Knoxville Sports & Social Club

Official Dodgeball Rules

 New Rules for Winter 2015/16 Bolded/Italicized/Underlined

Team

    1. Team rosters shall include a minimum of 13 players, including at least 4 of each gender.
    2. Rounds start with a maximum of 9 players per team, including at least 3 of each gender. 
    3. If a team does not have 9 players and at least 3 players of each gender, they may start with as few as 5 players.
    4. All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will suffer a 3 match penalty and the unregistered player will be ejected. The captain of the team will also be removed from the game on the first offense, the second offense will result in a two game suspension on the captain.
    5. When a team has fewer than the required number of players of a specified gender available, players of one gender may not be substituted for members of another gender. For example, if a team has 9 total players available at game time, but only 2 are female, the team must play short start with 8 players.
    6. One team being short players for a full starting lineup does not obligate the opposing team to reduce their starting lineup.
    7. Late Registration: a team may add players to the roster through the Absolute Deadline for each Season.

 

Behavior & Conduct On Or At The Fields/Courts/Sponsor Bars

 

Officials

    1. Referees are responsible for:
      1. Maintaining the game clock.
      2. Recording the game score.
      3. Enforcing the honor system.
      4. Enforcing penalties.
      5. Enforcing the five second rule.
      6. Readmitting players who mistakenly called themselves out.
      7. The Field Manager is the head official, and will make calls otherwise not seen by the game officials.
      2. The referee shall eject a player from the remainder of match if that player engages in unsportsmanlike conduct, behaves in an egregious manner, or cheats.

 

    1. Equipment/Outfits

    2. Games will be played using eight (8) 8-8.5-inch rubber-coated foam balls.
    3. Players must wear their League-provided t-shirts of the appropriate color for their team.
    4. Players must wear shoes during play.
    5. Opening Rush
    6. Players shall line up along the wall on their respective side of the court.
    7. The referee shall blow the whistle to start the round.
    8. Teams may advance to the neutral line on their side of the court and retrieve the four balls on their right. They may not touch or interfere with the balls on the opposing team's side. Player is immediately called out if this rule is violated.
    9. Upon retrieving a ball, the ball is immediately active.

       

    10. Game Play

    11. The objective of each team is to eliminate all players on the opposing team.
    12. A player is eliminated when one of the following occur:
      1. Any part of the player's body, or any part of his or her clothing is struck by a ball thrown by an opposing player. Only thrown balls are live; kicking balls is illegal.
      2. The player's thrown ball is caught by an opposing player.
      3. The player steps out of bounds, unless they are attempting to retrieve an errant ball in accordance with the errant ball retrieval rules.
      4. The player steps over the opposing attack line. Reaching over the attack line is permitted provided no part of the body comes into contact with the court's surface opposite the attack line.
      5. The player is the nearest to an out-of-play teammate who steps or touches in-bounds on the court. Reaching into the court is permitted provided no part of the body comes into contact with the court's surface.
      6. The player retrieves an opposing team's ball on the opening rush.
      7. The player throws a ball at the opposing team before the ball has retreated past the attack line on the opening rush.
      8. The player kicks the ball.
    13. A player is NOT out if the ball hits them after hitting the floor, the wall, any other object, or another person.
    14. A player is NOT out if hit when out of bounds while retrieving an errant ball, including on while retrieving ball on bleachers.
    15. When a player is eliminated, he or she must raise his or her hand and exit to the nearest side of the court. That player must remain outside the sideline until the conclusion of that round.
    16. Catching. If a player catches a ball thrown by an opponent, the thrower is out, unless the ball hits a wall, the floor or another object. If the ball hits another player first, but is then caught, the thrower is out and the person originally hit is NOT out.
    17. Blocking. A player may block an incoming ball using a held ball. The thrown ball must be deflected completely, that is, it must not strike the holder of the ball after hitting the held ball.
    18. Friendly Fire. Friendly fire does not result in an out. A player who is hit by a teammate shall not be called out.
    19. Deflections, i.e. Blocking Scenarios Further Explained:
      1. If you deflect a ball and it hit you after, YOU ARE OUT.
      2. If you deflect a ball and it hits someone else, NO ONE IS OUT.
      3. If you deflect a ball and it is caught, either by you or another person, THE THROWER IS OUT.
      4. If you deflect a ball while holding a ball and the ball in your hand is dropped during deflection you are out.
    20. Balls that leave the playing area, including balls that land in the bleachers or stands, may be returned to the playing area by out-of-play teammates, spectators or players. If a player retrieves an errant ball, he or she may exit and reenter the playing area only from the back court area behind the nearest line to the wall, and must immediately return to the playing area. Stepping out of the playing area for any other reason will result in the player being called out.
    21. Players must respect their opponent's half of the court in the out-of-play area by not attempting to retrieve errant balls on the opponents side of the court.
    22. There are no "Suicides." A suicide is a play where someone intentionally, as determined by the official, jumps over the opponents side-of-the-court line and throws the ball at the opposing team.
    23. Small pink balls are for female players only, a male player must not pick up or try to throw a small pink ball. Male players are not allowed to assist a female player by rolling or throwing a pink ball to a female teammate. If a male player handles a pink ball in any way (even with his foot) that player is out. ( Exception Incidental Contact Will Not result In An Out ) Only intentional contact with a pink ball will result in an out.  

      Matches & Rounds

    24. A match shall consist of two 20-minute halves, with a 2-minute half-time between halves.The clock shall be a running clock.
    25. No round shall begin after 18 minutes into the half.
    26. At half time, teams will switch sides of the court.
    27. Teams shall play as many rounds as time allows in each half. Upon the conclusion of each round, the balls will be replaced on the center line and the next round will begin at the whistle.
    28. Each round will continue until either:
      1. All players on one team are eliminated. The winning team will score one point for the match.
      2. 4 minutes has elapsed.
    29. If 4 minutes elapses, the team with the most players remaining will win the round and score a match point.
    30. If 4 minutes elapses and both teams have the same number of players remaining, the round shall be considered a draw and no point will be awarded.
    31. Each match won shall count as 2 points in the league standings. A tie shall count as 1 point. Losses and Forfeits shall count as 0 points.                    
    33.  Stalling/Hoarding (Ten Second Rule)
    1. Teams may not "hoard" the balls. If one team is in possession of ALL of the game balls, they must make a conscious effort to roll (not throw) at least one ball to the opposing team. If the ball is thrown over at the opposing team and strikes a player that player will not be out, but if the ball is caught, the thrower is still out. If one team has significantly fewer players currently on the court and is having difficulties doing so, the official(s) may walk on to the court and send a ball(s) over to the opposing team to help streamline the match.  If hoarding continues throughout the ensuing games, at the discretion of the official(s), matches can be called in favor of the opposing team.
    2. (LH rule) If a team has only one remaining team player left on the court and that player is just dodging balls and making no attempt to throw balls back that player will have 10 seconds to throw balls back or that player will be out and the match will be over.

                                                                                               PLAYOFFS

  1. Playoffs will be a first to 5 match format, or whoever is leading at the 30 minute mark.
  2. Each game will consist of 30 minutes or the first to 5 wins, whichever comes first.
  3. Winners will move on to the next round.

Mercy Rule

  1. If a team gets up by 10 matches during the game, the game will be called.  Teams are welcomed to scrimmage for the remaining part of their scheduled game time.

Forfeits

  1. Forfeits
  2. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements at the posted game time. Any team not ready to play will start down 2-0 at 5 minutes, 4-0 at 10 minutes, and will forfeit 6-0 at 15 minutes past their scheduled game time.
  3. If neither team is ready to play, both teams shall forfeit.

 

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