Dodgeball Rules

The Team

Teams will be made up of 11 players. A minimum of 8 players will compete on a side, with a minimum of 3 females. Other will be available as substitutes. Substitutes may enter the game only during timeouts or in the case of injury.

The Game

The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting the “OUT”. This may be done by:

1. Hitting an opposing player with a LIVE thrown ball below the shoulders. NOTE: If a player ducks or takes a position with their head below where their waist would normally be when standing, i.e. crouching, kneeling, sitting, diving, rolling or laying, and this clearly is the cause for the player being hit above the shoulders, the player being hit above the shoulder, the player is out and the throw is considered legal
2. Catching a LIVE ball thrown by your opponent
3. Causing an opponent to drop a held ball as a result of contact by a thrown LIVE ball. (usually occurs when a ball is being used to block a thrown ball)
4. Catching a ball deflected off a teammates ball.

LIVE (definition): A thrown ball that strikes or is caught by an opposing player without/before contacting the ground, another player, ball, official, or other object

A player may block a thrown ball with a ball being held, provided the held ball is not dropped as a result of the contact with the thrown ball

NOTE: A ball deflecting off a held ball and striking the holder is no longer a LIVE ball. A LIVE ball deflecting off Player “A” remains LIVE only to Player “A” and may only be legally caught by “A”.

Once a player is OUT, they must immediately drop any balls in hand and exit the playing field at the nearest sideline. If an OUT player intentionally contacts a live ball before exiting the playing field, opponents will be awarded a free throw.

Prior to the game, 5 balls will be placed on the center line. Players then take their position behind their end line. Following a signal by the official, the teams may retrieve the balls. Each/every ball retrieved at the opening rush must first be taken beyond the attack line and into the team’s backcourt before it may be legally thrown at an opponent.

Example: Following the opening whistle, a player rushes and is the first to secure a ball from the center line. The player must then carry or pass the ball into their backcourt before it may be legally thrown at an opponent.

The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner. An 8 minute time limit has been established for each contest. If neither team has been eliminated at the end of the 8 minutes, the team with the greater number of players remaining will be declared the winner. In the case of a tie after regulation, a 3-minute overtime period will be played. All players that started in the game must come out and play for the overtime. All game rules apply during overtime. If a second overtime is needed, the first team to eliminate any ONE opposing player will be declared the winner.

5-Second Violation & Stalling

5 Second Violation

A team who is trailing or tied during a regulation game must be given the opportunity to eliminate an opposing player. It is illegal for a leading or tied team to control all the balls for more than 5 seconds. If the team with all 5 balls is leading or the game is tied, they must make a legitimate effort to get at least one ball across the attack line. This can be accomplished by throwing the ball at an opponent or rolling the ball to the other team. Placing a ball just across the center line DOES NOT constitute a legitimate effort to get the team a ball. If a ball is not provided within 5 seconds, a “5 second violation” will be called. Note: Only a court official may call a “5 second violation.

Penalty for 5 Second Violation

First Violation: Stoppage of play and the balls will be distributed between the teams with the non-offending team receiving 3 of the 5 balls.

Second Violation: FREE Throw for the opposing team- a penalty in which one player is allowed an unobstructed throw at their opponent(s) without risk of elimination. This is possible because a caught “free throw” does not result in an OUT for the thrower.

Third Violation: Ejection of one player from offending team

Stalling

In the spirit of competition, getting an early lead and then stalling is frowned upon, so no team may control 4 balls for more than 1 minute during regulation and no more than 30 seconds during overtime. The game official will let you know how long before you must make an “offensive” move against the other team. If the team with 4 balls does not make an “offensive” move in the allotted time frame, time will be stopped and the other team will receive 4 balls and the offending team will be left with only 1.

Time-Outs & Substitutions

Each team will be allowed (1) 60 second time during the 5 game period. At this time a team may substitute players during the game, male for male and female for female. Also, all loose balls may be retrieved by the team who’s side the ball is on.

Rule Enforcement

Rules will be enforced primarily by the ref, with the help of the “honor system”. Players will be expected to rule whether or not a hit was legal or whether they were legally eliminated. All contests will be supervised by a referee. The Referee’s decision is final---NO EXCEPTIONS!

Boundaries

During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines. Players may leave the boundaries only to retrieve stray balls

Game Play

Matches will be 5 games a night

The Team

Teams will be made up of 11 players. A minimum of 8 players will

compete on a side, with a minimum of 3 females. Other will be available

as substitutes. Substitutes may enter the game only during timeouts or

in the case of injury.

The Game

The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting

the "OUT". This may be done by:

1. Hitting an opposing player with a LIVE thrown dodgeball below the

shoulders. NOTE: If a player ducks or takes a position with their head

below where their shoulders would normally be when standing, i.e.

crouching, kneeling, sitting, diving, rolling or laying, and this clearly is

the cause for the player being hit above the shoulders, the player being

hit above the shoulder, the player is out and the throw is considered

legal

2. Catching a LIVE dodgeball thrown by your opponent

3. Causing an opponent to drop a held dodgeball as a result of contact

by a thrown LIVE dodgeball. (usually occurs when a dodgeball is being

used to block a thrown dodgeball)

4. An opposing player stepping out of bounds

LIVE (definition): A thrown dodgeball that strikes or is caught by an

opposing player without/before contacting the ground, another player,

dodgeball, official, or other object

A player may block a thrown dodgeball with a dodgeball being held,

provided the held dodgeball is not dropped as a result of the contact with

the thrown dodgeball

NOTE: A dodgeball deflecting off a held dodgeball and striking the holder

is no longer a LIVE dodgeball. A LIVE dodgeball deflecting off Player "A"

remains LIVE only to Player "A" and may only be legally caught by "A".

If a dodgeball is blocked & then caught by another teammate, the

thrower is out.

Once a player is OUT, the must immediately drop any dodgeballs in

hand and exit the playing field at the nearest sideline. If an OUT player

intentionally contacts a live dodgeball before exiting the playing field,

opponents will be awarded a free throw.

Prior to the game, 5 dodgeballs will be placed on the center line.

Players then take their position behind their end line. Following a signal

by the official, the teams may retrieve the dodgeballs. Each/every

dodgeball retrieved at the opening rush must first be taken beyond the

attack line and into the team's backcourt before it may be legally thrown

at an opponent.

Example: Following the opening whistle, a player rushes and is the first

to secure a dodgeball from the center line. The player must then carry or

pass the dodgeball into their backcourt before it may be legally thrown

at an opponent.

The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared

the winner. A 10-minute time limit has been established for each

contest. If neither team has been eliminated at the end of the

10-minutes, the team with the greater number of players remaining will

be declared the winner. In the case of an equal number of players

remaining after regulation, a 3-minute sudden-death overtime period will

be played. All players that started in the game may come out and play

for the overtime. All game rules apply during overtime. If a second

overtime is needed, the first team to eliminate any ONE opposing player

will be declared the winner.

Stalling & 5-Second Violation

A team trailing during a regulation game must be given the opportunity

to eliminate an opposing player. This requires a dodgeball to be at the

disposal of the trailing team.

It is illegal for the leading team to control all the dodgeballs for more

than 5 seconds. If the leading team controls all the dodgeballs, they

must make a legitimate effort to get at least one dodgeball across the

attack line. If this is not done within 5 seconds, a "5 second violation"

will be called. Note: Only a court official may call a "5 second violation."

Penalty for 5 Second Violation

First Violation: Stoppage of play and the dodgeballs will be distributed

evenly between the teams

Second Violation: FREE Throw for the opposing team- a penalty in

which one player is allowed an unobstructed throw at their opponent(s)

without risk of elimination. This is possible because a caught "free

throw" does not result in an OUT for the thrower.

Third Violation: Ejection of one player from offending team

Time-Outs & Substitutions

Each team will be allowed (1) 60 second time out per game. At this time

a team may substitute players into the game

Rule Enforcement

Rules will be enforced primarily by the ref, with the help of the "honor

system". Players will be expected to rule whether or not a hit was legal

or whether they were legally eliminated. All contests will be supervised

by a referee. The Referee's decision is final---NO EXCEPTIONS!

Boundaries

During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines. Players

may leave the boundaries only to retrieve stray dodgeballs

Game Play

Matches will be 5 games a night