The object is to eliminate all of the other team’s players to win each round. The dodgeball game will be a “best of 9 rounds”. The team that wins more rounds wins the game and the game is what counts in the standings. Each round will be no more than 4 minutes. If the teams have an equal number of players at the end of the time limit, there will be a 1-minute playoff. Substitutions will only be allowed in-between rounds.

BEGINNING OF THE GAME AND PLAY FORMAT:

The game will begin with the referee placing eight 6” foam balls and two 8.25" foam balls along the middle line of the court.

1. At the opening rush, teams must touch the back wall and await the referee to blow the whistle to start the round. Teams may not leave until the whistle is blown.
2. Players must remain on their feet during the opening rush and retrieve the ball with their hands. They may not slide in to retrieve a ball, and cannot retrieve a ball with their foot.
3. On the opening rush ONLY, some leeway is given to a player stepping on or slightly over the center line and that player will not be called out, however, they may not make contact with an opponent nor impede their path in an attempt to shield the opponent from retrieving a ball.
4. There will be a designated attack line on the court. Once the balls are retrieved, the players cannot “attack” the other team until both feet are behind the designated Attack Line. Players must be behind the Attack Line when throwing the ball at opposing players.
5. Except as stated above on the rush, players will never be allowed to cross the center of the court for any reason including attacking or retrieving balls. Players may reach across the center line for a ball, but if any part of their body touches the opposing team’s side that player will be declared out.
6. Teams will play nine, four-minute rounds during a 45 minute period. The referee will keep track of the time and update teams as time is expiring. The winner of the round is declared once a team eliminates all opposing players, or as the team with the most players remaining in the game at the end of regulation.
7. If a team has one player left in the game, an individual 1 minute time limit will be set for that player. If that player makes a catch, time will revert back to the original game clock. If no catch is made within that one minute time limit then the round will conclude as the end of regulation.
8. If both teams have the same number of players remaining at the end of the regulation, an additional one-minute, sudden death overtime will be instituted. The first team to eliminate an opposing player wins the overtime.

TEAM SIZE:

Teams may have as many players as they would like on their roster. Teams will consist of 8 players on the court (at least 3 women). Teams can only substitute new players after a round has been completed. Teams may play with a minimum of five players, as long as at least two are women and agreed upon with the other team.

FORFEITS:

If at least 5 players (2 women) are not present from a team by 20 minutes after the designated start time the entire game will be forfeited and the team that is present will receive a win for all rounds in the match. Teams may pick up players during the regular season in order to field a full team. Substitutes will not be allowed during playoffs.

ELIMINATION OF PLAYERS:

Any player hit by a LIVE ball thrown by the opposing team will be eliminated. A LIVE ball is a thrown ball that has not hit the floor, wall, ceiling, non-live player, spectator, or referee. Eliminated players must stand out of bounds, in a designated area, in the order that they were eliminated. As long as they remain with one hand touching the wall, they may retrieve balls for their teammates, but not from the opposing team’s side.

1. Once a ball strikes the wall, backboards, floor, ceiling, non-live player, spectator, or referee it is a DEAD ball.
2. If a LIVE thrown ball is caught by an opposing player, the player throwing the ball will be eliminated. Additionally, the team that caught the ball will be allowed to return a player to the game. Players must return in the order they were eliminated (starting with the first person removed).
3. A player may block a thrown ball with a ball being held, provided the holder does not drop the ball to the ground as a result of the contact with the thrown ball. If the ball is dropped, the player who dropped the ball is out. A player may drop the ball they have blocked in order to catch a deflected ball. Officials must be sure to recognize the difference between a loose ball and an intentionally dropped ball. A loose or dropped ball contacting a live ball causes the live ball to become dead.
4. Once a live ball strikes a player, or the ball held by that player, the ball remains live only to that player. Following the deflection/striking of the holder either, a. the holder legally catches the live ball, or b. the live ball becomes dead by contacting the ground, another player, a non?held ball or ball held by another player, official or other object. In a. the thrower is out. In b, the player struck by the ball is out.
5. A live ball deflecting off the body of Player A remains live only to player A. If A legally catches the deflected ball, the thrower is out. Teammates of A may not legally catch the deflected ball. In fact, touching of the deflected ball by another player causes it to become dead.
6. You cannot get more than one person out with a throw. One ball, one out.
7. While a player is standing, if a ball is thrown above that player’s shoulders and strikes that player in the head it will be called a headshot and the player and thrower are both safe. If a ball is thrown above the shoulders and a player puts their hands up to protect their face they will be deemed safe. It is the referee’s discretion whether a player is protecting themselves or making an attempt to catch the ball.
8. If a player is ducking and a ball is thrown at or below shoulder height (had that player been standing) and strikes that player in the head that player will be deemed out. A player intentionally throwing at an opponent’s head will be given a warning and removed at the referee’s discretion.
9. Teams are not allowed to stall with the ball. A ball needs to be thrown within 10 seconds from each side. This will primarily be enforced at the end of the round and the referee will do their best to monitor all balls.
10. All clothes/uniforms are considered part of the player’s body. A player struck by a live ball on their shirt, shorts, shoelaces is out.
11. A player must remain inside the boundaries of the court at all times or they will be declared out. On a court using lines as boundaries a player may step on the line, but as soon as part of their body touches the ground outside of the line that player will be declared out. If a live player wishes to retrieve a ball outside of the boundaries they must request permission from the referee and may only retrieve that ball once permission is granted.
12. Once a player is out, they must drop any balls in hand and exit the playing area immediately. To signal they are out, players should raise their arm as they walk to the queue.
13. All live balls in flight at time of an officials signal to end regulation time remain live, and may eliminate an opponent, until they become dead.

Other Rule Clarifications:

Teammate A is hit and Teammate B catches = Teammate A is out, no Teammate returns to the game, and throwing player is safe.

1. Ball blocked by Teammate A and then caught by Teammate A = Catch, Teammate B enters and thrower goes out.
2. Ball thrown chest high and blocked by Teammate A which then strikes Teammate A in the face = Teammate A is out because the ball was not thrown above the shoulders and is still LIVE to Teammate A after the block.
3. Teammate A blocks a ball which pops into the air over to the opponent’s side where it is caught by an opponent before becoming a dead ball = the blocked ball is considered a throw by Teammate A and Teammate A is out, the opponent brings a player back in the game.
4. A catch made with a part of the body other than the hands/arms must be transferred to the hands before becoming a dead ball to be considered a catch.
5. Any player can hold any ball for any length of time, provided at least one ball is thrown or rolled to the opposing side every 10 seconds.
6. Kicking or punching the ball over to the other side is NOT allowed so it serves NO purpose to do so. Please do not kick the balls. A player hit by a kicked ball is not out. Any kicked ball caught by the opposing team will be deemed a catch.
7. Do not play tug of war when initially retrieving the balls. The second person to touch it must let it go. The ref will warn you if you do not let it go. In an effort to win the ball, if a player does not let go of the ball and is pulled on to the opposing team’s side that player will be deemed out.

Sportsmanlike Conduct Warnings:

Unsportsmanlike Conduct will not be tolerated. Therefore, I have these warnings/dismissals. Hopefully we won’t have to worry about any of this. This is just to protect the refs and the players who have come to have fun.

Unsportsmanlike conduct includes yelling at the opposing players, yelling at the referee for “a bad call”, swearing or name calling to opposing players and refs. If you are hit by a ball, please go out to make the refs job easier. But ultimately the ref makes final calls, so do NOT try to ref for them. Just worry about playing and having a good time!

-1st offense – Assess a warning against the team and/or player involved.

-2nd offense - Team loses a player in the round being played or to be played. If it’s a specific player, that is the player to sit out that round.

-3rd offense – Team loses a player for the rest of the 9 game match. If it’s the same specific player, that is the player to sit out for the rest of that match.

-4th offense – If a player has four offenses, they will be asked to leave for the night.

Only the team captains can come to mid-court when rulings are discussed.  No other players shall be allowed.

Finally, please play with honesty and integrity out of respect for the game and respect for your opponent. Dodgeball is not fun when players cheat, and honesty makes the game run much smoother. Have fun and good luck!