free printable
Kickball Rules Card
A one-page kickball rules card: how to play, how to score, and how to set it up. Hit print, fold it, and keep it with your set. Want the full walkthrough? See the Kickball rules.
LAWNLEAGUES.COM
rules card Kickball
Players6 to 22 (two teams)
Ages6+
Setup5 min
SpaceA 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
Scoring
- A run scores each time a runner safely touches home plate after rounding the bases
- 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
- A pitched ball must be rolled, not thrown in the air, and usually within a kickable speed
- 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. The pitcher rolls the ball along the ground toward home plate so the kicker can boot it. Most leagues require the pitch to be reasonably smooth and not bouncing, and many cap the speed so it is kickable. No throwing the ball in the air to the kicker.
- 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. Every runner who makes it all the way around to home plate scores one run. A full inning is both teams taking a turn kicking. Play a set number of innings (commonly five to seven in rec leagues), and the team with the most runs at the end wins.
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.