MSCR ADULT COED KICKBALL LOCAL RULES AND PROCEDURES

Transcription

1 MSCR ADULT COED KICKBALL LOCAL RULES AND PROCEDURES 1. Field/Equipment: Field: All games shall be played n sftball sized diamnds. Fields with r withut utfield fences are acceptable. Bases will be 65 feet apart. Equipment: All games shall be played with an 8.5 inch kickball prvided by MSCR. Players must wear apprpriate ftwear. Playing bareft r wearing f pen ted sandals/flip flps is nt allwed. Metal spikes are nt allwed. Players may wear any ther types f cleats (i.e. sftball, sccer). 2. Teams/Participants: Rsters: Rsters may hld an unlimited number f peple. A maximum f 10 players can be n the field fr the fielding team. A catcher is nt necessary fr teams with less than 9 players. Teams must have the required minimum f 8 players t start the game. Teams must have a minimum f 4 females in rder t play. Males and females must be equally represented n the playing field and in the kicking lineup when pssible, hwever, teams may play with mre males than females r mre females than males as lng as the minimum 4 female requirement is met. Kicking Order/Substitutes: All players in the field must kick in the kicking rder, unless injured during the curse f the game. There is n male/female kicking rder rule. Players can kick in any rder, but must retain the rder thrughut the entire game. All players may be listed in the kicking rder; therefre, there is n maximum t the amunt f players that can be listed in the kicking rder. Hwever, if the listed player is nt present when it is their turn t kick, they will be deemed an ut fr every time they are nt present at bat. Players arriving late may be added t the end f the kicking rder. Subs may be used at the beginning f each half inning. There is n limit t the amunt f times any ne persn can sub in r ut f a single game. Participants: The MSCR Kickball league is a rstered prgram. All players participating in a game must be a registered member f the team. Players will be invited t jin the team via na and must register thrugh the website If it is discvered that a team has used unregistered players in a game, the game will be frfeited and the team may be drpped frm the prgram. Players must be at least *18 years f age and ut f high schl t participate. *New in 2015 Players age 16+ are welcme with an enrlled and participating adult. 3. Regulatin Games: A regulatin game shall cnsist f 7 innings r a time limit f 55 minutes. The umpire may call a game due t time if an inning may nt reasnably be cmpleted befre the 55 minute time limit. As such, an inning cannt begin 50 minutes after the start f the game unless it is fr Tie Breaker situatins (see Tie Breaker Rule belw). A game is cnsidered fficial nce 4 ½ full innings have been cmpleted if the hme team is winning. Tie Breaker Rule:

2 In Tie Breaker situatins, the visiting team will place a runner (the last kicker frm the previus inning) n secnd base. If available, a legal substitute may be used. The visiting team has 3 uts with which t scre as many runs as pssible. After 3 uts are made, the hme team will fllw the same prcedure. The team that scres the mst runs is declared the winner. If the scre is still tied at the cmpletin f each additinal inning, the prcedure will be repeated. Rained ut / pstpned games will be made up at the end f the regular seasn-prir t the end f seasn playffs. The Away team shall kick first. The Hme team shall kick secnd and gets last-at-kicks in an inning. 4. Fielding/Pitching Rules: Pitching: A legal pitch must be underhand and n higher than knee level f the kicker upn crssing f hme plate (see Ball descriptin belw als). Pitches will be thrwn in a civil manner, at a reasnable rate, and nt excessively buncy. A guideline is pitching as thugh yu are rlling it casually t a teammate. Fast, sidearm, curveball, and/r verhand pitching is nt allwed. Any pitch deemed by the umpire t be ut f the cntext f a casual pitch will result in a warning t the pitcher and be deemed a ball. Pitcher must pitch frm r behind the pitcher s mund (running up t the mund is nt allwed). When tw munds are present, pitchers must pitch frm the mund furthest frm hme plate. Encrachment Zne : Once the ball is pitched, the pitcher may advance n further than six feet in frnt f the pitcher s mund (r n further than the frnt pitcher s mund when tw are present). This is referred t as the Encrachment Zne. Cnes will be placed utside f the ful lines t indicate the Encrachment Zne arc (see field diagram n last page f rules). Lateral mvement by the pitcher is tlerated, as lng as there is n encrachment. Whether a pitch is a ball r strike, based n the bunciness, a pitch will be judged based n the height f the last bunce befre it cmes acrss hme plate. Strikes: A strike cnsists f a ball that is rlled ver any part f hme plate r ne ft t each side f hme plate and is belw knee level f the kicker. A gd guideline is apprximately ne ball length t each side f hme plate (see field diagram n last page f rules). Any ball kicked int ful territry shall be cnsidered a strike. Making an attempt t kick the ball and then missing the ball cnstitutes a strike, regardless if any cntact was made t the ball. Tw strikes f any kind will result in an ut. Balls: A ball shall be called n anything that des nt pass ver hme plate and/r ne ft r ball width t each side f hme plate. A pitch must be n higher than knee level f the kicker r the result shall be called a ball. Three called balls will cnstitute a walk and kicker will advance t first base unless when the Male Walk Rule is enfrced (see belw). Male Walk Rule: T prevent intentinally walking male kickers, a male walk rule will be enfrced. On a three pitch balls-n-base r walk t any male kicker, the male kicker will advance t 2 nd base. The fllwing kicker, male r female, will kick, n ptin is given. Runners already n base will nly advance if frced t advance. Nte: On a walk t a male kicker that cnsists f a strike, the kicker will nly advance t 1 st base and the fllwing kicker will kick. Fielding: The pitcher can nly advance as previusly stated in the rule abve (see Pitching sectin abve). Fr all kickers, defensive infielders may nt encrach past the 1 st t 2 nd and 2 nd t 3 rd base paths until the ball is kicked (n flat). Crssing int the Encrachment Zne r past the baseline restrictin fr any kicker results in a n play with a called ball t the kicker.

3 Teams will be given ne warning when crssing the baseline restrictin and/r when pitchers/catchers enter the Encrachment Zne. Cntinued disregard f this rule will result in the kicker autmatically getting put n first base and all ther base runners advancing ne base, if frced t d s. Outs: The kicking team gets 3 uts per inning. An ut results due t the fllwing: Tw strikes. A ball caught n the fly. Base runner is frced ut at the base. Base runner is hit with the ball belw the head while nt n base. The kicker is hit with the ball after making cntact with it while he/she is in fair territry. If they are in ful territry when struck by the ball, then a ful ball shall be called. If the ful ball cnstitutes the secnd strike, then the kicker is called ut. In-Field Flies: As even the mst inncent lking pp-ups are ptential hits in kickball, there is NO infield fly rule. Due t sme abuses f this in the past, there will be a n cheese rule fr situatins where a fielder is judged t have intentinally allwed the ball t drp t turn a duble play. Fr example, team A has a runner n first. The kicker frm team A kicks the ball in the air t the first base persn n Team B. The runner n team A stays n first, while the kicker runs t first. The first basepersn intentinally (and these are generally bvius) drps the pp fly, tags the waiting runner, and tags the base. As this is cntrary t fair sprtsmanship that MSCR prmtes, the tactic will be deemed cheesy and the runner and kicker will be deemed safe. Frce Out Situatins: In frce ut situatins, runs will nt cunt if it is the third ut (see next bullet). A frce ut cnstitutes a defensive player tuching the base where the frced player is running t, either with ball in hand r by thrwing t a fellw teammate that is cvering the base. Tagging r thrwing at the player des nt cnstitute a frce play. Ful Balls: A ful ball that is caught is an ut, but is a dead play fr the ffense-runners may nt advance r tag-up. If a ball is tuched in fair territry, it is fair, regardless f ther factrs (i.e. ft placement f the fielder). Fair vs. Ful: It is where the ball was determined t be at, by the umpire, in regards t the plane f the ful line; nt where the defensive player s psitining is (i.e. ft placement). Overthrws: Players receive ne base n an verthrw/verkick by a fielder that ges ut f play. An verthrw cnstitutes a ball that is thrwn r kicked ut f play frm within the field bundaries t the intended base r target. If the ball bunces ff a runner and stays within the stated bundaries, the play is still live if it is nt the third ut. Other runners may advance at their wn risk. Bundaries are defined as past the fence/fence line n either side f the field. Umpires will define bundaries n given fields at the beginning f each game. Anything thrwn r kicked frm the utfield is a live ball as lng as it stays within the bundaries f the field. If a player is past half way t the next base, they are awarded that base plus anther ne n the verthrw/verkick. Play is cnsidered dead at this time. A ball thrwn past the base that remains in the set bundaries remains a live ball and runners may advance at their wn risk. 5. Kicking/Running: Kicking: The kicker must kick the ball behind hme plate, meaning the kicker s planted ft must be behind the frnt edge f hme plate prir t kicking it. N bunting allwed. Running: Runners must stay in a respective base path r they will autmatically be called ut. Base runners cannt advance until the ball is kicked.

4 Fielders impeding with the runner s path t the base shall result in the runner being awarded the base that they are attempting t run t. Leading ff and stealing are nt allwed. Leading ff/leaving early will result in a d-ver. Secnd ffense will result in the runner being called ut. Sliding is legal, but please d s with cautin, keeping fielders and yur safety in mind. Runners can tag-up at their wn risk nce first cntact is made by the defensive player, even if the initial defensive player that tuches the ball des nt catch the ball. After first cntact, n a fly ball that is caught, the runner must tag up befre advancing t the next base, unless the ball is caught in ful territry. Balls caught in ful territry are cnsidered dead balls fr the ffensive players. Failure t tag up befre advancing results in an ut if the runner is tagged r the ball is thrwn t the previus base prir t them getting back t the base. If any runner passes a teammate that is running the bases ahead f them, the passing runner will be called ut. Balls thrwn at the base runner must be belw the head. Any head sht incurred while the runner is in an upright running psitin results in advancement t the base they were running t. Any intentinal hitting f the ball with the head by a runner will result in an ut. If the runner slides, jumps r ducks t avid a ball, this des nt cunt as a head sht and the runner will be safe r ut depending n the umpire s call f the play. If a ball is kicked by the kicker and hits him/herself r any base runner that is nt n a base and is in fair territry, the kicker r said base runner is ut. If the kicker r base runner is in ful territry when struck by the ball, it is a ful ball and is deemed a strike. Intentinally kicking the ball ut f play while running by the kicker r base runner n the ffensive team results in a dead ball. The said kicker r base runner shall be called ut. A curtesy runner may be used in the fllwing situatins: If a team indicates prir t the game starting n the screcard in the presence f the umpire all players with prir injuries that require a curtesy runner fr that game. If a player sustains an injury during the game that prhibits them t run, hwever, the player must first kick the ball and reach 1 st base safely befre a curtesy runner may be used. The curtesy runner must be in the batting rder and will be the player wh made the last ut. The curtesy runner must be male fr male and female fr female. Injured kickers that cannt kick in their respective place in the line-up are nt allwed a pinch kicker and are nt allwed back int the game nce they miss their turn due t an injury; meaning they cannt play in any psitin n the field. Once the pitcher has cntrl f the ball near r arund the pitcher s mund and all actin has reasnably ceased, the Umpire will call time. All play is cnsidered dead and n base runners can advance, nr can the defense make a play nce time is called. Each team may have base caches at first and third bases. 6. Mercy Rule: There will be a 7 run rule in effect per team per inning. When a team scres 7 runs in ne inning, even if the team has less than three uts, they must stp kicking and switch places with the ppsing team. This rule is in effect fr all innings except the last inning called by the umpire r in tie breaker innings. In thse innings, unlimited runs may be scred. 7. Standings/Scring: Standings will be psted n ur website at mscr.rg and/r the website and seeding fr the end f seasn turnament will be based n these standings. Frfeit: teams frfeiting games will receive a lss & teams receiving a frfeit will receive a win in the standings. Standings tie breakers are as fllws: Head t head cmpetitin. In the case f a three way tie, if ne f the teams has beaten bth f the ther tw, that team will receive a higher seed. The tie between the remaining tw teams will be brken by head t head cmpetitin. If ties cannt be brken using these methds r in the case f fur r mre teams being tied, seeding numbers will be drawn frm a hat at a designated time annunced at the MSCR Office. 8. Weather Infrmatin:

5 Weather/Rain Number: A weather message is recrded daily at 4:15pm; call push 1. On nights when the weather decisin is Umpire Decisin, MSCR will update the weather message and website until 7:30pm. FIELD DIAGRAM The fllwing grund rules will be used fr establishing ut f play areas where there are penings in the fence area. It is very imprtant that all teams play the same grund rules frm week t week. All penings near hme plate have gates. Please leave the gate lcked t the fence in the OPEN psitin. The pening fr the team bench area is an imaginary line frm ple t ple as diagrammed belw. Please cntact the MSCR ffice at with any questins regarding this rule. 6 ft. Cnes (and imaginary arc) indicating the Encrachment Zne. Cnes indicating the earliest pint frward that kickers can kick the ball. Cnes indicating what line catchers must stand behind until ball is kicked. Ple t Ple Dashed line indicates ut-f-play line.