Play Kickball for Adults

Kickball largely follows the rules of baseball and utilizes many of the same strategies. Most of the differences come in the fact that you are using a fairly large playground ball. The ball is more difficult to catch and throw, but is far easier to connect with than a baseball.

Steps

Positions

1. Field of play

Rules That Differ From Baseball

1. As a kicker, it's still three strikes and you’re out for most leagues, including WAKA. For other leagues, however, it may be four strikes or more.
2. Unlike baseball, there are a variety of rules regarding foul balls. For WAKA, foul balls never count as strikes and a total of four are allowed before the player is called out. In some leagues however, foul balls always count as strikes – even a third (and fourth, depending on how many strikes are allowed to begin with). In ZogSports, ...
3. You can’t kick the ball before it begins to cross home plate. If you do, it’s a foul or a strike (depending on the league). You can kick it as far back as you like, as long as it gets into fair territory.

The "Homerun" Kick

1. The key to a good kick is to step past the ball with your non-kicking foot (but not out of the batter’s box) and slam the ball with the laces part of your shoe.
   • When the top of your foot makes contact the ball it should be nearly vertical and your knee – along with the rest of your body - should be over the ball.
   • If the top of your foot is nearly horizontal when you make contact with the ball (which probably means you kicked the ball too late in your kicking arc), your kick will result in a pop-fly which is far easier to catch.
2. Understand that kicking with the front tip of your foot can lead to erratic consequences.

Bunting

1. For a good bunt, first decide where you want the ball to go before the pitch. If you are right-footed and want the ball to go along the 3rd baseline, pivot and kick with the side of your foot, so the instep of your foot is facing the field. This is the more useful direction to bunt because, based on typical circumstances, a bunt is used to help get a runner on 1st base.
2. In the rare circumstance that you want the ball to go along the 1st baseline, if you are right-footed, do the same with the outside of your foot. The opposite applies for both of the previous two tips if you're left-footed.
3. Kick harder when you know the catcher has a good throwing arm so it takes him/her longer to get to it.

Sidenotes on Kicking

1. Try to aim the kick - a kickball travels more slowly than a baseball, so you will have more time to set up before it comes to you.
2. If you know there is a “weak-link” in the outfield, move in an arc to get behind the ball and be able to kick it straight to that person when the ball passes in front of you.
   • “Sacrificial Pop-fly” - if there are no outs or only 1 out and a runner is on 3rd, do not bunt because the runner will get out at home. Instead, go for the kick – even if it’s a pop-fly and caught, the run scores. Kick towards right field so it is unlikely to touch the runner when he/she is coming home.

Base-running

1. No stealing, no lead-offs. Your foot must be on base until the ball is kicked, otherwise you’re out.
2. You can still run past first base (but not second or third). This is encouraged – there is no point in slowing down to stop on it, it just matters that you touch it.
3. If you’re on base and there are two outs, run on any kick.
4. You must run along the baseline, whether it is real or imaginary.
5. Regardless of how the ball got there, if you touch the ball while running, you’re out.
6. If you are already on base when the kicker is up, remember that you must tag up if the ball is caught before advancing to the next base.
   • Under certain circumstances, some people would recommend always trying for an additional base. It will likely catch the opposing team off guard. If you are going to try though, do not hesitate – you’ll have wasted your window of opportunity.

In the Field

Throwing

1. Know that throwing is probably the most difficult part of kickball since the ball is so large.
2. If you have large enough hands you can palm the ball and throw it. For the rest of us, you can either cup the ball with one arm, squeezing the ball into your elbow, and fling it - or just throw it with two arms.
3. Throwing the ball to a cutoff (a person between you and the person you want to eventually get the ball), when available, is strongly encouraged.

Catching

1. When attempting to catch a kicked ball, try to get under the ball.
2. Cup your arms in front of you, elbows touching your torso and in a "V" shape - almost as if you were carrying firewood.
3. As soon as you touch the ball, immediately bring it to your chest and clamp it.
4. Be aware that if you hold your arms out too far from your body, the ball - being rather slippery - will likely go right through your hands.
   • If you do not clamp fast enough, the ball may bounce off your arms or chest.
   • Remember: you’re catching the ball with your full upper body, not just your hands.
5. Also, play further out in the outfield and expect to run in. It’s far easier to run forward to catch a ball then it is to run backwards.
6. Communication is essential: yell “got it,” otherwise collisions may ensue.

Advice for Infielders

• While a runner may be pegged out, this is discouraged because if you miss, it takes a long time to recover the ball.
• It is often better to run with the ball and throw when you’re real close. The runner’s head and neck are off limits.

Advice for Outfielders

• Overthrows to basemen are common.
• If you are fielding and the ball is in the infield, stay relatively close (around ten feet) to your respective baseman (right fielder goes to 1st, left to 3rd, center to 2nd) just in case the ball is overthrown so the team can recover the ball quickly.
• If possible, stand behind the baseman on the side the baseman to which it is likely to be overthrown (for example, stand along the foul line if you are the right fielder who is watching for overthrows to first base from a catcher).

Further Advice

• Designate base coaches. Base coaches are allowed in all leagues as long as they are outside the foul line and do not interfere with play. Having a base coach at first and third bases will allow the runners to focus on running and can save a second or more when the window of opportunity for the runner to advance to the next base may be very small.
• Cleats are recommended. Most public fields will allow non-metal cleats at the least. Cleats will give you faster acceleration and quicker stops - both of which can be useful when up at bat or in the field. Other than a bit more pain if you accidentally step on someone's foot, they have no drawbacks.

Things You'll Need

• A 10"/WAKA regulation size kickball. A typical playground ball is too small.
• 8-11 member teams
• A baseball size field
• Bases
• (Optional) Cones to mark the edges of the strike zone
• (Optional) Cleats

Related Articles

• Play Kickball
• Play Six Base
• Play Boom Ball
• Play Trampoline Dodgeball
• Play a Kid Friendly Game of Consequences

See also

• Play Ga Ga
• Play Kickball
• Play Wall Ball
• Play Paddleball
• Play Pickle
• Teach a Child to Throw, Catch and Hit a Ball
• Play Four Square