GWINNETT COUNTY KICKERS
GCK KICKBALL-Building a sisterhood , Creating a bond and bringing families together one kick at a time.
The official Kickball is a red, round 10-inch 3-ply cross-textured rubber ball. The Bases are heavy-duty, waffled-back, white bases.
All fielders and kickers must have footwear; bare-feet are not allowed. cleats may or may not be allowed on the fields. League Directors will make
final determination. Where cleats are not allowed, only running, gym or turf shoes are
permitted. Metal cleats are never allowed.
The provided team t-shirts must be worn during the game.
Player’s attire is considered to be an extension of the player
Field
The bases are set up in the shape of a diamond with the bases 60 feet apart.
1st base includes both a Fielder’s base and a Runner’s base. The Fielder's base is located inside
the 1st baseline in fair territory, while the Runner's base is located outside the 1st baseline in foul
territory and they both touch each other.
The Runner’s base is used when a runner is traveling from home plate to 1st base and does not
intend to advance to 2nd base.
Fielders attempting to make an out at 1st base may only use the Fielder’s base to make an out,
unless an errant throw takes the fielder into the path of the runner. In that case, the fielder may tag
the outside base and the runner can use the inside base to avoid a collision.
The “Pitcher’s mound” is located halfway between 1st base and 3rd base along the chalked line.
The strike zone is 2 feet wide on either side of home plate and 6 inches above home plate.
a green phelp will designate the width of the strike zone and are used as a
visual reference for the umpire to judge the strike zone.
The entirety of the foul lines including all primary bases and home plate are in FAIR territory
. Player and Team Eligibility
Each team consists of 11-20 players and everyone must be 18 and over.
In order for a team to be game eligible, there must be at least 8 total players at the
start of the game. Only players registered for a team may play for that respective team.
The opponent's Team Captain can negotiate any stipulations and MUST
APPROVE any request or else the game is considered a forfeit and can be played for fun. If the
opponent agrees to an official game, then that decision cannot be changed later in the game. An
example of a concession is if Team A is short then they only play 8 in the field and
they have an automatic out at the end of their lineup as long as Team B agrees to it.
A forfeit game results in a automatic victory for the non-forfeiting team.
If neither team is game eligible, then the game will proceed as normal
Umpires and Field Supervisors
A umpire will be provided for each game.
Umpires are responsible for making calls on balls, strikes, outs, and runs scored for their
respective fields, and the umpire’s call is the final decision in all matters.
Challenged calls may only be made by the team head coach.
Umpires will report the final scores of each game to the lead scorekeeper.
Umpires are trained and responsible for conducting games in a professional
manner, and are empowered at their discretion to give a Warning and/or Eject any player that
instigates arguments, uses foul language and/or flagrant abuse towards the opposing team,
umpire, or field.
Umpires are responsible for suspending a game due to rain or lightening. If a game is in progress
and the remaining innings are canceled due to lightning, four innings will constitute a complete
game. However, please stay in the area if the umpire requests players to, as the game may be
able to be completed after a time delay. Games in progress will be picked up from where they were
suspended. If a team leaves and does not come back as the umpire requested, that team will take
a forfeit. Any cancellations will follow the GCK Rainout Policy.
General Rules
The kicking order should be exchanged with the other team prior to the start of the game.
The kicking order cannot change during the course of a game unless agreed by the other team.
Team members are not required to take the field in order to kick.
All fielders playing in the game must kick.
If a team member cannot kick at their designated spot in the kicking order, their "at kick" will be
counted as an out.
No more than 11 players can take the field at one time.
Fielders can be changed anytime between and within innings.
Teams may have a 1st base and 3rd base coaches. Coaches may not interfere with play or
physically assist the runners.
Any attempt to circumvent or go against the spirit of the rules will be at the ref’s discretion to rule
on the appropriate action.
Regulation Game
A regulation game will be 5 innings or one hour in length, whichever comes first. No new inning
should be started after 50 mins have been played.
If a game is shortened due to rain or other externalities, 4 full innings constitutes an official game
(3½ innings if home team is ahead in bottom of 4th inning).
If the game is tied at the end of 5 innings, extra innings will be allowed as long as time permits.
Each team gets a chance to kick in extra innings and receives the same number of outs.
If after 1 hour the game is still tied, it will be recorded as a tie.
OverTime Rules Tie-Breaker: In the event of a tie game, a winner must be crowned
so the game will complete extra innings until one team wins outright. For extra
innings, teams will start their at-kick with the next kicker in the lineup on 2nd base, 1 out and each
kicker will start with 2 balls in the count. The first team to have a higher run total at the end of a full
extra inning wins the game.
Each team gets to kick in each inning. Once 3 outs have been recorded against a team, their "at
kick" is over. Once both teams have kicked, the inning is over.
The team listed 1st on team line ups will be considered the home team.
The home team will be in the field 1st and have last a kick in the game.
Fielding
Each team's pitcher must roll the ball to the opposing team's kicker.
The pitcher must release the ball behind the pitcher’s mound and within two feet on either side of the
Pitcher’s mound, mirroring the two feet on each side of the home plate strike zone.
The pitcher cannot overhand throw the ball when delivering the ball to the kicker.
The Pitcher MUST roll or bounce the ball twice in route to home plate. If the pitcher onehops
the ball across home plate or throws the ball in the air and hits home plate without the ball
bouncing or rolling that roll is considered a ball regardless if it is less than 6 inches or not.
The Pitcher must roll the ball within a 5 ft wide "Pitcher’s Path" that starts from the Pitcher’s mound
and extends to home plate with the path being 5 foot wide and in-line with the strike zone on
each side of home plate. Fielders must be in line with or behind the Pitcher’s mound until the ball is rolled. Once the ball is
rolled, NO One can advance past the chalked line between 1st and 3rd base. No other fielders
can cross the imaginary line between 1st and 3rd until the ball is kicked.
The 5 out fielders must stay on the green until the ball is kicked.
If a fielder comes across the imaginary line before the ball is kicked and attempts to interfere with
the play in the judgment of the referee, the kicker will be awarded an automatic walk.
If the ball is kicked and the encroaching player fields the ball or interferes with the play in the
judgment of the referee, the kicker will be awarded an automatic walk unless the result of the play
allows the runner to advance past 1st base. The runner may advance past 1st base on an errant
throw at their own risk.
The catcher must play behind the line formed by the strike-zone until after a kicked ball
passes home plate. If the kicked ball makes contact with the catcher, and the ball is in foul territory
the ball is ruled a foul.
If the catcher opts to play near the strike zone, then they must stand at least 1 arms reach of kicker, and may not block the kicker's attempt to kick the ball in any way.
If any part of the catcher’s body moves within 2 feet of the strike zone before the ball passes
the plate or interferes with the kicker’s ability to kick the ball in any way, as determined by the
referee, the kicker will be awarded a walk. If 11 players are present in the field, one player must play the catcher position. If a team has 10 or
fewer fielders, then they can all play in the field and forego a catcher.
Walking a player intentionally is allowed and no pitches have to be rolled.
Any runner not safely on a base can be hit with the kickball by a fielder. The runner is out unless
the ball hits them in the head or neck.
Kicking
The kicker must wait for the ball to reach home plate before kicking the ball. If any part of the
kicker's "plant foot" (non-kicking foot) breaks the plane in front of home plate when the kick occurs
then it is considered a FOUL ball. If the kicker kicks the ball in the air and it is caught, then the
kicker is OUT, and runners may tag up. Else the call is a strike/foul against the kicker.
The kicker may kick the ball anywhere behind the line formed by the strike zone as long as
their plant foot is not in front of home plate. If the kicked ball travels into fair territory before passing
1st or 3rd base and is touched or comes to rest, then it is a FAIR ball.
A kicker may not touch the ball a second time after first contact while in the kicking motion. This is
called a “double kick” and results in a foul ball. Once the kicker begins to run to 1st base, if the ball
touches them in fair territory, they are out and it is a dead ball. All baserunners must return to their
previous base.
A kick can be made with any part of the leg. Three (3)outs by the kicking team constitutes their at-kick for the inning. An out is:
A count of 3 strikes to a kicker (fouls count as strikes)
Any kicked ball that never hits the ground and is caught by a fielder regardless of whether the ball
is in fair or foul territory
A runner that does not make it to the next base they are forced to run to before they are tagged or
before a fielder has control of the ball while touching the base they are forced to run to, and they
cannot run back to the previous base since another runner is behind them
*Note: This is referred to as a Force Out
A runner that leads off the base before the ball is kicked
A runner tagged or hit by a thrown ball below the neck by a fielder while not safely on a base
A runner hit by a kicked ball regardless of where the ball hit them while not safely on base
A runner impeding a fielder from fielding a ball (i.e. bumping, pushing or distracting the fielder while
the fielder is in the motion of playing a ball)
A runner that does not make it back to their base before tagging up by the time the fielder has
control of the ball while touching the base or by tagging the runner with the ball
*Note: This is not considered a Force Out
A runner outside of the 5 foot baseline unless trying to avoid a fielder blocking the baseline
A runner or kicker that intentionally interferes with the ball
A runner that is physically assisted by a base coach or other team member
A kicker that cannot kick at their designated spot in the kicking order unless they are injured (If a
player misses their turn in the kicking order due to injury, they can not return to the game)
Balls
Three (3) balls by the Pitcher to the kicker is a walk, and the kicker is awarded 1st base.
A ball is:
Any roll that results in the ball being outside the strike zone
Any roll that is more than 6 inches off the ground when it crosses the plate
Any rolled ball that does not bounce twice before reaching home plate
A ball that is not rolled completely within the 5 foot wide “Pitcher’s Path”
Strikes
Three (3) strikes by the kicker is an out.
Any roll that is not kicked and not considered a ball is a strike.
An attempted kick that is missed by the kicker is a strike. Foul and Fair Balls
Foul balls are considered strikes.
Foul balls can count as the 3rd strike.
Foul Balls
A foul ball is:
Any ball that is kicked and touches in foul territory without going into fair territory
Any ball that is kicked and touches in fair territory, but crosses into foul territory before passing 1st
base or 3rd base
A ball that is kicked and hits a 'back-stop', trees, wires or anything extraneous to the playing area
before going into fair territory
Fair Balls
A fair ball is:
Any ball that touches and stays in fair territory
Any ball that touches in fair territory and then crosses into foul territory after passing 1st base or 3rd
base
Any ball that is in fair territory when it touches a player or referee (regardless of where they are
standing) before crossing into foul territoryPlay Ends (Dead Ball)
When the pitcher has the ball in the pitchers mound and the lead base runner
has stopped reasonable advancement to the next base in the determination of the referee the play
is over. The referee should call time.
When a kicked ball hits a base runner off base or a baserunner on base that is forced to run, it is a
dead ball and the runner is out. The kicker is awarded 1st base and all other base runners must
return to their previous base.
When a live ball goes out of the field of play as determined by the referee, it is a dead ball. The
referee will go over with the captains before the game what areas for each field are considered out
of play. Foul territory is considered in play otherwise and the ball is live until the play ends
normally.
When a base runner interferes with a fielder’s opportunity to make a play or deliberately disrupts
the play it is a dead ball and the runner is out. All other base runners must return to their last base
touched prior to the interference.
If a ball deflates or pops during a play, then the play is dead and must be replayed from the start
A delayed dead ball is when a defensive infraction has occurred, but the result of the play
determines the outcome.
A delayed dead ball is:
Obstruction on the defense either by blocking a base or interfering with the runner’s right to the
baseline when not making an active play on the ball
When a fielder is in front of the imaginary line between 1st and
3rd base before the ball is kicked and makes a play on the ball or interferes with play. If the kicker
does not reach first base safely then the delayed dead ball results in an automatic walk to the
kicker.
Advancing the Bases
When runners advance from one base to the next, they must stay in the imaginary "base line"
which is a straight line between two bases and approximately 5 ft in width. If the runner runs
outside the base line to elude a ball thrown at them or a tag attempt they are out. The runner may
only run outside the base line to elude a fielder that is making an active play on the ball.
If a fielder obstructs a runner from reaching a base (i.e. blocking the base or base line) and they
are not making an active play on the ball, the runner will be considered safe at the intended base if
they would have reasonably made it, in the referee’s judgment, if not for the obstruction.
Runners are allowed to over-run first base, but must not show intention to round first and head to
second base. If the runner shows intention to head to second and is hit by the kickball below the
neck then the runner is out. No other bases can be over-run (except for home).
If a ball is caught in the air by a fielder, runners must return to their base and "tag-up" before
advancing to the next base.
Runners can advance on a caught ball as long as the runner has tagged their original base after
the ball was originally touched by a fielder. One fielder can tip and then later catch or tip to another
player, but the runner can tag up when less than 2 outs once the first contact happens between
fielder and ball.
Runners are allowed to slide into a base. If the runner slides or ducks to elude the ball and is hit
while off the base (including the neck or head), they are out.
After a ball is kicked inside the field of play, the ball is considered "live" and runners can advance
until the ball is controlled by the defense within a 5 foot radius of the pitcher's mound or the ball is
ruled "out of play" by the referee.
Runs are scored when runners cross and touch home plate. Runners must cross and touch each
base on the way to home plate. If the runner crosses and touches home plate during the 3rd out in
the field and the 3rd out was a force out, then the run does not count
If a base is displaced for any reason, the original placement of the base shall be used during the
play as the base. Once the play is over, the base shall be replaced.
If a baserunner misses a base while rounding the bases they are out.
If a baserunner knocks the ball away from the defense on purpose, the runner will be out and no
one is allowed to advance further on the bases. This will also result in a warning to that player.
Pinch runners are allowed only when a player on base is injured. When a player requests a pinch
runner, the opponent team selects a player on the requesting team to sub as the pinch runner. The
pinch runner must be a male replacing a male or female replacing a female. The requesting player
is still part of the game and MUST continue if they can’t that player must be removed from the game.