Rules

Kickball may be a kids game played by adults but we do have our rules and its good to know at least a good basic understanding of what they are. The good news is that the rules are easily downloadable on the kickball website at www.kickball.com/rules. It helps if your team has at least one person who knows the rules well and that person should probably be your captain or a co-captain.

The good news for the league (and for my team) is that I sit on the rules committee with WAKA so I have to have a good understanding of them. Our rules aren't perfect and we are always looking for examples where our rules can be clarified. If you ever have either a rules suggestion or a rules question you can always come up to ask me. I can easily be found as one of the 18 million members of 99 Problems but a Pitch Ain't One.

At a few points during the season we will post a couple of items that may have come up in a game so that everyone can better understand the rules. If you have a suggestion for a rule that you want me to clarify, please just comment on a post or send Erik or me, Tyrus, an email at our @kickball.com email addresses.

This week we will cover just a couple of simple ones.

1.02 The strike zone is a three-dimensional irregular pentagon based on the shape of home plate and is one (1) foot in height. The front of the zone aligns with the front of home plate. The sides of the zone extend one (1) foot to either side of the plate. The back edges of the zone are one (1) foot from the back sides of the plate (see Diagram 4). The strike zone may not be marked by cones or other raised objects.

I will admit that this rule is maybe not as easy to follow as it could be but the concept is simple. The strike zone is not just over home plate. It also extends 1 foot from home plate. In Rule 11.02a it is further stated that if any part of the ball comes within the strike zone, it can be a strike but it also needs to bounce less than a foot when it comes through the strike zone. Strikes and Fouls are counted seperately, 3 strikes you are out or 4 fouls you are out.

Since this one came up in a game this week I will also include:

10.04 Hitting a 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.

I think that one is pretty self explanatory once you see it.

Another one that comes up from time to time and can cause some confusion is in relation to automatic foul balls and takes a bit of explanation.

13.02 A foul ball is:
g. a kicked ball kicked outside of the kicking box (see Rule 9.02) (see Diagram 3L, 3M)

According to WAKA's Rule's FAQ

Q: What kinds of Foul Balls can be caught for an Out? May runners tag up on such Outs?
A: All of them, except for when the ball touches a foreign object such as a batting cage or fence (13.02d). Other fouls, including kicks on or above the knee (13.02e), balls touched more than once by the kicker in the kicking box (13.02f), and balls kicked outside the kicking box (13.02g) MAY be caught for Outs, and runners may attempt to tag up and advance on them, provided the caught ball is not in the possession of the pitcher on the mound.

So basically, here is the situation that comes up from time to time. A kicker kicks the ball either in front of home plate or behind the rear cones of the kicking box. Its an automatic foul but if he kicks it in the air it may still be caught for an out (and any baserunners may tag up). If the ball hits the ground, or is dropped, its just a foul ball.

Make sense? Please let me know if you have any specific rules questions.