DODGEBALL RULES                      

 

Rule 1 - UNIFORMS

1-1 All players must wear clean Athletic Shoes, shirts and shorts/pants

1-2 Participants must remove all jewelry before playing.

1-3 Costumes are welcomed at any point in the season (Rule 11).

1-4 Clothing counts as a body part if hit by the ball.

 

Rule 2 - PLAYERS

2-1 A team will consist of 6 players.

2-2 A team must start with a minimum of 4 players and at least one must be female or the game is recorded as a loss.

2-3 Substitutions may enter the game only during timeouts, in the case of injury or between games.

2-4 Teams may not substitute a male for female players.

 

Rule 3 - SUBSTITUTIONS

KSSC feels that defaults should be prevented whenever possible. Teams pay to PLAY!!

3-1 A roster must be submitted to KSSC for each team. Players that are not on the roster are allowed to play as long as they sign a waiver first.

3-2 A sub may only play in playoffs if:

a. They participated during the regular season

b. It is the responsibility of the team to ensure the sub is aware of all rules and policies.

c. Other team members may not sub during playoffs.

d. A sub list is available by calling Jamie @ 215-4615.

 

Rule 4 - GAME BOUNDARIES

4-1 The court shall be marked with sidelines, end lines, attack lines, and a center line with center hash marks (boundaries).

4-2 During play, all players must remain within boundary lines.

4-3 Players may pass through their end-line only to retrieve stray balls. A stray ball is one that has not been picked up and is lying on the ground on your side of the gym only.

4-4 When retrieving a ball(s), the player must also immediately re-enter the playing field only through their end-line.

Note: A player not immediately re-entering the playing area may be declared OUT.

4-5 A player shall be declared OUT if he or she:

a. Has any part of their body contact the playing surface on or over a sideline, center line or backline.

b. Exit or re-enter the court through their sideline.

c. Leave the playing field to avoid being hit by a ball.

d. Cross the back line if not going for a ball

4-6

a. Spectators and/or teammates in or out of game are not allowed to pass in balls to ongoing game.

b. Ball(s) must be carried back into the game through back line.

Exception to Rule 2-2 - During the opening rush, players cross the centerline. Officials should refrain from calling players out unless a definite advantage is gained by the action

 

Rule 5 - BEGINNING THE GAME

5-1 Six dodgeballs are placed along the center line equally spaced.

5-2 Each team starts behind their respective end line on their stomachs, and at the court monitor's signal may race to the center-line to try and retrieve balls (see Exception to Rule 3).

5-3 Teams may only retrieve balls placed to the RIGHT of the center mark (as they face the center line).

5-4 If balls remain on the centerline after a team has retrieved and moved their balls beyond the attack line, either team may retrieve those balls.

5-5 Players may only retrieve/carry one ball at a time during opening rush but may roll balls back to teammates and carry another.

5-6 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. Feet must be behind line.

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

 

Rule 6 - THE GAME

6-1 The match will be 7 games total, each with a 5-minute time limit.

• a. Each game will count as a point

6-2 Only the court monitor's whistle starts and stops the clock

6-3 Each team will be allowed one 30-second time out per match

6-4 The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner.

6-5 Balls must be thrown over the head, or side throw, no Spinning or kicking.

6-6 All live balls in flight at the time of an official's signal to end regulation time or begin a time out remain live, and may eliminate an opponent, until they become dead.

6-7 If neither team has been eliminated at the end of regulation, the team with the greater number of remaining players will be declared the winner.

6-8 If each team has equal number of remaining players, an overtime period will be played (Rule 9).

6-9 The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them OUT.

 

OUT (def.)

a. A defender attempts to catch a LIVE ball but drops it.

b. Hitting an opposing player with a LIVE thrown ball below the shoulders (Rule 6).

NOTE: If a player ducks and/or does not make an attempt to move, and this clearly is the cause for the player being hit above the shoulders, they are declared out and the throw is legal.

c. The opponent catching a LIVE ball the opposing team threw at them or off a deflection of another teammate's body or held ball. Ball may not be caught off the wall.

d. Dropping 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). Held ball must hit the ground

e. An opposing player stepping out of bounds See Boundaries.

g. Only 1 person can be out from a single ball. The first person that would be out is out not the second. Ie. Ball hits player 1 then hits player 2 and drops to the ground. Player 1 is out.

h. Player deflects a thrown ball into himself or a teammate and it is not caught.

 

LIVE (def.): A thrown ball that has not contacted the ground, ceiling, wall or ball on the ground.

 

6-10 Any player that is OUT must raise hand on the way off the court so that the opponents know not to hit them. If the referee feels a person that is OUT interferes with play, the play will stop with balls at feet.

6-11 All eliminated players must remain in order of elimination in designated player return zone. They may not interfere with any balls while declared OUT.

6-12 Eliminated players may re-enter the court when:

a. A new game starts.

b. If a throw of any ball from the opposing team is caught by a fellow teammate. Only one eliminated team member reenters at the time of a caught ball (First OUT, First IN).

6-13 A player may not carry more than 2 balls at any one time.

 

Rule 7 - HEAD SHOTS

7-1 Head shots are NOT ALLOWED

7-2 A player hit in the head is not out of the game if he or she was hit because of ducking.

7-3 Person throwing head shot ball, is eliminated from play, but can return on a caught ball by a teammate.

NOTE: If two intentional head shots occur in one game, the player is eliminated for the rest of the game. If this same player has another head shot in one of the other two games he or she is eliminated from the rest of the match - Discretion of Referee

 

Rule 8 - STALLING AND FIVE SECOND VIOLATION

8-1 A team trailing during a regulation game must be given the opportunity to eliminate an opposing player. This requires a ball to be at the disposal of the trailing team.

8-2 It is illegal for the leading team to control all the balls for more than five seconds. If the leading team controls all the balls- ie. All balls are located on their side of the center-line - they must make a legitimate effort to get at least one ball across the attack line and into the opponent's backcourt. A team may avoid a 5 second violation by throwing or rolling a ball into the opponent's backcourt. This does not mean throwing the ball over and through an opponent's end line.

8-3 If this is not done within 5 seconds, a five-second violation is called.

NOTE: Only a court judge or official may call a 5 second violation.

8-4 Violations are given for each infraction.

a. First Violation: Stoppage of play and balls will be divided evenly between the teams. Play will continue with "balls at feet".

b. 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.

c. Third Violation: Ejection of one player from offending team.

 

Rule 9 - OVERTIME

9-1 Overtime will be a 1-minute sudden death period.

9-2 Eliminated players do not re-enter at any time during sudden death play.

NOTE: To reduce time required to finish an overtime game, team captains may choose to add an equal number of players prior to the start of the first overtime. Sudden death still applies. Both captains must agree to the number of players added. If not, overtime will begin with the number of players left standing at the end of regulation time.

9-3 All overtime periods will begin with an equal number of "balls at feet" behind a team's end line.

9-4 The first team to eliminate any ONE opposing player will be declared the winner.

9-5 No time outs are allowed during overtime. Substitutions and/or additions are permitted only prior to the start of any overtime period.

9-6 At the end of each overtime period, if no players have been eliminated, an additional player from each team - to a maximum of 6 - will be placed back into play.

 

Rule 10 - OFFICIALS

10-1 Rules will be enforced primarily by 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 Court Monitor when possible. The Court Monitor's responsibility will be to rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. THE COURT MONITOR'S DECISION IS FINAL - NO EXCEPTIONS.

10-2 Court monitors may warn players and technical fouls on those who display unsportsmanlike conduct (Rule 11). Any player receiving 2 technical fouls in a game will be ejected and suspended a minimum of one game. Suspensions will begin with their next scheduled game. Severe infractions or multiple technical fouls may result in suspensions from matches or tournaments.

NOTE: A Court Monitor is not required to warn a player before calling a technical foul.

 

Rule 11 - UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Unsportsmanlike conduct may include but is not limited to:

• Foul language
• Hits above the shoulders
• Unnecessary roughness
• Arguing with officials, staff, participants, or fans.
• Abuse of the honor system.

If a formal complaint is issued (Rule 12) the team captain will receive feedback from KSSC. This will arrive in email form so that it can be easily forwarded to the team. Teams are always welcome to provide their own feedback on the game.

 

At KSSC's sole discretion, the player or team may either receive:

• (a) A warning; (b) A game misconduct; (c) A league ejection

No refunds are issued to players or teams ejected from the league.

 

Rule 12 - SCORING

12-1 Standings: A team is awarded 2 points for a win or 0 for a loss.

12-2 Sportsmanship points: Sportsmanship ratings will be given per game from the opposing team at the end of the match.

 

 

Rating	Explanation
1	The team was a lot of fun and made a genuine attempt to call their own penalties/infractions
0	This team was OK. There are two scenarios: (1) they were average in both Fun and Accountability; (2) they were strong in one area but weak in the other area.
-1	The team was not fun (too intense or aggressive) and generally did not follow the rules and call their own penalties/infractions.

 

 

 

Note: To issue a -1 point, the team must submit a formal explanation for review. If it is determined to be unnecessary then the team will be given a 0 rating.

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