RSAK KICKBALL RULES & REGULATIONS

Revised February 2010 by Scott Murry & Travis Ducote, commissioners.

 

Table of Contents:

Section I - Registration: Team and Individual

Section II - Field Specifications

Section III - Game Play

Section IV - Team Requirements

Section V - Playing the Game

Section VI - Sportsmanship

Section VII - Playoffs

Section I – Registration: Team and Individual

Each individual participant must REGISTER for RSAK Membership online to be eligible for participation in RSAK leagues & events. This form is available online at www.brkickball.com. All team rosters are deemed final at the mid-season point for all leagues. Team captains are responsible for having all team members complete their RSAK Membership registration.

 

With the advent of 2 separate leagues with no interplay (except in the championship game), players may, if they wish, play on a team in the Monday/Tuesday league and a team in the Tuesday/Wednesday league. No team in either league may have more than 2 players from any one team in the other league. In the rare event of a Tuesday night or championship game conflict, the players must choose before the game which team they will play for at that time. Players must still pay the registration fee for both leagues, but a discount will be given if they register for both leagues at the same time. Team captains cannot captain 2 different teams but the captain of a team can be a player on another team. If there is a conflict involving the captain the captain must play for the team for which they hold the captaincy.

Section II – Field Specifications

All Kickball games will be played on softball diamonds or on fields with similar dimensions to those found on softball diamonds. In addition to these rules, all park rules must be followed.

· The Kicker’s Box is a polygon emanating back from the front of the plate from which the kicker must kick (see Section V, 11).

· The Bunt Arc is an arc that goes from foul line to foul line 18 feet from the back of the plate. The bunt zone extends from the intersections of bunt arc/foul lines down to the back corners of the kicker’s box and includes all area in between (see Section V, 10). Rules Addendum contains all field dimensions and diagrams.

· The Fielding/Encroachment Lines run perpendicular to the foul lines and extend to the Pitching Rubber.

Section III – Game Play

1. Officials

Field Commissioner

RSAK will designate a Field Commissioner at all RSAK Kickball games. The Field Commissioner will oversee all games as they progress and handle any disputes and have final authority.

Umpire/Referee/Scorekeeper

Each game will have 3 volunteer officials. The Head Ump’s role is to keep control of the game including the pace of the game, fair and foul balls, and out/safe calls. There will also be at least one field ref who will assist the umpire in making calls with an emphasis on force plays at the bases and fair / foul calls. Rulings made by the umpires and referees on the field are FINAL. There will also be a scorekeeper for every RSAK game to keep track of scoring and outs.

2. Game Time

A regulation game shall consist of five innings. No new inning shall begin after forty-five minutes have elapsed from the scheduled start of play. If the time limit has elapsed and the inning in progress has been completed with the score remaining tied, the game will be declared a tie. Except in tournament play there will be no extra inning games . Games begin when the officials are ready to start and will not wait for tardy teammates. Teams are not responsible for the tardiness of officials or an official time-out for a rule check with a commissioner.

3. Default and Forfeiture of Game

A. Default: If a team does not have enough players ready to start at the scheduled time, they will be assessed a default and the official score will be 10-0. Teams must play a “scrimmage” game with the reduced number of players to avoid a forfeit.

B. Delayed Start : Once the Umpire calls for the scorecards, a team may delay the declaration of default if they know the 6th player is on the way. An out will be assessed for every two (2) minutes that the start of the game is delayed, measured from the scheduled start time. The outs are assessed sequentially, starting with the team’s 1^st inning at-kick. If 9 or fewer outs have been accrued when the final player(s) arrive, the game will begin with the outs assessed in order. Half-innings will be skipped for every 3 outs pre-assessed.

C. Delayed Start Default: If 10 outs are assessed in the “Delayed Start” manner, the final score will be recorded as 15-0 in penalty. After the 20 minute maximum delay has passed, the defaulting team must still play a “scrimmage” game with the remaining time to avoid forfeiture.

D. Forfeiture: If a team fails to provide enough players to play a "scrimmage" game, they will be assessed a forfeit and the official score will be 20-0. If a team knows ahead of time that they will be unable to play, the captain must contact RSAK at least 24-hours prior to game time to qualify for a default instead of a forfeit.

E. Further Forfeiture Sanctions: Teams which forfeit games for any reason (lack of players, "no shows", poor sportsmanship, etc.) will be disqualified from post season play and may be dropped from the league and replaced. Entry fees will not be refunded to teams dropped from the league due to forfeits.

4. Replay of Game

Games called prior to completion due to circumstances beyond our control may possibly be replayed. The team captains and an RSAK commissioner will confer to make this decision. Generally, RSAK follows baseball-ish rules for replayed games.

Section IV – Team Requirements

5. Roster

Teams consist of nine (9) players on the field. All teams are co-recreational; they must play with a minimum of six (6) players in the field and have a gender differential of no more than one (1).

Permissible Field Combinations:

 

Teams may not continue a game with fewer than six players in the case of losing a player to injury. Additionally, the one player advantage rule is to be upheld at all times.

6. Drag Exception

If in a given week a team only has two (2) players of one gender and has at least four (4) of the other, one player of the more populous gender may act as the third player of the less populous gender both in the field and in the kicking order.

 

The following conditions MUST be met:

A. The player must be in "full drag" as determined by the commissioner(s). This includes, but is not limited to a dress/skirt, full makeup, accessories, and "stuffing" for a male subbing for a female and includes fake facial hair, male accessories, and "stuffing" for a female subbing for a male.

B. No team may invoke this rule if they have enough players to legally field a team.

C. No team may invoke the drag rule in two (2) consecutive weeks. If a team cannot field a team the following week, they will be assessed a default or forfeit in accordance with “Forfeiture of Game.”

D. No player can utilize the drag rule more than once in a given season. If the drag rule comes into play more than once in the same season, another player from that team must carry out the drag substitution.

E. This rule ONLY applies in the regular season and cannot be invoked in the playoffs for any reason.

 

7. Uniforms

Teams may wear the apparel of their choice. However, slacks/shorts/skirts and shirts must be worn at all times. Teams are encouraged to wear matching uniforms/t-shirts but only like-colored shirts with unique player identifiers on the back are necessary. Players not meeting this criterion will not be allowed to play in the game. Players must also present Player Pass ID cards to the scorekeeper at the beginning of the game to be eligible.

8. Shoes/Protective Gear

Metal spikes are not allowed. Any protective gear, including shin guards are allowed as long as they do not give the wearer a clear advantage or create a hazard for other players. Players who choose to play in poor quality footwear increase their risk of being stepped on by a player in a cleat. Playing barefoot is prohibited.

 

9. Player Designation

A. Field Position – Players may start each play in any position on the field, provided that one (and only one) person is provided to “catch” behind the plate.

B. Player Identification – Each kicker must have a highly visible unique identifier on the back of their shirt that matches the official score sheet when coming up to kick. A person can not participate in the game without this.

C. Pitching Changes – If a pitching change takes place, the scorekeeper must be informed by the catcher, pitcher, or team captain. A ball will be assessed on the next kicker.

 

10. Kicking Order

A. Team captains must deliver a scoresheet with male and female kicking orders to the umpire or scorekeeper prior to the start of a game. Teams can choose to leadoff with a male or a female in the first inning, and then all kickers MUST alternate sexes after that. The original male and female kicking orders must be followed throughout the game, unless legal additions are made in accordance with rule 9b OR unless a player is replaced by a substitute who has not already been added to the order (replaced completely, due to injury or having to leave). When this occurs, the substitute must take the place of the removed player in the kicking order. If no substitute is available they must either be “scratched” from the order

 

B. Additions: Teams may add additional players (from the team roster only) to the end of the kicking order as long as the team has not kicked through that gender’s order. Once a player’s name has “come up” in the order, the player must be present or get “scratched” from the order, or the team will have an out assessed. A kicker who has been added to the kicking order after the game has started is ineligible to be scratched from the line up. The kicker will be assessed an out if he/she is unable to kick. A starting player who has been substituted for may re-enter the game at any time. To ensure fairness, all non-injured players must kick when it is their turn in the batting orders whether they have been playing in the field or not.

Example:

	Kicking Order
Guys	1	2	3	4	5
Girls	A	B	C	D

 

 

 

 

Effective Kicking Order: 1, A, 2, B, 3, C, 4, D, 5, A, 1, B, 2, C, 3, D, 4, A, 5, B, etc.

 

Section V – Playing the Game

11. Pitching, Balls, and Strikes

Strike Zone – The strike zone extends 10 inches on either side of the plate (i.e. the width of the regulation kickball) and 12 inches above the plate. In a strike, the ball must bounce at least three (3) times before reaching the plate. A legal pitch must arrive not more than one foot above home plate. A strike consists of a foul ball, a whiff, or a called strike.

Pitch – A legal pitch is one which last contacts the pitcher while the pitcher is in contact with the pitching rubber such that the ball is propelled towards the direction of the plate through non artificial means (no slings, sticks, etc…). (See Fielding Section for limitations on the pitcher’s movement after the ball is released.) The ball must then pass through the field of play without contacting any out of play object (i.e. the backstop or fence) and without contacting any other player before passing into the kicker’s box at which point a ball or strike will be assessed by the umperee based on the above Strike Zone criteria unless the Civil Pitch Rule is invoked. A ball that is pitched in violation of this rule (through the pitcher’s failure to contact the rubber upon release – immediate “Ball” - or the failure of the ball to pass into the kicker’s box entirely – a “Ball” if the kicker does not attempt to kick it while the kicker is in the kicker’s box) will be an automatic ball regardless of any other criteria.

Civil Pitch – To make all parties aware that the civil pitch rule is being invoked the pitcher must stand in the Civil Pitch Stance - astride the pitching rubber with both feet planted shoulders distance apart or further (no verbal or other queues are necessary). The pitcher’s feet must remain planted through delivery and the pitcher cannot advance past the rubber until after the ball is kicked. (Since the feet must be planted on release the normal “follow through” steps are not allowed.) The civil pitch must be rolled slowly, two handed, underhanded in a motion emanating from between the pitcher’s legs (commonly referred to as “Granny Style”). A slowly rolled, non-curving, non-excessively spinning, non-bouncing “civil pitch” is a rolling ball when it enters the front of the kickers box (which extends 2 feet on either side of the plate) and should be kicked at or called a strike, even if it doesn’t pass over the plate. Whether a pitch thrown from the Civil Pitch Stance is “civil” or not is up to the umpire’s discretion, but the purpose of the rule is to encourage pitchers to throw kickable balls and discourage kickers from taking walks on kickable pitches. (Just kick the thing!) If a pitcher is deemed to be attempting to evade the friendly nature of the civil pitch rule by throwing obviously non-civil, difficult to kick pitches from the Civil Pitch Stance the umpire shall issue an automatic ball and issue a warning to the pitcher and notify both captains of the warning. If the pitcher repeats this infraction the umpire shall eject the pitcher as would happen with any other unsportsmanlike conduct warning.

Walk – Three balls constitute a walk.

Bunt Arc – All kicks must pass the 18 foot bunt arc. If the ball is touched by a fielder before it reaches the bunt arc, the kick is ruled a foul ball. If a kick is first touched by a fielder when the ball is in the bunt zone it is considered a Foul Ball.

Strike Out – Once a player has two strikes, in any manner, they are deemed out & the next kicker in the order is now up to kick. A strike out occurs when any of the following criteria is met:

A. The umpire calls a non-kicked pitch a strike after one strike has been accumulated by any means.

B. The kicker swings and misses after one strike has been accumulated by any means.

C. The ball is fouled off twice after one strike has been accumulated by any means.

 

 

12. Kicker’s Box

A. A player may kick any ball as long one foot remains inside the kicker’s box and the player is not in violation of any other part of this rule.

B. The ball may not be kicked until it crosses the front plane of the kicker's box. A strike/foul ball is called if this infraction occurs AS LONG AS an infielder for the fielding team appeals to the ump BEFORE the kicker reaches first base, and then the play is dead. It is the umpire’s final decision as to the position of the ball when kicked.

C. The ball may not be kicked after it crosses the back plane of the kicker’s box. A ball/strike call is to be immediately made by the umpire and the play is dead.

D. Accidental Kick -- If a player is standing or moving through the kicker’s box and is inadvertently hit by the ball, the resulting play is either a fair or foul ball.

13. Fielding

A. Fielding Encroachment – All fielders, except the catcher, must remain behind the Fielding Line (Section II) until the ball is kicked. The Fielding Line extends from the pitching mound at a 90 degree angle to the foul line. The catcher must be behind or to the side of the kicker’s box until contact is made. Unless pitching from the Civil Pitch Stance the pitcher is allowed a follow-through step toward the plate, but must halt forward motion in a reasonable time. The umpire may call the play dead and assess a ball any time he/she believes a defensive player has violated this rule. Multiple infractions by the same player is grounds for a warning and eventual ejection.

B. Headshots – ANY BALL that hits an upright runner at the top of the shoulders or above automatically results in all runners advancing to the base toward which they were in progress, and a warning will be issued to the offending fielder. If the same fielder commits two (2) headshots in a game he/she will be suspended for 1 full inning WITHOUT replacement. If the suspended player comes up in the kicking order in the next half-inning, the team will be assessed an out and play will continue as appropriate. A third head shot violation will result in ejection from that game and suspension from the next game (replacement IS allowed in this situation). Any runner who ducks or bends over and a thrown ball that would have hit lower than their shoulders strikes them in the headshot area will be considered "out" and the fielder will not be penalized.

 

14. Base Running

A. Sliding – For your safety, there is also NO SLIDING in RSAK, sliding will result in an automatic out! This includes an accidental slide, so runners must take care to maintain their footing.

B. Over-Running Bases – Since there is no sliding, a runner may over-run ANY base the same way one would overrun first base without being considered "out" if tagged. In over-running second and third bases, the runner must contact the orange safety bag to demonstrate intent to over-run. The runner is considered out of the play until they return to the white base. If there is an overthrow, the runner must return to the white base BEFORE advancing to the next base except at first base. Likewise, a runner is considered to be occupying the base after over-running it (i.e. a trailing runner that crosses the base before the original runner returns is out).

C. Blocking Bases – Blocking a base by a fielder is NOT ALLOWED. Since sliding is outlawed and overrunning bases is allowed, fielders must always allow the runner a clear, unobstructed path to the base. To facilitate this, no fielder may have any part of their body over, in front of, or directly behind the orange safety bag and more than half of any white base that is to be the subject of a play (force, or otherwise). If a fielder comes a few inches off the base for the singular purpose of avoiding a collision, this will count as touching the base in a force play. Coming off the base to deal with an errant throw or attempt to get someone else out or apply a tag DOES NOT qualify for this exception.

C. Collisions – A fielder has the right of way only when making a play on a kicked ball, otherwise the fielder must yield to the runner. Runners are also cautioned to throw their hands up if they feel the base is being obstructed and PROCEED WITH CAUTION to the base. It is the responsibility of the runner to avoid collisions. If a runner runs toward a blocked base at full speed and does not make a clear attempt to avoid contact, the runner will be out and receive a warning. (Most collisions will result in a warning either to the runner, the fielder, or both, depending on the official’s determination of fault.)

D. Returning to a Previous Base – When returning to a previously attained base, a runner may NOT overrun the base and should proceed with caution, i.e. avoid collisions. Once a runner is off the white bag in any direction, the runner is considered live and can be tagged out.

E. Leading Off / Stealing Bases – No leading off base until the ball is KICKED. No stealing. A player who is caught leading-off/stealing is out. One base is awarded on an overthrow that leaves the field of play. A runner can be issued a warning for excessive dancing off the base, as this practice unreasonably slows the pace of game and shows a lack of sportsmanship. Multiple infractions by the same player is grounds for a warning and eventual ejection.

F. Tagging Up – In the case of a fly ball, a base runner must tag up and may advance after first contact with the ball is made by a fielder. Field referees should watch runners to ensure that the tag up took place after first contact, because the runner may begin legally advancing before a fly ball is actually caught.

 

Quick Reference Guide:

· Fielder is obligated to not block the runner while making a play on the base.

· Runner is obligated to avoid a collision; if a runner must slow down or is otherwise impeded by a fielder where the fielder does not have the right of way, the runner may throw his/her hands up to demonstrate the impedance to the officials.

· Running outside the baseline: if to avoid a collision with a fielder – not out; if to avoid a tag or peg – out.

 

15. Outs

An out occurs when:

A. A player accumulates two strikes.

B. A kicked ball is caught in the air, kicker is out.

C. A runner is touched with a ball at any time when they are not on a base. Avoid Headshots!

D. A runner is forced out at a base.

E. A runner significantly leaves the base path to avoid a tag. (Running outside the baseline to avoid a collision with a fielder – not out)

 

There is no infield fly rule in RSAK, however, if an infielder is deemed to have committed blatant "cheese" by intentionally dropping an easy fly to make a double play, all runners will be called safe.

 

 

16. End of Play

A play is deemed to have ended when a fielder possesses the ball in the infield and any of the following additional conditions is met:

A. When no runners are advancing towards another base. (Except if a runner is retreating to a base that they can legally attain, wherein the play becomes dead when they reach the base.)

B. A ball isdeclared "foul" by the umpire without being caught in the air by a fielder.

C. When runners are still advancing AND when the fielder concedes the base to the foremost runner, while the runneris still approaching a base. Once a fielder concedes a base, the runner is not eligible to steal the next base whether the umpire declares time verbally or not.

Conceding a base is the act of actively not making an attempt to get arunner out at the basethe runneris approaching while in full possession of the ball.

D. Anytime the umpire verbally calls for "Time".

 

 

17. Homeruns

On fields with outfield fences, there is a limit of two (2) over the fence home-runs per team per game. After the second over the fence hit, all subsequent similar hits will be counted as outs for the remainder of that game.

 

18. Run Rule

· Games with a score differential of 10 or more runs after the 4th inning will be terminated.

· Games with a score differential of 15 or more runs after the 2^nd or 3^rd inning will also be terminated.

· Games with a score differential of 20+ runs after 1 inning will be terminated.

· Any game starting an inning with a run differential greater than 10 in its 40^th minute of play will be called.

 

Section VI – Sportsmanship

19. Interactions with Officials

During games, Umpires and Referees are only to be questioned on calls with respect by the Team Captains. All other players can of course talk to Officials any time, but questioning calls is reserved for the Captains. However, Players who choose to ignore this rule may be ejected by the Officials. If a player receives more than one conduct warning in a day they will be automatically ejected. The ump-eree may forfeit the game if physically or verbally abused by any team member or spectator speaking in support of that particular team. If this happens in a kickball game, you really need to re-evaluate your priorities! Team captains are responsible for the conduct of all their players and fans, therefore any warnings given to individual players should also be communicated by the officials to the captain.

 

If a team’s usual team captain is not in attendance, the team must designate a captain for that game to be the spokesperson for questioning calls.

 

20. Ejections

Players who get ejected from any game, for any reason, are automatically suspended for the rest of the day and for one additional game as a MINIMUM. A written appeal must be filed for reinstatement. (This can come in the form of Email and should include the situation from the player’s perspective as well as why they are sorry AND why this will never happen again, to the satisfaction of the commissioners.) An ejection also results in a ONE POINT DEDUCTION for overall team standings.

A second ejection in the same season renders the player ineligible for the season and will result in an additional TWO POINT DEDUCTION from the entire team.

Any ejection for physical violence will result in the player being banned from all RSAK events for the remainder of the current season and THE ENTIRE NEXT SEASON. The player will only be eligible for reinstatement after attending anger-management courses and completing all earlier stated requirements. The team will receive a TWO POINT DEDUCTION from overall team standings if a player is ejected for physical violence.

Section VII – Playoffs

Playoff seeding will be determined by the following criteria:

 

1. The Team with the best overall POINT TOTAL (3 Points for a WIN, 1 for a TIE, 0 for a LOSS and MINUS 1 for Failing to meet Official Schedule Responsibilities. See Section VI, 20, for point deductions related to ejections.

2. The Team with the best Division POINT TOTAL (subtractions count for division records as well REGARDLESS of when they are earned)

3. Head to head Win/Loss

4. Head to head run differential

5. Overall run differential

6. Coin Toss As soon as one team "wins" on one of these criteria, comparison of the remaining teams restarts with criteria #1 and so on.

7. Any team that misses an ump assignment in their last two games of the regular season will be dropped one spot in both the conference and overall standings, but not the divisional standing, after the standard point deduction is applied. All teams are obligated to provide refs for time periods in the playoff for which their team is not playing; failure to do so will result in harsh penalties for the teams next season in the league. Furthermore the league commissioners reserve the right to assess any penalty necessary to hold teams responsible for their actions counterproductive to the league.

The team with the higher OVERALL seeding will be deemed the "home" team. The playoffs will be staggered between conferences to ensure maximum intermingling of teams. The Top 14 OVERALL seeded teams will automatically make the playoffs along with the 2 “play-in” winners. The two league champions will play for the RSAK Cup.

 

Thanks again for playing with RSAK!