GENESEE FIELDHOUSE- ADULT KICKBALL LEAGUE RULES 2017
GAME RULES
A. All games will be played according to these current kickball rules.
B. Team managers and umpires cannot set aside any rules.
C. Genesee Fieldhouse reserves the right to modify existing rules or adapt new rules if it is needed to benefit the league as a whole.
PLAYER, TEAM, & LEAGUE RULES
A. Each team shall have a roster minimum of 14 players and a roster maximum of twenty players.
B. All players must sign a team waiver form prior to start of the first game.
C. Rosters must be final by teams second game
D. All participants must be eighteen years of age before participating in league play. All participants must be out of high school before participating in league play.
E. Eight players must be present throughout the game. When a team drops below the required number of eligible players, it will forfeit the game. Teams must also maintain the minimum ratio of men / women to continue play (4 players of each sex). However, you can play 4 girls/5 guys. May play 6 females players in the field, (6 F-4M) but not 6 male players (Max: 5 M- 5 F). An all female team is also legal.
F. No alcoholic beverages, No Smoking, and No Sun flower seeds are allowed in the dome
G. Team managers are responsible for the actions of their players, team attendants, and spectators before, during, and after their game.
H. Metal cleats are illegal.
Game Scheduling
1. Games times for MONDAY’S will be scheduled at 8/9/10:00 PM
2. A forfeit will be awarded 10 minutes after scheduled game-time is to begin. Clock will begin to run at listed game time.
3. A coin toss will determine home team
3. The first team listed on schedule will take the 3rd base dugout.
The Game
1. Games will be scheduled for 9 innings. Each game has a 1 hour limit. This will be drop dead time unless the home team is at bat and behind in runs. Score will revert to last completed inning, if time runs out on the away team.
2. Mercy Rule: If any team is ahead by 10 runs or more at the completion of seven innings (or 6 1/2 in the case of the home team), or 8 runs or more at the completion of eight innings (or 7 1/2 in the case of the home team) the game is over.
3. We will have an imaginary line from 1st to 3rd base. Infielders must stay behind this line and may not cross it until the ball is kicked. Pitchers may cross the line during the pitch but, must return behind the line before the ball is kicked.
4. Outfielders must play with 2 feet in the outfield grass before the ball is kicked.
5. Catchers must stay behind the catcher line, (approx 4 feet behind the plate) before the ball is kicked. Catchers must not interfere with the kicker or kicking motion. Failure to abide by these rules will result in the pitch being called a ball. 6. A ball must travel past the first / third line to be considered a legal kick; however, fielders have the discretion of picking the ball up before it reaches the line. Kickers and runners need to advance if needed and run to first on balls that may be fielded.
Courtesy Runner
The last male or female out can be used as a “courtesy runner” for an injured or hobbled runner, of the same sex, who has already reached base safely. In case of no outs recorded in a game, the last person in the line-up, male or female can substitute for the same sex as well. However, if they are on base when it is their turn to kick, it will be recorded as an OUT.
Scorekeeping
1. Both teams will receive a score sheet and team managers should confirm the score in between innings
2. At the end of the game, both teams need to turn in completed score sheets to the umpire
3. Team managers must list both the first name and last name of each player participating.
4. All players must kick. If players arrive late, they will be added to the end of the kicking order of their sex.
5. Free substitution will be allowed defensively, if all players are kicking, keeping in line with the Defensive Ratio of male/female players on the field.
6. A team may not score more than 10 runs per inning. The home plate umpire has final say over all scorekeeping. Teams trailing by more than 10 runs can score more than 10 in any inning, until the score is tied. Trailing teams can score more than 10 and take the lead in the final inning only.
7. Intentional misrepresentation of the score or any information recorded on the score sheet will result in forfeiture of the game.
Tie Breaker
1. If 2 or more teams are tied at the end of the season, the following tie breakers will be used:
*Winner of head to head competition
*Least runs allowed
*Largest positive run differential
*Most runs allowed
*Coin toss
The Umpires
1. One umpire will be scheduled for all games.
2. Umpires have traditional baseball/softball knowledge and all have studied our kickball rules. Abuse or ridicule of the umpires will not be tolerated.
3. All players will refrain from use of abusive, indecent or profane language, gesture and action.
4. The umpire has the right to eject any player from the game for any of the above or any unsporting behavior.
5. Players ejected from the game must promptly leave the field and out of the complex. Failure to do so may result in their team forfeiting.
6. A referee’s Judgment call made on the field will stand and can not be protested!
7. Fighting will lead to those involved being removed from the league.
PITCHING & CATCHING
1. No Bouncies. A pitch that is higher than 6” at the plate, and called as such, results in a ball. Any pitch that bounces excessively high or that is thrown and is called as such, results in a ball.
2. The ball must be rolled at a slow to medium speed. Pitches rolled excessively hard or fast will be called illegal and be called a ball.
3. The pitcher must stay behind or return to the pitching strip/painted line until the ball is kicked. Failure to abide by this rule results in a ball.
4. No player may field in front of the pitcher other than the catcher, and no player may advance forward the 1st- 3rd base diagonal until the ball is kicked. Failure to abide by this rule results in a ball.
5. Outfielders must play with 2 feet in the outfield grass before the ball is kicked.
6. The catcher must field directly behind the catcher line, approximately 3 feet behind home plate and may not cross the catcher line nor be positioned forward of the line, before the ball is kicked. Failure to abide by this rule results in a ball. 7. The strike zone extends to 1 foot on either side of home plate, and 6” high. Any pitch outside that area or too high, as deemed by the Referee, is a ball.
KICKING
1. All kicks must be made by foot, with one foot only.
2. All kicks must occur at, behind, or 1 foot in front of home plate. A kick more than 1 foot in front of home plate is called a foul.
3. A ball must travel past the first/third line in front of home plate to be considered fair. A fielder may field this ball if he has a play. A ball that does not pass the first/third line is a strike.
4. A ball taking more than 5 seconds to reach the 1st/3rd line will be consider foul, and a strike.
RUNNING
1. Runners must stay within the base line. Fielders must stay out of the base line. Fielders trying to make an out on base may have their foot on base, but must lean out of the baseline. Runners hindered by any fielder within the base line shall be safe at the base to which they were running.
2. Neither leading off base, nor stealing a base is allowed. A runner off of his/her base when the ball is kicked is out.
3. Hitting a runner's head with the ball is not allowed. Any runner so hit, is safe and advances one (1) base beyond the one originally running toward when the ball was thrown. If the runner intentionally uses the head to block the ball or ducks/slides and is struck, and is so called by the Referee, the runner is out. The umpire always has ultimate judgment in this case.
4. Tag-Ups. After a kicked ball is touched or caught, runners must tag their originating base before running to the next base if the runner has not moved off of base before the ball is touched or caught, the runner may simply run forward without a tag up.
5. Runners may overrun first base only.
6. Overthrows. In taking advantage of the time loss from an overthrown ball that travels out of bounds, a runner may not run beyond the subsequent base to the one originally running toward when the ball was thrown. This 'one base on an overthrow' rule is a restriction to the runner - not an automatic right for the runner to advance.
7. Running past another runner is not allowed. Any runner passed by another runner is out.
8. NO BARRELING OF THE CATCHER or any fielder covering a bag. Player’s called for barreling will be called out and ejected from the game.
BALLs and STRIKES
1. A count of three (3) strikes constitutes an out.
2. A strike is: a pitch within the strike zone either not kicked or missed by the kicker. Foul balls are also counted as strikes. A foul ball with 2 strikes on the kicker is an out.
3. A ball that is kicked that does not cross the bunt line, approx 15 feet in front of home plate, is a strike.
4. A ball that hits the dome will be deemed a foul (Strike) and not be played for an out.
5. A count of four balls advances the kicker to first base.
6. A ball is: a. A pitch outside of the strike zone as judged by the Referee or an illegal bouncy. Any fielder or pitcher advancing on home plate before the ball is kicked. The catcher crossing the catcher line before kicked. Any infielder crossing the 1st to 3rd line before ball is kicked.
FOULS
1. A count of (3) fouls constitutes an out.
2. A foul is: a. A kick landing out of bounds; b. A kick landing in bounds, but traveling out of bounds on its own at any time before reaching first or third base. (Any ball touched by an in-bounds fielder is automatically in play.) c. A kick in front of home plate, that fails to cross the bunt line. d. A kickball kicked more than once in foul territory or stopped by the kicker in foul territory.
3. A ball that hits the dome will be deemed a foul (Strike) and not be played for an out.
OUTS
1. A count of three (3) outs by a team completes the team's half of the inning.
2. An out is: a. A count of three (3) strikes or three (3) fouls; b. A runner touched by the ball or who touches the ball at ANY time while not on base while the ball is in play; any kicked ball (fair or foul) that is caught. d. A ball tag on a base to which a runner is forced to run. e. A runner is off of his/her base before the ball is kicked.
BALL IN PLAY
1. Once the pitcher has the ball in control and on the mound and the umpire has issued “time”, players can not advance. 2. If a runner intentionally or unintentionally touches, strikes or stops a ball that has been kicked, the play ends and the runner is out. All other runners must return to their original base.
3. If a ball is thrown at a runner and hits the runner, the runner is out but, the ball remains live. The defense still has to return the ball to the pitcher and/or have the umpire call time, to stop play.
4. A ball thrown out of the field of play (past the fence line) play will result in players being awarded one extra base.
5. A ball that goes under the netting or caught in the netting or bounces over the netting, will be ruled a ground rule
double. Runners may advance 2 bases.
6. If ball gets caught in netting or any other obstacle, players are to raise their arms to indicate to the umpire the ball is not playable.