| Kickball Rules |
NYC Social Sports Club Rules
Number of PlayersA team consists of 14-18 players. 6 players (2 women) must be present to start and/or continue a Game. Ten players may play in the field at a time (including the catcher), at least 3 of which must be women. If a team plays with two women, that team may only field 9 players. SubstitutionsIf a team is short the required number of players in a regular season Game, the team may invite players from other teams in their Division to Substitute in for their Game. Substitutions from outside the Division are allowed; for more info and to register as a Substitute, CLICK HERE. Substitutions during the Playoffs are not permitted. Substitute players must check in with the Game Coordinator onsite to receive a league issued pinnie to wear in the Game. Substitute players must leave a form of identification with the Game Coordinator in exchange for the participation pinnie. The ID will be returned to the player when the pinnie is turned in after the Game. Game Length and StructureGames are seven Innings in length or 45 minutes in duration, whichever occurs first. Game time is kept by the Referee. GENERAL KICKBALL RULESOutsOuts occur in situations similar to Softball and Baseball (force outs, pop outs, etc.). Additionally, any Base Runner struck below the shoulders by the Kickball, whether that ball was kicked, thrown, or deflected, shall be ruled out. Four foul balls result in an out. Also, a ball that goes over a foul-line fence or gets stuck on a foul-line roof is considered an out. A Runner who is hit above the shoulders by the Kickball is allowed to advance to the base they were heading toward. If a Runner is hit above the shoulders by a Kickball thrown by a Fielder, the Runner is additionally awarded an extra base. If the Runner is hit on the shoulders, the Ref has full discretion whether to call it above or below. Our priority is the safety of all players. KickersThe ball is put into play when the Pitcher rolls the ball toward home plate and the Batter attempts to kick the ball. The Batter must wait for the ball to be within one foot of home plate before kicking the ball. If the Batter does not like the pitch, he/she should not attempt to kick the ball, and another pitch will be thrown. There are no strikeouts or walks. Leading Off/StealingLeading off or stealing bases between pitches is not allowed. A Runner who leaves the base before the ball is kicked is out and the ball is ruled dead. Once the Pitcher has the ball in hand near the Pitcher's mound, the play is over and Base Runners may not advance. If the Pitcher leaves the vicinity of the mound in an attempt to make a defensive play, the ball is considered live. Charging a BaseIn order to prevent injury, any Base Runners that deliberately crash into a defensive player holding the ball and waiting to apply a tag will be called out. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender shall also be ejected. Defensive players should also realize the risk of blocking the base and avoid doing so as this is a Social league. Overthrown BallsAn overthrown ball is an intended pass to a Baseman that misses and goes beyond the Baseman into foul territory. When this happens, Runners are eligible to advance one (and only one) base. So if a Runner is on base, they may advance to the next base, but not the one after that. If a Runner is between bases, they may continue to the next base, but not the following one. If a ball is overthrown, and a Fielder recovers the ball and then attempts to make an out (rather than simply passing to the Pitcher to end the play), the play is reactivated and Runners may continue advancing. Batting LineupAll players present will bat, even if they are not playing a field position. No player may bat more than once in a designated batting order and no more than 3 male players may bat in a row (ex: 1 male, 2 male, 3 male, 4 female, 5 male…). If a team does not have enough women for a 3:1 lineup, that team will take an automatic out in place of the absent women (ex: 1 female, 2 male, 3 male, 4 male, 5 out, 6 male). FootwearClose-toed shoes must be worn by all players. NO metal, hard plastic, polyurethane spikes, detachable cleats, or flip-flops are allowed. Batting OrderThe Captain must determine the batting order prior to the start of the Game and turn it in to the Referee. You cannot switch your batting order once you have turned it in, but you may add on late arriving players to the end of the batting order. Infield Fly RuleThere is no infield fly rule. BuntingBunting is not permitted, and is called at the Ref's discretion. Bunting is the act of the kicker tapping the ball once with the initial striking leg between any part of the foot and knee without a complete kicking motion and follow through. If the Ref discerns that the intent of the kicker was to intentionally kick the ball short in order to prevent the defense from making a play, a bunt will be called and counted as a foul ball. Pinch-Running & -BattingIf an accident to a Batter/Base Runner prevents him/her from proceeding in the Game, a Substitute Batter or Runner will be permitted. If no Substitutes are available, the player who made the last out for the offensive team will bat/run. Mercy RuleIf a team is behind by more than 20 runs after the 4th Inning of play, then the Game will be called off by the officials and the team ahead will be granted the win. Play can continue, but the score will not change. Scoring LimitThere is a seven-run limit to each Inning. First Base Overrun RuleA player may safely overrun 1st base after kicking, but must proceed straight towards right field. If the Runner turns towards 2nd base, the Runner can be tagged out. Foul BallsA ball is considered foul once it lands or contacts an inanimate object (eg. wall, light, tree) outside of the 1st and 3rd base lines. Catching a ball in these designated foul areas results in an out, but players may not tag up and advance. The ball is fair if it lands on the ground anywhere within the 1st and 3rd base lines. PitchingWhen pitching, the ball must not be spun or bounced. The Pitcher must make an effort to roll the ball smoothly towards the center of home plate. Tagging UpIf a kicked ball is caught by a defensive Fielder before hitting the ground, offensive Runners must "tag-up", or retouch, their time-of-pitch base before advancing to the next base. If the Fielders bring the ball to the time-of-pitch base before the Runner tags-up, the Runner is out. Runners may not advance more than one base on a tag up and there are no tag ups on foul balls. Other RulesWith the exceptions listed on this rule sheet, ASA Softball rules will apply. EquipmentKickballs & bases will be provided on site. Defensive RotationThere must be a fair rotation of all players through fielding positions. This means both men and women get time both on the bench and on the field. Referees may require Substitutions to ensure this. Forfeitsteams should report to the fields at least 15 minutes before their scheduled starting time of the Game. A Game will be ruled a Forfeit if any of the following occur:
Teams will receive a forfeit loss of 12-0 in the official standings, if they have not shown up by the scheduled game time. teams will Forfeit if they have not shown up by the scheduled Game time. Exceptions can be made if a team is waiting on a couple of players (e.g. transit issues) with the understanding that the delay will cut time from the end of their Game, and that the final decision is Subject to the Referee’s discretion. Sportsmanship points will be deducted from teams that Forfeit a Game due to a 'no-show' or a 'low-show.' teams can minimize the deduction by Contacting Us ahead of time. teams will receive:
Inclement WeatherIn the event of heavy rain or snow that results in the conditions of a Game being unsafe or travel being unsafe, NYC Social Sports Club will update the Weather Line (347.878.9032) with any postponements 90 minutes before Game time. In the event the Games have been started and then have to be called off due to inclement weather while underway, the Games will be restarted from the beginning if less than half of the Game has been played and will be called or resumed from the stoppage of play if Gameplay crossed the half-Game mark. Any Games postponed for weather will be rescheduled and information on the rescheduled Game will be sent to all players and Gamestaff by email. Season AbandonmentRegistered teams that miss two weeks of play will be considered to have abandoned their place in the league. teams in this category will be contacted by an NYC Social Sports Club Staff Member to confirm their status. teams failing to respond within two business days will be removed from the season schedule and will Forfeit their registration fees. teams that do respond will be required to supply reasoning for lack of attendance and petition the league for reinstatement. Season abandonment and reactivation decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the league management and must be resolved before returning to play in the current season or in Subsequent seasons. Team T-ShirtsEach player on an official team roster will receive a league-issued shirt at the start of the season. The shirt must be worn and visible during each and every Game of the season. players who forget their league shirt will cause their team a 0.5 point deduction (each) from that week's Sportsmanship Rating. players who forget their league shirt or wear an illegally altered shirt (see below) to the Game will be made to wear a pinnie in order to participate in the Game. Players must leave a form of identification with the Game Coordinator to receive the participation pinnie. The ID will be returned to the player when the pinnie is turned in after the Game. League shirts are also used by Staff at the sponsor bar to determine whether a player is eligible to receive league discounts. While shirt customization is allowed, teams/players must abide by the following rules when personalizing shirts:
Names, nicknames, numbers, and team logos are all welcome additions to the team T-Shirts. Please also feel free to bedazzle, tie-dye, or apply patches to them, if you are so inclined. If a player's shirt no longer fits into the guidelines above, the player will be charged $10 and issued a replacement shirt. Alcohol, Controlled Substance, and Safety PolicyIndividuals (players, fans, or friends of players) will, at the discretion of NYC Social Sports Club, be ejected immediately if any of the following are true:
Anyone who is ejected from one of our venues or sponsor bars will be required to petition the Club for reinstatement before participating in or attending any Subsequent NYC Social Sports Club event. Team(s) associated with the offending player, friend, or fan will lose 2 Sportsmanship points from its Sportsmanship Rating. These policies are in place for the safety, enjoyment, and continued camaraderie of all players, the sponsoring venues, sponsor bars, and the entire Club. Sportsmanship ScoreA Sportsmanship score (SP) is given to every team after every Game, and is factored into overall league ranking. Teams (and their fans) begin with a ‘5.0’ and are deducted for policy infractions, poor attitudes, low attendance, or absence as described below. Any team receiving a score below 3.5 must email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to explain their actions and receive official approval prior to participating in future Club Games, leagues, or hosted events.
Note: Players must wear appropriate colored, league-issued Team T-Shirts during Games. Half a point (.5) will be deducted from a team’s Sportsmanship Rating for each missing shirt. Ejected ParticipantsAny ejected individual must get approval by NYC Social Sports Club prior to attending or participating in future Club Games, leagues, or hosted events, including Post-Game Parties. Attempted participation without approval is subject to further penalties. Rulings may include, but are not limited to, probation, Game/league suspension, or permanent expulsion. PlayoffsRegular season team standings are determined by 1) number of wins, 2) Sportsmanship, and 3) point differential. Teams not advancing to the Playoffs will be awarded a Consolation Game. Top teams will advance to the Playoffs – typically a Single Elimination Tournament – where they will compete for Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals and Prizes. Please note: Spirit and Bar Awards are given to deserving teams, regardless of ranking. To be eligible for Playoffs, teams must have an average Sportsmanship rating of at least ‘4.0’ and cannot have Forfeited more than one Game during the regular season. Sorry, no Substitute players are allowed in the Playoffs. Any team receiving less than ‘3.5’ Sportsmanship in a Playoff Game Forfeits its spot in the bracket, plus they must receive approval from NYC Social Sports Club prior to participating in future Club Games, leagues, or hosted events. MOST IMPORTANTLY!THIS IS A SOCIAL league: Have fun and make new friends. The Game may or may not go your way, but the beer is still cold and cheap afterwards! |
