DODGEBALL RULES
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THE TEAM
Teams will be made up of 6 players. Six (6) players will compete on a side and others will be available as substitutes. Substitutes may rotate in only before a game starts or in the case of injury. Minimum amount of players needed to play is five (5) people.
THE COURT
The court will be divided into two (2) equal sections by a center-line and attack-lines, and parallel lines to the centerline.
THE GAME
The objective 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.
2. Catching a LIVE ball thrown by your opponent before it touches the ground.
Definition of 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
BOUNDARIES
During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines. Players may leave the boundaries through their end-line only to retrieve a stray ball. They must also return through their end-line. If a player crosses the center boundary, they will be OUT. A player may have part of their body out of bounds to catch or dodge a ball, but they must have some part of their body in bounds at all times.
THE OPENING RUSH
Game begins by placing the dodgeballs along the center line – three (3) to the right side of the center hash and three (3) on the other. Players then take a position behind their end line.
On the referee’s signal, players may run to retrieve any of the balls within their initial control – that being only the balls on their right. This initial scramble is known as the rush. During the rush (and only during the rush), players may inadvertently step over the center line.
Please note: Players may not slide, feet first, to the line to grab balls in the opening rush.
Please note: Running for the balls before the referee’s signal (known as a false start) may result in a team losing ball control or the infringing player(s) being declared out. Any balls not retrieved off the rush will be up for grabs for both teams.
DEFLECTIONS/BLOCKING
A player may use his or her ball to block oncoming balls thrown at them by the opposing team.
Players must maintain possession of their ball immediately after deflecting a live ball. If a player drops a ball used for a deflection, that player is out.
10 SECOND VIOLATION
A player may hold a ball up to 10 seconds before they must throw it. If they do not throw it in time, the other team will get a player to return from being OUT. If both teams are at full strength, the team committing the penalty will lose a player.
TIMING AND WINNING A GAME
The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner. A 3-minute time limit has been established for each game. If neither team has been eliminated at the end of 3 minutes, the team with the greater number of players remaining will be declared the winner. In the event that both teams have the same amount of players left at the end of regulation, a 2-minute, sudden death overtime period will be allotted.
LET’S HAVE FUN RULE
In the name of playing the game and making sure that the players / teams have fun the coaches may make minor changes to the rules if both coaches agree and the intent of the Dodgeball Rules are followed. (For example: A coach may choose to allow another team to use an unregistered player, or a team does not have enough players or enough females).
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
Divisions will be made up of 4-6 teams. The first round is Round-Robin, where each team plays each other team in their division The top two teams in each division will move on to a second division of 4-6 teams, and again play Round-Robin vs. the other teams in their division. The top two teams from each division will move on to the single loss elimination playoffs.
AGE
Must be 18 years or older to play.
ALL RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UP UNTIL THE START OF THE TOURNAMENT
