General Information

1. The team captain and all players are responsible for all information contained in the General Rules Page and in the following page. 

2. Participants must have a valid photo ID with them at all times.

3. Intramural kickball will be governed by official WAKA rules and any modifications outlined in this document.

4. Players should be signed in with their UT ID, warmed up, and ready to play prior to the scheduled game time.

5. Each team shall designate to the referee a team captain(s) for the contest. The captain is required to sign the scorecard at the end of each game.

Players

1. All players are required to bring a valid photo ID to all Intramural Kickball games.

2. A regulation kickball team includes eight (8) players. A team must start play with 6 players present. Players arriving late may be added to the bottom of the batting order at any time.

   1. If injuries reduce a team to 5 players or less, the game may continue at the referees’ discretion.

   2. A team reduced to 5 players or less via player ejections will automatically forfeit.

3. Teams may be composed of any of the following combinations:

 Game timing/innings

1. A regulation game consists of a maximum of 7 innings.

2. If an inning is started, it must be completed (unless a team earns 3 runs). Innings are considered started once the third out of the previous inning is made.

3. POOL PLAY - No innings will be started after 30 minutes of playing time has elapsed. Completed games that end in a tie during pool play will stand.

   1. There will be no warm-up time given to either team. Teams should warm up in the designated areas off the field.

4. QUARTER FINALS AND SEMI FINALS – the time limit will be 45 minutes

5. CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS – the time limit will be 60 minutes

No show

1. Teams not ready to play within 10 minutes after the scheduled game time (not when the preceding game finishes) will receive a no show loss. Below is a summary of penalties for a team that is late:

   1. Game Time = automatically designated the “visitor”

   2. 5 minutes late = loss of first “at bat”

   3. 10 minutes late = loss 5-0 and C in sportsmanship

Forfeit

1. Should a game be stopped at any point due to a violation of Intramural Rules (i.e. fighting, eligibility, sportsmanship) and declared a loss for either team (or both teams), the game shall be a forfeit.

2. Any team forfeiting a game is automatically ineligible for playoff competition.

 Game Summary Sheets and Line-ups

1. All players that participate in a game must be listed on the GAME SUMMARY SHEET and on the LINE UP.

2. The GAME SUMMARY SHEET is the pre-printed list of players that are eligible to participate with each team, and where the running score, final score, captains’ signatures, and sportsmanship grades will be recorded. Only players who are listed on the pre-printed game summary sheet may play in the game.

3. The LINE UP (scorecard) is the list of players in batting order and the template for each team to record the outs/runs for each of their batters. Teams must submit their LINE UP at least 5 minutes before the scheduled game time. Scorecards will be on a clipboard on the score table – teams may save time by writing down its starting line-up prior to game time. First initial and last name are required on the LINE UP. Home and Visitor will be determined by a coin toss prior to the start of the game.

 Scorekeeping

1. Each team must provide a scorekeeper. They will sit at the score table directly behind the backstop. If only one team furnishes a scorekeeper, the other team should check each inning to verify the score. All protests concerning scoring should be made at the time an error is noted.

2. An Intramural Staff member should be contacted immediately to address the protest. No scoring protest will be heard at the end of the game.

3. The team captain should notify the umpire at the start of each half-inning of the first batter's name. 

4. The maximum number of runs each team may score in one inning is 3. Regardless of the number of outs, the half inning will end when a team has scored 3 runs.

Substitution Rules

1. Unlimited substitutions are permitted at each position in the batting order. Player A & B may "share" a spot in the batting order - either may bat or either may play the field, but they may not play in the field at the same time. Once a player enters the game, they may only re-enter the game in the same batting position.

2. Unless a player is injured and cannot continue, no pinch runners will be permitted. If players are sharing a spot in the order, the player that starts an at-bat must finish the at-bat. Pinch runners shall be male for male and female for female.

3. If a team begins with less than 8 players, there is no penalty for the empty spots in the batting order. Players arriving late may be added to the bottom of the line-up at any time. If a team begins with a full batting order (8 players) and a player is injured or cannot otherwise continue and the team does not have an eligible substitute, then the team must take an out for that spot in the order.  An eligible substitute is one who has not yet played in the game, either as a batter or fielder.

Running

1. No stealing is allowed. Runners may leave the base when the pitch is kicked. If the runner is off the base before the pitch reaches the plate, the runner is out and no pitch is declared.

2. Any runner who deliberately runs into a fielder (waiting to make a tag or a force out) will be called out immediately, and each runner will return to the last base occupied at the time of the collision. If the runner's act is flagrant, he/she will be ejected. Other runners involved in the play may be called out at the umpire's discretion.

3. Any runner who is not in contact with a base and in fair territory when struck by a kicked ball will be called out. An immediate deadball should be called. The runner is out, and the kicker is awarded first base.

4. A runner may choose either to slide into a base or simply avoid contact. Please always be aware that sliding into a base may cause injury. Intramural Sports does not require players to slide. However, if a runner chooses not to slide, they must still avoid contact and may be tagged out.  Collisions may result in immediate ejections. A runner who leaves the base path will be called out. 

5. In the case of a possible double play, the base runner must slide directly into the base (rather than the fielder) or get out of the way of the thrown ball, or both he/she and the kicker-base runner may be called out.

6. A defensive player cannot stand in the base path or obstruct the path of a base runner unless he/she is making a play on the ball. In the event of an obstruction, the umpire shall award the obstructed runner and each other runner affected by the obstruction the bases they would have, in his/her opinion, reached had there been no obstruction.

7. Runners may still tag up if a ball is caught in foul territory.

8. Any runner who is physically assisted by a coach or anyone except another base runner is to be declared out. The ball is dead and runners must return to the last base they touched.

Kicking

1. The kicker will have a maximum of three pitches to put the ball into play. Foul balls are included in this 3-pitch limit.

2. There are no walks.

3. Male and female players do not have to alternate in the lineup and may kick in any order.

4. Teams may not delay the game. It is the umpire’s discretion to determine if a team is attempting to delay the game.

5. The ball may not be kicked until it is even with or passes home plate. A strike/foul ball will be awarded.

6. If a kicked ball comes to rest without being touched by the fielding team and has not completely crossed the semicircle approximately 18 feet from home plate, the kicker will be called out and all runners will return to their original bases.

7. A player will be ruled out if they are hit by the ball below the shoulders before reaching the base, a pop fly is caught, or if the base runner is off of the base before the ball is kicked. A player is out even if the ball hits the ground before legally striking the player. EXCEPTION: a player who is not in a regular standing/running position and is hit in the face/head will be ruled out. (ex. bending down to avoid getting hit or the runner falling down)

8.  

   1. A runner who is hit with a thrown ball above their shoulders is safe and advances one (1) base.

9. When kicking, a team may only have the current kicker, the on-deck kicker, and base coaches outside of the team area.

Pitching

1. Teams will pitch to their own team. This player cannot interfere with normal play of the fielding team.

2. Prior to pitching, the pitcher shall come to a complete stop with one or both feet in contact with the pitching rubber. The ball must be held in the pitching hand or both hands in front of the body. This position must be maintained at least one second but not more than 10 seconds before starting the delivery. The pitcher has 20 seconds to pitch the ball and this time starts when the previous pitch ends. Violation of this will result in a strike/foul ball.

3. In the act of delivering the ball to the kicker, the pivot foot must remain in contact with the pitcher's rubber until the ball leaves the hand. A legal delivery shall be a ball that is delivered to the kicker underhand. Violation of either will result in a “no pitch” being called.

4. If the kicking team’s pitcher is struck with a thrown ball/kicked ball or obstructs the fielding team, it is the umpire’s discretion on whether or not interference is called.

Fielding

1. There are no restrictions on the positions of male and female players in the field.

2. All fielders must stay behind the First (1st) and Third (3rd) Base diagonal line until the kicker has kicked the ball.

3. No fielder shall come within three (3) feet of the designated pitcher until the ball has been released.

4. If a team chooses to field a catcher, they must remain behind the kicker until the ball is kicked.

5. Penalty: A team’s first infraction regarding positioning prior to the ball being kicked will result in a Fielder Encroachment Warning to the team, no pitch will be called, and the count will remain the same. The second and each subsequent fielder encroachment infraction by a team during the game will result in an immediate dead ball and the kicker being awarded second base.

Infield Fly Rule

1. An infield fly is a fair fly (not including a line drive), which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, provided there are runners on 1st and 2nd base or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base with less than 2 outs.

2. The umpire will declare the infield fly rule and the kicker is immediately out.

3. Base runners cannot be forced out and may advance at their own risk.

Overthrow Rule

1. A ball thrown that is kicked or deflected into dead ball territory while making a defensive play toward a runner or base shall be deemed an overthrow.

2. A runner MAY advance only 1 base beyond the base the runner is on or running toward.

Appeal Plays

1. An appeal play is a play in which an umpire cannot make a decision until requested by a coach or player. The appeal must be made before the next pitch, or before the defensive team has left the field. There are 3 types of appeal plays:

2.  

   1. Missing a base

   2. Leaving a base on a caught fly ball before the ball is first touched

   3. Kicking out of order

3. Once a dead ball has been called, any fielder (with or without possession of the ball) may make a verbal appeal.