I. Field/Equipment/Misc.
- All games shall be played on softball sized diamonds. Fields with or without home run fences are acceptable, although no fence is preferable. All games shall be played with an 8.5 inch ball.
- Metal spikes are not allowed
- Teams must furnish umpires as assigned on the schedule. The umpires word is final and not to be disputed unless a blatant contradiction to the official rules. MUSA field monitors may eject players for unsportsmanlike behavior. Any occurrences which are not covered in the rules shall be settled by the field monitor and noted for later rules updates.
- Players will remember we are all out here for fun.
- Consistent failure to provide umps will jeopardize future league participation. First offense will be a warning and the next one the team will forfeit their game.
- Milwaukee Public Schools field’s policy is NO ALCOHOL at their fields. Players or teams failing to comply will surrender that game and potentially future league participation.
II. Participation and Divisions
- Rosters may hold an unlimited number of people.
- A maximum of 11 players can be on the field for Remedial division teams, with a minimum of 7 players. A catcher is not necessary for teams with less than 9 players. Gold and Standard divisions will play with 10 on the field (6 males & 4 females) and a catcher is not necessary for teams with 8 or fewer. All teams must have a minimum of 7 to play.
- Teams must have a minimum of 4 players of each sex. If a team does not have four females/males for a particular game, a “ghost” player shall be written into the batting order and represents an automatic out for each female/male under the minimum. A team having 11/10 players, depending on division, that is missing a required male/female player must play short on the field by the number of missing players male or female. You must have at least two players of each gender or forfeit completely (unless opposing team captain allows for subs).
- Teams with fewer than 7 players shall have a 10 minute grace period before a forfeit is declared. Subs may be used at any time so long as the opposing team is not opposed!!
- For the Spring and Fall leagues, whenever possible, divisions will be divided up into 3 types (Gold, Standard and Remedial.) Please see musakickball.com for an explanation of each.
- Gold division players can only participate on one team per division.
III. Regulation games
- A regulation game shall consist of 9 innings or a time limit of 55 minutes. If a game starts late, it shall be played until 5 minutes before the next games starting time.
- The “away” team shall kick first. The “home” team gets last at kicks if the time limit is near. Home and away team is determined by rock, paper, scissors, the best two out of three for every game.
- The field monitor may call a game due to time if an inning may not reasonably be completed before the 55 minute time limit. .
- A game is considered official once 5 full innings have been completed.
- Regular season games may end in ties. If time permits, field monitors may grant additional innings if captains agree to play them (ties are points in the standings too, ya know) During the playoffs, the winner shall be determined by whoever wins the next full inning (Both teams get at-bats). In playoff situations, each team shall play short one additional fielder for each inning beyond 9 in boy, girl, boy, girl order. For example, a team in the 12th inning must take two male players and one female off the field. These players still kick in their respective slot.
- Called games shall be played at a future date agreeable to both team captains at a site to be agreed upon. Any games not replayed shall be counted as a tie in the standings unless the league makes other arrangements for a make up game.
- Each team may have base coaches at first and third bases.
IV. Pitching/Fielding
- A legal pitch must be underhand and the top of the ball is no higher than knee level of the kicker (sidearm or overhand pitching is not allowed). Anything higher over the plate is a ball. Whether a pitch is a ball or strike based on bounciness should be based on the height of the last bounce before it crosses home plate. A pitch must bounce at least three times before crossing the front plane of home to be a strike.
- Pitches will be thrown in a civil manner at a reasonable rate and not excessively bouncy. A guideline is pitching as though you are rolling it casually to a teammate. Fast pitch and curveballs are not allowed. Any pitch deemed by the ump or field monitor to be out the context of a casual pitch (fast or with curve) will result in a warning to the pitcher and a called ball. The next infraction will result in replacing the pitcher. Umps in doubt of as to what is an allowable pitch should consult the MUSA field monitor on duty for assistance.
- The pitcher must pitch from the back rubber (running up to the rubber is not allowed). Once the ball is pitched the pitcher may advance no further than the first rubber or 6 feet from the rubber, depending on the field. Lateral movement is tolerated staying even with the midpoint cones on the basepaths.
- The catcher must give the kicker ample room to kick which means at least 5 feet to either side of homeplate. The catcher may not break the plane of the front of home plate until the ball is kicked and may not interfere with the kicker. They also cannot run up with the kicker as they are kicking (must stay in place and out of the kickers path to the ball). An infraction will result in a called ball. If the ball is kicked, the result does not count.
- Float versus no float rule: For female kickers, fielders may not encroach past the 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd basepaths until the ball is kicked (no float). For male kickers, fielders may encroach up to the boundary of the Forbidden Zone, defined as the midpoint from home to 1st and 3rd baselines (to be marked with cones) and said midpoints to the pitchers mound. The pitcher may still advance to the first pitching rubber or six feet as previously discussed. Encroachment in the Forbidden Zone (or past the baseline restriction for female kickers) results in a no play with called ball.
- A strike consists of a ball that is rolled over any part of home plate and below knee level. Any ball that is kicked into foul territory shall also be considered a strike. Two strikes of any kind will result in an out.
- A “ball” shall be called on anything that does not pass home plate. Three called “balls” shall result in the ball being placed on a tee within two feet from either side of home plate. If the player kicks the ball foul off the tee, they are automatically out. Infield players cannot advance until the ball is kicked. Pitchers who repeatedly pitch for the tee may be replaced at the discretion of the field monitor.
- The batting team has three outs per inning. An out results due to the following:
- -two strikes
- -a ball caught on the fly
- -base runner is forced out
- -base runner is hit with ball while not on base (if runner hit with ball after run scores in third out situations, run scores. Runners do not score if last out is via force out)
- -see ghost batter rule above
- As even the most innocent looking pop ups are potential hits in kickball, there is no infield fly rule. Due to some abuses of this in the past, there will be a “No Cheese” rule for situations where a fielder is judged to have intentionally allowed the ball to drop to turn a double play. For example, team A has a runner on first. The kicker from team A kicks the ball in the air to the first baseperson on team B. The runner on team A stays on first, while the batter runs to first. The first baseperson intentionally (and these are generally obvious) muffs the pop fly, tags the waiting runner and tags the base. As this is contrary to fair sportsmanship MUSA promotes, the tactic will be deemed Cheesy and runner and batter are both safe.
- A foul ball that is caught counts as an out, but is a dead play, meaning runners may not advance. If a ball is touched in fair territory, it is fair, regardless of other factors i.e. foot placement of the fielder. A foul ball is defined as a ball that settles or is touched on or over foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base.
- One base on an overthrow. An overthrow constitutes a ball that is thrown or kicked out of play from within the infield to the intended base or target (past the benchline or fence, based on field [field monitor will define boundaries]). If a player is past ½ way to the next base, they are awarded the base they are on the way to plus one on the overthrow. A ball thrown past the base that remains in the set boundaries remains a live ball and runners may advance at their own risk.
- Any ball thrown or kicked from the outfield is a live unless the ball reaches the bench area or a non-player touches the ball. At which point the ball is considered a dead ball and play would be treated like the overthrow rule.
- Any ball thrown/kicked and hitting a runner is considered a live ball even if the ball goes out beyond the set boundaries.
- Teams may only rotate in a new catcher once per inning. Once the catcher switches with the initial catcher, he/she must remain there for the remainder of the inning and cannot switch back.
- There is no “Timeout” in kickball… However, if all runners’ gait has been stopped (no shuffling) while any defender has possession of the ball inside the baselines then it is deemed a “Deadball” situation. Runners will be asked to go back to the base they were previously at if the deadball happened before they continued to the next base. If fielders make a play on runners however, play continues.
- In the Gold and Standard divisions, teams may add an 11th player once the other team is up by 10 runs or more. This can occur mid-inning. If the losing team comes back and are being beaten by less than 10, then the additional player can not be used again until deficit is 10 runs or more.
V. Kicking/Base Running
- The kicker must kick the ball behind the plane of home plate. Meaning, the kickers planted foot must be behind the front edge of home plate or the plane of home plate. Kicking the ball before the plate is a strike. The result of a kick over the plate is a dead ball (no out on the fly, etc)
- Bunting is allowed. Bunting may not be executed by a team that is up by 10 or more runs. The result of an illegal bunt will be an out.
- Runners must stay in the base path. Fielders impeding the runners’ path to the base shall result in the runner being awarded the base.
- Leading off and stealing are not allowed. Leading off/leaving early will result in a do-over.
- Sliding is legal. Please do so with caution (keeping fielders and yourself in mind)
- Runners may advance upon first touch of a fly ball by the defense regardless of outcome as a catch or not. If a runner leaves before that first touch and the ball is caught, the baserunner will be called out if the fielder returns the ball back to the base the runner left from or tags said runner with the ball before the runner can return to the base.
- Balls throw at the baserunner must be below the shoulders. Any head shot incurred while the runner is in an upright running position results in advancement to the base they were running to. Any intentional hitting of the ball with the head by a runner will result in an out. A head shot results in a deadball, meaning runners may no longer advance unless more than half way to the next base which they are then awarded.
- If a ball hits the kicker or base runner in fair territory after being struck, said person shall be called out. Intentionally kicking the ball out of play by the kicker then results in a dead ball.
- Pinch runners are allowed for injured players only. In Remedial divisions, injured kickers may have a “pinch runner” standing with them at the plate. Once the ball is kicked the “pinch runner” may advance. In Gold and Standard divisions, injured players must at least reach 1st base before a “pinch runner” is awarded. The runner will be the last out of the same sex.
- Runs crossing the home plate before a third out made on a force out do not count. Runs that cross before a tag out on a player do count, however.
VI Standings
- A win shall count as two points, a tie as one and losses as zero. Seeding for the tournament is based on highest point total. Tie breakers are as follows: head to head, runs against (defense wins championships, ya know!!), runs scored, coin toss.
