Yes! And...'s Annual Kickball Tournament

June 9, 2013

This year's Kickball Tournament was fun for everybody! Among the picnic-like atmosphere under the trees, teams sat ready to do battle on the kickball field. For an afternoon, everyone was transported back to third and fourth grade recess and it was awesome. We saw the reign of the team from Germantown Mennonite end with the crowning of the Halo Hackers as champions. Check back next year for your chance to knock them off their throne.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Next year, you can sign up as a team, connect with an already established team or just come and hang out, watch, and eat. The entire day is a fun family event, filled with food, friends old and new and friendly competition on the Kickball field!

The Rules

We love kickball because it's retro, because it's radically recreational, and because it welcomes a range of ages, creeds, and body types. Kids love it because it's a game, and adults love it because it's a game that makes them feel like kids.

In this spirit, the rules of the Yes! And... Collaborative Arts Kickball Tournament are as follows. All of the basic rules of baseball and softball apply (four bases, players must run the bases in the correct order, etc) with the following special changes:

1. Each side must have 10 players: 1 pitcher, 1 catcher, 4 infielders (1b, 2b, 3b, and SS), and 4 outfielders (LF, CF, RF, and "shortfield" [SF], defined as a fourth outfielder who may play anywhere in the outfield but must remain behind second base at all times)
2. Pitchers must roll the ball with the sole intention of allowing the kicker to kick it. If the kicker requests a slower pitch then the pitcher is obligated to do so. No fastballs, bouncing throws, or tricky spins
3. There are no strikeouts. Kickers have as many rolls as needed to kick a fair ball
4. Pitchers must pitch from the pitching mound and cannot go in front of pitching mound until the ball is kicked
5. Kickers must kick the ball with their feet or shins. Any "kick" above the knee counts as a foul ball, giving the kicker another chance
6. Outs can be recorded in three ways: (a) If the ball is caught in the air without touching the ground first (a fly out); (b) if 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); (c) if a defensive player touches the runner directly with the ball while holding it (a tag out). Runners may not be tagged above the shoulders
7. "Pegging" is NOT ALLOWED. Fielders may not throw the ball at runners to record an out (or for any other reason, for that matter)
8. Plastic cleats are allowed, but NO METAL CLEATS
9. We will be maintaining a "handicap" rule for teams with few or no kids on them.

In keeping with the spirit of Yes! And...'s mission, we request (but do not demand) that each team have at least 3 kids (defined as under 18 years of age) on the field at any given time. After all, the reason we love kickball is that kids love to play because it's fun, and we love to play because it lets us feel like kids.