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Austin SSC Kickball Rules

UPDATED MARCH, 2009

ROSTER:
There are no maximum number of players allowed on your roster. Players will not be allowed to participate without signing the Austin SSC roster/waiver form. Players may be added after the registration deadline only if the league has their t-shirt in inventory. New shirts cannot be ordered. Otherwise, the only way to add a new player to your roster after the registration deadline is by first dropping another player. Teams have up until the third week of the season to do so. After that, rosters are frozen. The additional player must obtain the t-shirt from the dropped player in order to play. If a team wishes to add a player only after the registration deadline, this can only be done if the league has the t-shirts in stock.

WAIVERS:
In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the team waiver. Waivers will be e-mailed to all team captains, which need to be printed out, and turned in no later then the first night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating. An Austin SSC staff member will keep your team waiver at the field, or a new one can be printed out. Players who sign up as individuals, sign the waiver online when they register.

PLAYER RESTRICTIONS:
All Austin SSC participants must be at least 21 years old before the season starts.

Players that have participated in Division 1 sports must be 2 years removed from Division 1 participation if they wish to play in a similar Austin SSC sport.

Austin SSC will have the right to request ID from any player. Any player in the super social league who is determined a social player by the Austin SSC will have their league fee credited towards a future season. If more than one player fits in the category, the Austin SSC has the option to move the team to the social division.

Players may only play for one team and be on one roster, regardless of if multiple divisions are offered. One can play, for example, softball on Tuesday’s & softball on Thursday’s, but not for two teams in the same day or night. Any player that break this rule will cause both of their teams to forfeit games played on that day.

SPORTSMANSHIP:
We are all adults, and the Austin SSC expects all participants to act like it. Unsportsmanlike behavior may result in that player or team being suspended from participating in all Austin SSC sports. Being ejected from a game carriers a minimum one game suspension.

GAME UNIFORMS:
Austin SSC t-shirts are your team’s uniforms. All players must wear their current Austin SSC uniform (past season’s uniforms are not permitted) to participate and any player not wearing his/her uniform will be will be sidelined for that game. If this sidelined player will cause the team to forfeit, he/she will be allowed to play in the game provided he/she is on the original roster. Missing or swapped uniform players’ names will be taken and if they are not on your roster, a loss will be assessed for that game.

UNIFORM ALTERATIONS:
Names on uniforms, numbers, cut-off sleeves, corporate logos, etc, are permitted, as long as they do not cover any logos originally printed on the shirts.

FORFEITS:
Teams without the minimum number of players at the start of the game will have to forfeit the game. If there are enough players of the forfeiting team that are able to play, and an officiated game is played, no forfeit fine will be assessed. Otherwise, if not enough show up, the team will be charged a $50 fine. This fine will go towards your opponent’s bar tab for the next week. Teams that receive a forfeit fine must use it the following week or lose it. A $50 voucher can be obtained from the league director the following week. If notice is given to the Austin SSC by 4pm on the preceding day, your team will not be assessed a forfeit fine.

FORFEIT FINES:
All fines must be paid before your next scheduled game by either cash or check (made payable to the Austin SSC). If payment is not received by the end of this next scheduled game, your team will be assessed a loss for this game. Teams will not be allowed to play any proceeding games until the fine is paid in full. Teams that have any fines from the last regular season game will not be allowed back into the Austin SSC for any sport until these fines are paid in full.

BEVERAGES AT FIELDS:
No visible alcohol is allowed in the park. This means all beer must be in a plastic cup. Carrying 12 packs is also not allowed. Please keep all beverages and cases in a cooler or paper bag.

DIVISION PREFERENCE:
Super social teams may move up to social, and social teams with a 0-7 or 1-6 record may move down to the super social league. Last season’s super social champion will automatically move up to the social league along with the teams that finish in the top 10% of the division. This format will help balance out the caliber of teams in both leagues.

POINTS AWARDED:
Win – 2 points…Tie – 1 point… Loss – 0 points.

KICKBALL GAME RULES

THE FIELD:
The kickball diamond is a square with equal sides of 60 feet.

The strike zone extends to one foot on either side of home plate, and one foot high. There will be a box around the plate (one foot on all sides) which marks the strike zone. If any part of the ball falls within the zone or hits the line, then it is a strike (see Pitching/Catching for bouncing rule).

TEAMS:
Teams shall consist of a maximum of 10 players on the field and a minimum of eight players, with no more then six guys on the field at any time. If a team does not have enough females, 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 10 players but have at least 4 women you do not have to take an automatic out. One of the players must be catcher.

All players kick but no more than two males can kick in a row. Females, can re-kick if necessary. (For example, a team has 9 guys and 4 girls. One girl would be designated in the line-up to kick twice to ensure proper ratios).

The kicking order cannot change but you can change the fielders as long as no more then six males are on the field.

The kicking order must be provided to the umpire before the start of the game. You do not have to turn a copy in, but it must be written down for reference.

REGULATION GAMES:
Games will last for seven innings, with the game being official after five innings (4 1/2 if the home team leads). No new innings will begin after 46 minutes have elapsed.

Unlike baseball, there are no extra innings; the game can end in a tie.

Any team that is not ready at game time automatically becomes the visitor and bats first, so the game starts on time. If that team gets three outs, and still does not have the minimum numbers of players to take the field, it becomes a forfeit.

There is a limit of nine runs per inning except for the last inning.

If a team leads by 12 runs or more after five innings, the game will be declared over.

PITCHING/CATCHING:
No bouncing of the ball to the kicker higher than one foot (as measured from the bottom of the ball). If the ball is bouncing higher than one foot off the ground before it reaches the plate, then it is a ball; however, the kicker does have the option of kicking it if he/she wishes.

A pitched ball must either roll or bounce at least twice before reaching the plate to be considered a strike.

If the pitch touches the line around the plate (and meets the conditions above), it is a strike.

The pitcher must stay within three feet of either side of the mound until the ball is kicked. If the pitcher crosses outside of the pitching area, a ball will be called. The kicker does have the option of kicking it if he/she so chooses.

No player may advance forward the 1st-3rd base diagonal until the ball is kicked, however anyone can field a bunt.

If a pitcher or fielder makes a play on the ball by illegally advancing beyond the 1st-3rd base diagonal, the runner will be declared safe.

The catcher must be positioned at least five feet behind the kicker and the plate until the ball is kicked. The catcher cannot interfere with the kicker.

The count begins at 1 ball, 1 strike.

Pitching must be underhand only.

KICKING / FIELDING:
All kicks must be made by foot.

The plant foot must be on or behind the line in front of home plate. If the line is crossed and the ball is put in play on the ground, it is a foul ball. If kicked in the air, the fielding team can still make the out before the foul is called.

Males must kick the ball past the 1st-3rd base line. Females must kick the ball past a line that is 20 feet from the plate. Any kick that does not reach the respective line will be considered a foul once it comes to a complete stop. If the ball is fielded before it reaches this line, it is in play and considered fair.

Kickers may not stop the ball with their foot and then kick it.

If a fly ball is fielded near the foul line, the ball is declared fair or foul depending on where the ball is touched, not where the fielders feet are.
When a ball is fielded by the defense, they may not “kick” it – it must be thrown to its intended destination. A kicked ball by the defense will result in either (1) all runners being called safe with each runner given a one base award or (2) no penalty if the runners advance farther than the one base award.

RUNNERS:
Runners must stay within the base line.

Fielders must stay out of the base line unless they are attempting to tag the runner or catch the kicked ball.

Fielders trying to make an out on base may have their foot on base, but must lean out of the baseline.

If a fielder attempts to physically obstruct a runner from advancing, the runner may advance as many bases as they would have potentially earned had they been able to run unobstructed. This is a judgment call by the official.

There will be an extra first base (aka safety base) placed next to first base for the runner. The fielder must tag the regular base to record the out and may not interfere in any way with the runner’s basepath. A fielder tagging the safety base only is not an out.

It is the responsibility of the runner to avoid a collision. Please save yourself and your opponents from injury by paying attention. Ties go to the runner – there’s no need to take out the baseman.

Neither leading off base, nor stealing a base is allowed.

A runner leading off base before the ball is kicked is out.

Hitting a runner with the ball above shoulder level is not allowed and the runner is safe, except for the following situations:

– If the runner intentionally uses the head to block the ball (runner is out).
– If the runner is ducking, diving, or sliding (i.e. attempting to dodge the ball) and is hit in the head because of this (runner is out).
– If the runner intentionally hits or kicks the ball out of bounds after being tagged out, the ball is dead and all runners must return to their original bases.

The runner may leave base as soon as the ball is touched by a member of the fielding team. (See softball rules for further clarification, if needed). Runners may tag on fair & foul balls.

All ties will go to the runner.

On an overthrow, all players may continue to advance provided the ball is still in play. The ball is dead if it touches players, equipment, or goes of bounds.

When two runners are on the same base at the same time, the fielder has the choice of tagging either runner with the ball. The runner who is tagged is out and the other runner is safe and may stay on the base.

FOUL BALL RULE:
Once a kicker has two strikes, the kicker has one courtesy foul. The second foul after two strikes is an out.

OUTS:
A count of three outs by a team completes the team’s half of the inning. An out can be recorded by throwing the ball to the base or hitting the runner below the shoulders.

Hitting the base with the ball does not count as an out. The fielder must hit the runner with the ball or maintain control of the ball on the base on a forced run.

UMPIRE’S CALLING TIME:
When the ball is in the infield and no runners are between the bases, time will be called by the umpire, which signals “time out” in which no runners can advance.

OTHER RULES:
If a rule is not otherwise stated here standard softball rules hold.

There is no Infield Fly Rule, unless the fielder intentionally drops the ball in an attempt to turn a double play.

Some fields will have out of bounds areas. The refs will declare these areas before the start of each game. If the ball enters one of these areas, the ball is dead and play will stop. Extra bases may be awarded depending on the particular field. Check with your umpire for details.

As always, the Austin SSC encourages responsible drinking.

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Questions about the league?
Email austinssc@gmail.com