Was JW tripped or was it a dive?

In Off Constantly's game this week, JW belly flopped just inches from home plate. The question was, did Kickelob Ultra put a booby trap in the grass or was JW diving just to make it look good.

Startling new footage clearly shows JW participating in a soccer training camp in 2004. It makes you wonder since JW clearly had no problem scoring on the play. Judge for yourself.

Rule Review - Tag Ups

So we had a confusing situation in one of the games this week. You can read the Week 5 recaps for the exact scenario but the question is, when can a baserunner tag up on a base when the ball is bobbled and then caught in the air?

According to the WAKA rule book:
10.05 A tag-up is a requirement to retouch or stay on a base until a kicked then caught ball is first touched by a
fielder. After a tag-up a runner may advance. A runner failing to tag-up as required is out (see Rule 14.02f).

... and according to the WAKA Rules FAQ:
Q: At what point may a runner “tag up” to advance on a caught ball?
A: The runner may tag up as of the moment the kicked ball is first touched by any fielder.

So it is pretty clear that the runner does not need to wait until the ball is actually caught. They just simply have to wait for the ball to be touched by a defensive player for the first time before tagging.

While we are at it.

10.08 Running past another runner is not allowed. The passing runner is out (see Rule 14.02j).
14.02 An out is: j. a runner that passes another runner (see Rule 10.08)

and

2.01 While participating in WAKA kickball, players must properly wear and fully display the official WAKA athletic clothing designated for their use. Teams with players who fail to abide by this rule forfeit that game.
2.02 Athletic shoes are required. Metal cleats are not allowed.

Why did Jeff over run his teammate?

Week 5 Recap

Well, well, well. Week 5 is now in the books and if the competition wasn't hot enough for you, the weather sure as hell should have been. For a while it was looking like we wouldn't be able to play, what with those violent thunderstorms that rolled through the area. When I left my place in Brandon at 5:50 it looked like the world was about to end. By the time I got to the PAL fields at 6:20 the weather was perfect, except for the suffocatingly humid conditions. Enough about the weather, lets talk about the game.

On field 1 in the early time slot, Off Constantly was hoping to continue their dominance over the rest of the Big Guava crowd as they took on Kickelob Ultra. It was a dual of the overhand pitchers and both teams played some pretty good defence, with one exception in what was the most entertaining play of the game. Off Constantly Captain, JW, was running home in a non forced situation and tripped and belly flopped just inches from home plate. Perhaps the shockwave confused the Kickelob Ultra defenders who stepped on home plate but never tagged good old JW, who was able to ultimately score on the play. Kickelob Ultra just couldn't beat Off Constantly. Off Constantly 3 - Kickelob Ultra 0.

Field 2 saw an interesting game between Asstastic Balls and Can We Kick It. Asstastic Balls doesn't seem to have much trouble these days scoring in the first inning but got one less run in the first than they should have with Ty's (that's me) overaggressive baserunning running him into trouble at home. So Can We Kick It kick it? For most of the game the Asstastic Balls defense was able to clamp down and say no to that. In the 5th inning though the answer was yes as the red neck decked Can We Kick it mounted a bit of a rally, kicking balls over outfielder's heads and, strangely enough, squealing like pigs while running around the bases. The rally just wasn't quite enough though and Asstastic Balls was able to hold on to the win. Asstastic Balls 3 - Can We Kick It 2.

Back to Field 1 for the late game where we saw the only team in the division with a one word team name against a team with a friggin' paragraph for a team name, Debauchery and We Like Em Young, Take Deuce. Debauchery has had some pretty close games this year, with 2 ties but have only been able to rack up 1 win. They looked pretty bound and determined to change that last night as they showed off some strong offence. It should have been more but at one point in the game Jeff kicked a bomb over everything into right field that on any other day might have been an easy home run. Unfortunately Jeff was so excited about the kick that he over ran his team mate half way between 2nd and 3rd. That turned a possible 2 run home run into an automatic out to end the inning. Debauchery 6 - We Like Em Young, Take Deuce 1.

Last but not least we had I Need a Refill square off against Jacked Up. This was a pretty close contest though it is amazing how low the scoring was. Conversation on the sidelines: "Wow this game isn't exactly a defensive masterpiece", "Its more about offence", "Yeah well it is pretty offensive". The real excitement came with Jacked Up at the plate with a runner, Dave, on second. The ball was kicked into foul territory along the first base line and bobbled slightly before being caught. As soon as the ball was touched, Dave took off towards 3rd. Upon catching the ball, I need a Refill threw the ball to 2nd to claim that the baserunner left early. Upon seeing that, Dave took off for home and scored. Jacked Up 3 - I Need A Refill 1.

What was the most exciting play of Week 5?

Mark it on your calendars folks. Free beer. We will be having our Mid/End of Season Party on Friday 23 July from 7pm to 12pm at Wings Gone Wild at 3114 Bay to Bay Blvd. We've got free beer, some food, free beer. Lots of fun people to hang out with and Free Beer. There really is no excuse for not coming. Free Beer. We will also be having a FLIP CUP TOURNAMENT! Every team will submit 5 players for the tournament. After the final tournament is over we will begin the King of the Table Tournament. Four Tables worth, and then the winning 4 players will compete for the King of Kings! The brackets are posted on the Division Page. For those who have yet to play flip cup (for some crazy unknown reason), Please read the following information carefully.

A standard match consists of anywhere from 4 to 8 players per team. Once you have been placed on a team you cannot switch until after the match is completed. Each team picks a side of the table they want to be on and then each player will fill their cup with a small amount of beer. There is no official amount of beer, but a good rule of thumb is to go up to the first line of your plastic cup if there is any debate.



Designate one end of the table as the starting end, and the other as the anchor end. The first player at the starting side will be assigned cup #1 and so on down the line. The game starts when both player #1's tap each other's cup and then tap the table. Also known as "The Gentleman's Start." From there each player #1 will drink the amount of beer in the cup. Then they will place the cup FACE UP on the edge of the table and proceed to flip the cup until it lands FACE DOWN. Then player #2 can drink their beer and proceed to flip, and so on down the line until all team members have flipped. The first team to flip all of their cups wins that game.

If 2 cups on opposing sides land at the same time you go to a tie breaker known as JUNGLE RULES (see below). Remember, if 2 cups hit the table at the same time, it is the cup that settles first that wins.

The winner of the match is the first team to reach the designated amount of game victories. If there are 4 players on each team, the first team to 4 games wins the match. If there are 5 players on each team, the first team to 5 games wins the match, and so on. This method will give every player the chance to start a round. And as always, you must win by 2.

JUNGLE RULES
Jungle Rules is when everyone at the table participates at the same time. The entire table will Gentleman's Start, then everyone will flip. The first team to have every team member flip their cup will win.

KING OF THE TABLE RULES (KOT)
This can be described as a combination of Survivor and Jungle rules. You can have as many players as your table will hold. The whole table will Gentleman's Start and the last player to flip their cup is voted off. This will continue until 1 player is left, and they are the King of the Table.

A very important rule of KOT is that once the game starts you cannot leave the table until you either lose, or the game is over. With so many people playing it is important to keep the game moving.

CHEATING
If two hands are used to flip or guide the cup it, is an illegal flip. Only one hand is permitted to make the flip. The non-flipping hand may act strictly as balance assistance for the cup on the edge of the table. Sometimes you are forced to play on tables with "less than ideal" edges, so it is necessary for added support. This in no way is meant to help guide the cup during the flip; just to keep it from falling off of the table. Also the non flipping hand must remain completely still during the flip if it is used for balance assistance. This will eliminate any debate about it being used as a guide. The only time contact with the cups by 2 hands is allowed is to place the cup on the edge or to re-set the cup if a complete flip is not made.

Week 5 Theme

OK Folks.. Time to get out your bikinis, track suits, tank tops, scandalous clubbing outfits and plenty of bling. That’s right! It’s Jersey Shore Time!!!! I expect to the fists pumping and hair poofing!

Be creative and have fun, but remember… Every costume must incorporate the WAKA t-shirt and every part of the costume is an extension of your body… Meaning if you decide to wear a cape for some reason, if it is tagged by the ball you will be out! Winner of the best dressed will receive a 6 pack of Smirnoff Ice!
G-T-L Baby!

Week 4 Recap

Ahh week 4 is done. It was supposed to be PJ Night… of course it figures we would pick the hottest day of the year for this theme, so needless to say… Not to many PJ Partiers… Kudos to those who did participate… loved the Superman pants!

On Field 1 Kickelob Ultra was hoping to finally win one this week against Jacked Up. Unfortunately for them, Jacked Up had other plans. I asked Kickelob Ultra, who were sporting some kick ass mustaches while drinking margarita’s, about the game and they basically just had crazy goodness to spread about the crazy awesome Justin who is crazy skilled! Jacked Up had nothing to exciting to say about the game. They did enjoy the drunken antics and cluelessness of the ref’s, and were happy that their team finally learned to kick. I think the most entertaining part for Jacked Up was after the game as their fearless Captain led them all in a game of Dizzy Bat… WAKA Style…. I expect to see pictures on the Facebook page! Jacked Up won 2-1.

Yards away on Field 2, Asstastic Balls took on Debauchery. Was a pretty heated game… no room for too much fun as they were in a very serious mullet sporting match. Were the mullets a hinderance??? Could this be the reason Ty was called out at home??? Mullet Jealousy, or was he really out? Hmmmmm… Tough calls for the refs during this one. Debauchery blames their superior game playing skills during week 4 to The Todd. “The Todd is off the chain! He’s like a mosquito… He’s everywhere!” Cheryl on Asstastic Balls did make a tremendous back-breaking catch out in left field! I later say her down on her knees praying… or was that just a back stretch? Either way Debauchery won 4-2.

Back on Field 1, I Need a Refill took on Can We Kick It. Can they Kick it? Apparently not so much this go round. I Need a Refill started out the game with a home run, even after the runner ate it rounding first. From the sidelines of Can We Kick It was the chant... “Just keep the ball away from green shoes”! Although style points for the death defying dive towards home plate should be awarded to Can We Kick It, I Need a Refill wins 2-1.

On Field 2, was a battle of the undefeated between Off Constantly and We Like Em Young. That was about it on that. Off Constantly opened up a whole big can of whoop ass and won 11-0.

Was TY really safe at home?

Week 4 Player Profile - Can We Kick It?

Everybody, this is Ignacio. Ignacio is the captain of Can We Kick It, which is currently 1-1-2. So… they might want to look into changing their name to “We Try Really Hard to Kick It Every Once and A While”.

Ignacio is not new to kickball, however he is a recent addition to the WAKA Family. “I used to be a club sports guy, but then I heard in WAKA you could drink on the fields!”. BWAH HA HA HA HA.. Whoops.

Any Ladies Looking for a mover? Or perhaps some eye candy? Well…. Mr. Ignacio is a proud new member of College Hunks Hauling Junk! That’s right… Time to clean out those closets! Ignacio is very excited about his new job.. Especially since he gets to do it with his teammate! Who he also lives with… Hmmmmmm
Oh Yea.. Ignacio is also a part of the Big Brother Program as a Big Brother for little boys…. Hmmmmmm

Well, that’s it for now! To Ignacio: Keep up the kick ass style and see you on the fields next week!

Rules

So you might be new to this whole kickball thing and you are out there on the field and get a little confused about a call that the ref made. While WAKA Kickball's rules are similar to baseball or softball, there are some differences that are important to note. Luckily you can easily pull up all of our rules online. We even have a Rules FAQ page that helps clear up some possible confusing situations.

Here are a couple of situations that came up in last night's games that I saw:

A kicker fouls off twice and then takes a strike. In baseball that would count as strike three, what is the call in kickball? Fouls never count as strikes in kickball so a full count is 3 balls, 2 strikes and 3 fouls.

11. STRIKES
11.01 A count of three (3) strikes is an out.
11.02 A strike is:
a. a pitch that is not kicked and is not called a ball per Rule 12.02, that enters any part of the strike zone (see
Rule 1.02);
b. an attempted kick missed by the kicker inside or outside of the strike zone (see Rule 1.02).
11.03 Foul balls never count as strikes.
12. BALLS
12.01 A count of four (4) balls advances the kicker to first base.
12.02 A ball is:
a. a pitch outside of the strike zone as judged by the Referee where a kick is not attempted (see Rule 1.02);
b. a pitched ball that does not touch the ground at least twice or roll before reaching the kicking box;
c. a pitched ball that exceeds one foot in height from the bottom of the ball as it enters the kicking box;
d. a pitched ball that exceeds one foot in height from the bottom of the ball at any time while passing through the
kicking box, prior to reaching the kicker;
e. a pitched ball that is higher than one foot at the plate.
13. FAIRS AND FOULS
13.01 A count of four (4) fouls is an out. Foul balls never count as strikes.
13.02 A foul ball is:
a. a kicked ball landing in foul territory (see Diagram 3G, 3H);
b. a kicked ball touched in foul territory (see Rule 1.04);
c. a kicked ball landing in fair territory, but touching foul territory on its own at any time before reaching first or
third base (see Diagram 3I, 3J, 3K);
d. a kicked ball whose direction is altered by contact with any object other than the ground in foul territory, and
called as such;
e. a kick made on or above the knee (see Rule 9.01);
f. a kicked ball touched more than once or stopped in the kicking box by the kicker;
g. a kicked ball kicked outside of the kicking box (see Rule 9.02) (see Diagram 3L, 3M);
13.03 A fair ball is:
a. a kicked ball landing and remaining in fair territory (see Rule 1.04) (see Diagram 3C, 3D, 3E);
b. a kicked ball landing in fair territory then traveling into foul territory beyond the 1st-3rd base diagonal (see
Diagram 3A, 3B, 3F).

There was also some question about whether or not the pitcher could cross the pitching rubber. No they can not, the pitcher (and all fielders except for the catcher) must stay behind the imaginary line between 1st and 3rd base until the ball is kicked.

8. PITCHING, CATCHING AND FIELDING
8.01 Balls must be pitched by hand. There are no restrictions on pitching style. Bouncies are allowed (see Rule
12.02).
8.02 Fielder Positioning. Failure to be properly positioned will result in a Position Warning to the team that
caused the infraction. The team's second and each subsequent Position infraction will result in the kicker being
awarded first base regardless of the outcome of the kick.
Proper Field Position is:
a. All fielders besides the catcher must start play and remain behind the 1st-3rd base diagonal until the ball is
kicked.
b. The pitcher must start the act of pitching within the pitching mound and have at least one foot on or directly
behind the pitching strip when releasing the ball (see Rules 1.01c and 1.01d). No part of the pitcher’s front foot
may be in front of or across the front edge of the pitching strip until the ball is kicked.
c. The catcher must field behind the kicker, within or directly behind the kicking box, and may not cross home
plate nor be positioned forward of the kicker before the ball is kicked. The catcher may not make contact with the
kicker, nor position so closely to the kicker as to restrict the kicking motion.
8.03 Backstop assistant. A captain may choose to enlist a team member as a backstop assistant to retrieve balls
no longer in play. This assistant does not count as a catcher or fielder (see Rule 5.02c), must be behind the
kicking box and sufficiently back from the catcher, and may not be involved in any play.

Theme for 4th Week "PJ Party"

OK Guava Kickballers it is time for week 4!!! This weeks theme will be a PJ Party... You can take that and interpret it any way you want.. get creative, but please keep it PG... OK.... maybe PG 13.... We normally have a theme for every week, but I had to play Army and let the Blog slide a bit.... The Blog will be updated regularly following this Wednesday's Game! Thanks again to those who helped set up the field last week! You know who you are and you rock!!! See you all on the field Wednesday!