General Rules

1. All rules of the field owners must be obeyed. If using a field that is owned by the Charlottesville Parks & Recreation department, all of their rules regarding conduct and prohibited items must be obeyed. Failure to abide by those rules may result in ejection from the league.
2. Player Restrictions: All players must have signed the kickball waiver form (done electronically at the time of registration) and must be 18 years of age by the start of the season. Balances must be paid in full prior to the first team game-unpaid players or teams will not be permitted to play. If a team makes use of a player not on their roster or within the kickball league, the outcome of the game will be a forfeit.
3. Apparel: All players must be wearing their issued shirts of the appropriate sport and season. Failure to produce the correct league shirt will result in the player in question not being allowed to play in the game.
4. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Acting in an unsportsmanlike manner will result in an ejection from the game and an additional one game suspension. Two ejections from any CVSSC sport over the course of a one year period will result in a year-long suspension from all CVSSC sports and activities. This conduct rule includes sponsor venues – reports of disruptive behavior or causing a disturbance will not be tolerated and may result in additional suspensions not limited to those listed above.
5. Disputing Calls: Calls may only be discussed with the umpire(s) by the captain or assistant captain of either team. Verbally abusing a umpire will result in ejection and further punishment may be awarded by the CVSSC.
6. Rain Outs: The CVSSC will attempt to make up any rained out games, provided fields and umpires can be obtained. There is no guarantee that rained out games will be made up.
7. Completed Games: A full kickball game plays 7 innings. In the event of inclement weather or other disruption, a game is considered complete after 4 full innings have been played or the allotted game time has elapsed. At the umpires discretion based on available time an 8th inning may be played if the 7th inning ends in a tie.
8. Overruling: The rules below may be overruled at the discretion of the head umpire. For example, the head shot rule may be overruled if the head umpire determines that a player was struck in the head as a result of a baserunner ducking, thus lowering their head into the area normally occupied by a body part legal for contact with the ball.

Equipment

1. Kickballs will be provided by the CVSSC. Outside balls may not be used.
2. No metal cleats or spikes are permitted.
3. Gloves are permitted.
4. Players may wear protective equipment as long as it does not provide a performance advantage. The umpire has final decision and may order the equipment removed.

Umpires

The head umpire has the final word and can overrule the first base umpire.

Roster

1. The team captains are encouraged to exchange rosters/kicking lineups prior to the start of the game.
2. The home team captain keeps the official scorebook and is responsible for reporting the final score on the league website. The visiting team captain is also encouraged to keep score and confirm the score with the home team captain during and after the game to reduce the opportunity for score disputes.
3. A maximum of 10 players are allowed on the field, with a minimum of 4 female players required. A team may field with no fewer than 8 players, while still meeting the minimum female requirement. The fielding team is required to provide a pitcher and catcher, but may use their own discretion to distribute the remaining fielding players.
4. If a team is unable to field the required minimum number of players by 5 minutes of the scheduled game starting time, the result will be a 7-0 forfeit loss.
5. There is no maximum number of players allowed on a player roster or batting order. Not every kicking player is required to play in the field.
6. No more than 2 male players may kick in a row in the batting order (there is no limit to the number of female players who may kick consecutively). If there are not enough female players present to satisfy the gender requirements of the lineup, female players are allowed to bat again in the order to meet the rule. All females must kick before the batting order is complete. Female players are allowed to bat again to satisfy this rule.
7. Any eligible player that shows up while a game is in progress and wishes to play is added to the end of the batting order (making sure that the gender rules above are obeyed).
8. Substitutions: Players from other kickball teams are allowed to sub for teams who are shorthanded, but only up to 10 players total OR the number of players that brings the team to a legal roster number- and gender-wise. For each sub player picked up the opposing team is awarded 1 run at the start of the game. No outside players are to be used as subs; all substitutes must be currently in the league and on an active kickball roster. Subs must wear their CVSSC league shirts. No sub players are allowed in the playoffs, and all playoff players must have played 1 regular season game.
9. All players must be on the team roster. In the event of injury or other extenuating circumstance, the league may approve placing a replacement player on the roster. If another team challenges a player on a roster, ID will be compared to the online team roster, so please remember to bring a government-issued ID to the field.
10. Any roster challenges or protests must be submitted to the league via email at
    kickball@cvillesocial.com within 48 hours of the conclusion of the game in question. After the time limit expires, the game will be considered final and cannot be challenged.
11. Kicking order challenges (such as players kicking out of order) should ideally be made as soon as the violation is recognized to allow the umpire to act. Both team captains and the head umpire must be present, and the decision is made at the discretion of the head umpire.

Base Coaches

Two members of the kicking team should coach at first and third base. Base coaches should assist the fielding team in the retrieval of balls ruled foul by the umpire.

Base coaches may switch with other members of the kicking team in order to maintain the order of the kicking lineup.

Kicking

1. Kicking Count: 4 balls are required to walk a kicker, and 3 strikes constitute a strike out. A foul ball counts as a strike, and a foul ball on a two strike count results in a foul out.
2. All kicks must be made by a part of the leg below the knee. Any ball struck by a leg below the knee (shin, ankle, foot) is considered a kick. A ball struck at or above the knee is considered a foul ball, and if caught in the air results as an out, but is dead once it hits the ground and runners may not advance on the play. A ball struck by the non-kicking foot (i.e. plant foot) is a dead ball.
3. A swing that does not contact the ball is a strike.
4. The strike zone is defined as an area one foot to either side of home plate, and extends one foot in the air above the plate. Any part of the ball that crosses one of these barriers is considered a strike. The head umpire should draw lines to indicate the strike zone. At a park with a short backstop (e.g. Quarry Park), the umpire may draw a strike zone slightly ahead of the plate to give kickers more space to approach the ball.
5. Batters must make contact with the ball at or behind home plate. Contact with the ball in front of home plate results in a “dead ball foul” -in this situation the ball is considered live in the air, but is dead once it hits the ground. A ball caught in the air results in an out and the play is then dead; therefore no baserunners may advance. If the ball is not caught, the result is a foul ball/strike for the batter. If the batter had two strikes at the time of the infraction, the dead ball foul would result in the third strike and the batter would be out.
6. Double Contact: If a player kicks the ball twice or makes a second contact with the ball behind the plate or in foul territory, the ball is dead. If a player kicks the ball and then makes a second contact with the ball in fair territory, it is considered the same as if the player were struck by the ball and the player is ruled out.
7. A walk to a male kicker with a female kicker due up next results in the female being given the option of taking an automatic walk. This rule is in effect regardless of the number of outs in the inning (unlike softball).
8. A kicked ball must travel on its own momentum up to or beyond the rubber of the pitcher’s mound, or over lines drawn perpendicular to the 3rd or 1st base path connecting with the nearest corner of the pitching rubber to the base path. If a ball comes to a stop before reaching this distance, it is ruled foul. If a fielder elects to touch the ball before it has come to a rest AND been ruled dead by the head umpire, it is considered fair and runners may advance.
9. A kicked ball that clears any fair part of an outfield fence is considered a home run. This can occur either on the fly or by bounce.

Ball in Pla’

1. When the ball is controlled by the pitcher and the pitcher is on or in the immediate vicinity of the pitcher’s mound the play is considered over and the runners may no longer advance. As each field is different, it is the umpire’s discretion as to what constitutes “immediate vicinity” at each field-feel free to consult with the umpire for an assessment of this area before the game’
2. A runner who is more than halfway advanced to the next base when the pitcher is ruled to be on the mound is awarded the base. If a runner is ruled not to have passed the midpoint along the base path, the umpire will return that runner to the previous base once the play is ruled dead. This rule excludes runners who are on their way to first base.
3. Any play where the ball is unintentionally popped or deflated or comes into contact with an obstruction overhanging the playing field (such as the power lines at Quarry) will be halted by the umpire and replayed. The kicker and all baserunners will return to the locations where they were at the start of the play.
4. Any runner who is not on a base and is struck by a thrown ball below the head and neck level is ruled out. If the runner is ruled to have ducked or slid, and therefore lowered the level of their head/neck into the area of a legal body part for contact, the runner will be ruled is ruled out. A thrown ball that that is ruled by the umpire to strike a player in the neck or head is still live, and the runner may continue to the desired base. These calls are at the umpire’s discretion.

Pitching

Pitches must be slow pitch with no curve/bounce.

Fielding

1. The pitcher and all fielders (excluding the catcher) are not allowed to advance beyond the fair/foul line (see rule 6h) until the kicker makes contact with the ball. The pitcher is allowed to follow through on the pitching motion, but can advance no further. Failure to abide by this rule results in the play being ruled dead and all runners being ruled safe at the immediate bases to which they were advancing.
2. The catcher must remain behind the plate (imaginary line drawn across the top of the plate perpendicular to path from the pitcher’s mound) until contact is made with the ball by the kicker. The catcher must also remain out of the path of the kicker attempting to kick a pitch, or an obstruction call may be made, resulting in the pitch being ruled a ball.
3. A kicked fly ball in foul territory that is dropped by a fielder attempting to make a catch is ruled foul as long as the ball is completely beyond the foul line into foul territory. The location of the fielder is irrelevant-it is the location of the ball that matters.

Baserunning and Scoring

1. All baserunners must stay within the base lines while advancing between bases. Any runner judged to have left the base path to avoid a play will be ruled out at the umpire’s discretion.
2. Fielders must stay out of the base lines and not impede the runners. A base runner that is impeded by a fielder, while that fielder is not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, shall be awarded the base to which they were attempting to advance. Fielders who are attempting to make an out at a base must orient themselves out of the baseline to not impede the runner. Fielders who are attempting to make an out by tagging a runner with the ball are allowed within the base path for fielding, tagging, and run-down purposes, but must attempt to avoid bodily contact with the runner. Should the runner attempt to make physical contact with a fielder in the process of making a play, the runner is to be called out.
3. One baserunner passing another baserunner on the base path will result in the passing runner being called out.
4. Leading off or stealing bases is not allowed. A runner may not leave the base until the kicker makes contact with the ball. A runner who violates this rule will be called out.
5. All ties go to the runner.
6. First base may be safely overrun by a kicker advancing to first base. The runner may only be tagged out if, after overrunning the base, an aggressive move is made towards second base (evaluated at the umpire’s discretion).
7. A safety base will be placed in foul territory next to first base for the kicker to run through. If a fielder obstructs the path of the kicker/baserunner through the safety base, the runner will be ruled safe. If the runner uses the main base in fair territory while the first baseman is attempting to make a play, the runner may be ruled out at the discretion of the umpire if the runner is determined to have interfered with the play.
8. Both feet first and head first sliding are allowed in all divisions.
9. “Tagging up” is permitted. Once a fly ball is first touched by a fielder, a runner may attempt to proceed to the next base, as long as the runner goes back to tag, or is already in contact with, the originating base at the time the fielder makes contact with the ball. The baserunner only needs to wait for the fielder to make contact with the ball-there is no need for the runner to determine whether or not a catch has been made.
10. Overthows/Out of Play: For all fields with a surrounding fence, a ball can only be considered “out of play” if it goes over, under, or in some other way beyond the fence. On any field without a fence, the area of “out of play” should be predetermined and announced by the umpire to both team captains.
11. For any ball thrown beyond the surrounding fence out of play, the play will be ruled dead, and all baserunners will be awarded one base. Any ball that is contained by the fence, or remains in fair territory, is not considered an “overthrow” and remains live; baserunners may advance at their discretion.
12. Any ball kicked off-target by a defensive player cannot be considered an “overthrow” regardless of where it goes (even over the fence). Baserunners may advance at will.
13. A run scores when a baserunner touches home plate before the third out of the inning is recorded, except when the third out occurs as the result of a force play or the kicker is declared out before arriving at first base.
14. The winning team is the team that has scored the most runs at the end of seven (7) innings, or the team that has the most runs at the end of the last completed inning should the game time expire.
15. Intentional delay of a game to take advantage of the expiration of the game time is not permitted. The penalty is at the discretion of the umpire, but recommended penalties are to call the stalling player out or ejection of the player from the game.

Outs

1. Each half of an inning is completed when the defensive team has produced three (3) outs.
2. Examples of outs (this list is not exhaustive):
   • A count of three (3) strikes, or a fouled ball on a two strike count.
   • A kicked ball caught by a defensive player before the ball makes contact with the ground, either in fair or foul territory.
   • A baserunner who fails to tag up after a fly ball is caught is either tagged with the ball or the base from which the runner had departed is tagged by a defensive player in possession of the ball before the baserunner manages to return.
   • A defensive player in possession of the ball tagging the base in which a runner is forced to advance before the runner has arrived at the base.
   • A runner leaving the base before the batter has made contact with the ball.
   • Kicking out of order (any skipped kicker is ruled out if the at-bat has completed; if the at-bat is underway the skipped kicker assumes the balls and strikes of the kicker that passed them in the order and the at-bat continues).
   • A ball making contact with a baserunner below the head or neck when the runner is not safely on a base.
   • A runner making intentional contact with the ball while safely on base.
   • A runner passing another runner on the base path.
   • A runner deliberately running into a fielder to try to draw an obstruction call.

Injury Substitutions

1. In case of an injury, a time-out may be called by the head umpire and a player of the same sex substituted into the lineup for the injured player. The injury substitution will not result in a one (1) run penalty, unlike substitutions for lack of players.
2. If a substitute player is not available, an out must be taken the injured player’s position in the lineup.
3. Players removed due to injury who wish to return to the game may resume their original place in the kicking lineup.
4. A player that successfully reaches first base may opt to use a courtesy runner. The courtesy runner must be the member of the same sex that was ruled out most recently. If a player opts to use a courtesy runner in a game they are required to use a courtesy runner for the remainder of the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Runners that run through first base using the fair side base rather than the safety base in foul territory can be ruled out by the umpire if they affect the outcome of the play.
2. Runners to first base that are impeded from reaching the foul side safety base by the fielder are ruled safe.
3. A kicked ball that rolls foul and then returns to fair territory before reaching the base on the foul line OR being touched in foul territory by a fielder or base runner is considered fair.
4. A kicked foul ball touched by a fielder or base runner while in foul territory is dead, excluding a caught fly ball where runners can tag up and advance.
5. The runner, advancing to first base, must continue to move toward the base. If the runner stops or reverses direction, the runner should immediately be ruled out vocally by the umpire. Note: this only applies to runners advancing from home to first base.
6. Players that overrun or advance beyond second or third base, when a force play was an option at that base, have avoided the force out (possible by tagging the base) and now that runner must be tagged by the ball in order to record an out.
7. The umpire should actively and vocally call a play dead in the instance of a foul ball, overthrow, or other such situation to keep players from progressing too far only to be called back.

Summary of Differences from Outdoor Kickball

• 7 players in the field, 3 of which must be women.
• Kicked balls caught after contacting the ceiling, or one or more walls, before touching the floor are an out.
• A ball that becomes lodged in an elevated surface above the field of play will be ruled a ground rule double.
• Runners?DO NOT need to tag up if the ball is caught on the fly.
• Any backboards, rims, and supports that are down count as walls. Any backboards, rims, and supports that are raised count as part of the ceiling. Basketball nets are ignored. The bleachers count as part of the floor.
• There are no home runs. All kicks are playable off of walls, baskets, etc.
• The ceiling is out of bounds, and all kicks hitting it will be rules an out.
• ?Bases? will be squares of tape on the floor.
• Any players not playing in the field or base running must stand/sit in foul territory. Do not use the gym doors located in left field.
• The kicker cannot overrun first base-the runner must be touching the base to be safe the same as any other base.
• The game is played in a basketball gym:
• Home plate is placed under the basket of the main court.
• 1st and 3rd base are placed on the sidelines at half court.
• 2nd base is placed under the basket opposite home plate.
• The pitcher?s ?mound? is at center court.
• There is no bunting; a kicked ball must pass the mid-court line. ?However, a fielder may cross the mid-court line to field a ball.
• Fielders must set-up behind the mid-court line. ?However, fielders may cross the mid-court line to field a ball.

Complete Rules

• There is NO ALCOHOL allowed in the gym or in the parking lot. Failure to follow this rule could cost the league use of the facilities, so it is taken very seriously. Violating this rule may result in you or your team being suspended for the next game or longer.
• All rules of the field owners must be obeyed. If using a field that is owned by the Charlottesville Parks & Recreation department, all of their rules regarding conduct and prohibited items must be obeyed. Failure to abide by those rules may result in ejection from the league.
• All players must be wearing their league issued shirts of the appropriate sport and season.
• Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Acting in an unsportsmanlike manner will result in an ejection from the game, and a 1 game suspension. Two ejections from any CVSSC sport in a 1 year period will result in a 1 year suspension from all CVSSC sports. This includes sponsor venues — reports of disruptive behavior or causing a disturbance will not be tolerated and may result in additional suspensions not limited to the rules listed above.
• Disputing Calls: Calls may only be discussed with the referee(s) by the captain or assistant captain of either squad. Verbally abusing a referee will result in ejection and further punishment may be handed down.
• Overruling: The head referee, at his discretion, may overrule any of these rules below. An example would be the head shot rule, if the referee determines that the player ducked, and due to that action, the ball then struck the head of the player.
• A game must have completed 3 full innings or the time in the game expired to count as an official game. Games that are rained out/cancelled prior to completing 3 full innings will not count.
• Games cancelled for any reason (snow closing the facilities, etc.) will be attempted to be made up, provided facilities and referees can be obtained. There are no guarantees on making up cancelled games.

Equipment

• Kickballs will be provided. Outside balls may not be used.
• Hard-soled dress shoes, spikes/cleats and boots are not permitted.
• Gloves are currently permitted.
• Players may wear protective equipment as long as it does not provide a performance advantage. Referee has final decision and may order the equipment removed.
• Field of Play
• The game is played in a basketball gym
• Home plate is placed under the basket on the main basketball court..
• 1st and 3rd base are placed on the sidelines at half court.
• 2nd base is placed under the basket opposite home plate.
• The pitcher?s ?mound? is at center court.
• The foul line the mid-court line. Kicked balls that come to rest or are touched by a player on the fielding team before crossing the foul line into fair territory are foul balls.

Referees

• All games must be officiated by one referee (head referee). In the event there are two referees, one will be the head referee and the other the ?first base? referee. The first base referee will be placed in the corner behind first and second base.
• Head referee has final word and can overrule the first base referee.
• Head referee is responsible for ensuring games begin on time and finish within the allotted playing time.

Participants

• All players must be 18 years of age by the start of the season.
• All players must have signed the kickball waiver form prior to playing.
• All players must be wearing their league t-shirts.
• Balances must be paid in full prior to the first team game. Unpaid teams/players will not be permitted to play.

Roster Rules

• The team captains will exchange rosters/batting order prior to the start of the game.
• The home captain keeps the official scorebook. The away captain is encouraged to keep score as well in case of disputes at the conclusion of the game. After the game, both captains should report the score to scores@cvillesocial.com within 48 hours.
• Any eligible player that shows up when a game is in progress and wishes to play is added to the end of the batting order.
• No number of maximum players to a team. Not every batter is required to field.
• Teams must have 12 paid players (captain included) on their roster.
• 7 players in the field, 3 of which must be women. A team may field with no fewer than 5 players, 2 of which still must be women. Not being able to field a team by 5 minutes after the game start time will result in a 7-0 forfeit loss.
• Substitutions: Players from other squads will be allowed to sub in for teams who are shorthanded, but only up to 7 players total OR what brings a team to a legal roster gender-wise. For *each* sub player picked up, the opposing team gets 1 run to start the game. All subs must currently be in the league and enrolled in the sport in question, no outside players allowed. Subs must wear their CVSSC t-shirt for any games they sub in for. Subs picked up from a higher level league will incur a 3 run penalty, instead of the usual 1 run.
• No more than 2 men kicking in a row in the batting order. If there are not enough women on the team to satisfy the requirement, women are allowed to bat again rotating in their original order to meet the gender rule.
• All players must be on their team’s roster. Replacements, without prior league approval (in the event of injury, etc.) are not permitted. If the other team challenges a player on a roster, ID will be asked for. Please make sure to have a government issued ID handy in case of challenges (as well as to get into the kickball sponsor bars too, of course).
• Roster challenges and protests must be submitted to the league within 48 hours of the game being completed. From that point on, the game is considered final and cannot be challenged.
• Batting order challenges must be submitted no more than 15 minutes after the conclusion of a game. Both team captains must be present, as well as the head referee of that game. Once both captains have signed the scoresheet, no batting order challenges may be made.

Base Coaches

• No base coaches are allowed on the court. Players may provide advice from out of play.

Batting Rules

• Kicks must be made by a part of the body below the knee. Any ball struck by a leg or foot is a kick.
• 4 balls = walk, 3 strikes = out. Fouls count as strikes and you can foul out by kicking a foul ball on a 2 strike count.
• The strike zone extends 1 foot to each side of home plate, and 1 foot in the air.
• Kicked balls that contact any part of the ceiling are fair if striking part of the ceiling that is above fair territory.
• Batters must contact the ball at or behind home plate. Making a single contact with the ball in front of home plate shall be treated as a dead ball foul. If the ball is caught by the fielding team, the kicker is out, and runners may NOT advance. If the ball is not caught, the play results in a strike.
• If the ball is already contacted and is contacted a second time in the field of play, that results in the kicker being out.
• Walks to a male batter with a female batter due up next at bat will result in the female having the option of taking an automatic walk.
• A ball striking any backboard, wall, or ceiling that is in play is a fair ball. There are no home runs.

Pitching Rules

• Pitching ‘fireballs’, balls with excessive speed, shall be ruled a ball at the umpire’s discretion.
• The pitcher and all infielders must remain behind the half-court line until the ball is kicked. The catcher must remain behind home plate until the ball is kicked. Failure to abide by this rule results in all runners being called safe to the base they were advancing. After that, the runners may advance at their own risk.

Ball in Play

• When a ball is in play, the following rules apply.
• When a ball is controlled by the pitcher and the pitcher is in the pitcher?s circle, the play is over. Runners who are more than halfway to the next base may advance to that base; runners who are not yet halfway to the next base must retreat to the previous base (excluding a batter on the way to first base).
• Any play where the ball is unintentionally popped or significantly deflated shall be ruled a do-over (with a new ball).
• Runners who are contacted with a ball in play below the head or neck are out.
• Bystanders should attempt to avoid any ball in play. A ball making incidental contact with bystanders remains live unless the referee declares it an overthrow out-of-play.
• If a player on the kicking team makes intentional contact with a live ball, the kicker is ruled out
• If a non-playing player on the fielding team makes intentional contact with a live ball, the batter is awarded first base.
• If someone not on either team (fans, players waiting for their game, etc.) makes intentional contact with a live ball, the result is a do-over and that person may be asked to wait in the hallway at the ref?s discretion.

Fielding

• Balls that are dropped in foul territory by a fielder attempting to make a catch on a fly ball are ruled foul as long as the ball is over foul territory when it is being touched. It does NOT matter where the fielder’s feet are, only the position of the ball. This is a normal baseball rule.

Running and Scoring

• Runners must stay within the base lines or be called out at the umpire’s discretion.
• Fielders must stay out of the base lines and not impede the runners. A fielder deemed to be impeding a runner shall be awarded the base in which they were attempting to advance. Fielders who are attempting to make an out who are on the base must lean out of the baseline as to not impede the runner. Fielders who are attempting to make an out by tagging a runner with the ball are allowed within the baseline for fielding, tagging and run-down purposes, but must attempt to avoid contact with the runner. If the runner makes contact with a fielder in these situations, the runner is to be called out.
• Running past another runner shall result in the passing runner being called out.
• Leading off or stealing bases is not allowed. Runners may not leave their base until contact by the batter is made. A runner who violates this rule will be called out.
• Ties go to the runner.
• Feet first sliding is banned. Runners who slide feet first shall be deemed OUT. Head first slides are legal.
• ?Tagging up? is not required — baserunners may leave the base as soon as the batter makes contact with the ball.
• Overthrows: 1 base maximum on an overthrow. The ball needs to go “out of play” to be considered an overthrow; this includes landing in bleachers, thrown into an open hallway, or entangled with players out of play in foul territory. A ball thrown into foul territory that isn?t entangled is still a live ball. ??Balls that are thrown off target and still end up in fair territory (a throw going to 2B ending up in the outfield) are NOT overthrows. A ball thrown by a fielder that deflects off a runner can be ruled as a ball “out of play”, limiting the runners advancement to 1 base from when the ball was declared out of play. ??Only balls that are *unintentionally* thrown off target and end up out of play are considered overthrows. The HP ref should immediately yell out if it’s an overthrow situation. In these situations, the fielder needs to get the ball back into the pitcher. Making any attempt to record an out voids the overthrow rule and allows the runners to continue to advance at their own risk.
• Because there are no dugouts, there will often be large clusters of players out of play in fair territory behind home plate. Players out of play must attempt to avoid impeding play, but the ref will have to make a judgment call as to if a ball has become unplayable and is therefore an overthrow.
• A run scores when a runner touches home plate before the third out, except when the third out occurs as a result of a force play, or when the batter is declared out before reaching first base.
• The winning team is the one with the most runs scored at the end of seven (7) innings, or when time has expired. Only full completed innings count. Example: If a team is in the top of the 4th inning when time is called, any runs scored in that 4th inning are not counted in the official score.
• Intentionally delaying the game to try to take advantage of the expiry of time is not permitted. Umpires judgment on penalty here, usually calling the stalling player out or removing them from the game will suffice.

Outs

• 3 outs completes the batting team’s half of the inning.
• Outs are:
• A count of three strikes, or a fouled ball on a count of two strikes.
• A kicked ball contacting the ceiling. Play is immediately stopped with runners unable to be advance or be tagged out.
• A ball caught before contacting the floor, in either fair or foul territory. A ball caught off of one or more walls that has not touched the floor does count as an out.
• A ball tag on a base in which the runner is forced to advance to before the runner has reached said base.
• A runner leaving a base before the batter has made contact with the ball.
• Kicking out of order.
• A ball contacting a runner below the head or neck when the runner is not on a base.
• A runner making intentional contact with the ball while safely on a base.

In-Game Substitutions

• In case of injury, a time-out may be called by the head referee and a player of the same sex substituted for the injured player.
• Kicking order remains the same, minus the removed player. In a case that a sub is not available, an out must be taken.
• Players removed via injury who wish to return to the game resume their original place in the kicking order.

FAQs and other rules.

• Dropped balls contacted when the ball is in foul territory are still foul.
• Tagging up and advancing to the next base is legal after a catch in either foul or fair territory.
• If the ball has been touched in foul territory, it is foul regardless of where it may roll after contact by the fielder (or runner).
• A play is completed when the ball has been returned to the pitcher in the pitcher?s circle. Runners more than halfway to the next base are awarded that base; runners not yet halfway must return to the previous base. There is no requirement for the ref to call time or for play to wind down.
• Players that overrun a base at which a force play was an option, avoiding the force out, must then be tagged by the ball to be out. Tagging the base after the runner has already touched it in advancing to beat the force out has no consequence.
• Tie goes to the runner.
• Umpire should actively call a play dead if ruled an overthrow out of play. Overthrows only exist in foul territory or when a ball has become unplayable
• Contacting the ball twice behind the plate results in a foul ball.
• Making a ‘double-kick’ with the second contact being in fair territory results in an OUT.
• Batting out of order:
• Batting out of order situations have always been considered difficult by many umpires. These situations can become easier to rule on by keeping three things in mind. ?1. Has a pitch been thrown after the incorrect batter has batted. ?2. Any outs made when the incorrect batter is at bat stand. ?3. When a pitch has not been thrown, if the incorrect batter makes an out and an appeal is made, the batter who should have batted is out and the batter who batted remains out and is skipped if they are scheduled to bat.
• Remember, however, if the batter who is scheduled to bat is the third out of the inning, the correct batter to leadoff the next inning is the player who would have come to bat had the player been put out by ordinary play. (Rule 7, Section 2 D 3)
• Play 1: With no outs, B9 is scheduled to bat but B1 bats. B1 hits a fly ball that is caught by F7. Before the next pitch, the defense appeals that B1 batted out of order.
• Ruling: B9 is out as B9 is the correct batter and B1 remains out. B2 bats next with two outs. Per Rule 7, Section 2 D 2, after the incorrect batter has completed their turn at bat and before the next pitch, legal or illegal, to the following batter and before the pitcher and all infielders have clearly vacated their normal fielding positions and have left fair territory; the batter who should have batted is out and the next batter is the player whose name follows that of the player called out for failing to bat. EXCEPTION: If the incorrect batter is called out as a result of their time at bat and is scheduled to be the proper batter, skip that player and the next person in the line-up will be the batter.
• Play 2: With one out, B7 is scheduled to bat, however B8 bats. B8 hits a fly ball that is caught for the second out of the inning. The defense appeals that B8 batted out of order and the umpire calls B7 out for the third out of the inning. Who is the leadoff batter in the next inning?
• Ruling: B8. In this case, since the second out of the inning was made by B8 and the third out was made by B7 for failure to bat in the proper order, B8 is now the leadoff batter in the next inning. When the batter declared out is the third out of the inning the correct batter to leadoff the next inning is the player who would have come to bat had the player been put out by ordinary play. (Rule 7, Section 2 D 2 d)