Dodgeball Rules & Guidelines

Dodgeball Rules

THE TEAM:

Teams will be made up of any number of players. Seven(7) players will compete on a side; others will be available as substitutes. Substitutes may enter the game only during the case of injury, or after a match has been completed. A team must have at least two (2) females on the court at all times.

EQUIPMENT:

The official ball used in tournament and league play will be an 8.25" rubber-coated foam ball.

THE GAME:

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

1. Hitting an opposing player with a LIVE thrown ball below the shoulders. Note: If a player ducks, and this is clearly the cause for the player being hit above the shoulders, the player is out and the throw is legal.

2. Catching a LIVE ball thrown by your opponent before it touches the ground. If a player does catch a thrown ball, that team is allowed to bring back one player who had been previously eliminated. This player does not have to come back in any particular order of elimination.

2a) If a team catches the extreme ball, they can bring on a player, as well as eliminate a second player from the opposing team.

Note: If a player uses a ball to block a thrown ball, and this player drops the ball, it does not count as an elimination. If the player tries to block a thrown ball with a ball in their hand, and it deflects off the ball and hits themselves, that player is OUT.

2b) If a player is hit with a ball, or tries to catch it and it deflects of their body or the ball they are holding, and a teammate catches the ball before it hits the ground, the THROWER is OUT, and the team gets to bring one more person on.

2c) If a player is hit with a ball, or tries to catch it and it deflects of their body, and hits a teammate, then hits the ground, BOTH players are OUT.

2d) If one player from each team throws a ball at each other, and the balls both hit each player, then both players are eliminated. Note: Players are prohibited from kicking the ball to eliminate opponents. If a player kicks a ball and it hits an opponent, or is caught, no one is eliminated

Definition: LIVE: A ball that has been thrown and has not touched anything, including the floor/ground, another ball, another player, official or other item outside of the playing field (wall, ceiling, etc). If a ball is thrown, and hits a player and ricochets off that player and hits another, only the first player is eliminated.

BOUNDARIES:

During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines. The boundaries are the outer most line of the gym.

ROUND ROBIN FORMAT:

Teams will be given a certain 90 minute block of time to arrive at every week. The first two teams to show up for that night will play each other in the first 30 minute slot. The winning team will stay on the gym floor and play the team sitting off, while the losing team will sit off for 30 minutes. After that game, the team that has played twice already can leave, and the remaining two teams will play their game

These time slots start at 6:30 and 8:00. Teams are encouraged to show up 15 minutes prior to game time for warm ups and to ensure their team plays first. Check in with the coordinator to let him know your team has arrived.

THE OPENING RUSH:

Game begins by placing six dodgeballs across the centre line. Players then take a position behind their end line where every member must be touching the wall. Following a whistle by the official, teams may approach the centre line to retrieve the balls. This signal officially starts the contest.. Once a ball is retrieved it must be taken behind the attack-line (white line at Greenwood, Red line at Ketchum) before it can be legally thrown.

After a minute of play, the official will release an extreme ball (colour blue). This will count as TWO eliminations. The team who gets hit with the extreme ball must take off a second person along with the person who gets hit. The team who HITS the other team with the extreme ball eliminates a player of their choosing. The XTSC rep will blow his whistle, stop the game momentarily, and go through the process of taking off a second player.

TIMING AND WINNING A GAME:

The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner. Teams will play 2 thirty-minute games each night of play, versus different opponents. Teams can play as many matches as time persists during those 30 minutes. Some nights, a team will have to sit off for 30 minutes to allow other teams to play their games.

To the discretion of the referee: The referee can shorten the court to encourage action after a certain amount of time in each game.

5 SECOND VIOLATION:

In order to reduce stalling, a violation will be called if a team in the lead controls all six (6) balls on their side of the court for more than 5 seconds. The official will blow his whistle, and three of the six balls will have to be forfeited to the opposing team

UNIFORMS:

Teams are not required to wear uniforms, unless they want to look super-cool.

RULE ENFORCEMENT:

During regular-season matches, rules will be enforced by the XTSC official.. The XTSC officials responsibility will be to rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. THE XTSC OFFICIALS DECISION IS FINAL! NO EXCEPTIONS.