Kickball
EnTeam Physical Game
Purpose
Net-Kickball challenges players to work together and develop strategies for winning. The object of the game is for teams to score as many runs as possible in two 4-minute periods
Requirements
- Time: At least 45 minutes. Each game has two 4-minute halves. Teams play at least 2 games. Allow time between halves and games to plan how to improve.
- Number of Players: 9 or more (if there are teams, each team has 5 – 7 players)
- Player Requirements: Players must be able to kick a ball.
- Space: Indoor or outdoor kickball diamond field
- Equipment: 3 kickballs, a bucket for each field, a net for each pair of fielders, 4 bases, and a playing field. (Specifications below)
- Prerequisites: None
Game Set Up
- Before the game, place the bucket in the middle of center field and at least 2 meters away from 2nd base.
- Players from both teams decide position roles: pitcher, catcher, two or more pairs of fielders, and four or more kickers. Any player can have any position and every player must have a period as kicker.
- Players in the outfield partner up and each pair holds a net.
- Two extra balls go behind the catcher and home plate.
How to Play
- Teams have 4 minutes to score as many runs as possible.
- The first period starts when the pitcher rolls a ball towards home plate. The kicker must kick from home plate or behind home plate.
- After kicking the ball, there are three possible outcomes:
- If the ball hits the bucket without assistance, the kicker scores a homerun and all kickers who are on base score.
- If outfielders catch a kicked ball in the net in the outfield before the ball hits the ground, the kicker earns a double and the outfielders do not have to make the ball touch the bucket.
- The kick is a single if the kicked ball is neither a homerun nor a double. The kicker touches first base and then plays in the infield. The outfielders must make the ball touch the bucket.
- When a kicker is in the infield, the kicker can kick or head the ball toward the bucket, but they may not touch the ball with their hands or arms.
- A maximum of three kickers can be in the infield.
- A kicker can score a run only when forced home by the progress of other kickers.
- For example, if three kickers are in the infield and the outfielders catch the ball when kicked by the fourth kicker, then the first and second kickers score because the fourth kicker earned a double.
- In this example, the third and fourth kickers stay in infield, and the first kicker is up.
- Outfielders must work in pairs using a net, and their job is to catch fly balls. Also, the outfielders make the ball touch the bucket (if it is not a homerun or a double). They cannot touch the ball with any part of their body.
- After the ball touches the bucket, the outfielders use their net to throw the ball to the pitcher. Outfielders may not touch the ball with their hands or arms even when they are throwing the ball to the pitcher — they must throw with the net.
- Up to 3 balls can be in play at the same time. As soon as a kicker kicks a ball, the pitcher can get another ball from the catcher and pitch to the next kicker.
- The pitcher does not have to wait until the first ball touches the bucket before pitching to the next kicker.
- Before the second period, all players reposition and plan how to improve the score.
- The second period is also 4 minutes.
- The game ends after the second period.
Game Rules
- There are no outs, stealing, or foul balls.
- The ball must reach home plate before the kicker may kick it.
- Runners can only advance to the next base when the next kicker’s ball touches the bucket (or is forced by a double or homerun).
- Kickers rotate from the bench in the same consistent order.
- The kickers can only touch the ball with their feet and head to help the outfielders get the ball to the bucket.
- If the bucket is moved, it must be returned to its original position before the next pitch.
- Outfielders can only use their net to touch, catch, pick up, and move the ball.
- At least two outfielders must be holding a net whenever the ball is in the net.
**Whenever a Game Rule is violated, one kicker must go to the on-deck bench and no run can score (until the next kick).
- If a player touches the ball unintentionally, there is no penalty.
Debrief Questions
The purpose of debriefing is to develop strategies that will improve your performance and to recognize how these lessons apply to everyday life. To facilitate a successful debrief, facilitators must observe participants and ask engaging questions that spark thoughtful reflection. If we don’t debrief, we don’t learn!
What happened?
What did you see? What did you hear? What was the score?
What worked? What didn’t work?
How did people feel? What issue(s) came up? What issue(s) remain?
So what?
What did we learn?
How does this experience relate to other experiences?
Why are we doing this? How is it relevant to us?
Now what?
How could we improve our score in this activity?
How can we work together better?
How could we apply lessons learned outside of the game?
Digging Deeper
- Did anyone feel reluctant to share strategies?
- Why? Are you still in a win-lose mindset?
- If we are trying to improve collective achievement, who are you benefitting when you withhold strategies from other teams?
Debrief Chart (PDF)
Scoring: Score a run each time a kicker is advanced around the 3 bases and reaches home plate before the 4 minutes end.
Winning: Play two or more games to determine if the teams win together or lose together.
- If the score increases in each successive game, teams win together.
- If the score does not improve, they lose together.
Match Play
If there are more than 14 players, form teams with 5-7 players per team. Use EnTeam Score Sheets to organize the rotation of teams. After each team has played one game with each of the other teams in their match, the combined scores are totaled up. The teams win together if they can increase their scores continually.
Specifications of Equipment:
- The diamond may be a standard kickball field or a modified field agreeable to the players.
- The net is a rectangular piece of fabric approximately 2’ x 3’.
- The bucket is large enough to hold a kickball.
