indoor natatorium

Kickball Rules

All games will be governed by the National Intramural – Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Slow Pitch Softball Rules with the following Texas A&M Intramural Sports modifications.

Players and Equipment

  1. Each participant must present a current Texas A&M student ID card or a Rec Membership ID card in order to be eligible to participate. Failure to do so will prevent an individual from playing until the ID card is presented.
  2. Each Men’s and Women’s team shall consist of 8 players (4 women and 4 men in CoRec). Each team must have a minimum of 6 players (3 women and 3 men in CoRec) in order to begin a game. Any team that begins a game with 6 or 7 players may add players to the bottom of its line-up (to a limit of 8 batters).
  3. Substitutions: Rosters are unlimited. Each inning, any 8 players may play the field and any 8 players may bat.
  4. Balls: The game ball will be provided for all kickball matches.
  5. Shoes: Regulation rubber-soled cleats, plastic cleats, detachable rubber cleats that screw into the shoe, and tennis shoes are the only permissible footwear. Sandals, street shoes, hiking boots, combat boots, or metal spikes are not allowed. No player will be allowed to participate in bare feet. Any player seen wearing metal spikes after the first pitch of the game will be ejected.
  6. Jewelry: Participants are not permitted to wear any visible jewelry. If participants choose to wear jewelry, it must be completely covered BEFORE arriving at the game site, with a band-aid or athletic tape. The Department of Recreational Sports WILL NOT provide band-aids or athletic tape to cover jewelry items. If covered, jewelry must remain flush with the skin and not be protruding out; this is for the protection of all participants.

Game Format

  1. A game will consist of six (6) innings or 40 minutes, whichever comes first. No new inning will begin once the 50-minute time limit has expired. Any inning which has been started prior to the time limit expiring will be completed. Championship games will not have a time limit.
  2. Forfeit: A team must have the minimum number of players to start a game. Teams not ready to play at the scheduled starting time shall be penalized one run for every minute the game is delayed. Teams not ready to play at ten minutes after the scheduled starting time shall forfeit.  “Ready to play” includes having the scorecard filled out and IDs checked.  The game clock begins at the captains meeting.
  3. Extra Innings: In the event that the score remains tied after 6 complete innings or 40 minutes, extra innings will be played until the tie is broken. The team at bat will begin with a runner on second base.
  4. Run Rule: If a team is ahead by 15 runs after 4 complete innings (3-1/2 if the home team is ahead), or 10 runs after 5 innings (4-1/2 if the home team is ahead), then the game will be considered complete. The run rule will apply to all games including championship games.
  5. Called Games: In the event of inclement weather or power failure of more than 15 minutes, the following will constitute a complete game:
    1. Four innings have been completed (3-1/2 if the home team is leading).
    2. The game has reached at least 25 minutes in elapsed time.
  6. If the game is called due to weather before the time limit (25 minutes) or inning limit (4 innings) has elapsed, then the game will be replayed from the exact point where play was stopped. If play stops due to inclement weather, the final decision will be made by the Sport Supervisor.

Pitchers

  1. Teams will pitch to their own kickers. A member of the defensive team will position themselves no closer than 3 feet from the pitcher to act as a fielder.
  2. Pitchers (of the kicking team) will not be responsible for playing defense. When the pitcher is struck by a kicked ball before it passes a member of the defensive team, the kicker will be called out and runners must return to the base occupied at the time of the at bat. In all other situations, the pitcher must move clearly out of the way of a defender making a play or the potential path of a throw. If, in the umpire’s opinion, the pitcher interferes with any part of a defense’s play, the umpire may call out a runner or the kicker as appropriate. The ruling will follow guidelines similar to interference and obstruction in the NIRSA softball manual.
  3. The pitcher must be a member of the offensive team, but does not have to be one of the kickers in the line-up. All-time pitchers are permitted (must be signed in as a team member). If the pitcher is a kicker in the line-up, when it is the pitcher’s turn in the line-up, another player will be required to enter the game to pitch.
  4. In the act of delivering the ball to the kicker, the pitcher shall stand with at least one foot in contact with the pitching rubber until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. A legal delivery shall be a ball that is delivered underhand and a slow to moderate speed. Bouncies are permitted.
  5. Each kicker will receive a maximum of 3 pitchers. If a kicker allows three pitches to pass and has not kicked the ball, he/she will be out.

Kicking

  1. All players in the line-up will kick in each inning. Therefore, up to 8 outs may be recorded during a team’s at-bat.
  2. The kicking order may change each inning.
  3. The offensive team (pitcher and kicker) is responsible for notifying the defensive team when the last kicker is preparing to kick. If the final kicker kicks without the offense notifying the defense that it is their last kicker, that kicker will be ruled out, no runs will be allowed, and the inning will be over.
  4. The kicker must contact the ball within the boundaries of the box around home plate. If a kicker contacts a ball outside the box, he/she will be called out and all runners must return to their original base.
  5. Foul balls on the 1st or 2nd pitch will be ruled foul. If a foul is kicked on the 3rd pitch, the batter will be out.
  6. There are no walks.
  7. A kicked ball must clear the bunt line in front of home plate to be in play. Balls that come to rest inside this area or that are fielded in this area are considered foul and if on the 3rd pitch, the kicker will be out. All balls fielded in this area are considered dead and all runners must return to their original bases.

Fielding

  1. Defensive positioning is restricted by the following:
    1. No more than 6 players (including a "fielding pitcher" and catcher) may position themselves within the infield area prior to a pitch being kicked. In a game with 8 fielders, 2 must begin each play in the outfield area.
    2. Each team must provide a catcher. The catcher must field from behind the kicker. The catcher must remain at least 3 feet behind the kicker and may not cross home plate until the ball is kicked.
    3. If a team provides a "fielding pitcher", the "fielding pitcher" may align themselves on either side of the offense's pitcher no closer than 3 feet from the pitching rubber. The "fielding pitcher" may not position themselves in front of pitcher's rubber (closer to the plate) until a ball is kicked.
    4. Only one other infielder, other than the "fielding pitcher", may position themselves inside the diamond (inside the 1st/2nd/3rd base diagonals) until the ball is kicked.
  2. In co-rec play, a maximum of 3 males and 3 females may play in the infield. This maximum includes the pitcher and catcher. The remaining players will play the outfield.
  3. The kicker is out in situations similar to softball (forceouts, flyouts, etc). In addition, a runner is out when he/she is hit by a thrown ball below the shoulders. Any runner hit above the shoulders is safe. In this case, the play continues but the runner who was hit above the shoulders is NOT liable to be put out until after he/she touches the next base. However, if the runner intentionally uses the head to block the ball or ducks, the runner will be called out (the ball is immediately dead and runners must return to the base they last touched).
  4. In the event a fielder intentionally throws a ball towards and contacts a runner's head, the play will be immediately dead and the fielder will be ejected. The runner will be awarded home and all runners in advance of the runner hit by the ball will also score.
  5. There is no infield fly rule.

Conduct of Players

  1. Verbal Conduct: The use of profane language directed to one’s self or another will not be tolerated. Arguing with an umpire or player in an unsportsmanlike manner will not be tolerated. Failure to abide by this rule may result in one or all of the following actions:
    • Warning
    • Ejection
  2. Ejections: A player ejected from a game shall not participate in that game again. The umpire may eject a player from the field area if deemed necessary. If ejected from the field area, the player shall leave within two minutes. Failure to do so will result in that team to forfeit the game. An ejected player is automatically disqualified from ALL intramural contest (including other sports) until they see the proper staff member in charge of that sport.