Intramural Sports
2007 Kickball Rules
All Intramural participants are responsible for their own medical expenses. Any participant unsure of his/her physical condition should check with their physician or the University Clinic before participating in an Intramural Sports contest.
Teams are responsible for keeping their spectators under control. Misconduct of participants, coaches or spectators can result in an unsportsmanlike penalty, ejection or forfeiture of the game. Team Captains will be held responsible for spectator, team and sideline misconduct. Two ejections from any contest will result in an automatic forfeiture.
Intramural Officials are in absolute control of the game. Officials and Supervisors shall have the power to make decisions on all matters and questions not specifically covered in the rules.
1. Eligibility and Roster Information
A current
Southern Miss I.D. must be presented to the supervisor at game time.
NO I.D. - NO PLAY- NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!
Teams must have a minimum of eight players to start a game. A maximum of ten players are allowed on the playing field.
2. Equipment
Participants cannot wear any jewelry during the game. The only exception is properly-secured medical alert jewelry.
Every Participant must wear proper athletic attire, including athletic footwear—no bear feet and no open-toed shoes may be worn. Rubber cleats may be worn, but cleats with metal showing will not be allowed.
3. Length of Game and Timing
A game will be six innings or 50 minutes, whichever comes first.
The clock shall run continuously, except if there is a serious injury or a protest/clarification question requiring a Supervisor or other Intramural Staff.
If at the end of 50 minutes an inning is still in progress it shall be completed, but if the home team is winning when they come to bat, the game will be complete.
The ten run rule will be in effect after three innings.
In case of inclement weather, an official game will be three completed innings.
Games ending in a tie will be recorded as a tie during the regular season.
4. The Playing Field
Due to the
close proximity of Intramural fields, players are warned to be alert to action
on the nearby field and courteous enough to suspend their play (whenever
possible) when action conflicts.
Restraining Line: Running parallel to first and third base is a 5-yard restraining line. Any ball that is not fielded before going over this line shall be considered out of play (dead ball). This line acts as an imaginary wall and a fielder may play the ball before crossing the line. In this case, the ball remains live. If a fielder carries the ball past the restraining line, the ball is dead, and all runners will be awarded one base. (In effect on IM-2 and IM-4).
On overthrows that go past the restraining line, all base runners will be awarded two bases. This takes place at the time of the throw and not when it goes out of bounds. For example, if a runner is advancing towards first base, but has not yet reached the base, and the ball is thrown over the first baseman's head, the runner gets the base he/she is going to plus one; in this case, the runner is awarded second base. If the runner in this case has already reached first base before the errant ball is thrown, the runner would be awarded second base, plus one; he ultimately is awarded third base. (In effect on IM-2 and IM-4).
Any foul ball hitting trees on IM-4 will be a dead ball. All balls hitting trees on IM-4 from IM-3 will be a live ball.
Any kicked ball that is beyond the outfielders and hits a player from another field will be a ground rule double. If the kicked ball is not beyond the outfielders and a player from another field interferes with the ball, it is a ground rule double. Players should signal to the officials by raising both hands that this has occurred.
5. Game Play
No “pegging” will be allowed.
A batter and all runners will be called safe when a fielder’s thrown ball contacts a runner.
There will be no infield fly rule.
Players and
Substitutes
Each team is required to provide a non-player to keep score during the game. Both teams’ scorekeepers will sit together and report the score at the end of each turn at bat.
If a non-player scorekeeper is not available for a given team, that team waives all right to protest over the score.
Any team that bats with fewer than ten players will receive an out for every missing player in the line-up when that player would be at bat.
All outs for missing players will be placed at the end of the batting lineup.
Any team who starts with fewer than ten players may add additional players to the bottom of the line-up but only at the top of an inning.
Free substitutions will be allowed and all substitutions must be reported to the scorekeeper.
Players must always remain in the same batting order: if Player A substitutes for Player B in the 9th position in the batting order, Player A can only substitute back into the game for Player B, and only in the 9th position in the batting order.
There will be free substitutions in the field. Any player in the current batting order can play any position in the field at any given time, provided that any substitutions during an inning take place during a dead ball.
Pitching
Teams at bat will provide their own pitcher in the field (the “offensive pitcher”) and a fielder from the defensive team will stand within 10 feet of the offensive pitcher (the “defensive pitcher”).
The offensive pitcher cannot come into contact with or block a kicked ball, thrown ball or the defensive pitcher’s action. In this situation, the ball is dead, the batter is called out and all runners must return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.
Exception: to avoid injury, the offensive pitcher may come into contact with the ball, at which time the ball is dead and the official shall determine the outcome of the play.
Batting
There are no balls or strikes; each batter will receive three pitches.
Each batter will have one contact with the ball for each at-bat. The batter shall be called out if in the process of contacting the ball the batter:
Is more than 1 foot from home plate;
Bunts or taps the ball without a full kick; a full kick must be used;
Kicks the ball into foul or out-of-play territory;
Attempts to contact the ball but misses;
Does not kick the third pitch.
If a team is playing with fewer than 10 players, empty spots in the line-up will count as an automatic out that must be placed at the end of the batting order.
Base Running
Base runners may not leave their bases until the ball is kicked by the batter. All runners who leave their bases early will be called out and the ball is dead.
When a defensive player has a legitimate play on a kicked/fielded ball and the runner remains on his/her feet and deliberately contacts the defensive player, the runner is out, the ball is dead and each base runner must return to the last base touched at the time of the contact.
If the defensive player was attempting to make a play on another runner at the time of the collision, both runners will be called out.
If the act is determined flagrant or intentional the offender shall be ejected.
6. Co-Rec Clarifications
Co-Rec teams may play with a minimum of 8 players, 4 males and 4 females, and a maximum of 12 players. The batting order must alternate between men and women and may start with either sex.
A team with 9 players may play with 5 females and 4 males, or 4 females and 5 males.
At no time may a team play with 2 more males than females, or 2 more females than males (eg. 5 females and 3 males).
When using an extra player in the batting lineup, two batters must be used—one male and one female.
A team may not use only one extra player.
7. Forfeit Policy
If a team fails to appear with the required minimum number of players, ready to play, at the scheduled location at the scheduled start of the game, a member of the Intramural Sports Staff will declare the contest a forfeit. Teams that forfeit will receive an ‘F’ for sportsmanship and will be required to pay $15 to the Recreational Sports Office prior to the registration of any other intramural sports teams. Teams are only allowed one forfeit per sport per season. If a team forfeits twice, it will be removed from the league for the remainder of the season.
8. Default Policy
If a team knows that they will be unable to play a scheduled game, the Team Captain must contact the Intramural Sports Office by 12:00 PM the day of the contest to declare a default. The defaulting team will receive a loss and a ‘B’ for sportsmanship. There is no re-entry fee for a default. Teams will be allowed one default per sport; upon the second default, teams will be removed from the league.
Recreational Sports Website: http://www.usm.edu/recsports
Intramural Sports Office: 601.266.5409
Revised 8/29/07