• 19 variations
  • Checked October 2026

Kickball Variations

Six bases, runners in pairs, feet-only fielding and wading pools for bases: each variation says what it changes.

Kickball Variations

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  1. Pairs Kickball: Two Runners on Every Kick1. Kickball run in pairs. Kickers come to the plate two at a time. One kicks, and both run, side by side.2. A base holds one pair. The pair is safe only when both partners are touching it.3. Fielders make outs the usual ways: a catch, a tag on either partner with the ball in the hand, or the ball held on a forced base before both arrive.4. A run counts when both partners are home. The other partner kicks next time.Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 12 to 32. You need: four bases and a playground ball.
  2. Cone Kickball: Knock It Down Before the Runner Arrives1. Kickball in which outs are made at a cone. Stand a tall cone three steps to the infield side of each base and of home.2. Kick and run as usual. A runner may stop on a base only when a fielder is holding the ball.3. A fielder with the ball rolls or throws it at the cone beside the base a runner is heading for. If the cone falls first, the runner is out.4. A caught kick is an out too. Nobody throws at a runner, and a fielder stands the cone up again after each play.Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 10 to 30. You need: four bases, four tall cones and a playground ball.
  3. Long Base Kickball: One Far Base, Home When You Dare1. Kickball with one base in place of three. Set a single large base, such as a tarp staked flat, about twenty steps from home.2. The kicker kicks and runs to the long base. Any number of runners may wait there.3. A runner comes home on a later kick, whenever they dare. Once off the base, there is no going back.4. A caught kick or a tag with the ball in the hand is an out. Each runner home is a run. Change sides when everyone has kicked.Ages: 7 to 12. Players: 8 to 30. You need: one large base, a home plate and a playground ball.

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All 19 variations

Kickball variations for a field 9

  • Beat the Ball: The Ball Runs the Bases Too 1. Kickball with no tags: the kicker races the ball. Put a fielder on every base and the rest in the field. 2. After the kick, the kicker runs all four bases without stopping. 3. Whoever fields the ball throws it to first base. From there it goes to second, to third and home, each player catching it with a foot on the base. 4. If the kicker is home before the ball, it is a run. If the ball wins, it is an out. Change sides when everyone has kicked. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 10 to 30. You need: four bases and a playground ball.
  • Cone Kickball: Knock It Down Before the Runner Arrives 1. Kickball in which outs are made at a cone. Stand a tall cone three steps to the infield side of each base and of home. 2. Kick and run as usual. A runner may stop on a base only when a fielder is holding the ball. 3. A fielder with the ball rolls or throws it at the cone beside the base a runner is heading for. If the cone falls first, the runner is out. 4. A caught kick is an out too. Nobody throws at a runner, and a fielder stands the cone up again after each play. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 10 to 30. You need: four bases, four tall cones and a playground ball.
  • Either-Way Kickball: The Kicker Picks First or Third 1. Kickball in which the bases may be run in either direction. Lay two bases side by side at first, second and third, one for each direction. 2. After the kick, the kicker runs to first or to third. A runner keeps going the way they started. 3. Fielders make outs the usual ways, but first have to see which way each runner is heading. 4. A run is all four bases, either way around. Runners coming toward each other keep to the right. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 10 to 30. You need: seven bases and a playground ball.
Show all 19 variations (16 more)

Kickball variations for a field, continued

  • Feet-Only Kickball: Field the Ball Like a Soccer Team 1. Kickball in which the fielders may not use their hands. Kick and run as usual. 2. Fielders stop, pass and move the ball with their feet only. 3. A runner is out when a fielder stops the ball dead on the base ahead of them, with a foot on the ball and the ball on the base. There are no catches and no tags. 4. Three outs change the sides. Use big, flat bases, so that a ball can be stopped on them. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 10 to 30. You need: four flat bases and a playground ball.
  • Long Base Kickball: One Far Base, Home When You Dare 1. Kickball with one base in place of three. Set a single large base, such as a tarp staked flat, about twenty steps from home. 2. The kicker kicks and runs to the long base. Any number of runners may wait there. 3. A runner comes home on a later kick, whenever they dare. Once off the base, there is no going back. 4. A caught kick or a tag with the ball in the hand is an out. Each runner home is a run. Change sides when everyone has kicked. Ages: 7 to 12. Players: 8 to 30. You need: one large base, a home plate and a playground ball.
  • No-Pitcher Kickball: Kick It Off the Plate 1. Kickball with no pitcher. The kicker sets the ball on home plate and kicks it from there. 2. Mark a line five steps in front of the plate. A kick that stops short of the line is taken again. 3. The fielders stand behind that line until the ball is kicked, and one more fielder plays where the pitcher would be. 4. Everything else is the plain game. With the youngest classes, the whole team kicks before the sides change, whatever the outs. Ages: 5 to 9. Players: 8 to 24. You need: four bases and a playground ball.
  • Pairs Kickball: Two Runners on Every Kick 1. Kickball run in pairs. Kickers come to the plate two at a time. One kicks, and both run, side by side. 2. A base holds one pair. The pair is safe only when both partners are touching it. 3. Fielders make outs the usual ways: a catch, a tag on either partner with the ball in the hand, or the ball held on a forced base before both arrive. 4. A run counts when both partners are home. The other partner kicks next time. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 12 to 32. You need: four bases and a playground ball.
  • Six-Base Kickball: Two More Bases, Shorter Runs 1. Kickball with six bases in a ring in place of four, about twelve steps apart, home being the sixth. 2. Pitch, kick and field as usual: a caught kick, a tag with the ball in the hand or the ball held on a forced base is an out. 3. One runner to a base, so a short kick forces runners on and the fielders always have a play close by. 4. A run is all six bases. Sides change after three outs or when everyone has kicked, whichever comes first. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 12 to 30. You need: six bases and a playground ball.
  • Zone Kickball: No Running, the Landing Spot Scores 1. Kickball with no bases and no running. Mark three lines across the field with cones, each ten steps farther from home than the last. 2. The pitcher rolls the ball and the kicker kicks it. Where the ball first lands is the score: one, two or three, and four past the last line. 3. Fielders spread through the zones. A kick caught in the air scores nothing. 4. Each kicker gets two kicks and keeps the better one. Add up the team's total, then swap sides. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 6 to 30. You need: cones and a playground ball.

Kickball games for a gym 5

  • Basket Kickball: A Made Basket Stops the Runner 1. Kickball in a gym, with a basketball hoop as the way to stop a runner. Bases go in the four corners. 2. After the kick, the kicker runs the bases and keeps going, lap after lap, counting each base. 3. The fielders get the ball to a teammate near the hoop, by passes only, and shoot. When a shot goes in, everyone calls "stop". 4. The kicker scores the bases counted. A caught kick scores nothing. The shooter changes after each kicker, and the sides change when everyone has kicked. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 10 to 30. You need: four bases, a basketball hoop and a playground ball.
  • Crab Kickball: Everyone Moves on Hands and Feet 1. Kickball on half a court, with every player in the crab position: hands and feet on the floor, tummy up. 2. Set four bases six steps apart and use a large, light ball. The pitcher rolls it, and the kicker kicks from the crab position. 3. Runners and fielders crab-walk. A fielder makes an out by trapping the ball on a base with a foot before the runner gets there. 4. No catches and no tags. Play four minutes a side, count the runs, and have everyone stand up between innings. Ages: 8 to 12. Players: 8 to 24. You need: four bases and a large, light ball.
  • Dribble Kickball: Take a Second Ball Around the Bases 1. Kickball in which the runner brings a second ball along. A soccer ball waits beside home plate. 2. The kicker kicks the pitched ball, then dribbles the soccer ball around the bases with the feet. One runner goes at a time. 3. The fielders get the kicked ball back to the pitcher, who holds it up and calls "stop". 4. A runner standing on a base with the soccer ball under one foot scores the bases reached. A runner caught between bases scores nothing, and so does a caught kick. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 8 to 24. You need: four bases, a playground ball and a soccer ball.
  • Mat Kickball: Gym Mats for Bases, Walls in Play 1. Kickball for a gym, with a mat in each corner for a base and a foam ball. 2. A mat holds any number of runners. A runner may wait on it through as many kicks as they like, but once off must go on to the next. 3. A ball off a side wall is in play. A ball that hits the ceiling is kicked again. 4. A caught kick or a tag with the ball in the hand is an out. A run counts when a runner passes home and reaches the first mat again. Everyone kicks once, then the sides change. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 12 to 36. You need: four gym mats and a foam ball.
  • Pick-Your-Ball Kickball: Beach Ball, Foam Ball or Playground Ball 1. Kickball in which the kicker chooses the ball. The pitcher has three in a bin: a beach ball, a foam ball and a playground ball. 2. Each kicker names one, and the pitcher rolls it. 3. Play the rest as usual. A beach ball floats and is easy to catch, so fielders move in for it. 4. House rule: no kicker chooses the same ball twice in a row. Ages: 6 to 12. Players: 8 to 30. You need: four bases, a beach ball, a foam ball and a playground ball.

Water kickball for camp 5

  • Dunk-the-Ball Kickball: Play Stops at the Bucket 1. Kickball in which the fielders stop play with a bucket. A bucket of water stands on the pitcher's spot. 2. Kick and run as usual. Runners keep going for as long as they dare. 3. Play stops the moment a fielder dunks the ball in the bucket. A runner caught between bases goes back to the last base touched. 4. A caught kick is the only out, and three outs change the sides. The ball comes out dripping, so the next kick splashes. An adult minds the bucket. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 30. You need: a bucket of water, four bases and a playground ball.
  • Fill-the-Bucket Kickball: Every Runner Carries a Cup 1. Kickball scored in water. A tub of water and a stack of plastic cups stand beside home. Each team has an empty bucket behind the plate. 2. The kicker kicks, fills a cup and runs the bases carrying it. 3. Outs are made the usual ways. A runner who is out pours the cup back into the tub. 4. A runner who gets home pours what is left into the team bucket. When every player has kicked twice, the fuller bucket wins. An adult stays by the tub. Ages: 7 to 14. Players: 8 to 30. You need: a tub of water, plastic cups, two buckets, four bases and a playground ball.
  • Kiddie Pool Kickball: A Wading Pool at Every Base 1. Kickball with a wading pool for each base. Fill four small plastic pools ankle deep and set them out as a diamond on grass. 2. Kick and run as usual. A runner is safe only with both feet in the pool. 3. Step in and step out: nobody jumps, dives or slides into a pool. Any number of runners may share one. 4. An out is a caught kick or a tag with the wet ball in the hand. An adult watches the pools all game and empties them afterward. Ages: 6 to 12. Players: 8 to 24. You need: four wading pools, water and a playground ball.
  • Sponge Base Kickball: Squeeze One Before You Leave 1. Kickball with a bucket of water and a sponge at every base. 2. Kick and run as usual. Before leaving a base, a runner has to dip the sponge and squeeze it out over their own head. 3. So a runner who is still squeezing when the next kick comes has to hurry. 4. Outs are made the usual ways, with the ball in the hand. An adult refills the buckets between innings and tips them out at the end. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 8 to 30. You need: four bases, four buckets of water, four large sponges and a playground ball.
  • Water Slide Kickball: Slide Into Home 1. Kickball with a wet slide for the last stretch. Lay a plastic water slide flat on soft grass between third base and home, with a hose running on it. 2. Play as usual as far as third. From third, a runner goes home by the slide: sit or kneel at the start and slide feet first. 3. One runner on the slide at a time. Nobody dives, and nobody runs onto it. 4. There are no outs at home, so a runner who reaches third will score. An adult checks the ground under the slide first and stands beside it all game. Ages: 6 to 12. Players: 8 to 24. You need: a plastic water slide, a hose, three bases and a playground ball.

How this list was compiled: Our list for a field, a gym or a summer camp. The wording, the ages and the player counts are ours. Each entry is a house rule laid over the plain game, and says what it changes; none is an official rule of any league. Nobody throws the ball at a runner: a tag is made with the ball in the hand. Every water game names an adult who watches. Checked on 12 October 2026 at Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by the name): Kickball, for the pitch, the outs and the innings of the plain game and for the early game with one base and no pitcher; Matball, for mats as bases that hold several runners, and its common variants. Licence: own work

How it works

Each of these kickball variations lays its own house rules over the plain game. None is an official rule, so agree yours before the first kick.

Read the full guide

The plain game, for reference

The pitcher rolls the ball, and the kicker kicks it and runs the bases. A caught kick, a tag with the ball or the ball held on a forced base is an out. Three outs change the sides.

Field, gym and water

The menu under the button holds Kickball games for a gym and Water kickball for camp. Every water game names an adult who watches, and nobody ever throws the ball at a runner.

Questions and answers

What are other games played with a kickball?

Zone Kickball has no running: where the kick lands is the score. Beat the Ball is a race between the kicker and a ball thrown around the bases, and Basket Kickball ends each turn with a shot at a hoop.

What are good camp games like kickball?

The five under Water kickball for camp. Kiddie Pool Kickball has a wading pool for each base, and in Fill-the-Bucket Kickball every runner carries a cup of water. On dry land, Pairs Kickball sends two runners on every kick.

How do you play water kickball?

Play the plain game with water in one place: wading pools for bases, a wet slide from third to home, a sponge at each base, or a bucket that stops play. An adult watches the water all game.

Which kickball games for PE work in a gym?

Mat Kickball uses gym mats for bases and plays the ball off the walls. Crab Kickball fits half a court, and Pick-Your-Ball Kickball lets each kicker choose a beach ball, a foam ball or a playground ball.

What are fun variations of kickball for middle school?

Either-Way Kickball, Feet-Only Kickball and Cone Kickball are written for ages 9 to 14. In each the fielders have to read the play before they move the ball.

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