30 Must-Know Kickball Terms, Phrases and Slang

65 kickball terms explained, from force out, tag up and mercy rule to bunt, pop-up and wild pitch, plus the slang players use.

Most kickball terminology is borrowed straight from baseball, which makes the kickball vocabulary quick to learn and easy to get slightly wrong. The terms below are the words related to kickball that decide what happens on a play, plus the words associated with kickball as both a schoolyard game and a league sport. The kickball glossary lower down holds every term in a single line, which is the version to keep open when you are teaching the game to someone new.

New to the game? Our guide to kickball rules explains how a game works from start to finish, which makes most of the terms below fall into place.

👉 Think you know kickball? Test yourself with our Kickball Quiz.

Must-Know Kickball Terms, Phrases and Slang:

1. Base
2. Bunt
3. Catcher
4. Double
5. Foul ball
6. Home run
7. Inning
8. Kick
9. Outfield
10. Pitcher
11. Runner
12. Strike
13. Tag out
14. Triple
15. Walk
16. Ball
17. Base Coach
18. Dead Ball
19. Fly Ball
20. Force Out
21. Line Drive
22. Pop-up
23. Sacrifice
24. Side Retired
25. Slide
26. Steal
27. Tag Up
28. Team Captain
29. Tiebreaker
30. Wild Pitch

Kickball Glossary: Every Term A to Z

Terms B to F

Term	What It Means
Ball	A pitch that misses the strike zone and is not kicked. Four of them send the kicker to first base.
Base	One of the safe spots a runner has to touch on the way around the diamond.
Base coach	A player standing near first or third base to tell runners when to go and when to hold.
Bases loaded	Runners on first, second and third base at the same time.
Bottom of the inning	The second half of an inning, when the home team kicks.
Bunt	A soft, deliberate kick that barely puts the ball in play, used to advance runners or beat the throw.
Catcher	The fielder behind home plate who takes pitches that are not kicked and covers plays at home.
Dead ball	Any moment when the ball is out of play. Nobody advances until it is live again.
Double	A kick that gets the kicker safely to second base.
Double play	One play that produces two outs, usually a catch followed by a throw to a base ahead of the runner.
Error	A fielding mistake, such as a dropped catch or a bad throw, that lets a runner reach or advance.
Extra innings	Innings played after the regular end of the game to break a tie.
Fair ball	A kicked ball that stays inside the lines running from home plate through first and third base.
Fair territory	The part of the field between the foul lines, where a kicked ball has to land to stay in play.
Fielding	Handling a kicked ball on defense, by catching it in the air or picking it up off the ground.
Fly ball	A ball kicked high into the air. Caught before it lands, it is an out.
Fly out	The out recorded when a fielder catches a kicked ball in the air before it touches the ground.
Force out	An out made by touching the base a runner has to reach, without needing to tag the runner.
Foul ball	A kicked ball that lands outside the fair lines. It is not a hit and normally counts as a strike.
Foul line	The two lines from home plate past first and third base that separate fair and foul territory.

Terms G to M

Term	What It Means
Grand slam	A home run with the bases loaded, which scores four runs.
Grounder	A kicked ball that rolls or bounces along the ground through the infield.
Head shot	A throw that hits a runner in the head; most leagues do not count it as an out.
Home plate	The plate the kicker stands beside and the base a runner must touch to score.
Home run	A kick that lets the kicker circle all the bases and score without being put out.
Infield	The area inside the bases, covered by the fielders closest to home plate.
Infielder	A fielder playing first, second, third base or shortstop.
Inning	One round of the game in which both teams kick and field. It ends for a team after three outs.
Kick	The kickball equivalent of a swing. Where the foot meets the ball decides how far and how low it goes.
Kicker	The player whose turn it is to kick, the kickball version of the batter.
Kicking order	The fixed sequence in which a team’s players come up to kick. It repeats through the game.
Leadoff kicker	The first kicker of the lineup, or the first kicker in an inning.
Line drive	A hard kick that travels low and fast, difficult for fielders to react to.
Mercy rule	A league rule ending the game early when one team leads by a set margin.

Terms O to S

Term	What It Means
Out	The end of a kicker’s or runner’s turn, by a caught fly, a tag, a force play or three strikes.
Outfield	The open ground beyond the infield, patrolled by the fielders with the most ground to cover.
Overthrow	A throw that gets past the fielder and out of play, usually giving runners an extra base.
Pitch	The ball rolled toward home plate for the kicker. It has to reach the strike zone to count as a strike.
Pitcher	The player who rolls the ball to the kicker and fields anything hit back up the middle.
Pop-up	A kick that goes high but not far, usually an easy catch for the defense.
Run	One point, scored when a runner touches all four bases in order and reaches home plate safely.
Rundown	A runner caught between two bases with fielders throwing back and forth to tag them out.
Runner	Anyone on the bases trying to advance without being tagged or forced out.
Sacrifice	A kick made on purpose to move a runner up, accepting that the kicker will probably be out.
Sacrifice fly	A caught fly ball deep enough that a runner tags up and advances after the catch.
Safe	The umpire’s call when a runner reaches a base before the fielders can complete the play.
Shortstop	The infielder covering the gap between second and third base.
Side retired	The call that all three outs are in and the teams change between kicking and fielding.
Single	A kick on which the kicker safely reaches first base.
Slide	Dropping to the ground into a base to get under a tag while keeping speed.
Steal	Advancing to the next base during the pitch rather than after a kick. Many leagues restrict it.
Strike	A missed or fouled kick, or a good pitch left alone. Three strikes are an out.
Strike zone	The area over home plate a rolled pitch has to pass through to count as a strike.

Terms T to W

Term	What It Means
Tag	Touching a runner with the ball, or hitting them with a throw, to put them out.
Tag out	Touching a runner with the ball while the runner is off a base.
Tag up	Waiting on the base until a fly ball is caught, then running. Leaving early sends the runner back.
Team captain	The player who sets the kicking order and the field positions and speaks for the team.
Three up, three down	An inning in which the first three kickers are all out.
Tiebreaker	The league procedure for settling a game still level after the scheduled innings.
Top of the inning	The first half of an inning, when the visiting team kicks.
Triple	A kick that gets the kicker all the way to third base without stopping.
Umpire	The official who calls balls, strikes, fair and foul, safe and out.
WAKA	The World Adult Kickball Association, the best-known organizer of adult social kickball leagues in the US.
Walk	Four balls, which sends the kicker to first base without a play.
Wild pitch	A pitch rolled so badly that the catcher cannot control it, letting runners advance.

What Is It Called When…? Kickball Terms by Situation

Know what happened but not the word for it? Find the situation on the left and the kickball term on the right.

When…	It Is Called
A kicked ball is caught in the air by a fielder	Fly out
A runner has to move up because the kicker is running to their base	Force out
A runner waits for the catch before running	Tag up
A runner is hit with the thrown ball while off base	Tag out
The kicker barely taps the ball into the infield	Bunt
The kicked ball goes outside the foul lines	Foul ball
The pitcher throws four balls	Walk
Three outs end a team’s turn to kick	Side retired
The kicker runs all four bases on one kick	Home run
A home run is kicked with the bases loaded	Grand slam
A runner is caught between two bases while fielders throw back and forth	Rundown
A team is so far ahead that the game ends early	Mercy rule
One kick produces two outs	Double play
The ball goes out of play and nobody can advance	Dead ball
The pitch is outside the strike zone	Ball
A fielder fumbles and a runner gets an extra base	Error
The game is tied after the last inning	Extra innings
All three bases have a runner on them	Bases loaded

#1 Base

One of the four stations a runner has to touch in order: first, second, third and home. A runner standing on a base cannot be put out, and most kickball rules forbid leaving it before the ball is kicked.

In a sentence: “Stay on the base until the ball is kicked or you’re out.”

#2 Bunt

A deliberately soft kick, often just a tap, that rolls a short way into the infield. It catches fielders who are playing deep, and because it is so hard to defend, some leagues ban it or require the ball to travel a minimum distance.

In a sentence: “The whole infield was back, so she bunted and beat it out to first.”

#3 Catcher

The fielder standing behind home plate. In kickball the catcher fields pitches the kicker lets pass, covers home on plays at the plate and handles short kicks in front of the plate.

In a sentence: “Catcher, cover home, the runner from third is going.”

#4 Double

A kick on which the kicker reaches second base safely without the help of an error. Doubles usually come from a ball kicked into a gap between outfielders or over their heads.

In a sentence: “Her double into the left-center gap scored two.”

#5 Foul ball

A kicked ball that lands or rolls outside the foul lines, which run from home plate past first and third base. The kicker gets another try, but most leagues put a kicker out after a set number of fouls, so fouling off pitches cannot go on forever.

In a sentence: “Foul ball, the kicker stays up.”

#6 Home run

A kick that lets the kicker run all four bases and score on the same play. Most kickball fields have no fence, so nearly every home run is an inside-the-park home run, won by kicking the ball past the outfielders.

In a sentence: “He kicked it over the left fielder’s head and ran out the home run.”

#7 Inning

One round of the game in which each team kicks once and fields once. A team’s half of the inning ends after three outs. Kickball games are shorter than the nine innings of baseball, and many leagues also set a time limit.

In a sentence: “We’re up by two going into the last inning.”

#8 Kick

The kicker’s attempt to put the pitched ball in play, the kickball version of a swing. League rules usually require the ball to be kicked with the foot or the leg below the knee.

In a sentence: “Plant your foot next to the ball and kick through it.”

#9 Outfield

The grass area beyond the infield, covered by the left, center and right fielders. Outfielders play deep against strong kickers and shallow against weaker ones, and catching fly balls is most of their job.

In a sentence: “Big kicker up, outfield back.”

#10 Pitcher

The fielder who rolls the ball toward home plate for the kicker. The pitch has to be underhand, and most leagues forbid pitches that bounce too high at the plate, so the kicker gets a fair ball to kick.

In a sentence: “The pitcher put some spin on it and the ball curved away from the plate.”

#11 Runner

A kicker who has reached base or is on the way there. Unlike in baseball, a fielder can put a runner out by hitting them with the thrown ball while they are off base, though most leagues do not count throws that hit the head.

In a sentence: “Runner going to second, throw it!”

#12 Strike

A pitch through the strike zone that the kicker does not kick, or a kick attempt that misses the ball. Three strikes make an out, as in baseball.

In a sentence: “Strike two, she’s got to kick the next one.”

#13 Tag out

Putting a runner out by touching them with the ball while they are off base. In kickball the fielder does not have to hold the ball: a throw that hits the runner below the head counts the same.

In a sentence: “He slid in late and the tag out at second ended the inning.”

#14 Triple

A kick that gets the kicker to third base safely without an error. Triples are rarer than doubles because the throw in from the outfield usually beats the runner to third.

In a sentence: “A triple to right and the bases are clear.”

#15 Walk

A free trip to first base after the pitcher has thrown four balls. Every runner who is forced moves up one base too, so a walk with the bases loaded scores a run.

In a sentence: “Ball four, take your base.”

#16 Ball

A pitch the umpire rules unkickable or illegal, for example outside the strike zone or bouncing too high at the plate. Four balls give the kicker a walk.

In a sentence: “That one bounced too high, ball one.”

#17 Base Coach

A player from the kicking team who stands near first or third base and tells runners when to run, stop or tag up. In kickball the coaches are usually teammates waiting for their turn to kick.

In a sentence: “Listen to your base coach, she’ll tell you when to go.”

#18 Dead Ball

A ball that is out of play, so runners cannot advance and nobody can be put out. Play stops after a foul, when the ball leaves the field, or when the umpire stops play, for example after a throw hits a runner in the head.

In a sentence: “Dead ball, everyone go back to your base.”

#19 Fly Ball

A kick that goes up into the air instead of along the ground. If a fielder catches it before it lands, the kicker is out, and runners have to tag up before they can advance.

In a sentence: “Easy fly ball to center, two outs.”

#20 Force Out

An out made by touching the base a runner is forced to run to, without tagging the runner. A force happens when the kicker becomes a runner and every base behind a runner is occupied, so that runner has to move up.

In a sentence: “Throw to second for the force out.”

#21 Line Drive

A hard, low kick that flies almost straight, with little arc. It gives fielders the least time to react, and a line drive over the infielders’ heads is the most reliable way to get on base.

In a sentence: “She kicked a line drive right past the pitcher.”

#22 Pop-up

A kick that goes high but not far, usually staying in the infield. It hangs in the air long enough for a fielder to get under it, so it is almost always an out.

In a sentence: “Pop-up to the first baseman, that’s the inning.”

#23 Sacrifice

A kick that is likely to be an out but lets a runner advance or score, such as a long fly ball caught in the outfield while the runner on third tags up and runs home. The kicker gives up their turn for the run.

In a sentence: “Her sacrifice fly brought the runner home from third.”

#24 Side Retired

The call that the kicking team’s half of the inning is over because it has made three outs. The teams then switch between kicking and fielding.

In a sentence: “Three up, three down, side retired.”

#25 Slide

Going feet first into a base to get under a tag or to stop on the base without overrunning it. Some recreational leagues restrict or ban sliding to cut down on injuries on hard fields.

In a sentence: “She slid into third just ahead of the throw.”

#26 Steal

Running to the next base during the pitch instead of after the kick. In baseball this is a standard play, but kickball rules generally forbid it: a runner who leaves the base before the ball is kicked is out.

In a sentence: “No stealing in this league, wait for the kick.”

#27 Tag Up

Returning to touch the base after a fly ball is caught, before running to the next one. A runner who left too early has to go back first, and the fielders can get them out by throwing the ball to that base.

In a sentence: “Tag up on the fly ball and run home after the catch.”

#28 Team Captain

The player who speaks for the team with the umpire and the other team, sets the kicking order and decides on positions. In social leagues the captain is also the contact for the league office.

In a sentence: “Captains, meet the umpire at home plate for the coin toss.”

#29 Tiebreaker

The rule used when a game is tied after the regular number of innings. Most leagues play extra innings, and some speed them up, for example by starting each extra inning with a runner already on base.

In a sentence: “Tied after six, we’re going to the tiebreaker.”

#30 Wild Pitch

A pitch so far off target that the catcher cannot stop it and it rolls away. Because runners usually cannot leave the base before the kick, a wild pitch in kickball mostly just costs the pitcher a ball.

In a sentence: “Wild pitch, the ball rolled all the way to the backstop.”

Kickball Slang Players and Fans Actually Use

Slang	What It Means
Pegging	Throwing the ball at a runner to put them out, a play baseball does not have.
Head shot	A throw that hits a runner in the head. In most leagues it is not an out, and the runner may even get the base.
Bomb	A long, high kick deep into the outfield.
Moonshot	A towering kick that goes very high, whether it is caught or not.
Can of corn	An easy fly ball that a fielder barely has to move for. Borrowed from baseball.
Dinger	A home run. Also baseball slang.
Frozen rope	A very hard, straight line drive.
Bloop	A soft kick that drops in between the infielders and the outfielders.
Bang-bang play	A play at a base so close that runner and ball arrive at almost the same instant.
Ducks on the pond	Runners on base waiting to be driven home.
Rally	A run of hits and runs in one inning that turns a game around.
Toe poke	Kicking with the tip of the toe instead of the instep, powerful but hard to control.

Kickball Expressions and Sayings in Everyday English

• Picked last: Being the least wanted person on a team or in a group. It comes from schoolyard team selection, with kickball and dodgeball as the classic examples.
• Cover all the bases: To deal with every possibility. Kickball shares the expression with baseball, where it means fielders guarding every base.
• Three strikes and you’re out: A third failure ends your chances. From the strike rule that kickball took over from baseball.
• Touch base: To get in contact briefly. From runners having to touch each base, as in baseball.

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