CHA KICKBALL
Spring 2026 · Thursdays · White Oak Ballfields

The Official Rules of GO Kickball Rev 3-1-26

1. Equipment
1.01 The official custom-branded GO Kickball is a red, round 10-inch rubber ball.
1.02 The Bases are heavy-duty, waffled-back, white bases.
1.03 All fielders and kickers must have footwear; bare-feet are not allowed. Depending on local Parks and Recreation rules, cleats may or may not be allowed on the fields. League Directors will make final determination for each city. Where cleats are not allowed, only running, gym or turf shoes are permitted. Metal cleats are never allowed.
1.04 The provided team t-shirts should be worn during all games.
1.05 A player's attire is considered to be an extension of the player.
1.06 Gloves are not permitted for fielders or pitchers except during extremely cold weather and should not provide any competitive advantage. Sticky substances are never allowed to be applied to player's hands or the kickballs.
2. Field
2.01 The bases are set up in the shape of a diamond with the bases 60 feet apart.
2.02 1st base includes both a Fielder's base and a Runner's base. The Fielder's base is located inside the 1st baseline in fair territory, while the Runner's base is located outside the 1st baseline in foul territory approx. a foot away. A cone may be used to separate the bases to distinguish them.
2.02.1 The Runner's base is used when a runner is traveling from home plate to 1st base and does not intend to advance to 2nd base. That is the only time that the runner's base can be used by a baserunner.
2.02.2 Fielders attempting to make an out at 1st base may only use the Fielder's base to make an out. In the case of an errant throw that takes the fielder into foul territory and the path of the runner, the fielder may tag the outside Runner's base and the runner can use the inside base to avoid a collision. It is at the runner's discretion to swap bases, and the fielder cannot make contact or impede the runner or they will be deemed safe at that base.
2.03 The Pitcher's mound is located halfway between 1st base and 3rd base along the imaginary line.
2.04 The strike zone is 2 feet wide on either side of home plate and 6 inches above home plate.
2.05 Cones are used to designate the width of the strike zone. The cones are 8-9" tall, and are used as a visual reference for the referee to judge the height of the 6" strike zone.
2.06 Cones will be placed along the foul lines approximately 30 ft past 1st and 3rd base.
2.07 The entirety of the foul lines including all primary bases and home plate are in FAIR territory.
3. Player & Team Eligibility
3.01 Each team ideally consists of 15+ players and everyone must be 21 and over. Small teams or teams with less than 15 players may be merged or have "free agents" added to their roster.
3.02 In order for a team to be game eligible, there must be at least 4 females and 8 total players at the start of the game. Only players registered for a team may play for that respective team unless official subs are approved.
3.02.1 If a team is not considered to be game eligible, they may request additional players to get up to 11 (subs must still be registered that season on another team) or play an official game with fewer than the required number of players. The opponent's Team Captain can negotiate any stipulations and MUST APPROVE any request or else the game is considered a forfeit. Once the opponent agrees to an official game, then that decision cannot be changed later in the game. During regular season play, teams cannot force a forfeit if a team is short 1 female at the start of the game.
3.02.2 A forfeit game results in a 7-0 victory for the non-forfeiting team.
3.02.3 If neither team is game eligible, then the game will proceed as normal.
4. Referees
4.01 A referee will be provided for each game. Referees are responsible for making calls on balls, strikes, outs, and all plays in the game for their respective field, and the referee's call is the final decision in all matters.
4.02 Challenged calls may only be made by the team captains and must be done in a respectful manner. Judgement calls are not challengeable.
4.03 Referees will report the final scores of each game to the Field Supervisor or League Director.
4.04 Referees and Field Supervisors are trained and responsible for conducting games in a professional manner, and are empowered at their discretion to give a Warning and/or Eject any player that instigates arguments, uses foul language and/or flagrant abuse towards the opposing team, referee, or anyone else at the fields.
4.05 Referees and/or Field Supervisors are responsible for suspending a game due to rain or lightening. Players should stay in the area if the referee requests them to, as the game may be able to resume after a delay. If a team leaves and does not come back as the referee requested, that team will have to forfeit. Any cancellations will follow the GO Kickball Rainout Policy.
5. General Rules
5.01 The kicking order should be exchanged with the other captain prior to the start of the game.
5.02 The kicking order cannot change during the course of a game unless agreed by the other team. Players arriving late after the game has started must be added to the end of the lineup.
5.03 Team members are not required to play in the field in order to kick.
5.04 All fielders that are playing in the game must kick.
5.05 If a team member cannot kick at their designated spot in the kicking order, their "at kick" will be counted as an out unless the player was injured during the game.
5.06 No more than 11 players can take the field at one time.
5.07 At least 4 females must play in the field unless due to an injury earlier in the game or a concession was made and agreed to by both captains prior to the game.
5.08 Fielders can be changed anytime between and within innings but may not cause unnecessary delays.
5.09 Teams may choose to have 1st base and 3rd base coaches. Coaches may not interfere with play or physically assist the runners in any way. High Fiving a player that is running around the bases is not considered assistance.
5.10 Attempts to circumvent or violate the spirit of the rules will be at the ref's discretion to rule on the appropriate action.
5.11 Alcohol is not permitted at the fields. No bottles, cans or cups of alcohol may be present at the park or fields before, during or after a game. Referees and field supervisors are instructed to delay the start of the game until all alcoholic beverages are removed from the premises. The delayed time does count against the game time and the game will be shortened and played once all alcohol has been removed. If a player or team does not remove alcoholic beverages when requested, then the respective player(s) will be ejected from the game and the team may be forced to forfeit their game at the discretion of the referee and field supervisor.
6. Regulation Game
6.01 A regulation game will be 7 innings or one hour in length, whichever comes first. No new inning should be started after 50 mins have been played. For Playoff or Tournament games, 6 innings are played in case of extra innings.
6.01.1 If a game is shortened due to weather or other reasons, 4 full innings constitute an official game (3½ innings if the home team is ahead in bottom of 4th inning). Scores revert back to the last completed inning if shortened. Games that are not completed or reach official game status will be started over when rescheduled.
6.01.2 If a regular season game is tied at the end of 7 innings, extra innings may be allowed as long as time permits and both teams agree. Each team gets a chance to kick in extra innings.
6.01.3 If after 1 hour the game is still tied, it will be recorded as a tie.
6.01.4 Tournament/Playoff Rules Tie-Breaker: In the event of a tied game at the end of regulation, the game will complete extra innings until one team wins outright. For tournament/playoff game extra innings, teams will start their at-kick with the next kicker in the lineup starting on 2nd base, 1 out in the inning and each kicker will start with 2 balls in the count. The first team to have a higher run total at the end of a full extra inning wins the game.
6.02 Each team gets to kick in each inning. Once 3 outs have been recorded against a team, their "at kick" is over. Once both teams have kicked, that inning is over and the game proceeds to the next inning if time permits.
6.03 "Rock-paper-scissors" will be played by the captains of each team at the beginning of the game to determine the home and away team. The winner of "Rock-paper scissors" will choose if they are home or away. The home team is in the field first and has the last at-kick in the game.
7. Fielding
7.01 Each team's pitcher must roll the ball to the opposing team's kicker.
7.02 The Pitcher must release the ball behind the mound and within two feet on either side of the mound, mirroring the two feet on each side of the home plate strike zone.
7.03 The Pitcher cannot throw a sidearm or overhand pitch when delivering the ball to the kicker. A legal pitch must be delivered with the pitcher's wrist below their elbow, and the ball must be released at or below the waist level.
7.04 The Pitcher MUST roll or bounce the ball multiple times enroute to home plate. The second bounce must occur prior to reaching home plate.
7.05 The Pitcher must roll the ball within a 5 ft wide "Roller's Path" that starts from the mound and extends to home plate with the path being 5 foot wide and in-line with the strike zone cones on each side of home plate. If a ball rolls or bounces completely outside that path and spins back across home plate, it is a ball unless the kicker offers at it.
7.06 Fielders must be in line with or behind the mound until the ball is released. Once the ball is rolled, the pitcher may advance past the imaginary line between 1st and 3rd base. No other fielders can cross the imaginary line between 1st and 3rd until the ball is kicked.
7.06.1 For female kickers, the pitcher is not allowed to advance past the imaginary line between 1st and 3rd base until after the ball is kicked.
7.06.2 If a fielder advances across the imaginary line before the ball is kicked and attempts to interfere with the play in the judgment of the referee, the kicker will be awarded an automatic walk. If the next kicker is a female, the walked kicker advances to 2nd base (See Rule 7.10).
7.06.3 If the ball is kicked and the offending player fields the ball or interferes with the play in the judgment of the referee, the kicker will be awarded an automatic walk unless the result of the play allows the runner to advance past 1st base. The runner may advance past 1st base on an errant throw at their own risk.
7.07 The catcher must play behind the line formed by the two strike-zone cones and the front of home plate until after a ball is kicked, and no part of their body may be in front of that line prior to the kick. If the kicked ball makes contact with the catcher, and the ball is in foul territory, it is ruled a foul.
7.07.1 If the catcher opts to play near the cone line, then they must stand at least 4 feet outside of either strike-zone cone, and may not block the kicker's attempt to kick the ball in any way. Flat cones may be used to denote the 4 ft marks.
7.07.2 If any part of the catcher's body moves within 4 feet of the strike zone cones before the ball is put into play or interferes with the kicker's ability to kick the ball in any way, as determined by the referee, the kicker will be awarded a walk. If the next kicker is a female, the walked kicker advances to 2nd base (See Rule 7.10).
7.08 There is no In-Field Fly Rule since a kickball is more difficult to catch than a baseball or softball. However, a player may not intentionally drop a catch-able ball in an attempt to complete a double-play. If a player intentionally drops a catchable ball, as determined by the referee, then all players are safe at their next base including the kicker at first. If the Referee determines that the player accidentally dropped the ball, then play continues via normal rules of play.
7.09 If 11 players are present in the field, one player must play the catcher position. If a team has 10 or fewer fielders, then they can all play in the field and forego a catcher.
7.10 If a player (male or female) is walked at any time (intentional or unintentional) and a female kicker is next at-kick in the lineup, the player automatically walks to 2nd base. If there are 2 outs, the female kicker next in the lineup has the option of walking to 1st base or kicking. If there are less than 2 outs, then the next kicker must kick.
7.11 Walking a player intentionally is allowed and no pitches have to be rolled.
7.12 Any runner not safely on a base can be hit with the kickball by a fielder. The runner is out unless the ball hits them in the head or neck.
7.13 If the ball is thrown (or kicked) by the defense out of the field of play and the ref calls time, each base runner is awarded the base they were going to at the time the defense initially threw the ball plus one additional base. Foul territory is still in play as long as the ball has not been ruled out of play by the referee, and base runners may advance as many bases as they desire at their own risk.
8. Kicking
8.01 The kicker must wait for the ball to reach home plate before kicking the ball. If any part of the kicker's "plant foot" (non-kicking foot) breaks the plane in front of home plate when the kick occurs then it is considered a FOUL ball. If the kicker kicks the ball in the air and it is caught, then the kicker is OUT, and runners may tag up. Otherwise the call is a strike/foul against the kicker.
8.02 The kicker may kick the ball anywhere behind the line formed by the strike zone cones as long as their plant foot is not in front of home plate. If the kicked ball travels into fair territory before passing 1st or 3rd base and is touched by a defensive player or comes to rest in fair territory, then it is a FAIR ball.
8.03 A kicker may not touch the ball a second time after first contact while in the kicking motion. This is called a "double kick" and results in a dead ball and a foul/strike on the kicker. Once the kicker leaves the kicking area and begins to run to 1st base, if the ball touches them in fair territory, they are out and the play is ruled dead. All other runners must return to the previous base they started on if that happens.
8.04 A kick can be made with any part of the leg.
9. Outs
9.01 Three (3) outs by the kicking team constitutes their at-kick for the inning.
9.02 An out is:
9.02.1 A count of 4 strikes to a kicker (fouls count as strikes)
9.02.2 Any kicked ball that never hits the ground and is caught by a fielder regardless of whether the ball is fair or foul
9.02.3 A runner that does not make it to the next base before they are tagged or before a fielder has control of the ball while touching the base they are forced to run to. (see rule 14.07) *Note: This is referred to as a Force Out
9.02.4 A runner that leads off a base before the ball is kicked (This is a Dead Ball and other runners cannot advance)
9.02.5 A runner tagged or hit by a thrown ball below the neck by a fielder while not safely on a base
9.02.6 A runner hit by a kicked ball directly from the kicker regardless of where the ball hit them (results in Dead Ball)
9.02.7 A runner impeding a fielder from fielding a ball (i.e. bumping, yelling or distracting the fielder while the fielder is in the motion of playing a ball)
9.02.8 A runner that does not make it back to their base (after a caught ball) before tagging up by the time the fielder has control of the ball while touching the base or by tagging the runner with the ball (see "Tag Up" rule 14.04) *Note: This is not considered a Force Out
9.02.9 A runner that runs outside of the 5 foot baseline to avoid a tag unless trying to avoid a fielder blocking the baseline
9.02.10 A runner or kicker that intentionally interferes with the ball
9.02.11 A runner that is physically assisted by a base coach or other team member
9.02.12 A runner that passes another runner
9.02.13 A kicker that cannot kick at their designated spot in the kicking order unless they are injured (If a player misses their turn in the kicking order due to injury, they may not return to the game)
10. Balls
10.01 Four (4) balls by the pitcher to the kicker is a walk, and the kicker is awarded 1st base.
10.02 A ball is:
10.02.1 Any pitch that results in the ball being outside the strike zone
10.02.2 Any pitch that hit one of the strike zone cones
10.02.3 Any pitch that is more than 6 inches off the ground when it crosses the entirety of home plate
10.02.4 Any pitch that does not bounce multiple times before reaching the front edge of home plate
10.02.5 A ball that is not pitched completely within the 5 foot wide "Roller's Path"
10.02.6 A pitch that is thrown sidearm or overhand
11. Strikes
11.01 Four (4) strikes or fouls by the kicker is an out.
11.02 Any roll that is not kicked and not considered a ball is a strike.
11.03 An attempted kick that is missed by the kicker is a strike.
12. Foul & Fair Balls
12.01 Foul balls are considered strikes.
12.02 Foul balls can count as the fourth strike.
12.03 A foul ball is:
12.03.1 Any ball that is kicked and touches in foul territory without going into fair territory
12.03.2 Any ball that is kicked and touches in fair territory, but crosses into foul territory before passing 1st base or 3rd base
12.03.3 A "double-kick" or the ball bouncing up and hitting the kicker a second time while still in the kicking motion. This is a dead ball and cannot be caught if kicked in the air.
12.03.4 A ball that is kicked and hits a 'back-stop', trees, wires or anything extraneous to the playing area before going into fair territory
12.04 A fair ball is:
12.04.1 Any ball that touches and stays in fair territory
12.04.2 Any ball that touches in fair territory and then crosses into foul territory after passing 1st base or 3rd base
12.04.3 Any ball that is in fair territory when it touches a player or referee (regardless of where they are standing) before crossing into foul territory
13. Dead Ball
13.01 When any defensive player has the ball within 6 ft of the pitcher's mound and the lead base runner has stopped reasonable advancement to the next base in the determination of the referee the play is over. The referee should call time so that all players know the play has stopped.
13.02 When a kicked ball by the offense directly hits a base runner off base or a baserunner on base that is forced to run, it is a dead ball and the runner is out. The kicker is awarded 1st base and all other base runners must return to their previous base. (See Rule: 9.02.6)
13.03 When a live ball goes out of the field of play as determined by the referee, it is a dead ball. The referee will review this with the captains before the game what areas for each field are considered out of play. Foul territory is considered in play otherwise, and the ball is live until the play ends normally.
13.04 When a base runner interferes with a fielder's opportunity to make a play or deliberately disrupts the play it is a dead ball and the runner is out. All other base runners must return to their last base touched prior to the runner's interference.
13.05 If a ball deflates or pops during a play, then the play is dead and must be replayed from the start
13.06 If a baserunner leads off base before the kicker puts the ball in play (See Rule 9.02.4)
13.07 A delayed dead ball is when a defensive infraction has occurred, but the result of the play determines the outcome.
13.08 A delayed dead ball is:
13.08.1 Obstruction on the defense either by blocking a base or interfering with the runner's right to the baseline (the Defense only has a right to field a ball kicked by the offense, fielders must avoid runners on errant throws)
13.08.2 When a fielder (or pitcher against a female kicker) is in front of the imaginary line between 1st and 3rd base before the ball is kicked and makes a play on the ball or interferes with play. If the kicker does not reach first base safely then the delayed dead ball results in an automatic walk to the kicker.
14. Advancing the Bases
14.01 When runners advance from one base to the next, they may choose their path when they round each base. However, when a fielder attempts to make a play on them, they must remain within 5 ft of a straight line to the base they are running to. If the runner runs outside the base line to elude a ball thrown at them or a tag attempt they are out. The runner may only run outside the base line to elude a fielder that is making an active play on the ball.
14.02 If a fielder obstructs a runner from reaching a base (i.e. blocking the base or base line) and they are not making an active play on the ball, the runner will be considered safe at the intended base if they would have reasonably made it, in the referee's judgment, if not for the obstruction.
14.03 Runners are allowed to over-run first base when using the runner's base but must not show intention to round first and head to second base. If the runner shows intention to head to second, and is hit or tagged by the ball below the neck, then the runner is out. No other bases can be over-run (except for home of course).
14.04 If a ball is caught in the air by a fielder, baserunners must return to their base and "tag-up" before advancing to the next base.
14.04.1 Runners can advance on a caught ball as long as the runner has tagged their original base after the ball was originally touched by a fielder. One fielder can tip and then later catch or tip to another player, but the runner can tag up when less than 2 outs once the first contact happens between the fielder and ball.
14.04.2 Any runs that score before the defense make the 3rd out on a failed tag-up attempt will count.
14.05 Runners are allowed to slide into a base. If the runner slides or ducks to elude the ball and is hit while off the base (including the neck or head), they are out. Runners that slide into a base recklessly and cause the fielder to drop the ball will be ruled out regardless if they reached the base prior to being out.
14.06 After a ball is kicked into the field of play, the ball is considered "live" and runners may advance until the ball is controlled by the defense within a 6 foot radius of the pitcher's mound or the play is ruled dead by the referee.
14.07 Runs are scored when runners cross and touch home plate. Runners must cross and touch each base in order on the way to home plate. If the runner crosses and touches home plate during the 3rd out in the field and the 3rd out was a force out, then the run does not count (see rule 9.02.3).
14.08 If a base is displaced for any reason during a play, the original spot where the base was prior to being displaced must be used. Once the play is over, the base will be replaced in the original spot.
14.09 If a runner misses a base while rounding, they will be out unless they return to the base and tag it prior to the play ending. Once the play is over, the referee will rule on any missed bases and call the outs (there are no appeals).
14.10 If a baserunner knocks the ball away from the defense on purpose, the runner will be out and the play will be ruled dead. All other runners must return to the last base they touched prior to the interference. This will also result in a warning to that player.
14.11 Pinch runners are allowed only when a player that has made it to a base is injured. When a pinch runner is requested, the Defense will select a player on the Offense that is not currently up to kick to be the pinch runner. The pinch runner must be a male replacing a male or female replacing a female. The requesting player may still be part of the game and can continue to kick and field if they are one of only 4 females and/or one of 8 required players on the team, but the team may play short if the injured player(s) cannot continue. Note: the Defense cannot go against the spirit of the rule to try and force the offense to take an out, and any pinch runner chosen will still kick in their normal spot in the order when it comes up. Additional pinch runners may need to be chosen any time a runner on base is injured or is up to kick.
14.12 A baserunner running to first base that makes contact with the fielder's base or first base player while the fielder is wholly in fair territory and attempting to make a play will be ruled out. Any reckless plays or dangerous slides that cause a fielder to be knocked to the ground or injured may result in the offending player being ejected from the game. This will also result in play being ruled dead and all other runners must return to the last base they touched prior to the interference.
15. Grace Rules

GO Kickball does not use "Mercy" rules as we want everyone to enjoy their full game time each week, and stopping games early defeats the purpose of everyone enjoying a fun game. These "Grace" rules may be adopted by your local league and will apply to all regular season games excluding playoff and tournament games.

15.01 A team can only score a maximum of 6 runs per half inning if they are leading or take the lead during their at-kick. Once a team scores 6 runs, that half inning ends no matter the number of outs. If a team is down by more than 6 runs when their at-kick starts, then they can score as many runs as necessary to tie the game, at which point their half-inning will end. Note: The only exception to this rule is once the ref calls the start of the last inning, either due to time or it being the 7th inning, there are always unlimited runs for both teams.
15.02 When a team is down by 10 runs or more when it's their at-kick, that team will begin with their LAST KICKER from the previous inning starting on THIRD BASE. This is repeated for each inning that a team starts their at-kick when they are down by 10 runs or more.
The underlying base of the Official GO Kickball Rules are derived from USA Softball co-ed rules. Where specific rules may not be covered for every scenario in the game of kickball, the long-standing rules of softball (or baseball) will prevail when not specifically covered in the Official GO Kickball Rules. We aim to always follow the Spirit of the Rules!