CHAMPIONS KICKBALL LEAGUE RULES Spring 2015 Last Updated April 20, 2015
BASIC INFORMATION PLAYER LINE-UPS: Teams must begin and finish with 8 players to avoid forfeit. All subsequent players who arrive late are able to join at the end of the line-up. HOME TEAM: Home team will be determined by coin toss or paper-rock-scissors during round robin and elimination games. For Playoff and Championship games, the higher seeded team shall be the home team. UMPIRES: League will have umpires provided, however, we require one player from each team volunteer to be a first base umpire. ONLY the captain will be allowed to speak to the UMP for any reason. If a player violates this policy, they will receive a yellow-card. The second time, they are subjected to a red-card. CONTEST CALLS: Only captains are allowed to talk to the UMPS. Each match, the captain of each team is allowed one CAPTAINS CALL to contest one call, stopping the clock for 1 minute maximum to discuss the play with the UMP and the other captain. At the end of 1 minute, the UMPS call is final. PLAYER EJECTION PENALTY: Any player exhibiting unsportsmanlike conduct, by the perspective of the umpire or league, will be be subjected to a yellow-card or red-card. A player can only receive one yellow-card before receiving a red-card. Per the ump s discretion, a player can be subjected to a red-card without a prior yellow-card. Player shall be removed from current game only upon receiving a red-card. League officials reserve the right to suspend and / or disqualify any ejected player for future games of the tournament if ejection is deemed to be threatening in any nature to another player, umpire, spectator, tournament staff, park patron, animals or morally offensive. Sportsmanlike conduct is expected on-andoff the field and offline-and-online. Unsportsmanlike conduct can be defined by but not limited to inappropriate behavior, verbal abuse, excessive foul language, dangerous play, and match fixing. UNIFORMS: Each player must wear a team jersey uniform. There are no regulations to the extent of the outfit anything is allowed but you must have a uniformed look. LEAGUE INTEGRITY: The competitive integrity of all league play is paramount. All participants must adhere to the spirit and letter of the rules. Varsity Gay League reserves the right to remove participants for any action that is illegal, harassing, threatening, unethical, and detrimental to the success of the event or constitutes cheating at the discretion of League Officials. Refunds will not be given. Participants are reminded we are here for Friends, Fun and Kickball! SUBS: Subs are allowed during regular play for $5 (before game) when a team has less than 10 people. No subs are allowed in the playoffs and finals unless previously cleared through the league manager. Players from other teams are not allowed to sub for your team. Subs MUST sign waivers before playing. It is the captain s duty to notify the ump and league of a sub. If a sub is caught mid-game for not signing a waiver, he will no longer be eligible to sub/participate for the day of games. GYM BAR: Losing teams will get a free pitcher of beer at GYM BAR @ the after party. Home runs will earn the kicker a free shot. Grand Slam home-runs earn a shot and a pitcher of beer. HAVE FUN! 2 of 7
GAME INFORMATION Game length is 50 minutes or 7 innings whichever happens first. Once we hit the 40-minute mark, the very next top of the inning will be the last. 5 minute warm up before each game. (But we recommend warming up beforehand) Everyone must bat. Field Size is 45ft from base to base. 10 players on the field 6 infield/4 outfield. If you have 9 players, you may place the catcher in the outfield at the beginning of an inning, if you so choose, but no player is allowed to take the catcher position that inning. Infield is anything within the baseline. Outfield is 15ft behind the bases. Catchers must be behind or to the side of the kicking box. Players are not allowed to switch positions mid-inning, unless a player is injured. Same ball must be used the entire game, unless both captains agree to switch it out. Players must remain in or around the dugout (assuming there isn t enough room) at all times. The only exception being ONE 1 st base and 3 rd base coach. If a non base coach s actions obscure the umpire s ability to call a play, the umpire may use his his/her discretion and stop play with whatever call seems just. If any player obstructs play for the opposing team, that player will receive a warning and play stops. Base runners will return to their previous base. If the play would have been an out, the UMP will use his/ her discretion and decide. Base coaches are not allowed to touch their teammates at any point. Mercy Rule: If a team scores 8 runs in an inning, that inning is over. If in the last inning of a game, a team is down by more than 8 runs, the Mercy rule no longer applies. Loud music and excessive auditory sounds must be stopped, if it is a distraction to the opposing team. Players who continue will be warned and are subsequent to removal. PITCHING : GAME PLAY A. The strike zone is 1 ball length on either side of the plate, or less than 6 in the air. As long as any part of the ball touches the strike zone on either side of the plate, it is considered a strike B. Pitches must be released at the pitcher s mound. a. Pitchers may take an additional step over the mound due to momentum of their release. However, the ball still needs to be released at the mound. b. If the ball is released after the mound, the pitch, at the umps discretion, will be considered a ball. C. If the ball is bouncing, it must bounce at least twice before crossing the plate. Second bounce can be on the plate to still be considered a strike. If a kicker continues to kick a one bounce pitch, then the game is in play. 3 of 7
a. If the ball is bouncing when it crosses the front of the plate, the ball must be less than 6 high, otherwise, the pitch is a ball. D. PITCHES MUST BE RELEASED UNDERHAND. You may pitch side arm or underhand, BUT when the ball is released, the hand must be must be positioned upwards. CRASHING THE PLATE: A. Once the ball is pitched, any player in the field may advance towards home plate, or what is known as crashing. However, no player may be in front of the pitcher meaning if you crash home plate, the pitcher must do so as well. This rule is allowed as this is not a bunting league. KICKING : a. If a player advances in front of the pitcher, the pitch will be considered a ball. b. Basemen are allowed to be two-thirds the distance of the baseline close to the kicker. Note: The pitcher s mound is two-thirds the distance of the baseline. You have 4 Foul Balls, 3 Strikes and Four Balls. 10 Pitches Max. Foul balls do not count as strikes. DO NOT KICK THE BALL IN FRONT OF THE PLATE. It is considered a dead ball and a foul. If this ball is caught by the opposing team, it is not an out, as the ball is not live. You must kick the ball within two feet behind the plate. Any further and the call will be the UMPS discretion. If the UMP calls a ball or a strike and the kicker then kicks the ball, the UMPs previous call stands and the kick is invalid. You must hit the ball with your foot, ankle or shin. If the ball hits your thigh, knee or any other part of your body, it is considered a foul ball. BUNTING: This is a kicking league, meaning we do not allow bunting. If a player bunts, it is the discretion of the UMP to call it an error and the kick will be considered a foul ball. A bunt is when the leg is not fully extended. When you kick, you re leg needs to be fully extended. However, it does not matter the strength of your kick. There are additional caveats: A) You are allowed to straight leg the ball (almost like a stomp) which has the same effectiveness as a bunt, though much harder to execute. RUNNERS : You may run through first base only. If you overrun any other base, you are at risk for being tagged out. A) If you take a left off of 1 st base as you run through, you are considered to be going to second and can be tagged. If you turn right you are safe. 4 of 7
B) If you overrun a base, the opposing team must TAG you with the ball, not tag the base. No running out of the baseline. If you run egregiously out of the baseline, you will be out. You are allowed to try and avoid a tag, but you cannot run into the outfield or towards the pitcher s mound. If a player is in your running path and is not actively going to collect the ball AND obstructs you causing you to get out Player will move back to their previous base or to the next if the previous base is unavailable. Avoid colliding with other players/basemen. If a baseman is blocking the plate, do your best to not knock them over. We are not here to injure people. No stealing bases and no lead offs. Tie goes to the runner. If there is a force out for the last inning, no runs scored will be counted. OVERTHROW: If a player over throws at first base, the runner is allowed only 1 extra base. However, if there are runners on other bases, they may advance as far as they would like. BALL OUT OF PLAY: If a ball happens to fall out of play, be it into the streets, in a dug out, into a trash can, etc, regardless whether a player threw the ball or it was kicked, the runners are only allowed to advance 2 bases only. PINCH RUNNERS: If a batter is able to kick, but not run, they may have a runner for them. This runner is the player in the lineup who made the last out. In the first inning, with no outs, the last batter in the batting order shall be the courtesy runner. If a courtesy runner is on base at the time that player is scheduled to bat, a replacement courtesy runner shall be used (the last recorded out). SLIDING: Sliding is allowed but at your own risk. You may not slide with metal cleats. A) Your feet must be pointed towards the ground and legs together. a. If you are perceived to be using your cleats to endanger other players, you will be ejected from the game. B) If your leg is up in the air, you will be out. C) You may slide hands first. D) DO NOT PURPOSEFULLY COLLIDE WITH THE BASEMEN. TAGGING UP: A runner may tag-up and advance to the next base (at their own risk) as soon as the ball is touched by a defending player. The defender does not need possession of the catch for the runner to tag and run. TAGGING UP: A runner may tag-up and advance to the next base (at their own risk) as soon as the ball is touched by a defending player. The defender does not need possession of the catch for the runner to tag and run. 5 of 7
INJURIES: If a player is injured during the game, play will stop. If the player would have been out before the injury, the player will be considered out. If the player is in the outfield, play will stop and all runners will remain on their current base, or base they advanced too. If the player is unable to continue in play, the last player out may take the player s place as a runner. END OF PLAY: Once pitcher has the ball, and is within 10 feet of the mound, the play stops and the umpire will call time. Runners must go back to their previous base, unless they are more than halfway, in which case they will be awarded the base to which they were advancing. Once the umpire calls time the play is dead and the pitcher cannot decide to throw to a base or go after a runner. If they do this after the umpire calls time, nothing counts, regardless of the outcome at the base/with the runners. OUTS : You may tag an opponent with a ball. You may catch the ball in fair or foul territory. A) If the ball is caught in foul territory, runners may advance. You may tag the base on a force out. You may throw the ball at a player below the shoulders. If the ball hits them in the head, the player is safe play continues. Unless the player is injured from being hit in the head, then the play stops. A) A player may hit a ball that is thrown at them, so long as the ball has not already touched them. B) If the player touches the ball after it is thrown at them, it is considered obstruction of play the player will be out and no runners will advance further. Kicking out is of order results in the infraction of an out. FAIR/FOUL BALLS: Fair territory is the area from home plate extending along the foul lines by 1 st and 3 rd base and into right and left field. Within those bounds is fair territory. Outside of those bounds is foul territory. FAIR: ANY BALL KICKED ON THE GROUND THAT PASSES 1ST OR 3RD BASE WHILE IN FAIR TERRITORY (INSIDE THE LINES OVER DIRECTLY OVER THE BASE ITSELF) IS A FAIR BALL. FOUL: ANY BALL KICKED ON THE GROUND THAT PASSES 1ST OR 3RD BASE WHILE IN FOUL TERRITORY (OUTSIDE THE LINES) IS A FOUL BALL. FAIR: ANY FLY BALL THAT LANDS IN FAIR TERRITORY IS A FAIR BALL. 6 of 7
FOUL: ANY FLY BALL THAT LANDS IN FOUL TERRITORY IS A FOUL BALL. FOUL: ANY DROPPED CATCH OF A FLY BALL IN FOUL TERRITORY IS STILL A FOUL BALL. FAIR: ANY FLY BALL THAT WOULD HAVE LANDED IN FAIR TERRITORY BUT IS DEFLECTED INTO FOUL TERRITORY (SAY BY A BOTCHED CATCH) IS A FAIR BALL. FOUL: ANY FLY BALL THAT WOULD HAVE LANDED IN FOUL TERRITORY BUT IS DEFLECTED INTO FAIR TERRITORY (SAY BY A BOTCHED CATCH) IS STILL A FOUL BALL. INFIELD FLY: Infield fly is when there is a runner on 1 st and 2 nd base and there are less than two outs. If Infield Fly is in effect, if a player kicks the ball almost directly into the air (if the flight of the ball is at a greater angle than 45 degrees) and it is absolutely clear the ball will not clear the infield, player is immediately out and the play stops. Unlike baseball/softball, players are not allowed to advance. MULTIPLE GAME RULES: The following applies if there are multiple games being played on the same field, and a player/ball interferes with the other game: A) As soon as the kicked ball goes into play of the other game, and or if it hits a player in the other game play stops and the ball is considered a ground-rule double. If there was a runner on first base, the will go to 3 rd base. If that runner was half-way between 3 rd and home when the umpire calls ground rule double, the runner will be allowed to score. B) If a player hits another player accidentally (while running for a ball) and play is obstructed, the ball will be considered a single and play stops. C) If it appears that player obstructs play on purpose, the play will be considered a double and play stops. TIE GAMES: Depending on TIME, two versions of a tie game will be played. VERSION A The Last batter of the previous inning shall be placed on 2 nd base. Game proceeds as normal VERSION B ONE PITCH rule shall be applied: The last batter of the previous inning shall be placed on 2nd base. Each batter gets ONE PITCH. Foul ball: Caught or dropped = OUT Strike: Swing or Called = OUT Ball: Batter is awarded a walk. Batted Ball: Outcome of play. 7 of 7