OFFICIAL RULES FIELD: The kickball diamnd is a square with equal sides f apprximately 60 feet. There will be a pitcher s circle that designates the 'area f cntrl'. Once the ball is returned t this area after a play, the play is dead until the next pitch, and the runners cannt advance past the base they were intending t when the play was deemed dead. The strike zne extends t apprximately 1 ft n either side f hme plate. There will be a bx arund the plate which marks the strike zne. If any part f the ball falls within the zne r hits the line (at r befre hme plate), then it is a strike. TEAMS: Teams shall cnsist f a maximum f 10 players n the field and a minimum f 8 players with at least 3 wmen n the field at all times. If yu dn t have enugh wmen yu must play shrt and will get an autmatic ut when that psitin is reached in the batting rder. If yu play with fewer than 10 players but have at least 3 wmen, yu d nt have t take an autmatic ut. One f the players must be catcher. There is n maximum t the number f players n yur team rster. If yu have the minimum 8 players, at least 2 must be wmen (with autmatic uts fr the ther 1 wman). All players present fr the game, even thugh they are nt playing ut in the field, must kick, unless the team captains agree that certain players will neither kick nr field prir t the start f the game. N mre than 2 MEN can kick in a rw. Wmen can re-kick if necessary, after the minimum f three wmen have kicked (r autmatic uts have been received fr missing wmen). If yu have wmen re-kicking in yur kicking rder, yu must ntify the umpire and the ther team. The kicking rder fr wmen must nt change during the game. Example: M1, M2, F1, M3, M4, F2, M5, M6, F3, M7, M8, F1, M9, M10, F2 (first time thrugh rder) M1, M2, F3, M3, M4, F4, M5, M6, F5, M7, M8, F2, M9, M10, F3 (secnd time thrugh rder) The kicking rder cannt change, but yu can change fielders as lng as yu keep 3 wmen in the field, (ie, different players can g ut t the field every inning s everyne gets playing time). Players that arrive after the start f the game and after all ther players n the kicking team have already kicked nce must be placed at the end f the line-up.
All players in the bench area must maintain adequate distance frm the field t avid interference in the game. Players/teams wh fail t cmply may be penalized. This is a judgment call by the fficial. Only players wh are registered paid league members may play in a game. Yu must play in at least ne regular seasn game t play in the playffs. All players must be at least 21 years f age and wear their fficial league-issued shirts t play in a game and receive the drink specials afterwards. TKL shirts must be wrn and visible during games. All players must have signed the fficial TKL registratin frm. N metal spikes are allwed. If yur team is fund using a player wh is NOT n the rster, it is an autmatic frfeit fr yur team. ALL PLAYERS MUST BE REGISTERED PLAYERS IN TKL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON AND THERE ARE TO BE NO ADDITIONS/SWITCHING OF PLAYERS DURING THE SEASON!! TKL will cnduct randm rster checks thrughut the seasn t verify player eligibility. The fficial kicking rder must be finalized befre the start f the game. REGULATION GAMES: Games will last fr 7 innings, with the game being fficial after 5 innings (4 ½ if the hme team leads). When game time has reached 45 minutes, n new innings will be started. (the game will be shrtened if necessary). Unlike baseball, there are n extra innings; the game can end in a tie. Any team that is nt ready t take the field at the scheduled kick ff time shall frfeit the match. This means that yur team shuld be present and in unifrm, yur lineup shuld be set, and yu shuld be ready t play at the time accrding t the schedule. If a team leads by ten runs r mre after 5 innings the game will be declared ver. PITCHING/CATCHING: The cunt begins at ne (1) ball and ne (1) strike. There shuld be minimal buncing f the ball when it is pitched and shuld be pitched at a reasnable speed. We are ut t play kickball, nt see hw many strikeuts yu can get. If the ball is buncing high, and deemed buncing by the umpire, the kicker has the ptin f kicking it if he/she wishes r taking a ball. If the pitch crsses the line arund the plate, it is a strike. Examples belw: Any pitch that bunces less than tw times befre entering the strike zne is a ball. A pitch rlled directly alng the grund is cnsidered t have bunced at least twice. The pitcher must pitch frm inside the pitcher s circle and MUST STAY INSIDE THE PITCHER S CIRCLE UNTIL THE BALL IS KICKED. If the pitcher crsses utside f the
pitcher s circle, an illegal pitch (ball) will be called. The kicker des have the ptin f kicking the pitch if he/she s chses, but must take the result f that play if he/she des. N fielder may advance frward the 1st-3rd base diagnal until the ball is kicked, hwever anyne can field a bunt. If any fielder illegally advances beynd the 1st-3rd base diagnal prir t the kick, the runner will be declared safe. The catcher must be psitined at least 3 feet away frm the kicker and behind the plate until the ball is kicked. The catcher cannt interfere with the kicker. If the catcher interferes with the kicker and is called by the umpire, the kicker will receive first base. This is a judgment call by the umpire. The fielding team cannt change catchers during an inning (except in cases f injury). Pitching must be underhand nly. N side-arm pitching is allwed. Any pitch nt thrwn underhand is a ball. This is a judgment call by the umpires. The kicker des have the ptin f kicking the pitch if he/she s chses, but must take the result f that play if he/she des. N spinning pitches are allwed. This includes side-spin and back-spin. KICKING: All kicks must be made by ft (belw the knee). All kicks must be taken at r behind the hme plate (determined by the psitin f the frnt f the plant ft). If the ball is kicked in frnt f hme plate, the runner is ut. MALES CANNOT BUNT. There must be intent t be cnsidered a bunt. A pr kick/miskick des nt cunt as a bunt. Kickers may nt stp the ball with their ft at any time, even t return it t the pitcher. Kickers may nt stp the ball with their ft and then kick it. If this type f duble-kick ccurs, the kicker is ut. RUNNING: Runners must stay within the base line. T avid cllisins, there will be 2 1 st bases. The base utside the baseline is fr the runner and the nrmally psitined base is fr the fielder. Once the runner reaches 1 st base safely, they then can mve t the regularly psitined base. Fielders must stay ut f the base line unless they are attempting t tag the runner r catch the kicked ball. Fielders trying t make an ut n base may have their ft n base, but must lean ut f the baseline. Fielders must stay ff f the bases unless they are making a play. If a defensive player attempts t physically bstruct a runner frm advancing, the runner may advance as many bases as they wuld have ptentially earned had they been able t run unbstructed. This is a judgment call by the fficial. It is the respnsibility f the runner t avid a cllisin. Please save yurself and yur ppnents frm injury by paying attentin. Ties g t the runner there s n need t take ut the baseman.
NO LOWERING YOUR SHOULDER WHEN GOING INTO ANY BASES. We are all ut t have fun, nt t send peple t the hspital. Neither leading ff base, nr stealing a base is allwed. A runner leading ff base befre the ball is kicked is ut. Hitting a runner with the ball abve shulder level is nt allwed and the runner is safe and advances ne (1) base except fr the fllwing situatins: If the runner intentinally uses the head t blck the ball, and is s called by the fficial screr, in which case the runner is ut. If the runner is ducking, diving r sliding (i.e. attempting t ddge the ball) and is hit in the head because f this is an ut. It is the umpire s judgment. If the runner intentinally hits r kicks the ball after being tagged ut, the ball is dead and all runners must return t their riginal bases. The Pnytail Rule : If the ball hits the runner s hair, the runner is safe. (Hair is cnsidered part f the head.) When a runner is hit with the ball abve shulder level, ther runners n base are permitted t advance t the base t which they were running, but d nt receive additinal bases unless frced. The runner may leave base as sn as a fly ball is tuched by a member f the fielding team. (See sftball rules fr further clarificatin, if needed.) All ties will g t the runner. Players may run n an verthrw unless the ball is in a designated ut f bunds area. Certain fields may have ut f bunds areas. Please cnsult the Field Leader fr details. When tw runners are n the same base at the same time, the fielder has the chice f tagging either runner with the ball. The runner wh is tagged is ut and the ther runner is safe and may stay n the base. FOULS: A ful cunts as a strike even n the third strike. A ful is: Kick landing ut f bunds; A kick landing in bunds, but traveling ut f bunds n its wn befre reaching first r third base (any ball tuching a fielder in fair territry is autmatically in play). OUTS: A cunt f three (3) uts by a team cmpletes the team's half f the inning. An ut is: Cunt f three (3) strikes; A runner tuched by the ball at ANY time while nt n base (except when verrunning first base); A runner wh is n the same base with anther runner and is tagged with the ball; Any kicked ball (fair r ful) that is caught; A ball tag n a base t which a runner is frced t run; A runner leading ff base befre a ball is kicked;
A kick taken in frnt f the plate. Hitting the base with the ball des NOT cunt as an ut. The fielder must hit the runner with the ball r maintain cntrl f the ball n the base n a frced run. BALL IN PLAY/TIME OUT: Play will begin when a pitch is thrwn and cntinue until time ut is called by the umpire. Time will be granted by the umpire (and called, TIME ) when the umpire determines that the play is cmplete. This is a judgment call by the fficial. The ball des nt have t be in the area f cntrl. The fielding team can request that time be called, but play will cntinue until "time ut" is granted by the umpire. Just because yu called Time desn t mean it has been granted. Play will resume nce the next pitch is thrwn. PLAY-OFFS: Play-Offs are single-eliminatin. Play-Off frmat and number f teams t be determined later in the seasn. Any player ejected frm a Play-Off game will be suspended fr the remainder f the play-ffs. In the event f a tie at the end f regulatin plus tw extra innings (9 Innings ttal), the last kicker wh was up in the line-up will advance t secnd base, and the kicking rder will prceed as specified fr each extra inning played. OTHER RULES: All games will be fficiated by a captain designated player frm ther teams in TKL. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE RULES!!! Ful language is nt allwed. Children will be present, and ful language will have n part n the fields. This is a judgment call by the umpires. A verbal warning will be given and cntinual use f this language will result in yur dismissal frm the field. Caches are respnsible fr cntrlling their teams. We are adults please act like it. Ejectins A player may be ejected frm a game by either an umpire r a TKL Official. Per ASA Rule, ejected players must leave the grunds and have n cntact with the umpire r participants in the game. If the ejected player des nt leave the grunds, the game will be frfeited. Once ejected frm a regular seasn game, he/she will nt be allwed t play in the next scheduled game. If a player is ejected frm mre than ne game in a seasn, that player will be ejected frm the league fr the seasn. If a player is ejected f any three games during their kickball career, they will be ejected frm the Talbt Kickball League frever. If a player is ejected frm a play-ff game, he/she will nt be allwed t play fr the remainder f the play-ffs.
Fighting is strictly prhibited. Any player that is caught fighting during a game will be ejected frm the Talbt Kickball League frever. Caches are respnsible fr keeping track f the batting rder, inning and scre in their screbks. If there is a dispute ver the batting rder, inning r scre, we use the bks t make the final decisin. Caches are respnsible fr checking their game results every week. Incrrect results must be reprted t TKL within ne week. Caches and C-Caches are the nly peple wh are allwed t discuss rules/calls with the umpires. If a rule is nt therwise stated here standard sftball rules hld. If a male kicker is walked t get t a female kicker, the male kicker advances t secnd base. The female kicker must kick unless there are tw uts, and then she has the chice t kick r take first base. If a male kicker is walked and there is an autmatic ut in the line-up after him, he will be awarded secnd base prir t the autmatic ut. If a kicked ball is caught ut in ful territry, but is nt ut f bunds, runners may advance after tagging up. There are n restrictins n fielder psitining. Curtesy Runners/Pinch Runners If a kicker is injured he/she may use a Pinch Runner after reaching first base safely. This Pinch Runner shuld be the last persn f the same gender that was ut. If a kicked ball cmes int cntact with anyne wh is NOT a defensive player, it is a dead ball and players may advance at the umpire s discretin. There is NO Infield Fly Rule. If a fielder intentinally drps the ball, it may be declared unsprtsmanlike cnduct and the kicker will be awarded first base. Other runners will advance, if frced. This is a judgment call by the umpire. There are n errrs. Yelling r therwise making attempts t distract fielders frm catching the ball will be cnsidered verbal interference and will result in that player being ut. The fficial game umpires have the final ruling; hwever, league cmmissiners r caches may be cnsulted cncerning the fficial rules. Umpires may make judgment calls, where apprpriate. Sme fields will have ut f bunds areas. The refs will declare these areas befre the start f each game. If the ball enters ne f these areas (including anther field), it will be called a grund rule duble. Runners may advance, if frced. Check with yur field leader fr details. If a game is stpped due t weather r an Act f Gd, it will be started frm the last full inning when it is re-played the fllwing week.