Kickball Rules
- Players
- 6 to 22 (two teams)
- Ages
- 6+
- Setup time
- 5 min
- Space
- A baseball-style diamond or open field
What you need
- A 10-inch inflatable rubber kickball
- Four bases plus home plate (or stand-in markers)
- An open field or baseball diamond with room to run
- Two teams of players, roughly even in size
- Optional: chalk or cones to mark the baselines and pitching spot
Set it up
On a standard kickball or softball diamond the bases sit about 60 ft apart, with the pitcher rolling from a strip near the center of the diamond, roughly 40 to 45 ft from home plate in many adult leagues. For backyard and recess games, just pace off bases at a distance that fits your space and your kickers, closer for kids, farther for adults. The key is keeping the diamond square and the basepaths clear so runners and fielders are not colliding.
Scoring
- A runner completing the bases safely scores one run. No run scores on a third-out force play or when the third out puts the kicker out before first base.
- Three outs ends a team's half of the inning
- Outs come from: a caught fly ball, a force out at a base, a tag with the ball, or (most rec leagues) pegging a runner with a thrown ball below the shoulders
- For this backyard format, agree a gentle rolled pitch and any allowed bounce before play.
- The team with the most runs after the agreed number of innings (often 5 to 7) wins
How to play
- Set up the diamond. Lay out home plate, first, second, and third base in a diamond, just like baseball. In a backyard you can pace off the bases; on a field, use the existing diamond. Mark a pitching spot in the middle of the diamond where the pitcher will roll from.
- Split into two teams. Divide players into two roughly even teams. One team kicks (offense) while the other takes the field (defense) with a pitcher, a catcher, basemen, and outfielders. Teams swap roles each half-inning, the same as baseball.
- Pitch by rolling the ball. In this backyard version, roll the ball gently toward home so it is easy to kick. Agree a suitable pitch speed and whether any bounce is allowed; league pitching requirements vary.
- Kick and run the bases. The kicker boots the rolled ball into fair territory and runs toward first base. Just like baseball, runners advance around the bases counterclockwise and try to reach home plate to score. Runners can advance on later kicks by their teammates.
- Record outs. The defense gets a kicker or runner out by catching a kicked ball on the fly, tagging a runner with the ball, forcing them out at a base, or (in many rec leagues) hitting a runner with a thrown ball below the shoulders. Three outs and the teams switch sides.
- Score runs and play the innings. A runner completing the bases safely scores one run, except that none scores on a play ending in a third-out force or the kicker being put out before first base. Both teams kick in each inning. Play the agreed innings; most runs wins.