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SAN
ANTONIO SSC KICKBALL RULES
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FIELD:
The kickball diamond is a square with equal
sides of 60 feet.
The distance from home plate to second
base, and from first base to third base is 84 feet
10 1/4 inches.
The center of the pitching area is
in the center of the diamond, 42 feet 5 1/8 inches
and directly aligned with the first base/third base
diagonal. (First/Third Base Diagonal is marked with
a dotted line.)
The strike zone extends to 1 foot on
either side of home plate, and 1 foot high. There will
be a box around the plate (1 foot on all sides) which
marks the strike zone. If any part of the ball falls
within the zone or hits the line, then it is a strike.
TEAMS:
Teams shall consist of a maximum of 10
players on the field and a minimum of 8 players with
at least 4 women on the field at all times. If you
don’t have enough women you must play short and
will get an automatic out when that position is reached
in the batting order. If you play with fewer than 10
players but have at least 4 women you do not have to
take an automatic out. One of the players must be catcher.
All
players can kick but no more than 2 MEN can kick in
a row. Women can re-kick if necessary.
The kicking order
cannot change but you can change the fielders as long
as you keep 4 women in the field.
Only players who are
paid league members may play in a game. You must play
in at least one regular season game to play in the
playoffs.
All players must be at least 21 years
of age and wear their official league-issued shirts
to play in a game and receive the drink specials afterwards.
SAN ANTONIO SSC shirts must be worn on top of any jackets
or sweatshirts. All players must have signed the official
SAN ANTONIO SSC waiver form.
The official batting order
must be provided to the umpire before the start of
the game.
REGULATION GAMES:
Games will last for
7 innings, with the game being official after 5 innings
(4 1/2 if the home team leads). When game time has
reached fifty minutes, one more full inning will be
played. (the game will be shortened if necessary).
Unlike
baseball, there are no extra innings; the game can
end in a tie. (If there is time remaining and both
coaches agree to play extra innings, they may be played.)
Any
team that is not ready to take the field within 5 minutes
after the scheduled kick off time shall forfeit the
match.
There is a limit of nine runs per inning
except for the last inning.
If a team leads by ten runs
or more after 5 innings the game will be declared over.
PITCHING/CATCHING:
No bouncing of the ball to the kicker higher
than one foot (as measured from the bottom of the ball).
If the ball is bouncing higher than 1 foot off the
ground when it reaches the plate then it is a ball;
however, the kicker does have the option of kicking
it if he/she wishes.
If the pitch touches the line around
the plate, it is a strike.
The pitcher must stay behind
the line running from 1st base to 3rd base until the
ball is kicked. If the pitcher crosses over this line,
a ball will be called.
No player may advance forward
the 1st-3rd base diagonal until the ball is kicked,
however anyone can field a bunt.
If a pitcher or fielder
makes an out by illegally advancing beyond the 1st-3rd
base diagonal, the runner will be declared safe.
The
catcher must be positioned at least 3 feet from the
kicker and behind the plate until the ball is kicked.
The catcher cannot interfere with the kicker.
The count
begins at 1 ball, 1 strike.
Pitching must be underhand
only.
KICKING:
All kicks must be made by foot.
All kicks must
be taken at or behind the home plate or a strike will
be called.
If the ball is kicked in front of home
plate and the kick is caught ‘out’ by a
fielder (or a force out occurs), the kicker is out.
Males
must kick the ball past the 1st-3rd baseline…no
bunting is allowed.
Any kick that does not reach this
line will be considered a foul.
If the ball is fielded
before it reaches this line, it is in play and considered
fair.
Females must kick the ball past a line
that is 20 feet from the plate.
If the ball is fielded
before it reaches this line, it is in play and considered
fair.
Kickers may not stop the ball with
their foot and then kick it.
RUNNING:
Runners must stay within the base line.
Fielders
must stay out of the base line unless they are attempting
to tag the runner or catch the kicked ball.
Fielders
trying to make an out on base may have their foot on
base (except for first), but must lean out of the baseline.
If
a fielder attempts to physically obstruct a runner
from advancing, the runner may advance as many bases
as they would have potentially earned had they been
able to run unobstructed. This is a judgment call by
the official.
There will be an extra first base placed
next to first base. The extra base is for the fielder
to tag and an out will be called when the fielder tags
this base and not the regular base. The fielder may
not interfere in any way with the runner tagging first
base.
It is the responsibility of the runner
to avoid a collision. Please save yourself and your
opponents from injury by paying attention. Ties go
to the runner…there’s no need to take
out the baseman.
Neither leading off base, nor stealing
a base is allowed.
A runner leading off base before
the ball is kicked is out.
Hitting a runner with the
ball above shoulder level is not allowed and the runner
is safe and advances one (1) base except for the following
situations:
- If the runner intentionally uses the
head to block the ball, and is so called by the official
scorer, in which case the runner is out.
- If the runner
is ducking, diving or sliding (i.e. attempting to
dodge the ball) and is hit in the head because of
this is an out. It is the umpire’s
judgment.
- If the runner intentionally hits or
kicks the ball out of bounds after being tagged out,
the ball is dead and all runners must return to their
original bases.
On a fly ball, the runner may tag up
and leave base as soon as the ball is touched by a
member of the fielding team. (See softball rules for
further clarification, if needed.)
All ties will go
to the runner.
On an overthrow, all players advance
as far as they can get even if the ball is out of bounds.
When
two runners are on the same base at the same time,
the fielder has the choice of tagging either runner
with the ball. The runner who is tagged is out and
the other runner is safe and may stay on the base.
FOULS:
Once a kicker has 2 strikes against them,
they have one ball allowed.
The second foul will be the third strike.
A foul is:
- Kick landing out of bounds;
- A kick landing
in bounds, but traveling out of bounds on its own
before reaching first or third base (any ball touching
a fielder in fair territory is automatically in play).
A kick
that does not meet the minimum kick requirement (1st-3rd
base diagonal for males, 20 foot line for females).
OUTS:
A count of three (3) outs by a team completes
the team's half of the inning.
An out is:
- Count of three (3) strikes;
- A runner
touched by the ball at ANY time while not on base;
- A
runner who is on the same base with another runner
and is tagged with the ball;
- Any kicked ball (fair or
foul )that is caught;
- A ball tag on a base to which
a runner is forced to run;
- A runner leading off base
when a ball is kicked.
Hitting the base with the ball
does NOT count as an out. The fielder must hit the
runner with the ball or maintain control of the ball
on the base on a forced run.
BALL IN PLAY:
Once the pitcher has the ball in control
and is inside the area of control, the play is over.
Play will resume once the next pitch is thrown.
OTHER RULES:
All beer must be in plastic cups at all
times. No glass is ever permitted in the park.
Teams that forfeit a game and do not
provide notification by email (sanantoniossc@gmail.com)
by at least 5pm the day before the game will be charged
the forfeit fine. The fine is $50 and goes towards
your opponents bar tab, since they had to come out
to the fields and did not have a game to play. It is
paid to the San Antonio SSC and set-up at the bar by
the league. This tab must be paid just prior to the
team's next game. Failure to pay will result in an
automatic loss for the team's next game. The team that
receives the forfeit fine must use it or lose it the
following week.
Coaches are responsible for controlling
their team. We are adults…please act like it.
Coaches
are responsible for keeping track of the batting order,
inning and score in their score books. If there is
a dispute over the batting order, inning or score,
we use the books to make the final decision.
If a rule
is not otherwise stated here standard softball rules
hold.
There is NO Infield Fly Rule.
There
are no errors.
The official game referees/umpires
have the final ruling; however, league commissioners
or coaches may be consulted concerning the official
rules. Game referees may make judgment calls.
Referees
cannot be talking on cell phones while reffing.
Some
fields will have out of bounds areas. The refs will
declare these areas before the start of each game.
If the ball enters one of these areas, the ball is
dead and play will stop. Extra bases may be awarded
depending on the particular field. Check with your
field leader for details.
Please support our sponsor
bars.
As always, SAN ANTONIO SSC and its
sponsors encourage responsible drinking.
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