seek SARC Committee approval.
4. Teams that are short can only play with a maximum of 9 as to not gain a competitive advantage.
3. Home and Away and field assignments will be determined by higher seeds.
4. In extra innings, the last kickers of the previous inning will start on 2B.
1. This runner cannot be pinch ran for and the inning still starts with no outs.
2. If last â??kickerâ?? was an automatic out to end the previous inning, then no runner starts on 2B.