JAM rules for Kickball (Soccer- Baseball)

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Kickball (Soccer-Baseball)

There is only one format of Kickball under JAM rules. The format is described in its entirety below. This rulebook will cover Mixed and Open programs.
 

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JAM is for Everyone – Inclusion Statement

Our program offerings are designed to be inclusive for all members of the JAM community. Our goal is to create a welcoming gender policy that uplifts and supports each player where they are at. To ensure we can offer something for everyone, our programs may be offered in the following formats: Mixed-Gender, Women's, Men's, and Open.

Many of our league rules specify gender-based roster requirements, the goal of which is to ensure that each player has an equal opportunity to be included in gameplay.

Everyone participating in a JAM program is welcome to compete based on their gender identity and gender expression; regardless of their gender assigned at birth. Members whose gender identity does not align with the binary man/woman construct are welcome to play in all our mixed-gender and open programs.

Nonbinary, trans, genderqueer, and all other players who identify as a gender minority can count towards the roster minimums for either men or women in our mixed-gender leagues.

 

Game Time

All matches of Kickball are 7 innings in length but have a 55-minute time limit. Please arrive early to ensure you get the full use of your allotted field time. Regardless of when your game begins your game will always end on time to allow the succeeding games to begin at their scheduled time.

Time Keeping: If you have an JAM Ambassador on site, they will be keeping track of time and will determine the end of your game. In this instance, you will receive a warning indicating the final five (5) minutes of your game and a final signal for the end of your game. Once the final signal occurs your game is over. If you do not have an JAM Ambassador on- site, please designate one person from each team to keep track of the time. Games are 55 minutes in length, or 7 innings long (whichever comes first). If all 7 innings are not completed by the 55-minute curfew, the score will revert back to the last completed inning. No new inning can start within 5 minutes of the scheduled end time of your game.  Please be courteous to the teams waiting to play.

Defaults: Teams will default a match if they cannot provide a full team 10 minutes after the scheduled start time.

Poor Weather Conditions: Games that are forced to be cut short due to dangerous playing conditions (i.e. weather), or are not complete in the 85 minute game time will end with the final score being the score at the end of the previous completed inning as long as 30 minutes or 3 innings have been played. 

 

Players

A full squad consists of nine (9) players on each team.

Roster Numbers: Teams are comprised of nine players (1 rover) with a minum of three (3) men or gender minority players and three (3) women or gender minority players on the field at once.  A team can play with a minimum of 7 people, as long as there are 2 men or gender minority players and 2 women or gender minority players. A team can also play with 8 people if they only have 2 men or gender minority players and 2 women or gender minority players, BUT a team of 9 or more players that only has 2 men or gender minority players OR 2 women or gender minority players can only have 8 players on defence (you will be playing short 1 person on defence - meaning there will be no rover).

Defaults: An official default will occur if a team cannot field a team with a minimum of seven (7) players, including two (2) men or gender minority players and two (2) women or gender minority players within 10 minutes of the official start time.

Exceptions: Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding roster requirements but this should be decided before the game starts.  The rover may play anywhere on the field with the exception of the catcher’s position. If both teams agree then the game counts.

KICKBALL 7s. If you're playing in a Kickball 7s league, please note that an official default will occur if a team cannot field a team with a minimum of five (5) players, including two (2) men or gender minority players and two (2) women or gender minority players within 10 minutes of the official start time. Kickball 7s will eliminate the Short Stop and Rover positions on the field. 

Playing Area

All diamonds will vary in size, but the diamond dimensions remain the same for all JAM Kickball games.

The setup for Kickball consists of four (4) softball rubber bases, one (1) kickball and two (2) pylons.

The kickball set up is the same as a standard baseball diamond, having a first base, second base, third base and home plate.

 

Base Distance:

Kickball bases should be placed roughly 15-20m (20-30 paces) apart, or whatever works best given the size of the playing area. The pitcher’s mound should be roughly 10m (12 paces) from home plate. Both teams should agree on the placement of the bases.

 

Equipment/Set Up

Team captains are responsible for bringing the supplied kickball, four throw bases and field permits (if necessary) to all games. Both captains will need to bring their bases to every game so that the extras can be used as safety-bases at 1^st base and home, to mark the pitcher’s mound as well as the suicide line between 3^rd base and home plate.

Teams are also responsible for keeping track of the score. Please designate one person to keep track of the score.

Athletic shoes are required, however, metal cleats are not allowed. 

 

Uniforms

Teams are required to bring both light and coloured shirts to every game. Team colours are posted on the JAM website in your schedule. If two teams have the same colour the team captains should contact each other to ensure that each team knows what colour to wear.

Defaults: There is no default for players that don’t wear the right colour. However, that player must do everything they can to ensure it’s not confusing for the opposition. Whether this means wearing a pinny, a hat, a teammate’s shirt, etc. Under no circumstances can a player purposefully deceive the opposition.

 

Batting Order (Starting Fall 2022)

Kickball 101

The game of Kickball, otherwise known as Soccer Baseball, combines elements of both soccer and baseball into one sport. Essentially, the sport is very similar to baseball with the exception that the team on offence will be kicking a ball instead of hitting the ball with a bat.

 

General Rules:

i) The "home" team will be determined by a coin toss (rock - paper – scissors is also welcomed).
ii) Foul ball calls must be made by the catcher. A foul ball is:

• Any ball kicked and lands in fair territory before 1^st base or 3^rd base then rolls into foul territory
• Any ball kicked and lands in foul territory (a ball that hits the foul line past 1st base or 3rd base is a fair ball). If a defensive player tries to catch a ball in foul territory but drops it, this will be ruled a foul ball
• Any ball kicked by the kicker that makes contact with the ball in front of home plate.  This will result as a “strike” towards the batter’s pitch count
• Any ball “double kicked” by the kicker

iii) Close "out" or "safe" calls at 1st base and 3rd base are to be made by "base coaches" (i.e. extra players on the offensive team).  Close "out" or "safe" calls at 2nd base and home are to be made by the pitcher.  Teams should do their best to ensure that base coaches are being used.  If base coaches are not being used, all close calls should be made by the pitcher.  Please do your best to ensure that the game is being called in a fair manner.

iv) A 'foul ball' pop-up behind home plate can only be caught for an out if it goes higher than 3 meters (10 feet).  A ball not exceeding this desired height is considered a 'strike'.

v) There is no “infield fly rule” in kickball.

vi) Pinch Runners:  If a player is injured but would still like to bat, a pinch runner may be used. The pinch runner must be the most recent player of the same gender who was recorded as out. The batter must still make his/her own way to first base, and if he/she goes to second or third base, then a pinch runner may not be used (Exception: if there is an error that results in an automatic extra base (i.e. ball goes out of play) then the batter may take the extra base and still use a pinch runner). Please note that this rule is meant for legitimately injured players, and should not be taken advantage of.

vii) No team can have more than 4 players in the outfield at any given time.

viiI) Outfielders must not encroach within 6m (20 feet) of the baselines (the baselines spanning 1st and 2nd or spanning 2nd and 3rd) while the ball is being pitched to a batter.  As soon as the ball is batted, outfielders may move anywhere on the field in reaction to a play (i.e. they may move towards the infield). 

ix) Only one infielder may encroach from the baseline before the ball is batted to a maximum of 5 feet in front of the baseline. All other infielders must remain on or behind the baseline until the ball is hit.

 

Pitching and Batting:
i) Each team will "pitch" to their own team
ii) Every batter can receive a maximum of 3 pitches. All foul balls, wild pitches, strikes and balls count as one of the three pitches. The only exception is a ball that hits the pitcher
iii) If a kicked ball touches the pitcher, the ball is declared dead and the pitch is redone - base runners return to their previous bases and the pitch count is restored. (Pitchers should do their best to avoid making contact with a hit ball).
iv) The ball is put into play when the pitcher (from the offensive team) rolls the ball toward home plate without any bounces.
v) The pitcher must stand behind the pitching strip and avoid getting in the way of the defensive team.
vi) There is no bunting or faking to bunt.  All kicks must be a legitimate kick attempt, defined by a complete follow through. Any bunt or attempted bunt will be ruled a foul unless it is caught for an out. However, a ball that is kicked with a full swing, but does not go past the pitcher IS a live and playable ball.
vii) A team must use their full roster for batting (i.e. players cannot only play defence) and all players must bat before a player of the same gender can bat for the second time.
viii) Batting Order - The golden rule when making a batting order is that at no time should 3 men bat in a row.  A team must use their full roster for batting (i.e. players cannot only play defence).  If the male: female ratio is greater than 2:1, then the batting order is 2) men followed by 1 woman.  The male order and female order must always stay the same, although the overall order when mixed may change depending on the male/female ratio.  For example, if a team has 7 men and 2 women present, the batting order will be:  man 1, man 2, woman A, man 3, man 4, woman B, man 5, man 6, women A, man 7, man 1, woman B, man 2, man 3, etc. The spot where woman C should have been will NOT be an automatic out.
If the male: female ratio is less than 2:1, then the batting order will be static (does not change).  For example, if a team has 6 men and 4 women, then an order could be:  man 1, man 2, woman A, man 3, man 4, woman B, man 5, woman C, man 6, woman D, man 1, man 2, woman A, etc. Please note that this is a hypothetical order. Teams can have women bat back-to-back if they wish, as long as 3 men do not bat in a row and they keep the order the same throughout the game.

Kicking:
i) A legal kick occurs when the ball makes contact and is kicked below the knee, therefore, is hit by the leg or foot.
ii) If the ball is redirected by any body part above and including the knee, the kicked ball is disqualified and will count as a strike against the offensive player.

Running Bases:

i) There is absolutely no sliding. Any base runner that slides is automatically out.
ii) There are no leadoffs for base runners; you must wait until contact with the ball is made. Please respect this rule.
iii) Players cannot steal bases. Runners may only advance once contact has been made with the ball.
iv) All ties will go to the runner.
v) A runner may advance only 1 base if the ball is overthrown and goes out of play
vi) 1st base and home plate will have "safety bases". As such, there will be a base for the first baseperson and the catcher to touch and a separate base for the runner to step on.
vii) There is a "suicide-line" halfway between 3rd base and home plate marked with an extra base. Once the runner has crossed this line, they cannot return to 3rd base. If they do, it is an automatic out.
viii) In order to prevent injury and protect the defensive player attempting to make a play on a base runner, the base runner will be called out if they remain on their feet and deliberately, with force, crash into a defensive player holding the ball, waiting to apply a tag.

Scoring:

i) A team can only score a maximum of 8 runs in one inning. EXCEPTION: A team has no run limit in the final inning of the game.
ii) Mercy rule: If a team is up by 15 runs or more after the 5th inning of play, the losing team has the option of calling the game or choosing to continue.

Outs:

i) Three outs by a team complete their half of an inning.
ii) An out generally occurs in similar situations as a softball game. For example:

• When a player attempts to kick the ball but accumulates 3 strikes against them
• When a kicked ball is caught in the air before it hits the ground (i.e. fly balls, pop-ups, etc. that are caught)
• When a ball is thrown to a base (where a runner is forced to run to) and is caught by the baseman before the runner arrives at the base
• When a runner is tagged out
• When a ball is thrown at the runner and hits them from the shoulders or below before reaching the base (this is the only out that differs from softball). However, if the ball hits the runner in the head or neck, the runner is safe.

iii) A "force out" will always be in effect between home plate and first base. (i.e. the defensive player only has to touch their base and not tag the runner to achieve an out). As well, a force out will always be in effect between 3rd base and home plate once the runner has crossed over the "suicide line". There is no force out at 2nd or 3rd base unless the bases before them are full (e.g. runner on 2nd must run to third since runner at 1st base is coming to 2nd) - these players must be tagged.

iv) The play is dead and runners can no longer advance once the ball has been returned to the pitcher.

 

Ground Rules

i) Captains should decide prior to the start of the game if they are going to play any ground rules with regards to boundaries. Please make sure that both teams are aware of these rules so there is no confusion.
ii) The area out of the field of play, behind the backstop, dugouts, home run fences and/or the fences running along first/third base line is out of bounds, and the ball is dead when it goes in those areas.  Additionally, for the fence line (or imaginary fence line if playing at a field with no backstop) that runs along first and third base, when the fence stops, imagine the line if it kept going (parallel to the foul line)...if the ball goes behind this line then it is out of bounds and play is dead.  If the ball goes out of bounds while an active play is going on (i.e. an overthrow to first base) then the baserunner(s) will advance one extra base.

 

JAM Rules and Exceptions

All games are self-officiated. Disputes about a possible infraction are to be discussed amongst the people involved in the play. If an agreement cannot be reached, don't waste time arguing the play - simply redo the play. Please play safely and with good spirit.

 

Regular Season Matches

The game score at the last full inning (7th or at the end of 55 minutes) will determine the winner. The score can be tied in regulation games.

 

Playoffs Eligibility and Tiebreak

There must be a winner in a playoff match. In the event that the match ends in a tie, teams will partake in the following tiebreaker:

For playoffs, if a game is tied after 7 innings or 50 minutes, teams will utilize the following format: The visiting team will start the inning by placing the last out from the previous inning on second base with one out. Once 3 outs have been reached, the home team will then place their last out from the previous inning on second base, also with one out, and proceed to bat until 3 outs are reached. Teams will take turns doing this until the score is settled upon the completion of a full inning. This format is continued until the tie is broken.

 

Rough Play

Any rough or physical play will result in immediate expulsion from further league play and may result in a lifetime league expulsion. Please see the JAM General Policy for our official guidelines on this subject. It is recognized that incidental contact between players is inevitable; however, all players should go out of their way to avoid creating an unsafe play.  This rule supersedes all others. 

Please note that on-site staff members have full autonomy when supervising games. Games may be stopped entirely, players may be asked to leave the playing area or be removed from the game entirely under their discretion.

 

Alcohol

There are absolutely no alcoholic beverages permitted on JAM property. Any offenders will be asked to leave the league without refund. No exceptions.