# Crazy Kickball

Two teams play a continuous kickball game where kickers kick in rapid sequence and run all bases while fielders relay multiple balls into a central container.

**Time:** 15 minutes. Playworks suggests 10 minutes or more. 15 minutes allows base review, two full innings, and a four-minute debrief.
**People:** 8 to 24. Two teams, split as evenly as possible. If the group has an odd number, one team has an extra player. The kicking and fielding teams swap roles halfway through.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Practice quick cooperative fielding, relay throwing, and base running without outs or long waits.
**Use it when:** Use during outdoor physical sessions, camps, or community events when you want active movement and teamwork without waiting for individual outs.
**Skip it when:** Skip when you do not have an open field or gym, when indoor noise limits apply, or when participants need a seated activity.

## Materials and tools

- 4 field bases or throw-down markers (home plate, first, second, third)
- Numbered cones or chalk marks matching the number of fielders (up to 12)
- 1 large bin, tub, or hula hoop at the pitcher mound
- 6 to 10 playground kickballs

## Before participants arrive

1. Set up a four-base diamond approximately 30 to 40 feet apart.
2. Place the ball tub at the pitcher mound and fill it with kickballs.
3. Place numbered cones in the field to designate defensive positions, using one cone per fielder on the larger team.

## Say this to open

We are playing Crazy Kickball. This game does not stop after one kick. Kickers step up one after another, kick the ball I roll to you, and run around all four bases all the way home. As soon as a kick goes out, the next person kicks. Fielders, your job is to stay near your spot, catch or stop balls, and relay them inward to your teammates until they land in the central tub. There are no outs.

## How to run it

### 1. Assign teams and walk the diamond (3 minutes)

Divide participants into two teams as evenly as possible. If the count is odd, one team has one extra player. Give each player on each team a number starting at 1. On the kicking team, this number sets the kicking order. On the fielding team, it assigns their numbered cone station. Gather everyone at home plate and lead the group in a walk around all four bases so all runners see the path and direction.

### 2. Run first kicking inning (4 minutes)

The facilitator pitches from next to the central tub. Pitch the first ball to kicker 1. Once kicker 1 kicks, they run around first, second, third, and home without stopping. Kicker 2 immediately steps up, receives a pitch, and kicks. Continue rapid pitches through the kicking order so multiple runners circle the bases at once. Fielders stay near their assigned cones, field incoming balls, and throw relay passes inward to teammates until the balls land in the tub. Stop when the final runner touches home plate.

### 3. Swap sides and run second inning (4 minutes)

Teams swap roles. Former fielders take their numbered kicking order. Former kickers take their numbered fielding cones. If the new fielding team has one fewer player, remove the highest numbered cone so every fielder has an assigned spot. Pitch through the kicking order until every runner completes the circuit.

### 4. Debrief the relays (4 minutes)

Gather both teams at the pitcher mound. Ask the debrief questions to the full group and take three or four volunteer responses.


## Debrief questions

- What helped the fielding team return balls into the container fastest?
- How did relaying the ball compare to running it in yourself?
- How did having multiple runners moving at once change how you watched the field?

**Finished output:** Both teams complete one full kicking rotation and one fielding rotation.

## Remote

This physical outdoor game requires in-person running, kicking, and ball fielding. It cannot be run online.

## Hybrid

This physical field game requires co-located gross-motor movement and ball handling. It cannot be run in hybrid format.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may walk, roll, or jog the bases at their own pace.
- Anyone who chooses not to kick or field may manage the ball container at the pitcher mound or track kicks from the sideline without giving a reason.

## If the session gets stuck

**Fielders leave their zones and bunch around the ball.**

Pause briefly and remind fielders that staying near their numbered cone makes relay throws faster than crowding.

**Runners bunch up and risk colliding on the baseline.**

Hold the next pitch for three seconds if the previous runner has not reached first base.


## Terms used here

- Relay pass: Throwing a retrieved ball to an intermediate teammate closer to the pitcher mound rather than throwing it across the whole field.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in the Playworks Game Library under the title Crazy Kickball.

Preserved the Playworks mechanics of continuous kicking, continuous home-run running, and fielding relay into a central container. UWT added structured minute timing, explicit instructions for odd group numbers, matching field cones to team sizes, safety controls, and debrief prompts.

[Playworks](https://www.playworks.org/game-library/crazy-kickball/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/crazy-kickball/