What do you get when you cross soccer with baseball? California Kickball, of course. The great thing about it is that it can be played either indoors or outdoors, which means that the game's on no matter what the weather is like!
California Kickball - Getting Started
It goes without saying that the
first thing you're going to need is a
ball. Though everyone associates that
bumpy red ball with this game, you could easily use a
ball of the same shape instead if that's all you've got lying around (something like a
soccer ball or
volleyball would be just fine). The layout for
California Kickball is pretty much identical to that of a
baseball diamond, complete with
four bases. With
nine players on each team, the positions are the same as in
baseball (
three players on base, one shortstop, one
pitcher, one catcher, and three outfielders). Each team takes turns playing
offense and
defense, which leads us to the next step...
California Kickball - Playing the Game
Okay, if you've ever watched or played
baseball, you pretty much know how this works. Keep in mind, though - there are a few
differences. Instead of
pitching the ball to a player, the pitcher must
kick it to them (the concept of
strikes and
balls remains, though the likelihood of someone being
unable to kick the ball isn't too great). If the
ball is caught after being
kicked, that player is automatically
out. But if the ball
bounces along without being caught, then the player can
run to first base (or even further, if possible). Like
baseball, the object is to clear
all the bases and make it to
home plate - if you're in the mood for a
long game, you can go ahead and do all
nine innings. Of course, that's not a number you have to
stick with (you could just decide to end the game whenever one of the teams reaches a
specific amount of points).
California Kickball - Rules, Rules, Rules
Pretty much
every single rule found in
California Kickball comes directly from
baseball, so just keep that in mind as you
play. If you want to
prevent players from making their way from
base to
base, you have to grab the
ball and tap them with it.
Stealing bases is allowed, but if someone holding the ball
tags you, you're out. And just like in
baseball, if the
pitcher kicks the ball too hard at the
kicker and
hits them with it, the
kicker gets a
free walk to
first base.
California Kickball is one of those rare sports that even people who aren't too
athletic can play, making it fun for just about anybody.
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