Greetings, The Fall Ball Kickball League (FBKL) has now formed, and has grown to 24 teams. We are looking at a minimum eight-game season to run on Sunday evenings from September 1 through October 27. The games will be held at Hobbs and at Holcom Gold, Red and Blue. Game times will be 4:00, 5:30 and 7:00, with the games at Hobbs being 5:30, 7:00 and a Game of the Week at 9:00. We will be following the KVKL rulebook, with just a few modifications. They are as follows: 1) There are no “official team rosters” in FBKL. Teams may draw freely from other teams, fans in the stands or softball players on the adjoining fields. This is to ensure that all teams have enough players at game time. The KVKL configuration rules will remain in effect, with 7-3 on the field and all the rest concerning line-ups. 2) The teams will be keeping their own score in the dugouts, and passing the book back and forth every half inning. We will also be going with only two required umpires, one at the plate and one at first base. Good umps can handle this. This way each team is required to provide only one official for the games they are calling. The reffing order is Game 1 refs Game 2, Game 2 refs Game 3, Game 3 refs Game 1. That way you never have to call a game and then go immediately to play one. 3) The team in the field must provide a pitcher and a catcher. The rest of the players may play anywhere they like, as long as they are between the foul lines. Infielders will still have to play behind the “encroachment line,” of course. 4) Metal cleats and spikes will not be allowed. Don’t bring them, as you might end up playing barefoot! 5) We are sticking with the “One Bunt Per Inning” rule. Teams will be allowed only one bunt in fair play per inning. A bunt is defined as the manner in which the ball is kicked, not where it ends up. A full leg swing is not a bunt, an abbreviated swing, stop or jump is. Kickers, be honest about whether you were bunting or not!! If it is a fair ball, it counts as a bunt, regardless if the kicker is safe or out. If it is one of those magical bunts that bounces up foul and is caught for the out, that counts as a bunt. All subsequent bunts in the inning will be called as foul balls. Teams who use the bunt as part of their offensive arsenal will still have the option of nine bunts per game, one per inning. 6) There will be no equipment pick-up and drop off requirements. Clipboards and Bunt/No Bunt signs will be delivered to each ball diamond prior to the games. Please bring all the Holcom clipboards and signs to Hobbs during the Game of the Week and give them to Somebody Really Important, who will tabulate the results. What could possibly go wrong, right? 7) The teams have been divided into competitive divisions, based upon KVKL history and captain interviews. We have four divisions, so be ready for lots of close, exciting games. 8) We are not going to use the KVKL rule which allows a pitcher to pick off base runners as they are returning to base. If a runner passes a base after the pitcher has secured the ball within the infield, the umpire should just send him back to that base. As in so many things, this is an ump judgment call. FBKL Umpires and Refs As mentioned previously, we are requiring teams to provide only one umpire per game. The teams will keep their own score in the scorebooks provided, and pass them back and forth between dugouts between innings. “First base, get the book. Third base, get the book!” The umpires should position themselves behind home plate and then along the first base line. Most calls at first and second will be handled by the field judge, most calls at the plate and at third base will be handled by the home plate umpire. If any team is uncomfortable with this, they are welcome to bring an additional field judge to cover third base. Teams are required to umpire the game immediately following their own. If you have the last game of the evening, then you will need to send one person from your team to ref the early game. This way, it is easy to keep straight. You’ll always know which game you are responsible for. I realize this means if you have a late game, you’ll have to come out to the first game to ref and then have a break before your game. However, as team captains often ref the games, it will give the captains a chance to collect their wits, have a beverage or three and get their team organized before the start of the final game play. Everybody, be nice to your refs. Always. This is what we have done in the past, and it has worked out great. Thanks! One fun wrinkle - were going to be flipping a coin before every game to determine who is the Visitor and who is the Home Team. If no one has a coin, it is best 2 out of 3 in the old standby, Rock, Paper, Scissors! That should cover it. The cost for the season is $150, which will cover the costs of the fields and other expenses. No one is making a penny on this endeavor, and our books will always be open for inquiring minds. Any funds remaining at the end of the season will be applied to a Worthy Debauchery. Cheers and Hard Kicks, Rick McNeely Fall Ball Kickball League 2014
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 18:48:28 +0000