Kickball games hold a dear spot in our memories. Be it in the school yard, in the park at the corner or in summer camp, kickball was a fun part of our childhood. These days, with the founding of WAKA (World Adult Kickball Association) and other similar serious kickball leagues, this childhood game is turning into a real sport that adults also love. Why do we enjoy kickball games? Because kickball is easy to learn and fun to play.

The adult leagues are quite professional and kickball is regarded as a serious sport nowadays. There is special gear people wear to perform well in their games and to climb league ranks together with their teams. There are even well established tournaments nowadays. People go to kickball practice, and so on. But nonetheless, if at any point anyone decides just to have some fun with their friends on a sunny day outside, and no one really feels like playing a serious kickball game, there is always the alternative to practice your skills playing one of the following variations of the kickball game.

You do need to set a few basic rules before you get any of these kickball games going, but they would only be general guidelines such as, how many outs until the kicking team retires, are all kicks fair (or can there be fouls), how many innings will the game, etc. But nothing much more serious than that is necessary. Just go along for some fun and practice for the real deal later on.

 

1. Crazy Kickball Game

What you need for this game: 1 ball, kickball bases

In this kickball game everything is quite chaotic. In a normal game you would run to first, second then third base and then home. But in crazy kickball the order is different. Players need to get to first base, then third, then second and all the way across to home base. Each team gets six outs in Crazy Kickball and any taken pitch is counted as an out. Since you need to travel a greater distance between bases, each team can have up to five players on a single base at a time. Try it out!

 

2. Cooperative Kickball Game

What you need for this game: 1 ball

In this kickball game the kicking team lines up behind the kicker. The kicker kicks the ball and starts running circles (laps) around his lined-up team. Meanwhile a fielder catches the ball and the fielder’s team lines up behind him. When everyone gets in line they pass the ball “over-under” to the last person who yells STOP. When this happens the runner in the first team must freeze and the laps he managed to run around in circles around his team count as points. All the kickers have a turn and all the laps are counted and added up as a final score. Then the teams switch sides. The team that manages to sum up the most laps wins the game.

 

3. Activity Kickball

What you need for this game: 1 ball, kickball bases

This kickball game is just as the regular one. There is however one exception. At each base the runner gets a fitness task to complete. For example, the kicker kicks the ball and runs to the first base where he has to perform 10 squats. Then he runs to the second base where he does 10 jumping jacks and finally runs to the third base where he has to do 5 pushups and then to home base. Meanwhile the defence team must field the ball and pass it to their first baseman, who in turn must also perform the same activity. He passes the ball to the second baseman, who must as well perform the fitness challenge of the second base. Finally the ball is thrown to the last baseman who does his challenge. The ball goes around the bases in the same manner and must beat the runner, in order to record the Out.

 

4. One Base

What you need for this game: 1 ball, only one kickball base

In this kickball game there will only be one base and it will be placed at the location where the second base typically is. The kicker must kick the ball and cross the field to the “second base” (the only base) and then cross again back home in order to score. He may choose to wait at the second base if there is not enough time to return home safe. However, it’s compulsory to make a run for the homebase on the next kicked ball.

 

5. Everyone runs

What you need for this game: 1 ball, kickball bases, 6 hoops

This kickball game is also quite fun. The kicking team has one kicker set, but everyone runs the bases. Once the kicker kicks the ball into fair territory he starts running with the rest of his team following him in single file. No passing is allowed.

Meanwhile, the fielding team must catch the ball and pass it to each of its fielders. Fielders do not stand on bases, but instead before the game had even started 6 hoops must be placed / delimited / drawn on the outfield in 6 different stationary places. The fielder that caught the ball must pass the ball to another fielder who positions himself in one of the 6 hoops. Next the ball must be thrown to a different fielder in another hoop until the ball has been passed through each of the 6 hoops. When reaching the last hoop that fielder yellls OUT.

Each runner that had meanwhile managed to reach home before the OUT is yelled, counts as one point for the team.

 

6. Line Kickball

What you need for this game: 1 ball, kickball bases

In this kickball game there won’t be two equal teams at start. Instead, there would only be one pitcher on one team, while the other side there would be a kicker. All the rest of the players would be lined up single file behind the kicker. Was the ball gets kicked everybody starts to run the bases. No one player is allowed to run in front of the other, they must hold their positions in the line and they must not stop on any of the bases.

Meanwhile the pitcher has to retrieve the ball and tag one of the people running in the line with it. The person passed by the ball becomes an outfielder and start helping the pitcher. As an alternative, you can make a rule that only the pictures allowed to take the runners out. The runners that are tagged out by the beach or become outfielders but their only role could be to pass the ball back to the pitcher so that he can tag the next person out.

Was the last person in the running line reaches home base, start again with a new kicker at the front of the line.

 

7. Matball

What you need for this game: 1 ball, 4 sport mats (or something similar)

Matball is a type of kickball game where the traditional bases get replaced by four large floor mats. People need to pair up in the kicking team. Once the ball gets kicked, both the kicker and his spare must run to the mat together. You’re allowed to stay on the mat as long as you want and you’re safe on the mat. You can leave the mat when you please but you have to do this together. You can even leave before the ball is pitched, but once you take a step of the mat it’s compulsory to run to the next mat. Force outs at bases are not allowed. To get an out, the defense team has to catch the ball and tag the runner out with the ball, or alternatively, sheet the runner with a thrown ball.

 

8. Kick Basketball

What you need for this game: 1 ball, kickball bases, 1 basketball hoop

This variation of the kickball game mixes up kickball and basketball. Once the ball gets kicked the fielders have to retrieve it. Then they must busted through each and every single teammate. The last person that gets the ball is supposed to shoot a basket with it. If he manages to score before the runner makes it to home base, then this.

 

9. No Pitch Kickball

What you need for this game: 1 ball, kickball bases

This kickball game has no pitcher at all, just like the name suggests. Instead the game starts with the ball being placed on the home base plate. As soon as the kicker kicks the ball into the field, the game starts. If the defense team manages to catch the ball while in the air, without it touching the ground, then it counts as an out.

However, if they failed to catch it, and the ball hits the ground, the defense team must recover the ball then rolled it all the way towards the home base. Their catcher has to grab it and place it on the home plate in order to end the run. Because the instant the ball touches the home plate, or runners who aren’t on the base are out.

 

10. Big Base Kickball Game

What you need for this game: 1 ball, 4 big sport mats (or something similar that you improvise)

The name of this kickball game is quite self-explanatory. The bases that you use in this game are going to have to be big (around 4×4 feet). You either use gym mats for bases (if you are at school), or you can draw them on the ground using chalk.

In this game people can cluster up on a base and they don’t have to advance if it is in safe for them to do so.

A fun twist to the game is requiring the runners to run around the bases twice before they score. They can either run two laps around the base in the same direction, or one lap clockwise and the other counterclockwise. There is another alternative of applying the “crazy kickball” rules while playing this game, meaning that the runners have to run from home base to first, then third base, then second, then all the way across the field to home base.

 

11. Continuous Kickball

What you need for this game: 4 balls, kickball bases, 1 bucket or bin

This is a highly energetic kickball game. You will need four balls, and a bucket to place them in. The bucket will stand next to the pitcher. In addition to this you have to use to home bases. The one on the right would be the kicking home base, and another one would be placed on the left called the scoring home base.

The kicking team has to line up at the kicking plate. The pitcher pitches the ball, and as soon as the ball is kicked, the kicker has to run the bases. Meanwhile, the pitcher must continuously pick up balls from the bucket next to him and pitch them to the kickers that follow in line.

Since the fielding team is always busy retrieving the balls and getting them back to the pitcher’s bucket, there would be no outs. However, if it’s time to pitch and no balls are available for pitching, then the kicking team receives an extra point. Once all the kickers in the line had their turn at kicking, the teams swap over and they become the fielding team.

 

Summing Up

These are all the different kickball games that you can play if you just want to have some fun and practice with your friends. However, no matter if you are just playing for fun or you are taking a serious approach to the game, you should definitely check out the following resources to improve your game and carry your team:

– All that you need to play kickball

– How can you improve at playing kickball