35) Kickball

Supplies
* handball of approximately 10 in. diameter
* 4 objects to mark off bases

Set-up
Set up four bases, in the shape of a square, with at least 40 or 50 feet between each base. One of these bases is the starting point, and is called "home." The other three, counter-clockwise, are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base.

How to Play
This game plays like baseball. Two equal teams are formed. One team lines up at "home," and the other spreads out among and beyond the bases. The team that is at Home is "up," and each of these players takes turns standing on home base, to try and kick the ball. A "pitcher" from the opposing team, stands about 15 feet in front of home base, on the inside of the square formed by the bases, and rolls the ball to the player who is up. The ball must come close enough to kick, or it is considered a "ball." The player who is up has three tries to kick the ball through the area formed by the bases, past the pitcher. When successful, the player may run around the bases, from home, to first, to second, third, and home again- as far as he/she wants to risk (but at least one base), before someone grabs the ball and tries to tag him/her out. If unsuccessful after three tries (each miss is a "strike"), the team has an "out," and the player goes to the back of the line. If the pitcher pitches four balls, the player gets to walk to first base without being tagged out. If the player kicks the ball along the outer sides of the boundary created by the bases, it is a "foul," and four fouls equals one out. Three outs for a team means that the teams switch sides.
Assuming that a player kicks the ball and approaches first base, the players on the opposing team may try to catch the ball if it goes in the air, and if successful, the kicker is out. Alternatively, they may grab the ball, and throw it to anyone else, in an attempt to tag the kicker before he/she reaches base, and thus get him/her out. In most cases, a kicker will stop at first base, and wait for the next kicker to kick the ball, before heading for second base, and so on. If the kicker chooses, however, he/she can risk running for the next base. When the next kicker successfully kicks the ball within the boundaries, each player on a base must run at least to the next base. If the ball is caught in the air, however, the player must run back to the bases they were just at, before being tagged. The current kicker is then out, along with anyone who is tagged before getting back to base.

12/31/06, 9:02pm