Code of Sportsmanship

As a dodgeball player, it is your personal responsibility to never allow yourself or your teammates to cross that line between fun competition and unsportsmanlike behavior.

1. Dodgeball is a self-regulated game that relies on the Honor System. Out players are expected to raise their hand and go out without anybody else telling them to do so.
2. If one of your teammates is Out (knowingly or not) and does not go out, it is your responsibility to tell them to do so.
3. Referees are provided to rule on unclear plays, settle disputes, keep the game moving and ensure player safety. While they will at times let you know if you are out, a lack of call by a Referee does not remove your obligation to abide by the Honor System.
4. Players must respect the authority of the Referees to regulate the game and abide by their decisions. Referees' decisions are final.
5. Team Captains must be the only players that address concerns to Referees and League Officials during the match. They are expected to do so in a courteous and respectful manner, and to confine their discussions to interpretations of the rules and not challenge Referees' decisions regarding judgment.
6. Players are expected to comply wholeheartedly with the intent and spirit of the rules. Deliberately attempting to violate the rules is wrong.

TEAMS

Team Size

A team consists of a maximum of 20 players on each roster, with a minimum of 5 females. The total team size will always be dictated by how many players from the roster show up, but no team may ever field more than 20 players during a match.

The breakdown of players is set by the golden ratio of 3:1 (males to females). At the start of each game (not match), each team can field 3 males for every 1 female. Making sure that their team complies with this ratio is the responsibility of each team's own captain.

Examples:

1. 1 girl, 3 guys (4 total)
2. 2 girls, 6 guys (8 total)
3. 3 girls, 9 guys (12 total)
4. 4 girls, 12 guys (16 total)
5. 5 girls, 15 guys (20 total)

Replacement Policy

Players determined to be missing in action by the fourth week can be replaced on the active roster by captains per the league manager's approval. Missing in action is defined as not showing up to an excessive amount of matches. All replacements must be done no later than 2 weeks prior to the playoffs.

Roster replacements in non-advanced leagues can not be players from advanced leagues.

Substitutions

During the regular season teams can bring in subs, up to the maximum team size of twenty. Teams must follow the gender ratio rule.

Players interested in subbing in a league match must meet the following criteria:

1. Must not currently be or have been on the roster of a W.D.S. league team in the previous 6 months.
2. Must be authorized by the league manager.
3. Must pay $5 to play (this fee goes directly into a league fund).
4. Are responsible for knowing the rules.
5. May only play in one match per night.

League managers are responsible for all final rulings on eligibility of subs.

No subs are allowed during the playoffs.

In all situations, rostered players take president over subs in any situation where a maximum team size is in question. Regarding players that show up late, rostered players may displace subs if the rostered player shows up after the game has begun.

Forfeiture of Games

Any team found fielding an illegal roster forfeits all wins earned while the roster was illegal. Team rosters can be deemed illegal due to illegal players, improper subs, incorrect male:female ratio, or other rules violations. A team can become legal or illegal mid match or mid game. If any part of a game is played with an illegal roster, the entire game is forfeited. Only individual games are forfeited, and a team that forfeits some games due to an illegal roster can still potentially win the match.

When a legal team has played an illegal team, only the legal team can record a victory for the game.

All forfeitures can be applied retroactively at the behest of the league manager.

Captains

A team may have up to two captains, all of which must be rostered players from that team.

Only team captains are allowed to interact with the refs. This should be done during a timeout, between games or if the ref has stopped play.

Team captains are also responsible for filling out lineup cards and maintaining order for their team. Captains should keep their teams abreast of the rules of the game, and therefore ideally will have a better understanding of the rules of the game.

SETUP

Match Setup

Team captains meet with the refs and play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Winner decides between initial ball control or side of court to begin.

Play begins with each team lined up behind their respective back line (with one foot completely behind the line.) Seven balls are on the center line, 3 set for retrieval by one team and 4 for the other.

Ball control (4 balls for retrieval) alternates between teams each game. Halfway through a match, the teams will switch sides of play.

Court Layout

There is no regulation size for courts, and the rules regarding the boundaries of play will vary from gym to gym. Typical court layout is a rectangle with approximately a 2:1 ratio, with all areas outside of this rectangle considered "out of bounds". Players need to be clear regarding the in and out areas of play, or special considerations for the field of play ("you can leave out the back door to shag balls but you can't dodge out there").

All courts will have a center line which divides the two sides. All courts have an area for the "out line" of each team to go to.

Referees

A match will have at minimum two referees, though this number can be increased at a league manager's discretion. One ref will always be designated to monitor time, and the other will monitor and record score; both referees are equally responsible for all other aspects of the game.

PLAY

Start of Game

On the ref's whistle players can retrieve balls. Before the whistle, all players must have at least one foot behind their back line. If a ball is retrieved because a player jumps early, the ref may reward the ball to the other team, and possibly give a yellow card on repeat violations.

Teams may only rush to retrieve balls to the RIGHT of the center line for the first 5 seconds of regulation. After that, all balls are available to all players.

Each team runs unopposed to retrieve their balls on the right side of the court.

Balls retrieved must be in possession of a player behind the attack line before they can be thrown. To have possession a player must have 2 feet (touching) inbounds behind the attack line.

Any action a player makes with a ball before they have cleared the attack line can not directly result in any other player being eliminated. The result of which may only cause an out to non clearing player (i.e., the player throws a catch).

Players On the Court

Once the game has begun, players use the balls in play to eliminate players from the other team. This is done by throwing balls to hit opponents, as well as catching the balls that opponents throw. The way to create these out are detailed below, in the section called Rules and Definitions.

Players start the game as being "in", as the game progresses they become "out".

This generally occurs from:

• A thrown ball striking an opposing player
• A thrown ball being caught by an opposing player

(there are numerous less frequent ways to become out including deflections, center line infractions, etc.)

Players that are out must immediately go to the out line, dropping any balls in their possession and doing their best not to influence the remaining game. Out players should raise their hand to indicate that they have been eliminated.

Players Off the Court

All Players

When players are off the court, regardless of their status in the game, they must continue to respect the centerline of the court. The center line continues out of bounds, meaning that players may only shag balls on their side of the court. Crossing the center line in pursuit of a ball results in an out, in the same way as on-court play. When "in" and "out" players come into contact, it is important to note that no action by an "out" player can lead to the elimination of an "in" player.

"In" Players

If an active "in" player is off the court they can not be eliminated by a throw nor can they take any action that eliminates a player on the opposite team.

"In" players should stay on the court to the best of their ability. Players leaving the court for any unacceptable reason (in anticipation of a shaggable ball, dodging, fleeing the court) should be called out by the ref and possibly be given a yellow card. Players shagging balls can be called out for exiting or re-entering through the sidelines.

Players can leave the court for the following reasons: injury, momentum, and to shag balls for their team.

Players leaving the court must not take balls with them.

While out of bounds, shagging players should not influence the remaining players in any way.

If a player has exited the court they can not retrieve balls that are still in play (usually by breaking the plane of the side of the court to reach into play).

"Out" or "Eliminated" Players

When players are eliminated from play, they should immediately leave the court. Their actions should be kept to a minimum regarding influencing the current game, and referees can yellow card offenders.

Eliminated players should not interfere with any action on the court, and should never enter (break the plane) of any side of the court.

While play continues, the only involvement that "out" players have on the game is shagging balls for the teammates. Teammates in the outline may retrieve balls, but should only place them on the edge of the court - not propel them in any way to their teammates on the court.

If a player that is already "out" crosses the center line in pursuit of a ball, the player may receive a yellow card and the ball should be awarded to the opposing team.

When the Out Line extends to the opponent's side of play, "out" players standing in line on their opponent's side of play should cause minimal impact on balls in play, and should not shag or interact with the balls there.

Stopping Play

Play stops when the ref blows their whistle and enters the court. A ball in the air will be considered dead if the Ref has signaled play stopped.

When a ref stops play, all players in the out line should remain there, and all players on the court should remain there to the best of their ability. Balls should not be interfered with, and the ref should to their best to return the game to the pre-timeout state of play.

Timeouts

The ref should stop play as soon as they feel is it is possible without affecting the outcome of current play. This is left to the refs interpretation, and players should understand the subjective nature of a time-out call when making one.

• Each team has one 30 second timeout per match. These may be used to breakdance, eat orange slices, or rest.
• Only team captains can request a timeout.
• During a timeout captains may enter the court, though otherwise it is treated like any other stoppage of play.
• Play should be reset to conditions prior to the timeout (ball and player location).
• Timeouts are not deducted from the official game time. Official time is kept with the head referee.
• Calling for a timeout when a team does not have one available can be considered a cardable offense if the refereee determines that it was done in an attempt to unfairly influence the game.

Injury

When a player is clearly injured, play should stop immediately for their safety. In the event of an individual headshot, the struck player can potentially be given a 10 second window of safety on the court if they have been affected by getting hit. This window will always end prematurely if the player clearly resumes playing.

Players that are removed from the game due to injury are not replaced, though girls removed in this manner still count towards the 3:1 ratio.

Delay of Game

Control

The team controlling the greater number of balls is considered to be in control, and has the burden to give up control.

Control occurs at any time where 4 or more balls are on one side of the court, in or out of bounds, in possession of players or not.

Any mode of delivery excluding kicking is acceptable to deliver ball control. Throwing, rolling, bouncing, all can give balls to the other team. When a player reaches over the center line to set a ball on the other side of the court (between the center line and the opposing clear line), it is not considered a valid delivery of control.

Example of delivering ball control:

• If team A has 5 balls and team B has 2, then team A must deliver at least 2 balls to surrender control.

Stalling

If at any point a ref decides that a stall is occurring, they will warn the stalling team. A stalling situation is up to a ref's discretion, but generally refers to teams acting in a manner to avoid playing dodgeball in order to extend an advantageous situation.

Stalling often effects the rate of play (see below). Continuing to stall results in stop of play and loss of all balls by the offending team. The referee has discretion to card or eliminate players during a flagrant stalling situation.

Rate of Play

A 15 second clock is the general rule for giving control to the other team, and the refs can use it as a rough guide to see if play is moving at the desired pace. If a team is considered to be stalling by the referee, they should be verbally warned. After the warning, if the stalling continues, a 5 second verbal countdown will be incorporated by the ref. If at the end of this countdown ball control has not been delivered, play is stopped and all balls are rewarded to the opposing team.

Stalling Countdown System

When a referee sees that a team has control, and has also determined that a stalling situation is occurring, the following countdown system is used:

First, the referee must take note of how many balls the controlling team possesses. Teams are only responsible for giving up control of the balls they are in possession of when the countdown begins. If the opposing team chooses to throw additional balls the team in control is not responsible for delivering those balls during the same countdown.

Example

• If a countdown starts with a team in control of 5 balls they are only responsible for delivering 2 balls in order to break the count. If they throw 2 balls but end up with 5 balls afterwards it is still considered that they delivered control.

Second, the referee should give the stalling team a verbal warning, along with a tally of the amount of balls that need to be delivered.

Example

• The referee turns to team A and says "You've got to deliver 3 balls"

Third, the referee should give a verbal five second countdown to the stalling team. If control is delivered before the countdown finishes, play continues. If control is not delivered, play is stopped and the opposing team is awarded all balls.

Pinching

Players should at all times be respectful of the court and equipment. Most frequently players will damage the balls while "pinching" during throws, blocks, and general gameplay. Pinching is defined as manipulating the ball by having rubber touch rubber inside the ball. Pinching is against the rules, and any player caught damaging the balls in this manner faces yellow/red cards.

Head Shots

If a live ball strikes a player in the head, the ball is immediately dead and neither they nor the thrower are out. Headshots are defined as any direct throw that strikes a player above the shoulderline. This includes the neck, hair down to the top of the shoulder and any headwear. If a player's hair is struck but the hair is below the shoulderline it is not considered a headshot.

If a player is struck in the head, they can step off the court in order to regain composure. Regardless of their position on or off court, players are assumed to have a "safe period" of up to 10 seconds where they can not be eliminated. If a player resumes dodgeball activities then they are immediately returned to play and can be eliminated.

A throw is not considered a headshot if the struck player has three points of contact with the ground. This can happen due to a player kneeling, laying down or sitting. A ball in possession of a player is considered a third point of contact.

Intentionally throwing at people's heads and faces goes against what a majority of people in a dodgeball league consider "fun". Referees should keep this in mind and can warn or card repeated violators.

All players have the right to protect their faces. If a player is clearly attempting to protect their head/face with their hands - and in the process is struck in the hands first (thereby potentially negating the headshot) the player can petition the referee to still consider the throw a headshot. Referees should understand that this rule is solely for the safety of players, and should be highly scrutinized to prevent abuse.

The referee has final determination of what is called a headshot.

Props/Costumes/Equipment

No props can be used on the court during gameplay at any time. Costumes are welcome so long as they are sturdy enough not to fall off when they are hit by a ball. A player's costume is considered an extension of their body and as such, when hit, the player is out.

Equipment is always allowed. Equipment that is not considered a prop includes pads (knee, elbow), helmets, gloves and shoes. A referee has final judgement over what items are classified as, with player safety being the most important decider. No equipment, costume, or agent can be used which leaves residue on the ball. This includes pine resin or tar.

Balls may not be concealed within costumes.

NO bare chested play, keep your shirt on.

Jewelry and watches should be carefully monitored for safety, no hoop earrings or other easily snagged jewelry.

Players must wear shoes or other typical foot coverings while playing (boots, sandals, etc are acceptable). These must be non-scuffing out of respect for our gyms and courts. No bare feet are allow on the court.

Penalties

For some infractions a referee may give a warning or stop play to caution a team, in other instances a yellow or red card may be given immediately. Refs have final judgement on the assignment of penalty cards.

Yellow Card

If a player receives a yellow card they must sit out the current game and the next. The yellow card is typically assigned for players arguing or acting as poor sports, and also for flagrant rules violations.

This includes:

• Clear abuse of the honor system.
• Excessive contact with balls by players out of the game.
• Intentional interference by players as they leave the court.
• Interference with the game by players in the out line.
• Continuing any practice that a ref has cautioned against.
• Continuous verbal abuse of the refs.
• Heckling to cause altercation.

Red Card

If a player receives a red card, that player is out for that entire match and the infraction will be reviewed. If a player receives 2 yellow cards within a single match, the second yellow card will be considered a red card.

Infractions that will immediately call for a red card include:

• Crossing the center line in a threatening manner.
• Any intentional physical contract or attempt to make physical contact with a player of the opposite team or ref.
• Any action endangering the physical health of any player or ref.
• Gross violations of the rules, above and beyond regular in-game infractions (example: hacking the website to change scores, entering a game illegally and intentionally)

The penalty for receiving a red card will be discussed by the league committee, and will include but not be limited to:

• 2 week mandatory minimum suspension for any physical altercation, to begin after the game in question.
• Possible forfeiture of continued league or open gym play or privileges.

End of Game

The game ends immediately when one team has their last player eliminated, regardless of live balls remaining in play.

In the occasion when all remaining players on both teams are eliminated simultaneously, it will be up to the judgment of the ref to determine a winner. If there is not a clear winner, a tie will be declared for the game.

At the conclusion of each game the losing team must rack or line up the balls prior to the start of the game.

When a game will potentially end due to time running out in regulation, the referee will extend both hands up in order to signal that their countdown will result in the end of game.

When the referee blows the whistle to signal end of game, the game end immediately. All plays immediately cease and players can no longer make valid catches, throws, or other outs. All balls are immediately considered dead.

End Of Match

The team that wins the most games in the span of 50 minutes will be declared the winner. At the end of the match both team captains will meet with the refs to turn in lineup cards and address any issues that were not taken care of during the match.

LEAGUES

Equality of Play / Rights of Referees

All players including league players, team captains, league managers are bound by the calls of a referee during the game. This does not change regardless of a player's involvement in the administration or management of WDS. Refereeing is a big responsibility and referees should take it seriously. Referees have free reign to stop play in order to consult other refs regarding rules. They also have free reign to amend any call during a play stoppage.

In general, appeals and complaints should be made outside of gameplay and should be addressed by the captain to the league manager.

Standings

Are determined as follows:

1. Overall Record (win=3pts, tie=1pt, and loss=0).
2. Head to head results.
3. Game Differential (games won combined with games lost)

Playoffs

Playoff games are under the same set of rules as regular games, with few exceptions.

• During playoffs there will be no subs allowed on any team.
• The team seeder higher will be given choice of ball control or side during regulation.
• If at the end of regulation time both teams have won the same amount of games, an overtime period will act as a tiebreaker.

Playoff Overtime

In overtime rock, paper, scissors will be used to determine ball control or side.

No timeouts will be allowed during the overtime.

The tiebreaker consists of a 4 minute game where both teams play under regular rules and with full rosters. At the end of the 4 minute period, play stops and the team with the most players remaining is declared the winner. If the teams have the same amount of players, the refs will restart the game and it will continue under sudden death. The next team to lose a player by any means is the loser.

Conduct Outside the Gym

Anyone consuming alcohol, smoking of any kind, fighting or engaging in any illicit conduct on recreation center/venue grounds may face suspension or expulsion from World Dodgeball Society events.

DEFINITIONS

RULES AND DEFINITIONS

1. Throwing
2. Catching
3. Deflections / Blocking
4. Live Ball / Dead Ball
5. Playing Field: Court / Center Line / Out Line
6. Other Strange Outs
7. In / Out

A. THROWING

Throwing Basic

A thrown ball is any ball thrown by a player on the court. If it hits an opposing player in the air and is not caught, the hit player is out. Any throw can hit multiple people, it only loses its ability to cause outs once it hits the court, a wall, a ceiling, a dead ball, an out player, a opposing player's head directly, or is caught. A throw can only eliminate players on the opposing team. The ball can not be pinched at any point during the throwing process.

Throwing Complicated

1. A thrown ball is any ball that is controlled by a player, and then propelled by the hands.
   1. Kickings, striking with the body (hand, head, knee etc), or other non-hand related propulsion is not allowed and the ball is immediately considered dead.
   2. Pinching is not allowed. Pinching is defined as manipulating the ball by having rubber touch rubber inside the ball.
2. A thrown ball becomes a live ball as soon as it leaves the thrower's hands.
3. A throw may only eliminate players while live.
4. A player may not throw if they are out, they may only throw while still in.
5. A thrown ball that hits an opposing player is still considered live.
   1. A player is considered hit if a live ball strikes any non-head part of their body, including clothing, jewelry, scarves, shoes, a towel tucked in the waistband, etc etc.
6. If a live ball strikes a player in the head, the ball is immediately dead (see d. below for exception) and neither they nor the thrower are out.
   1. Headshots are only direct shots to the head, distinguished from a ball that deflects off a ball or player.
   2. Please do not intentionally headhunt. Repeated headshots may equal a cardable offence.
   3. The referee has final determination of what is called a headshot.
   4. It is not a head shot if the struck player has three points of contact (foot foot hand, etc).
      1. A player touching a ball on the ground is considered having a third point of contact.
      2. A player touching back or side wall is considered having a third point of contact.
7. A throw ends if:
   1. The live ball strikes a part of the court like the walls, floor, basketball hoops, ceiling, bird nest, or AA podium. This results in the ball becoming dead.
   2. The live ball strikes another live or dead ball that is not in a player's possession. This results in both balls becoming dead.
   3. The live ball is interfered with in any way, by out players, spectators, or the ice cream guy. This results in the ball becoming dead.
   4. The live ball is caught by an opposing player. This results in the ball becoming caught.
8. A live ball may continue to hit players until the throw ends. When the throw ends, the following can occur:
   1. If the ball eventually becomes caught, then any and all players that were hit are still in. The thrower is out.
   2. If the ball eventually becomes dead, then all players that were hit are out.

B. CATCHING

Catching Basic

If a player catches a ball thrown by an opposing player, the thrower is out of the game. The player at the beginning of the catcher's line rejoins the game immediately.

Catching Complicated

1. A caught ball is any live ball that is caught by an opposing player that is in.
   1. A ball is considered caught if the catcher uses their body to render it in firm control. The live ball becomes caught, and then immediately returns to being a dead ball.
   2. A catch must be made with both feet inbounds (touching the line is acceptable, but not breaking the plane into out of bounds).
      1. A ball does not become caught until the catcher's feet are inbounds (in the case of a mid-air player).
2. When a catch is made, the lead player in the catcher's out line rejoins the game. They have a maximum of five seconds to enter the court.
3. If two players catch a ball together and they are basically embracing around the ball, the stats should reflect a half-catch for both players, a full catch if tongue is involved.
4. A ball caught while out of bounds will only result in both the thrower and catcher being safe.
5. A ball is considered caught if the catcher uses their body to render it in firm control. The live ball becomes caught, and then immediately returns to being a dead ball.
   1. A catch is only good if the player is inbounds
      1. Inbounds means having no part of your body touching out of bounds
6. A catcher that has momentum that sends them out of bounds (after the catch) is not out, and the catch is good.

C. DEFLECTIONS / BLOCKING

Deflections Basic

When a throw strikes a ball held by an opposing player, the ball can bounce off and still get caught or hit people. The deflection doesn't change the throw, though if it causes the deflecting player to drop their ball then the deflecting player is out. A player is never allowed to pinch the ball while blocking.

Deflections Complicated

1. When a deflection causes the deflecting player to fumble, the deflecting player is out.
   1. The ball is considered fumbled if the player's ball is struck by a live ball, and the player does not retain control of the deflecting ball until the throw is over.
      1. Retaining control means keep possession of the ball and not allowing it to strike the ground.
   2. The ball used to make a deflection must remain in possession of the deflecting player as long as the thrown ball is live, then the deflector must retain control of the ball.
      1. The only exception is if the deflecting ball is then used to make a throw that crosses the center line in the air.
      2. If the deflected ball is knocked loose but then is caught by a teammate or recovered by the player then they are safe.
   3. A player that fumbles their ball is out as soon as it strikes the floor.
   4. The fumbled ball is considered dead and can not eliminate players.
2. A deflection doesn't change the live/dead state of the ball.

D. LIVE BALL / DEAD BALL

Live Ball / Dead Ball Basic

A ball is live when it gets thrown and is in the air and hasn't hit the ground yet.

Live Ball Dead Ball Complicated

1. All balls in possession of players or out of possession of players are considered dead.
   1. Balls only become live once thrown.
2. Balls are live until they strike something that ends the throw like the ground, a wall, a dead ball, another live ball, or a dead player. At that point it becomes a dead ball.

E. COURT / CENTER LINE / OUT LINE

Simple

The court is a large rectangle with a center line diving the two halves. Touching any part of the opponents court past the center line means a player is immediately out. Players must leave and enter the court from the back line only.

Out players shall line up with the first player out to be the first to return on a good catch. Players must line up in the order they were eliminated.

The Center line extends into the out of bounds area, meaning the players outside of the game (shagging balls) can not pass the center line.

Complicated

1. Throws must be made from on the court.
   1. Being on the court means two feet inbounds.
   2. Refs must decide if a ball was thrown before the thrower stepped over the line. Either way the thrower is out, but the ball may be ruled dead before thrown.
2. When a player is eliminated, that player should raise a hand while they walk to the outline to let the opposing team know they are out. If an eliminated player is struck while walking to the outline, that ball is immediately dead.
3. If a player is hit inbounds, neither that player nor a teammate can save the player that was hit by catching the ball out of bounds. The result is the player that was hit in the court of play is out.
4. Eliminated Players - Should line up in the order they were eliminated with the first out beginning the outline in the back corner.
5. Teams determined to be stacking their outlines can face forfeiture of the game.

G. IN / OUT

Players start the game in, and remain in until they are eliminated from play. Immediately on being eliminated, the player is out and can no longer influence play. Any ball that they touch immediately becomes dead.