Kickball is a playground game, similar to baseball, invented in the Czech Republic in about 1922. It is typically played on a softball diamond with a 10- to 16-inch (250- to 400-mm) inflated rubber ball. The pitcher bowls the ball towards the catcher, and the "batter" kicks it with his foot. In addition to tagging a base to get a forced runner out, or getting a runner out by touching him with a held ball, fielders may throw the ball at a runner to get him out (though hitting a runner above the shoulders with a thrown ball is often discouraged or illegal). Sometimes, in pickup-type games, a "pitcher's hand" rule may be used. When this rule is in effect, the batter may be out if the pitcher has the ball at the mound before the runner reaches base.
Since a good kicker will often connect with a rolling ball, strikes and strikeouts are infrequent. The ball is very large and soft in comparison to a baseball or softball, so fielding is different as well: catching fly balls can be easier, but throwing the ball can be harder. Thus, the dynamics and strategy considerations of kickball turn out somewhat differently from those of baseball, softball, or over-the-line.
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