Anyone interested in joining a new Roanoke Rapids Adult Kickball League?

The Roanoke Rapids Parks & Recreation Department will be starting an Adult Kickball League if there are enough interested participants!  This will be an open co-ed league, and players will be responsible for forming their own teams.  League will be played at Doyle Field, and will start in the next few weeks.  Please call 533-2847 or stop by the TJ Davis Recreation Center to put your name down as interested so we know whether to proceed with the league.

Adult Kickball Rules

1. REGULATION GAMES

1.01 Regulation games last five (5) innings. If the Home team already leads the game when the bottom of the final inning is reached, that team wins the game instantly and the game is over. A game shall be considered a regulation game after three (3) full innings of play. 

2. TEAMS/EQUIPMENT

2.01 This is a Co-Ed league, and all participants must be at least 16 years of age.  Teams must include at least four women. If a team does not have four women, they must play short and will get an automatic out when that position is reached in the batting order. If you play with fewer than ten players but have at least four females you do not have to take an automatic out.

2.02 Teams shall consist of a maximum of 10 players on the field and a minimum of eight players, including one pitcher and one catcher, with no more than six men on the field at any time. Rosters have a limit of 16 players. 

2.03 All players kick, but no more than two men can kick in a row. If a team has at least four women, they can re-kick in order to maintain proper ratios. For example, if a team has nine men and four women, one female would be designated in the line-up to kick twice in the “fifth female’s” spot to ensure proper ratios.

2.04 For a given game, each team shall have one Captain who will be responsible for their team. If there is a questionable play, the Captains of each team will be the only ones that can determine outcome of the play. No referee will be present during the games. The field supervisor will only be present to provide direction on interpretation of rules and eligibility. 

2.05 Athletic shoes are required. Metal cleats are not allowed.

2.06 The official kickball is measures 10 inches in diameter when properly inflated to a pressure of 1.5 pounds per square inch.

2.07 All player attire is an extension of the player.

3. PITCHING, CATCHING AND FIELDING

3.01 Balls must be pitched by hand. There are no restrictions on pitching style. 

3.02 Pitchers must start the act of pitching with at least one foot within the pitching mound; the pitcher must have at least one foot on or directly behind the pitching strip when releasing the ball; no part of the pitcher’s front foot may be in front of or across the front edge of the pitching strip.

4. KICKING

4.01 All kicks must be made by foot or leg, below the knee. Any ball touched by the foot or leg below the knee is a kick, and double kicks or kicks off the knee will be considered foul. Kickers may not stop the ball with their foot and then kick it.

4.02 All kicks must occur:

a. at or behind home plate. The kicker may step on home plate to kick, however no part of the planted foot may be in front of or cross the front edge of the home plate.

b. within the kicking box. The kicker must have at least a portion of the plant foot within the kicking box during the kick. The kicker may line up outside of the kicking box.

5. RUNNING AND SCORING

5.01 Runners must stay within the baseline. Any runner outside the baseline is out:

a. Runners may choose their path from one base to the next, and may follow natural running arc;

b. Runners are free to change course to avoid interference with a fielder making a play;

c. When attempting to avoid a tag, runners may move no more than 4 feet out of established path.

5.02 Obstruction. Fielders must stay out of the baseline. Runners hindered by any fielder within the baseline, not making an active play for the ball, shall be safe at the base to which they were running. 

5.03 Neither leading off base, nor stealing a base is allowed. A runner may advance once the ball is kicked. A runner off base when the ball is kicked is out.

5.04 Hitting a runner’s neck or head with the ball is not allowed, except when the runner is sliding. Any runner hit in the neck or head shall be considered safe at the base they were running toward when the ball hits the runner. 

5.05 A tag-up is a requirement to retouch or stay on a base until a kicked then caught ball is first touched by a fielder. After a tag-up a runner may advance. A runner failing to tag-up is out.

5.06 All ties will go to the runner. Runners traveling from home plate may overrun first base, and may only be tagged out if actively attempting to advance to second base.

5.07 Base Running on Overthrows;

a. an overthrow is a ball thrown, kicked, or deflected into foul territory while making a defensive play toward a player or base;

b. a runner may advance only one base beyond the base the runner is on or running toward when the ball travels into foul territory;

c. one base on an overthrow is a restriction on the runner – not an automatic right for the runner to advance; 

6. STRIKES

6.01 A count of three (3) strikes is an out.

6.02 A strike is:

a. a pitch that is not kicked and is not called a ball, that enters any part of the strike zone;

b. an attempted kick missed by the kicker inside or outside of the strike zone.

6.03 Foul balls never count as strikes.

7. BALLS

7.01 A count of four (4) balls advances the kicker to first base.

7.02 A ball is:

a. a pitch outside of the strike zone where a kick is not attempted;

b. a pitched ball that does not touch the ground at least twice or roll before reaching kicking box;

c. a pitched ball that exceeds one foot in height as it enters the kicking box;

8. FOUL BALLS

8.01 A count of four (4) fouls is an out. Foul balls never count as strikes.

8.02 A foul ball is:

a. a kicked ball first touching the ground in foul territory;

b. a kick made on or above the knee (see Rule 4.01);

c. a kicked ball touched more than once or stopped in the kicking box by the kicker;

d. a kicked ball first kicked outside of the kicking box (see Rule 4.02).

9. OUTS

9.01 A count of three (3) outs by a team completes the team's half of the inning.

9.02 An out is:

a. a count of three (3) strikes or four (4) fouls;

b. any kicked ball (fair or foul) that is caught by a fielder. 

c. a Force Out, being the tag by any part of a fielder’s body or a base to which a runner is forced to run, before the runner arrives at the base. 

d. a runner touched by the ball or who touches the ball at any time while not on base while the ball is in play;

e. a kicker or runner that interferes with the ball 

f. a tag of a base by any part of a fielder’s body, while the fielder has control of the ball, before the runner originating at that base can tag-up as required due to a caught ball

g. a runner off base when the ball is kicked;

h. a runner that passes another runner;

i. a runner who misses a base.

10. BALL IN PLAY

10.01 Once the pitcher has the ball in control and retains possession on the mound, the play ends. Runners who are off base at this time and in forward motion may advance only one base. Runners who are off base at this time and not in forward motion must return to the base from which they were running. 

10.02 During any play where a ball is popped or deflates significantly, that play shall be replayed with a properly inflated ball.