Kickball: Ball-Strike Count with a Home Plate Umpire
Kickball with the full rulebook: rolled pitches, a strike zone on the ground, a ball-strike-foul count, and outs by catching or by force at a base. A student home plate umpire and two base umpires run the game while a scorekeeper tracks the count.
How to play
- Explain the rules: the ball is rolled, and it is a ball if it bounces above the knee or misses the 1 m zone marked with cones; a strike if it rolls through the zone without being kicked or the kicker misses; three strikes or three fouls is an out and four balls is a walk (3 min).
- Rolling and kicking practice in groups of four: pitcher, kicker, home plate umpire and fielder; the umpire calls each pitch and they rotate after five kicks (5 min).
- Four-inning game with three outs per inning; the home plate umpire calls the count, base umpires call safe or out and the scorekeeper records the count and runs (14 min).
- Review the most disputed plays and how many walks there were; adjust pitching if there were too many (3 min).
Rules
- A runner can be put out with a thrown ball only below the shoulders; a throw to the head awards the runner the base.
- No using the hands on the ball, and no bunting below the knee if the group agrees to ban it.
- Runners may not leave the base before the ball is kicked.
- A kick that goes outside the first or third base line is a foul.
Variations
Easier
Allow five balls and four strikes.
Standard
Full rules with a ball-strike-foul count and three umpires.
Harder
Each inning also ends when a team scores five runs, and it is played with two outs.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: kicks a stationary ball at the plate and a teammate runs for them.
- Visual impairment: use a large ball with a bell rolled more slowly, with a voice cue first.
- Hearing impairment: the umpire shows the count with raised fingers after every pitch.
Learning goals
- Learn and apply the full kickball rules.
- Umpire as a team, coordinating the plate and base umpires.
- Adjust rolling technique so the game flows.
Equipment for a class of 25
- rubber balls: 3
- bases: 4
- cones: 12
- pinnies: 14
- whistles: 2
- cards: 2
- pencils: 2
Teacher tip
A soft rubber ball about 8 inches across is ideal. Remind everyone of the no-throws-above-the-shoulders rule before each inning.
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