Pitching Rules for Kickball

Todd Belok joined the Temple University Hospital Episcopal Campus in Philadelphia as a mental health technician in 2015. Apart from overseeing patient activities at the hospital, Todd Belok leads a physically active lifestyle. He enjoys cycling and is part of a local kickball league.

The sport of kickball resembles American baseball in a number of ways, both in regards to the dimensions of the playing field and the basic rules of the game. However, one of the most significant differences between kickball and baseball involves how pitches are delivered. In kickball, players must roll the ball underhand while pitching. While there are few restrictions on style and delivery beyond this stipulation, pitches must bounce at least twice before reaching the kicker.

As is the case in baseball, a referee determines whether a kickball pitch is a ball or strike. The strike zone is described as one foot on either side of home plate and no more than 12 inches from the ground. Any ball that is bouncing as it crosses home plate must return to the ground within one foot of the plate. If a kicker attempts to kick a ball that does not enter the strike zone and misses, the pitch is considered a strike. If the kicker attempts to make a play on a pitch that has not bounced twice or entered the strike zone, it can still be called a strike.

Three strikes results in an out for the kicker, while a kicker who draws four balls is rewarded with a walk. Any ball that fails to reach the strike zone or bounces fewer than two times before crossing the plate is ruled as a ball. Unlike baseball, a foul ball is never considered a strike. Should the kicker ever intentionally contact a live pitch with his or her hand, the kicker is automatically ruled out.