Hello KVKL Nation,

We have made some adjustment to the rules for this season.  Some changes are for clarity, some are for ease of reffing, and others are to make this game better.

 I will try to highlight some of the major changes with explanations.  If you received rule information at the Captain’s meeting or ref clinic, please disregard the rules you were given.  The new rules posted below and on the KVKL website have been adjusted since those meetings.  You can find the new rules under “league information” on the website with the changes for this season in bold.

Rule Change B.1:

B.  Officials

1. Games shall have 4 referees

         a.      The head referee should be positioned behind home plate looking down either the third base or first            base foul line, and an assistant referee should be positioned behind first base along the first base foul line.  Another assistant referee should be positioned behind third base along the third base foul line.  The fourth assistant referee should serve as the official scorekeeper, and should be positioned behind home plate looking down whichever foul line the head referee is not observing.
         b.       The scorekeeper’s primary responsibility is to keep score, check for illegal batting line-ups, check that teams are batting in the correct order, mark start times, and to be an extra pair of eyes on the field.  Any referee may defer to the scorekeeper for a call if the scorekeeper has a better vantage point.

 

Rule B.1. explanation:

We have made it clear that each team is required to provide 2 refs each week.  We have also outlined referees’ responsibilities and positioning.

 

Rule Change B.5:

B.  Officials

5.  Referees may clearly signal that a play is over (see rule J.1) by calling "time".

If the referees consult after a play and change a call that had been made, then they have the authority to take all steps that they may deem necessary, in their discretion, to eliminate the results and consequences of the earlier call that they are reversing, including placing runners where they think those runners would have been after the play, had the ultimate call been made as the initial call, disregarding interference or obstruction that may have occurred on the play; failures of runners to tag up based upon the initial call on the field; runners passing other runners or missing bases; etc., all in the discretion of the referees.

Rule B.5 explanation:

We took an excerpt straight out of the MLB rules basically saying that refs have the ability to put runners back on the bases they think each runner should be at when play ends.  This helps account for rare situations not spelled out in the rules. 

Rule C.8.b.ii.  Equipment drop off will be at the Game of the Week location (not the shed).  Look for board member near the NW dugout.  Pick-up will still be at the shed behind 946 Pennsylvania)

Rule C.8.b.iii.  Metal cleats are prohibited for all official KVKL events.  The use of metal cleats in a game will classify the player as “illegal”

 

Rule change G.6:

6.  Avoiding contact between runner and fielder should be a priority for all players:

a.  When a defender is making a play on a ball the runner shall not make contact with the defender or that runner shall be called out, unless the defender does not allow the runner opportunity to touch the base (blocking a base), except in the case of rule E.5.c. (catcher interference)

 

Rule G.6 explanation: 

The rule referenced here, E.5.c, states that a catcher must always yield to the runner regardless of whether or not they are making a play on the ball.  Rule E.5.c has always been a rule but was often called incorrectly because rule G.6 seemed to contradict it.  Now we have eliminated that contradiction.

 

Rule change G.7:

G. Running

7.  Once the pitcher gains and retains possession of the ball within the kickball diamond (see rule A.1):

a.  Runners who are off base at this time and maintain forward motion may attempt to advance to the next base.

b.  Runners who are off base at this time and not in forward motion must return to the base from which they were running.

1. Returning runners may be tagged, thrown out, or the illegally passed base may be tagged while the ball is still "live." Refs may safely return runners to their appropriate base after a play is over unless the runner has already been tagged or forced out.
2. If a runner has passed more than one base illegally, any of the illegally passed bases may be tagged to get the runner out provided the runner has yet to return to that base. If "time" is called and the head referee determines that a runner crossed more than one base illegally, at that point the runner should be out rather than allowed to return to the first illegally crossed base safely.  (An illegally crossed base is classified as 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd base.)

c.  If a pitcher loses possession of the ball while the ball is still "live" runners may continue without returning to the first illegally passed base, but if a runner has passed more than one base illegally they must first return to the second of the illegally passed bases before continuing.

 d.  Any runner is out when they pass a preceding runner before such runner is out.

 

Rule G.7 explanation:

We are still keeping the same rule, that if a runner is not maintaining forward motion  when the pitcher has the ball within the diamond that the runner must return to the previous base, yet they can still be tagged out while returning to the base.  We also added that you may tag the base they are supposed to return to for a forced out.  The same applies for a runner that crosses a base after the pitcher has control of the ball within the diamond.

This was always such a difficult situation to ref because it’s tough to yell out that a runner must return during the midst of play.  This rule change makes it the ref’s job to notice the infraction and make the correct call when the defense makes a play.  We are allowing the ref to call runners back in this scenario at the end of play even if the defense doesn't make an attempt to get the runner out in order to avoid giving the offense too much of an advantage.

This approach is similar to requiring the defense to notice if a runner didn't tag up on a caught ball.  In the case of the caught ball, the ref doesn't call back the player but makes the correct call.  In the case of rule G.7 the ref does call back the runner safely at the end of play unless that runner has already been tagged or forced out.

We also added that if you cross two or more bases illegally, then it’s your own fault (or your base coach’s fault) for not noticing that the pitcher had the ball as you are rounding multiple bases, and you are automatically out.

 

Rule G.8 addition:

8.       A runner that is forced from a base by a ball in play is no longer safe on that base until the force is removed.

a.       If the runner is hit or tagged with the ball while occupying a base they are forced from, they are out.

b.         A runner hit or tagged while occupying an unforced base is safe, except in case of rule I.5. (intentional contact)

 

Rule G.8 explanation:

This is a new rule clarifying that if you are forced from a base, and a ball hits you while you are occupying that base, you are out.  You are only safe if a ball hits you while on base if you have left the base from which you were forced. 

 

Rule J.1 change:

J.        Ball in Play

1.  Once the pitcher gains and retains possession of the ball within the diamond (see Rule A.1) and all runners are on a base without a defensive attempt to get them out, the play ends. Refs may call "time" to end a play but should only do so after these conditions are met.

Rule J.1 explanation:

Since we have given the refs the ability to send back runners who have crossed an illegal base or have proceeded to an illegal base, we wanted to make sure to have a clearer picture of what constitutes the “end of play”.  This has always been what marks the “end of play”, but it wasn’t explained in the rules.  When all runners are on base, and the pitcher has the ball within the diamond and is not attempting to get out a runner, then “time” may be called signaling the end of play.  Without the new language a ref could call time before the pitcher is done chasing a runner back to their base, etc.  ***Remember:  runners may not advance (unless they are off base at this time and maintaining forward motion) when the pitcher has the ball within the diamond, even if the pitcher is moving towards a runner or base in attempt to make a defensive play.  Runners may only continue at this time if the pitcher losses possession of the ball.

 

Rule J.3-J.5 change:

J. BALL IN PLAY

3. Ground-Rule Doubles:

a. If a kicked ball becomes unplayable in any landscape in fair territory, on a bounce or in the air, the referees shall rule the play dead and award a ground rule double to the kicker.   All runners shall advance 2 bases from their location at the beginning of play.

b. On a field in which a fence surrounds the area of play, if a thrown ball leaves the area of play each runner shall be allowed to continue to the next base in front of them, and then advance an additional base.

4. Ground-Rule Triples:  When a kicked ball hits the ground in fair territory then bounces over the back outfield fence, play stops and the kicker and all runners shall advance three bases from their location at the beginning of play.
5.  Home Run:  If ball hits the outfield fence or player without hitting the ground in fair territory and goes over the back outfield fence, this is a home run.

Rule J.3-J.5 explanation:

Ground rule doubles remain for those odd situations where a kicked or fielded ball becomes unplayable.

Ground rule triples have been introduced for those situations where the ball first hits the ground and then bounces over the back outfield fence.  Baseball adheres to a ground rule double policy, but this is a different game where the ball travels back much more slowly from the outfield.  In an attempt to not penalize the offense, we put the ground rule triple into effect.

The home run rule is new, but it is one of those “understood” rules that we needed to make clear.

 

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this.  Share with your teammates, friends, family…everyone!

See you all out there on Sunday!

Keep kicking,

Diana G.