Kickball
Kickball is a playground game and competitive league game, similar to baseball, invented in the United States in the first half of the 20th Century. Kickball may also be known as kick baseball, soccer-base, or soccer-baseball.
History
Kickball, originally called "Kick Baseball", was invented around 1917 by Nicholas C. Seuss; Supervisor of Cincinnati Park Playgrounds in Cincinnati, Ohio.[1] Around 1920-1921 "Kick Ball" was used by physical education teachers in Public Schools to teach young boys and girls the basics of baseball. Around this time, the ball that was used was a soccer or volley ball. It was played by ten to thirty players and the field included a "Neutral Zone": an area not to be entered until the ball has actually been kicked. There was no pitcher as the ball would be kicked from the home area, which was a 3 ft circle. The ball must past beyond the 5 foot line. Base-runners could only advance one base on an infield ball. Teams would switch sides only after all team members have kicked.[2]
During this time, it was played on the same field as baseball except that there was only one base corresponding to a baseball diamond's 2nd base. Multiple players could be on base at a time, but all needed to get home before the last kicker kicked and the kicking order had retired.[3] There were also two short stop player positions: one between 1st and 2nd and the other between 2nd and 3rd. Home plate was marked by a 3 ft by 4 ft rectangle on the ground.[4]
American World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle reported it being played by U.S. soldiers during the Tunisia Campaign, 1942-1943.
Pitch
The game is typically played on a softball diamond with a 8.5 - to 16-inch (250- to 400-mm) inflated rubber ball. As in baseball/softball, the game uses 3 bases and a "home plate."
Rules
Rules generally follow baseball/softball rules, with the exception that the ball is kicked rather than struck with a bat. The pitcher rolls the ball towards the catcher, the "batter" kicks it with his/her foot, then runs to first base, becoming a runner.
A runner is out if any one of the following conditions are met:
- If the ball is caught in the air without touching the ground first, then the kicker is out (a fly out).
- In the case of a fly out, any runner already on base who attempts to advance before the ball is caught may themselves be counted out if the ball is returned to the base they were on before the ball was kicked.
- A defensive player with the ball touches the base ahead of a runner who is forced to go to that base, because of an advancing runner behind him (a force out).
- A defensive player touches the runner directly with the ball while holding it (a tag out).
- In some variations, a defensive player may throw the ball and hit the runner on the fly with it (often called "Indian Rubber").
- In informal games, it is often decided ahead of time whether to allow "Indian Rubber" in all or some situations (for example, hitting a runner in the head is often considered illegal even if "Indian Rubber" is otherwise legal). Some rules only allow for thrown balls that hit the runner on the fly to count as an out, while other rules may count any contact by a runner at any time with a ball (such as a kicked ball) as an out by "Indian Rubber".
Most versions also allow for balls and strikes, with a strike defined as any pitch which crosses the plate below the knees of the batter (and which is thus reasonably kickable), though each league may define balls and strikes differently. As with baseball, a fixed number of balls defines a "walk" (usually 4, though sometimes only 3), for which the batter gets a free trip to first base, and a fixed number of strikes (usually 3, though sometimes 2) will get a batter an "out".
Foul balls (those kicked outside of the line through home plate and either first or third base) may be handled in several ways, depending on local rules.
- They may be handled like baseball, with each foul counting as a strike, except that one cannot strike out on fouls (any foul hit with 2 strikes does not garner a third strike)
- They may be counted as strikes, and a foul on a third strike still counts for an out
- Every foul ball may count as an automatic out
- Some versions count fouls separately from strikes, and call the batter out after a fixed number of fouls (usually either 3 or 4), or sometimes limit the number of "2-strike" fouls which may be counted before fouling out.
In some versions of kickball, there is a "Halfway" rule in where a runner can finish running to the next base even though the pitcher is on the pitchers' mound if they are halfway to the base. But, if they are not, the player must get back to the base before a player touches the base that they ran from.
Kickball in other countries
Kickball is popular among youth in South Korea. Known as balyagyu/발야구 (foot-baseball), it is a staple in PE classes within elementary schools.
References
- ^ The Playground. Playground and Recreation Association of America. 1917. p. 240. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Mind and Body - A Monthly Journal devoted to Phycical Education Vol 27. The Mind and Body Publish Company. 1921. pp. 205–206. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ University of the State of New York Bulletin, Issue 724. fortnightly. 1920. pp. 131–132. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ School, Church, and Home Games. Association Press. 1922. p. 41. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- Parker, Ashley (2006-09-15). "Getting a Kick Out of Kickball". The New York Times. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
- Dreazen, Yochi J. (2005-07-06). "Playing kickball is much less fun with adults". The Wall Street Journal via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
- Skipp, Catharine (2006-08-21). "Trends: All for the Love of the Game". Newsweek. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Beja, Marc (2008-02-05). "Still Kicking". Washington Square News. Retrieved 2008-10-16.