KICKBALL RULES

Pitching / Catching

A pitch must roll on the ground when passing over the plate.

An pitch that is bouncing excessively will be a do-over.
If a pitcher continues to struggle to provide a smooth pitch, they will be replaced at the teacher’s discretion.

Strike zone is 1 foot inside and outside of home plate. Bouncing balls are balls. Umpire determines if it is strike or not. Kickers start with a 1 ball, 1 strike (1-1) count.
The pitcher must stay inside of the mound (circle painted on the ground or designated area) until after the ball is kicked. Failure to abide by this rule results in the kicker automatically advancing to first base.
No player may field in front of the pitcher other than the catcher, and no player may advance past the 1st-3rd base diagonal until the ball is kicked. (Penalty: kicker awarded first base)
The catcher must field directly behind the kicker and may not cross home plate nor be positioned forward of the kicker before the ball is kicked. (Penalty: kicker awarded first base)
A pitch outside the strike zone is a ball.
Balls must be pitched by hand.
Pitcher’s Hand (Pitcher’s Mound): If the pitcher receives the ball on/near the pitcher’s mound before the batter reaches first base the batter will be called out.

Kicking

A player’s foot or lower leg must make all kicks.
All kicks must be behind home plate. The kicker may step on home plate to kick.
No Bunting is allowed, players must strike the ball with adequate force.
Kickers get two attempts at putting the ball in play. If their first attempt is foul (and not caught) they may take one more kick. If that kick is also foul the kicker is out.

Running

Runners must stay within the base line.
No sliding, running into a fielder, or any contact whatsoever is allowed. The runner is out if the runner initiates contact; the runner is safe and awarded an extra base if the fielder initiates contact.
Fielders must stay out of the base line. Runners interfered upon by any fielder within the base line (not making an active play for the ball) shall be awarded the base to which they were running.
No leading off or stealing. Runner can only advance after the ball is kicked. A runner off a base when the ball is kicked is out.
Runners may tag up at their own discretion.
Runners may not advance after the pitcher has possession of the ball and is in contact with the pitchers mound. Runners that are more than halfway to the next base may be awarded that base, all others must return to the previous base.
Runners may overrun first base.
One base on an overthrow into foul territory. This rule is a restriction on the runner – not an automatic right for the runner to advance.
Running past another runner is not allowed. Any runner passed by another runner is out.
Pitcher’s Hand (see “pitchers/catchers”)

Foul ball

A foul counts as a strike
Two (2) fouls is an out. (1 foul after having two strikes is an out)
A foul is:

A kick landing in foul territory.
A kick that rolls/bounces foul prior to passing first or third base
Any ball that hits an object while in flight (tree branch, etc.).

Outs

Three (3) strikes, two (2) fouls and/or fouling with 2 strikes
A runner who is not on a base and is struck by a kicked ball.
Pegging is legal. A fielder can throw a ball at a runner shoulder or below. Runners hit in the neck or head with the ball will not be out unless they were ducking to dodge the ball…Play stops and the ball is dead after hitting a base runner and being declared out. Excessive pegging (hitting someone standing on the base, throwing harder than needed, etc…) will result in ejection of the fielding player.
A kicked ball (fair or foul) that is caught in the air.
Force out: when a fielder, in possession of the ball, touches the base that a baserunner must go to because of other runners behind them.
A runner off of his/her base when the ball is kicked;
Runners failing to “tag up” (before advancing to the next base, the runner must contact their current base after a kicked ball has been caught) may be forced out, tagged, or pegged.
Pitcher’s Hand (see “pitchers/catchers”)

Indoor Adaptations

A ball hitting the ceiling, or anything suspended from the ceiling, is an out.
A ball kicked off of the wall may be caught
Home run: any ball that hits the ground after hitting above the blue line on the back wall (i.e., is not caught off of the wall)

SOFTBALL/WIFFLEBALL RULES

Pitching / Catching

A pitch must be thrown between 5-10 feet high. A pitch too high or low will be called illegal, resulting in an automatic ball.

For the sake of speed of the game, if pitchers cannot accurately pitch, a teacher will become the all-time pitcher for both teams.

The strike zone is where the ball crosses the plate. A strike is considered anything from the batter’s knees to shoulders (assuming a natural standing position) within the width of a ball from the inside and outside edges of the plate.
The pitcher must stay inside of the mound (circle painted on the ground or designated area) until after the ball is hit. Penalty: batter is awarded first base.
No player may field in front of the pitcher other than the catcher, and no player may advance past the 1st- 3rd base diagonal until the ball is hit. Penalty: batter is awarded first base.
The catcher must field against the backstop until the ball is hit and may not cross home plate nor be positioned forward of the batter before the ball is batted.Penalty: batter is awarded first base.
A pitch outside the strike zone is a ball.
All batters start with a 1-1 count.
Pitcher’s Hand (Pitcher’s Mound): If the pitcher receives the ball on the pitcher’s mound before the batter reaches first base the batter will be called out.

Batting

Batters MUST put the bat inside of the hula hoop (placed in foul territory, ~10 feet up the first base line) before advancing to first. Penalty: Batter is called out. No exceptions.
The batter may not step on or across home plate while batting. Penalty: Dead ball, batter is out.
No Bunting is allowed, players must hit the ball with adequate force.
A batter receives one “extra” pitch if they hit a foul ball with two strikes. Two foul balls with two strikes results in an out.

Running

Runners must stay within the base line.
No sliding or running into a fielder. No contact is allowed. The runner is out if the runner initiates contact; the runner is safe if fielder initiates contact.
Fielders must stay out of the base line. Runners interfered upon by any fielder within the base line (not making an active play for the ball) shall be awarded the base to which they were running.
No leading off or stealing. Runner can only advance after the ball is hit. A runner off a base when the ball is batted is out.
Runners may tag up at their own discretion.
Runners may not advance after the pitcher has possession of the ball and is in contact with the pitchers mound. Runners that are more than ⅔ of the way to the next base may be awarded that base, all others must return to the previous base.
Runners may overrun first base.
One base on an overthrow into foul territory. This rule is a restriction on the runner – not an automatic right for the runner to advance.
Running past another runner is not allowed. Any runner passed by another runner is out.
Pitcher’s Hand (see “pitchers/catchers”)

Foul ball

A foul counts as a strike
Two (2) fouls with two strikes is an out.
A foul is:

A batted ball landing in foul territory.
A batted ball contacting the batter BEFORE the batter leaves the batter’s box (a ball contacting the batter outside of the batter’s box results in an out).
A batted ball that goes foul prior to passing first or third base (as long as a defender does not contact the ball in fair territory first).
Any ball that hits an object while in flight (tree branch, etc.).

Outs

Three (3) strikes or two (2) fouls with two strikes
A runner who is not on a base and is struck by a batted ball.
A batted ball (fair or foul) that is caught in the air.
Force out: when a fielder, in possession of the ball, touches the base that a baserunner must go to because of other runners behind them.
A runner off of his/her base when the ball is batted;
Runners failing to “tag up” (before advancing to the next base, the runner must contact their current base after a batted ball has been caught) may be forced out or tagged.
Pitcher’s Hand (see “pitchers/catchers”)

Indoor Adaptations

A ball hit off of the wall may be caught
Home run: any ball that hits the ground after hitting above the blue line on the back wall (i.e., is not caught off of the wall)