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Adults playing kickball.

Kickball is a playground game and competitive league game, similar to baseball, invented in the United States circa 1942.

American World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle reported it being played by U.S. soldiers during the North African campaign, 1942-1943.

Also referred to as "soccer baseball," it is typically played on a softball diamond with a 10- to 16-inch (250- to 400-mm) inflated rubber ball. As in baseball/softball, the game uses 3 bases and a "home plate."

Rules for kickball vary based on the officiating body (a school or a league), but most follow general baseball/softball rules.

The pitcher rolls the balls towards the catcher, the "batter" kicks it with his/her foot, then runs to first base. The opposing team players in the field may tag a base they are running towards or touch the runner (a rule known as "Indian Rubber" that is sometimes omitted if small children are playing) with the ball as they hold it in their hand to make an out. The other way is to touch a base that the runner has to run to which would cause a "force out". As in baseball/softball, catching the ball in the air after it is kicked results in an out.

Generally, kicking a ball to the right of the first base line or to the left of the third base line results in a foul ball. The specific definition of a "foul ball" varies, as does how foul balls are treated in game play -- some consider fouls equivalent to strikes (as in baseball scoring), others differentiate fouls from strikes.

A bad pitch that cannot be hit (outside the designated strike zone or too bouncy) is considered as a "ball". Four balls is a free walk to first base.

For generations, kickball had remained primarily a childhood game typically played on schoolyard playgrounds. In the late 1990s, the game gained popularity with adults, especially recent college graduates and military personnel, as a new social activity.

Adult recreational kickball leagues began operating throughout the United States, offering an alternative to adult softball and soccer leagues. Adult leagues can be organized by local municipalities, colleges, non-profit associations, and for-profit businesses. The World Adult Kickball Association claims to be the largest adult kickball league in the United States.

One of the hallmarks of adult kickball is the social dimension. Unlike other sports where the game itself is the focal point, kickball games tend to be preludes to a much longer period of socialization following the game, typically at a bar. It is during these post-game happy hours that players mingle and engage each other away from the competitive environment of team sports.

      *kickball was orginated in the year of 1865 and is still played today.

• Parker, Ashley. "Getting a Kick Out of Kickball", The New York Times, 2006-09-15. Retrieved on 2006-09-29. 
• Dreazen, Yochi J.. "Playing kickball is much less fun with adults", The Wall Street Journal (accessed via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), 2005-07-06. Retrieved on 2006-09-29. 
• Skipp, Catharine; Dishongh, Kimberly. "Trends: All for the Love of the Game", Newsweek, 2006-08-21. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.