Effective Date: August 18, 2025
Fun social (Slow pitch) Kickball Rules
Sportsmanship
There’s winning the game, and then there’s being fun to play with. Do both, and you’ve truly won at life. Play with a commitment to lifting others up, be a good sport, have integrity, and embrace the opportunity to grow and learn together.
All players, coaches, and spectators are expected to demonstrate respect toward opponents, officials, and teammates.
Unsportsmanlike behavior including taunting, excessive arguing, profanity, or intimidation will not be tolerated.
Referee authority: Referees have full authority to issue warnings, call outs, eject individuals, or disqualify a team for conduct deemed unsportsmanlike.
Spectator Conduct: Fans must maintain respect for players, coaches, and officials at all times. Any spectator who demonstrates disrespect or makes anyone affiliated with ALL-IN Sports Club feel unsafe, regardless of whether it is a first or prior incident, may be warned, asked to leave, or removed from the premises. Teams may be penalized or disqualified as a result. Teams are responsible for the behavior of both their players and fans.
The goal is friendly competition: play hard, play fair, and have fun.
Playing Field & Equipment
Games are played on a standard baseball-style diamond with clearly marked bases.
A regulation kickball (10-inch) must be used.
Cleats are recommended, but not required.
Metal cleats are not allowed!
A kicking box should be outlined with chalk at home plate.
Teams & Staff
Team Size: Each team must have a minimum of 12 rostered players. Every player must kick, but not all are required to field.
Rostered Players: A rostered player is defined as a participant who is registered and has taken part in a majority of the regular season team games. Only rostered players are eligible for playoffs. New players or substitutes may not be introduced at that stage.
Ghost Player: A ghost player represents a missing player in the lineup position. Each ghost player counts as an automatic out when their turn occurs.
Team Kicking Order: Captains set the lineup before the game, and it cannot be changed once play begins. Kicking out of order is an out, and repeated violations may result in disqualification. Lineup must include a minimum of 3 females. If a team cannot meet this requirement, the missing female position(s) are considered ghost players, and the team must take an automatic out each time a ghost player’s turn comes up to kick.
Fielding: Maximum of 10 players on defense at once. Teams must field a minimum of three females when available. If a team is short females in their kicking lineup, they must also play short on defense by the same number. (Example: short 1 female = field with 9; short 2 females = field with 8; short 3 females = field with 7.)
Minimum Players: A minimum of 6 rostered players must be present to have an official game. If this standard cannot be met, the team may result in a disqualification (unless the opposing team captain agrees to keep it official). Teams may still play after disqualification, but the game will only be considered a scrimmage.
Substitute Limit: Each team may use up to 4 substitutes during an official game.
Substitute Placement: Substitutes are restricted to outfield positions only and may not be rotated into the infield.
Base Coaches: Two teammates (one at first base, one at third base) may guide runners verbally but may not touch them. Interference by a coach results in the runner being called out.
Game Format
Games last seven innings or 45 minutes, whichever comes first.
Mercy Rule:
If a team scores 9 runs in a single inning, their turn ends immediately.
For the remainder of the game, that team may score no more than 5 runs per inning.
Each team is permitted one nine-run inning per game.
Pitching & Strike Zone
Slow straight pitch only, no bouncing, no spinning, or curving.
Ball must be released with the palm facing up.
Ball must cross the strike zone
The pitcher must pitch from the designated mound and may not leave the mound until contact is made with the ball by the kicker.
The strike zone will be clearly marked with chalk.
Strikes
A legal pitch enters the strike zone and is not kicked.
The ball is kicked into foul territory.
A ball lands or rolls foul before entering fair territory.
A double kick: A ball that makes contact with the kicker more than once.
A kicker swings and misses at any pitch.
Any contact with the ball by the kickers foot that does not result in a fair ball is a strike
Kicking
Kicks must be taken from on or behind home plate, within the kicking box.
Bunting is allowed unless otherwise stated before the game.
Ball must be kicked to the bunt line (if any part of the ball touches the bunt line, it is a fair ball).
Balls & Walks
Four balls advance the kicker to first base.
Balls include:
Any pitch outside the strike zone
Illegal pitching is an out (reference PITCHING rules above)
Outs
Three strikes are recorded (reference STRIKE ruled above)
A kicked ball is caught before making contact with the ground.
They are touched (pegged) by a live ball below the shoulders while not on base.
Headshots leave the runner safe and it is a LIVE BALL.
Intentional headshots may result in ejection (umpire’s discretion).
If the runner intentionally leans into the ball with their head, its an interference, and the runner is out.
A force out occurs when the fielder tags the base before a forced runner arrives.
Runner leaves a base before the ball is kicked (dead ball/strike on first offense/repeat = out).
Advancing passed another runner is considered an out.
On a caught ball or “first touched”(reference RUNNING & SCORING line 6), runners must tag their base before advancing. If a runner leaves early, they may return to tag up. The runner is out if the defense tags the runner or the base with the ball before the runner retouches.
A runner is out if they miss a base.
Running & Scoring
Runners must remain within the baselines or the natural running arc around bases.
Runners are safe running straight through first base or turning into foul territory. Once a runner steps into fair territory and shows any intent toward second base, they are live and may be tagged out.
Fielders may not obstruct the path unless actively making a play on the ball.
No leading off or stealing.
If a thrown ball goes out of play, the umpire will immediately call a dead ball. Runners may advance only to the next base they were already attempting at the time of the throw. No additional bases may be awarded.
Tagging Up: Runners may tag up and advance once the ball is first touched by a fielder, caught or not.
Definition of “first touched”: The moment a fielder makes initial contact with the ball—whether by attempt, tip, bump, or bobble. Runners do not need to wait for the ball to be secured or caught; once first contact occurs, they are eligible to advance.
A run counts when a player touches home plate before the third out—unless the third out is a force play or the kicker is retired before reaching first.
Players must avoid collisions.
Sliding
Sliding is not allowed in our noncompetitive division and will be called out.
Infield Fly
Referees may call “Infield Fly” if the ball is an infield pop fly that could reasonably be caught with ordinary effort, when there are runners on first and second base (or bases loaded) with one out or fewer.
If caught: The kicker is out and runners may advance at their own risk.
If intentionally dropped (umpire’s discretion): The play becomes a dead ball and all runners advance one base.
Ball in Play & Interference
Play ends immediately when the pitcher controls the ball on the mound.
Runners past halfway may advance one base (umpire’s discretion).
Others must return to the previous base.
If an outside object/person interferes in fair territory, interference is called and bases may be awarded.
Runner interference (hindering a fielder) results in an out.
The catcher must stay behind their designated line until the ball is kicked. Crossing the line early is interference and may result in a re-kick at the kicker’s team’s discretion.
All defenders (infield and outfield) may move freely but must not cross their encroachment line until contact is made with the ball. Crossing early is interference and may result in a re-kick at the kicker’s team’s discretion.
Collisions & Runner Safety
Both runners and fielders must make every effort to avoid collisions.
Deliberate or reckless contact by a runner = out and possible ejection.
Base Occupancy Rule:
A defender may only occupy a base if a force play is being made at that base.
Example: If a runner advances to third with no force play, the defender cannot block the base.
A defender may step into the baseline only if they possess the ball or are catching it immediately before the runner arrives.
Extra Innings
If tied after regulation (7 innings or 45 minutes), one extra inning is played, if time allows.
Each half-inning begins with a runner on second base(last person out).
If still tied, the game is recorded as a tie (unless during playoffs).