ECSS - KICKBALL RULES
I. Field / Equipment / General.
a. Field:
1. All games shall be played on softball-sized diamonds or
open fields. Fields with or without fences are acceptable.
2. Bases will be approximately 60 feet apart.
b. Equipment:
1. All games shall be played with a 10-inch red rubber
kickball.
2. Metal spikes are not allowed! (PERIOD)
3. Any other types of cleats are allowed (i.e. softball,
soccer).
c. General:
1. Officiating:
i. Teams must furnish at least 3 'coherent
and sober' refs per game, 1 head ref, and 2 base refs, as assigned on the
current season schedule.
ii. Consistent failure to not provide
proper refs will jeopardize future league participation. At Field Repâ??s
discretion.
iii. Teams failing to supply proper
umpires will forfeit their next game on the schedule, at the Field Reps'
discretion. This does not include tournament play.
iv. The umpire's word is final and not to
be disputed unless a blatant contradiction to the official rules has been
committed.
v. The Field Rep has the right to overturn an
umpire's call if it is not within the parameters of the official ECSS rules.
This only is if the umpire and field ref(s) cannot agree on the call on the
field. If the ref(s) agree on a call, whether you feel it is right or wrong,
the game will play with the call. See above rule 4.
vi. Refs may eject players for unsportsmanlike
behavior, with Field Rep approval.
vii. Any occurrences which are not covered in
the rules shall be settled by the Field Rep and noted for later rule updates.
viii. This includes but is not limited to
un-sportsman-like conduct, fighting, delay of game, and excessive verbal abuse.
Ejected participants must leave the field area and may not return to the game,
with possible future game suspension.
ix. Players should remember we are all out here
for fun!
II. Number of participants
a. Rosters may hold a maximum of 20
people.
b. A maximum of 11 players can be
on the field for the fielding team.
c. Teams must have at least 4
female players on the field or the team must play one player short defensively.
(will play with 10 on the field). If a team does not have 4 females in a game a
"ghost" player shall be written into the kicking order and represents
an automatic out. OR Teams can ask another team that is not playing if they can
fill in for the game with a penalty. (see rule 10)
d. All players on your roster, that
are present, must kick in the line-up.
e. There is no boy/girl kicking
order rule. Players can kick in any order, provided the order is consistent
throughout the game.
f. Each team will need to exchange
kicking lineups before the game begins.
g. Teams with fewer than 7 players
shall have a 10-minute grace period before a forfeit is declared.
h. Substitutions may be used only
in between innings.
i. Teams must have the required
minimum of 8 players to consider the game legal.
j. Teams may borrow players from
other teams, with a penalty (1 player picked up=1 run, 2 players
picked up=2 runs, etc.), to fill the roster for a game, AS LONG AS THE OPPOSING
TEAM OKs THE PICKUPS BEFORE START OF GAME. Once the game has started with
approved players, the game will count. If the opposing team does not agree both
teams can negotiate the terms of the games.
k. Pickups outside of the league are
allowed with no game penalty. Pickups outside of the league do need
to sign a waiver and pay an $8.00 visitor fee.
III. Regulation games
a. A regulation game shall consist
of 6 innings or a time limit of 55 minutes. If a game starts late, it shall be
played until 5 minutes before the next game's starting time.
b. The umpire or Field Rep may call
a game due to time; an inning may not reasonably be completed before the
55-minute time limit. As such, an inning cannot begin 45 minutes after the hour
unless the score is tied or if it is the last scheduled game.
c. A game is considered official
once 4 full innings have been completed.
d. Regular season games may not end in ties. To determine the winner, the team that can kick the ball the closest from home plate to 2nd base will be the winner. It is a best 2 out of 3 with same gender in the first 2 rounds and any gender if there is a 3rd round. No player can kick twice!
e. Called games shall be played at
a future date agreeable to both team captains at a site to be agreed upon. Any
games not replayed shall be counted as a tie in the standings.
f. Home and Away team is determined
by the league for every game.
Check with the
Field Rep.
g. The winner will select either
Home or Away.
IV. Pitching / Strikes vs. Balls / Fielding / Outs / Foul
Balls / Overthrows
a. Pitching:
1. A legal pitch must be pitched in a straight line.
2. A legal pitch must be under the kicker's knee. (see
"ball" description below also).
3. Pitcher must pitch behind the 'pitch line' which runs
diagonally from 1st base to 3rd base.
4. Once the ball is pitched no player may advance past the
'pitch line' until the ball has been kicked.
5. Lateral movement by the pitcher is tolerated, as long as
there is no encroachment.
6. Whether a pitch is a ball or strike, based on bounciness,
should be based on the height of the last bounce before it crosses home plate.
7. The ball must bounce at least twice, before
crossing or hitting the home plate.
b. Strikes:
1. A "strike" consists of a ball that is rolled inside
the strike zone lines and below knee level.
2. Making an attempt to kick the ball and then missing the
ball, constitutes a "strike", regardless of any contact was made to
the ball.
3. A
constant rolling ball that is rolled inside the strike zone lines is a strike.
4. 4 strikes/fouls of any kind will result in an out. (Ex. 4
strikes / 2 strikes and 2 fouls / 4 fouls / 3 strikes and 1 foul)
c. Balls:
1. A "ball" shall be called on anything that does
not pass over home plate.
2. The ball must bounce at least twice, before crossing or
hitting the home plate.
3. A pitch must be no higher than the knee level of the
kicker or the result shall be a called "ball".
4. 4 'balls' shall result in a walk.
d. Fielding:
1. Players may play any formation they like as long as
nobody crosses the 'pitch line' before the ball is kicked.
2. A fielder encroaching before the kicker makes contact
with the ball
will be
considered a dead ball and will
automatically advance the kicker to
first (after one warning).
3. CATCHERS- The catcher must be positioned within or
directly behind the kicking box and behind the horizontal plane of the kicker.
- The catcher may not make contact with the kicker, nor position so closely to
the kicker as to restrict the kicking motion. This will result in the kicker
will automatically advance to 1st base- The kicker may not trigger a position
violation through maneuvers judged by the Ref to be deliberately tricky or
unsportsmanlike. There must be a 1-yard (3 feet) buffer between catcher and
kicker.
The catcher must
also be out of the kicker's peripheral view.
If the catcher repeatedly
encroaches after warnings then the kicker gets a base.
The kicker must kick in the box. (Back cones will
no longer be used.)
e. Outs:
1. The kicking team gets 3 outs per inning. An out results
due to the following
i. 4 strikes
ii. A ball caught on the fly
iii. The base runner is forced out
iv. The base runner is hit with the ball while not on base
by a fielder or anytime from a kicker
. If the base runner is hit by the kicked ball while on base the base
runner is out.
The ball
is considered a dead ball and the kicker will advance to 1
st base.
If there are other base runners besides the one that got hit, they also advance
one base.
v. 4 foul balls
2. As even the most innocent-looking pop-ups are potential
hits in kickball, there is NO infield fly rule. Only in force out situations
will runs not count in 3rd out situations (see next bullet).
3. A force out constitutes a defensive player touching the
base where a forced player is running to, either with a ball in hand or by
throwing to a fellow teammate that is covering the base. Tagging or throwing at
the player does not constitute a force play.
f. Foul balls:
1. 4 foul balls or strikes (cumulative) will be called an
out.
2. A foul ball that is caught counts as an out. Runners may
advance as long as they tag up.
i. If the offensive team is impeding
the defensive team from making a play on a catchable foul ball by crowding the sidelines
the offensive team will receive a warning from the ref. If it happens again then
the play interfered on will be considered an out.
3. If a ball is touched in fair territory it is fair,
regardless of other factors, i.e. foot placement of the fielder.
4. Fair vs. foul: it is where the ball was determined to be
at, by the umpire, regarding the plain of the foul line, not where the
defensive player positioning is (i.e. foot placement).
g. Overthrows:
1. OVERTHROWS ARE LIVE BALLS AT
ALL TIMES (Fence is live), IT IS DEAD IF IT HITS ANY ITEM BESIDES FENCE. (
This
also includes the soccer goals
) Runners are awarded an extra base on dead
balls. Depending on the location of a runner to advance.
If the runner is past the �½ mark
between bases, the runner advance to the next base. If the runner is behind the
�½ mark between bases the runner advances to that base. Ex. The runner is past
the �½ mark between 1
st and 2nd base, the runner advances
to 3
rd base. If the runner is behind the �½ mark between 1st
and 2nd base, the runner advances to 2nd base.
2. Defensive
players cannot impede a runner by standing in the base path to retrieve an
overthrown ball
V. Kicking and Running
a. Kicking:
1. The kicker's planted foot must be behind the front edge
of the home plate before kicking it, if not it will be considered a foul. See
Advantage Rule below.
2. Bunting is allowed for female players only
3. MALE PLAYERS ONLY; If the ball stops before it makes it past the 'pitch line' without any interference, then it is a foul ball. If the defensive team touches the ball before it stops, then it is a live ball.
4. Each team may have base coaches on first and third bases.
b. Running:
1. There will be a 'safety' bag next to 1st base
which EVERY BASE RUNNER must use to avoid collisions at 1st base if
the play is at 1st.
2. Runners must stay in the base path at the refs'
discretion or they will automatically be called out.
3. Infield base runners cannot advance until the ball is
kicked.
4. Defensive fielders impeding the offensive runners'
path to the base, shall result in the runner being awarded the base they are
attempting to run to
unless
it is a viable play on the ball.
5. Defensive fielders BLOCKING the base
(standing on base) as to not allow room for the runner to get on the base will
result in the runner automatically being safe.
6. Leading off and stealing are not allowed. Leading
off/leaving early will result in an out.
7. Sliding is legal. But, please do so with caution, keeping
fielders and your safety in mind.
While sliding if the runner is hit in the head by the ball the runner
is out.
8. Runners can tag up, at their own risk, once the defensive
player has
1st
contact of the ball.
9. After a ball has had 1st contact with the defensive player, the
runner must tag up before advancing to the next base. Failure to tag up before
advancing results in an out if the runner is tagged or the ball is thrown to
the previous base before the runner gets back.
10. If any offensive runner passes a teammate that is
running the bases ahead of them, the "passing" offensive player, will
be called out.
An offensive
runner may not touch, push, or help the offensive runner in front of them, if
they do runner will be called out.
11. Balls thrown at the base runner must be below the head.
Any headshot incurred while the runner is in an upright running position
results in advancement to the base they were running to.
12. Any intentional hitting of the ball with the head by a
runner will result in an out.
13. If the runner slides, jumps, or ducts to avoid a ball,
this does not count as a headshot and the runner will be "safe" or
"out" depending on the umpire's call of the play.
14. If a ball, that is kicked by the person up to kick, hits
them or any base runner that is not on a base and is in fair territory, the
kicker or said base runner is out.
15. If the kicker or base runner is in foul territory when
struck by the ball, it is a foul ball.
16. Intentionally kicking the ball out of play while
running, by the kicker or base runner (offensive team), results in a dead ball.
Said kicker or runner shall be called out.
17. Pinch runners are allowed for INJURED PLAYERS ONLY, but
the kicker must make it to 1st base before said pinch runner can run for them.
The runner will be the player that made the last out, of the same sex, on the
offensive team.
18. Injured kickers that cannot kick in their respective
place in the line-up are not allowed a pinch kicker and are not allowed back
into the game once they miss their turn due to an injury. Meaning they cannot
play in any defensive position on the field.
For teams with only 4 girls: If the 4th girl
is injured or has to leave the game due to an emergency, there
will not
be a ghost out in the kicking order but the team must play one short in
the field.
VI. Mercy Rule
a. Teams may opt to 'submit'
if down 15 runs or more after 4 innings of play.
VII. Standings / Scoring
a. Standings are based on wins and
losses, runs scored vs runs scored against.
b. Forfeit: teams forfeiting games
will receive a loss in the standings and receive 0 Runs For and 6 Runs Against
in the respective standings columns.
c. The team receiving forfeit will
get 6 Runs For and 0 Runs Against in the standings. This equals one run per
inning that would have been played.
d. Seeding for any tournament is
based on the overall record first.
e. Teams that fail to show up for a
scheduled game and fail to notify ECSS staff, will jeopardize future
participation in the league at the staffs' discretion.
f. Standing's tiebreakers are as
follows:
1. Head to head
2. Runs against (Run against per inning average if teams
have the same number of losses, but different number of wins)
3. Runs for Team Home Runs
4. Coin toss