In order to know how to play kickball, firstly you need to understand the game setup, rules, and regulations. Secondly, you might also want to gear up properly. The game, which is also known as kick baseball can be played indoors and outdoors. It is similar to baseball in terms of setup, field/pitch, rules, and scoring points. The main difference is that you kick the ball instead of hitting it with a bat. Also, the ball, which is made out of rubber, is much larger and is nearly the same size to that used in football or soccer.

Here are the things you need to be aware of if you want to know how to play kickball:

1. Identify an open space

To play kick baseball, you need to have adequate space for the players to run about and also kick the ball. The game can be played indoors as well as outdoors and you don’t have to play the game on an official size field. You can go to an open field, the park, a large backyard, front lawn, a large gym and other places. It’s important to ensure there are no obstacles that may obstruct play or cause injury

 

2. Gather the materials

Other than the ball, you also need to bring the bases with you. The kickball ball looks like the one used in soccer or football (but it’s made of rubber) and should be inflated to the right size to provide the right bounce. The bases are used to mark the zones where the base players will stand and can be made out of anything (here is a very good guide on all that you need to play kickball). Otherwise, you can improvise and use shirts, t-shirts, Frisbees, sticks, rocks or any other objects. Ensure they are visible, won’t be blown away by the wind, and are unlikely to cause injury

 

3. Assemble the Team

Kickball is first and foremost a team game. So if you want to learn how to play kickball, you need to learn how to be a team player and how to cover different positions on the field. The Kickball rules dictate that each team should have at least 9 (sometimes more) individuals. There will be a pitcher, catchers, base players, outfielders, and shortstop. In total, there should be 18 players from both sides. However, you can still go for fewer players but not less than 4 on each side. The fewer they are the harder and more challenging the game as they have to run much more when trying to catch the ball or stop the opponent. This drawback can be overcome by reducing the size of the field of play.

 

4. Choose who plays first

Once assembled, there should be two teams. Here is how to play the actual kickball game: one team will play offensive and the other defense. Later on, they will swap the position after the former team has been struck out and has hit the maximum three innings. The defensive team must have a pitcher who rolls the ball to initiate play while the offensive team should decide on the kicking order. Which player will go first, second, third and so on. Usually, tossing a coin is used to select the team kicking first.

 

5. Take Positions

All players should take their positions. The kicker stands at the home base ready to kick the ball into play while the base players take their positions at the first, second, and third bases. The outfielders and shortstop will be spread out outside the bases. The zone outside the bases is known as the Foul Territory and you, as the kicker should try not to kick the ball towards this region.

 

6. Roll the Ball

The pitcher from the side-playing defense rolls the ball towards the offensive team/ side kicking the ball. He should try to keep the ball firmly on the ground without causing it to bounce a lot. A ball that bounces too wildly results to a bad pitch. The ball is allowed to bounce but not higher than the level of the pitcher’s knee. You can choose to roll it fast or slow, but the faster it is, the more challenging for the kicker.

 

7. Kick the ball

The kicker will kick the ball once it reaches his/her feet. Aim at kicking it as far as you can while avoiding the defenders who will try their best to catch the ball you launched. You, as well as your teammates, should start running as soon as the ball leaves your foot. The kicker runs in a sequence: starting from first, second, third, and finally on to the Home base in order to score. The defensive players will try to catch a ball that is rolling on the ground or in the air and then tag you or another teammate. They can also run with it towards the base trying to reach there before you. You score one run after reaching the home base without being tagged or stopped.

 

8. Switching sides

After reaching three outs, the teams switch sides and roles. The offensive team becomes defensive while the defending side becomes the offenders. The play follows the same format until the new side is ruled after reaching three outs. In total, the game of kickball consists of six innings.

 

9. Determine the Winners

After the six innings have been achieved and both sides have three outs, the teams now determine the winner based on the number of runs they scored. Like baseball, the winning side is that which has more runs. The players from both teams line up on opposite sides and shake hands as they move along the line of the opposite team, as part of good sportsmanship.

 

Conclusion

This was our guide about how to play kickball. It covered the basic game setup, rules, and regulations that you need to know in order to be able to play kickball. Now that you understand the basics, you can check out how you can improve your game and performance, in order to help your team win more often.