Adult kickball Rules

RULES UPDATE FOR FALL 2024

ALL CAPTAINS MUST SIGN A WAIVER FOR ANY SUBS THEY BRING IN. THIS WAIVER WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GR REC SPORTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE THEIR SUBSTITUTE MAY HAVE/CAUSE.
THERE IS NO INFIELD FLY RULE FOR ANY GAME.
INTERFERENCE MAY BE CALLED on a BASE RUNNER if they INTERFERE WITH A DEFENDER TRYING TO MAKE A PLAY, THE RUNNER WOULD BE CALLED AS 'OUT'.
INTERFERENCE MAY BE CALLED on A DEFENDER if they INTERFERE WITH THE BASE RUNNER RUNNING TO FIRST BASE, THE RUNNER WOULD BE CALLED AS 'SAFE'. (THE FIRST BASE PATH IS THE ONLY PATH RESERVED FOR THE RUNNER, THEY HAVE THE FULL RIGHTS TO RUN THE LINE AND PAST THE OUTSIDE (ORANGE) BASE.)
A RUNNER MAY BE CALLED AS 'OUT' IF THEY INTENTIONALLY RUN MORE THAN 3 FEET OUTSIDE THE BASE PATH WHILE TRYING TO AVOID A TAG/DEFENDER.
"Pitchers hand rule" is always in effect; any time the pitcher has the ball inside FAIR TERRITORY & IN THE SAND the play stops and base-runners cannot advance. however, if both of the runners feet are completely past the base then the runner may continue to advance.
ALL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS MUST STAY AT THE POSITIONS THEY STARTED AT THROUGHOUT THE FULL INNING.
the catcher must NOT IMPEDE THE KICKER and STAY BEHIND THE back chalk-line of homeplate until the ball is kicked.
No leading off. (RUNNERS MAY BE CALLED 'OUT' IF UMPIRE DECIDES IT IS FLAGRANT)
RULES ONLY APPLIED TO THE TOP BRACKET IN THE PLAYOFFS
KICKERS THAT KICK/RETURN THE BALL TO THE PITCHER WILL BE CALLED FOR A FOUL BALL; LET THE CATCHER RETURN THE BALL TO THE PITCHER.
52 MINUTE TIME LIMIT + 1 FULL INNING.

frequently asked rules

When playing Coed Kickball - just think baseball/softball rules with a few differences...

Outs can also be made by the defender throwing the ball at a runner (like dodge ball).
4 foul balls = an out.
“Pitcher Hand” is always in effect; any time the pitcher has the ball - play stops! (the pitcher must have the ball inside the four bases.)
No leading off. (RUNNERS MAY BE CALLED 'OUT' IF UMPIRE DECIDES IT IS FLAGRANT)
for saftey, Homeplate is the entire square (batters box) not just the plate itself.
Each team gets one bunt per inning.

(A bunt is an ‘intentionally short kick’, this is the umpires decision.)

10 players maximum on defense; 3 females required.
Teams are penalized 5-runs for every missing female under the limit.
Games are played in 55-minute time limits - not a set number of innings.
The Regular season is 5 weeks long, followed by 2 weeks of playoffs.
playoffs are a single elimination, seeded bracket.
All teams make the playoffs and are sorted by ranking.
regular season & Playoff Games cannot end in a tie.
tie-breaker rule: "Longest kick showdown" (see below)
If your full team is expected to miss a game, please let someone know ahead of time. This way we can let the other team know.

FULL RULES

GENERAL RULES:

All teams play 1 game per week.
7 games total per season. (5 games are regular season, 2 games are playoffs).
All games must start on time! (IF A TEAM IS 10+ MINUTES LATE the opposing team gets the option for a 10-0 disqualification score)
games are played in 55-minute time limits - not a set number of innings. umpires will call out the official start time before every game and set an alarm for 55-minutes. when the alarm sounds, the full inning is finished and game ends. if the 3rd-out in the bottom of the inning occurs before the alarm goes off, another full inning takes place, even if it is by one second.
Each team gets an equal number of at-bats.
10 players maximum on defense at a time; 3 females are required. (any less may result in a penalty; see penalties)
substitutions - a player cannot sub for a team if they also play in the same league (however the opposing team may allow it if they are okay with this).

penalties & coed gender rules:

3 females SHOULD be ON the field AT ALL TIMES and bat for each team TO AVOID PENALTIES.
If A TEAM DOES NOT HAVE 3+ FEMALES ON THE FIELD by 10-minutes of the start - PENALTIES OCCUR.
1. THE PENALIZED TEAM starts DOWN five runs FOR EVERY MISSING FEMALE.
2. the PENALIZED TEAM must play with one fewer defender for every missing female (they cannot play a male in place of the female on defense).

example: If a team only has two females, the score starts 0-5, and they must play with 9 players on defense (including the two females).

If a player is over 10-minutes late or joins when the batting order has already completed one full rotation; that player must be added to the very end of the lineup.

GAME PLAY:

3 outs per half-inning. Players are considered ‘out’ if:
- Strike out; 3 strikes, or 4 foul balls.
- Fly ball caught by defense.
- A throw out at a lead base. (force out)
- A runner tagged by the ball.
- A runner is hit by a thrown ball. (Try to avoid head-shots, if the umpire deems a head-shot to be 'flagrant' then the runner is safe (EXCLUDING TOP BRACKET PLAYOFF GAMES)).
- A batter that 'double taps' the ball in fair territory. (if the ball touches the batter again after the ball is kicked, in fair territory, the batter is out)
"Pitchers hand rule" is always in effect; any time the pitcher has the ball inside FAIR TERRITORY IN THE SAND the play stops and base-runners cannot advance. however, if both of the runners feet are completely past the base then the runner may continue to advance.
The pitcher must pitch the ball at a reasonable speed and style that gives the batter a fair chance. ie: no overly fast balls and no overly bouncing balls. The umpire may call 'balls & strikes' if he/she feels it necessary.
homeplate is more than just the actually plate, it is the entire chalk-box. (for safety)
the infield is not allowed to cross the halfway hash-mark until the ball is kicked.
The OUtfield is not allowed to cross into the infield until the ball is kicked.
the catcher must NOT IMPEDE THE KICKER and STAY BEHIND THE back chalk-line of homeplate until the ball is kicked. (the catcher should not crowd the batter, give them enough room to kick).
The kicker is NOT allowed to kick the ball IN FRONT OF home plate - if he/she does so, it is considered a foul ball with the option for the defense to decline the foul ball and take the resulting play.
BATTING LINEUPS MUST STAY IN ITS ORIGINAL ORDER THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE GAME.
NO leading-off BASES.
NO stealing BASES until the ball is kicked.
slide at your own risk, sliding can be unsafe and cause injury! if players choose to slide they are not automatically out.
there is no "infield fly rule".
If a team has THE FULL 10 players on defense, they must play a catcher.
If a team has THE 10 players on defense, they must play four outfielders.
any foul ball that is touched by a defender before it hits the ground is considered fair and a 'live ball'.
"tagging up" - a base runner must touch their base they started on any time a defender catches a fly ball. (sometimes it is best to wait at the base until the ball is caught).
- Tagging up *special cases* - the ball is considered 'caught' as soon as the 'catching defender' makes the first touch on the ball. ie: if the defender bobbles the ball & makes the catch, the base runner may tag up as soon as the ball is touched or the first 'bobble' takes place; the runner does not have to wait for the defender to make the full catch and have full possession. (this eliminates any purposeful bobble and makes a 'clean catch' the best play). (MAX ONE PLAYER 'PASS')
  - however, if a defender bobbles the ball or hits it up to a different defender that catches the ball, the base runner must 'tag up' when the second player first touches it. (it simply comes down to the first touch of the defender that makes the catch).
new tie-breaker rule: "Longest kick showdown"
if the game is tied after the time limit is reached, each team designates their own "pitcher/batter duo".
each "duo's" pitcher gets to pitch only one ball to their teammate/batter, the batter must kick that pitch.
the 'duo' who's ball is kicked furthest wins.
any 'foul ball' or a pitch that goes unkicked is considered a zero distance kick. (keep the ball in play)
the team that batted to start the game bats first in the tie breaker.

BUNT RULES:

each team gets one 'bunt' per inning.
a kick is considered a 'bunt' if the umpire determines it to be an 'intentionally short kick' .
the 'bunt rule' we treat like the 'strike zone' in baseball - everyone should understand that it is a gray area, and every umpire is different. the umpires decision is always final.
the umpire will call out a bunt so both teams know it has been used.
any additional bunt is considered a foul ball. (4 fouls = 1 out)

PLAYOFFS:

all teams make the playoffs.
teams are seeded according to standings and play in their similar skill bracket.
Playoffs are single-elimination, bracket style match-ups.
substitute players can play in the playoffs as long as they do not play in the league for another team. (opposing teams can always allow a substitute if they choose to.)

Playoff Rules (top bracket only)

The top bracket (top 4 teams) of the playoffs are umpired and enforced more heavily by the umps. new rules are also in effect; below are all new rules.
semi-final games may have anywhere between 1-3 umpires on the field to help see all angles and get the correct calls.
Championship games will always have 3 umpires on the field. (every close may be put to a vote by the 3 umpires; the call is made by majority decision)
Any 'headshots' are only ruled as 'outs' if the umpire(s) deem them as intentionally malicious or flagrant. (UMPIRES DECISION)
batters running through 1st base: when the batter runs past first base the direction they choose to turn (left or right) makes all the difference. the decision is made once BOTH THE RUNNERS FEET ARE PAST THE FIRST BASE LINE IN FAIR TERRITORY.
- if the baserunner touches 1st base, turns left AND BOTH FEET ARE BEYOND THE 1ST BASE CHALK LINE, thAT runner is declaring themself as 'active' and can be tagged out if not on a base.
- if the baserunner touches 1st base and STAYS TO THE right OF THE 1ST BASE LINE (AS LONG AS ONE FOOT REMAINS ON THE LINE), the baserunner is declaring themself safe at 1st without the intent to advance. (UNTIL THEY ARE COMPLETELY PAST THAT CHALK LINE)
Ties (for A semi-final or championship playoff game):
- instead of longest kick tie-breaker, there will be extra innings.
- Each team starts with 1 out, plus their last batter that was 'out' on second base.
- Game play continues like this until one team takes the lead after a full inning.
- in the case of a time crunch (umpire decision, championship games excluded) the game will be determined by the new "longest Kick Tie Breaker".
At the end of the championship game the referees will designate one “Finals MVP” from the winning team to receive and extra ‘badge’ of honor that will be added to either player profile.

MISCELLANEOUS RULES:

Subs/replacements are allowed during the regular season.
Any dishonest behavior will not be tolerated and could lead to expulsion from league play or forfeiture by your team.
iF A TEAM DECIDES TO QUIT BEFORE THE ENTIRE 55-MINUTES IS UP, A SCORE PENALTY OCCURS BASED ON THE CURRENT SCORE.
If any rule(s) needs updating, insertion, or clarification throughout the season please contact the GR Rec Sports staff and they will make a judgement call and inform the league of these updates.
if a player is injured, or for some reason cannot run the bases, a "pinch runner" may be used. "pinch runners" are always the last player 'out' on the batting team.

FORFEITS:

Teams will forfeit their game if not in attendance after 10 minutes of their games start time. ultimately, the opposing team gets to decide if they want the automatic win (10-0), or if they want to play it out.

STANDINGS:

The updated standings will be posted weekly by the staff, the night of gameday.
Tie breakers in standings. (in this order)
- win/loss %.
- head-to-head results.
- point differential.
- total number of runs scored.
- Least number of forfeits.
- If there still is a tie, Rock, Paper, Scissors will be played by team captains.
if multiple teams are tied in w/l% and multiple teams have conflicting head-to-head results then tie breaker will move down to 'pd'.

WAIVERS:

In order to participate in the league, each participant must agree to the online waiver.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

The idea of GR Rec Sports is to have fun. We hope that all participants keep that in mind when becoming involved. Although the games may become intense, you still can be competitive while maintaining good sportsmanship. With this said, any behavior deemed unacceptable by staff may result in suspension and/or ejection from a game or the league without refund.
Sportsmanship goes beyond how you act on the field. any disruptions at our sponsored bars will also not be tolerated and can be subject to suspension and/or ejection from a game or the league without refund.
Any teams that consistently miss games and/or 'no-call no-show' games are subject to ejection from the league without refund. We value our league and its players time; we consider this unacceptable.

LEAGUE CANCELLATION/RAINOUT:

Gr rec sports runs seven-week seasons, with a one-week buffer between seasons. the one-week buffer is there for any rescheduling that needs to happen.
Leagues may be cancelled due to existing weather conditions, dangerous or unplayable field conditions, facility constraints, etc. GR Rec Sports staff will make all effort to play all scheduled games, we wont cancel games until absolutely necessary.
If a regular season game (weeks 1-5) is cancelled, we will move that week to the end of the season and utilize week-8 (the buffer week). however if a playoff week is cancelled, week-8 will be used to make up those games instead and the previously rescheduled regular season week, resulting in a shortened schedule. we will always do our best to give the players all 7 games, but in extreme circumstances, when there is 2+ weeks of cancellations we may not be able to fit all games into our season window.

PRIZES:

league Champs will receive:
1. their team name on our trophy.
2. one championship banner to hang in your rafters.
3. 50%-off their next league (possibly some cool swag depending on season).
4. A “Champion” badge on your profile.
5. a "champion" badge on the next seasons jersey.
6. pride - & who doesn’t like that feeling.
special awards and prizes that other league members/teams can receive:
1. Badges – we award badges for: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, Most Social Team & Player, and championship MVP just to name a few. (These badges can be seen under each players profile.)
2. free dr. grins comedy club tickets for the entire team. (given to most social player and most social team).
3. Free bottle service at 'Eve nightclub' for the entire team. (given to the team to win the 'bar star' badge. to win this badge and event, go to our sponsored bars before and after games, our sponsored bars choose the team they think would like bottle service best!
All league members will receive:
1. a dry-fit custom designed coed kickball jersey.
2. memories that will last a lifetime.

Lastly

IF your full TEAM is expected to miss THEIR GAME, PLEASE LET A STAFF MEMBER, umpire, or photographer KNOW, OR CONTACT THE LEAGUE before the game starts:

EMAIL: contact@grrecsports.com

call or text (616) 485-9046.

nobody likes wasting their time and gas money; this simple gesture will go a long way!

IF ALL PLAYERS ON THE ABSENT TEAM FAIL TO INFORM THE LEAGUE; A “NO-CALL NO-SHOW” BADGE may BE GIVEN TO ALL PLAYERS ON THAT TEAM.