Dodgeball Rules

 1.   A team consists of six players (any combination of men and women).  A team may have additional players that may enter in succeeding games.  Four players are required by game time to prevent a forfeit.

2.   A match consists of three games (not the best two of three). Each game will last a maximum of 4 minutes.

3.  Eight balls will be used. Officials will give two balls to each team at the beginning of the game. The remaining four balls will be placed at center court. Players must start behind their own baseline (1 foot touching the back wall) at the start of play.

4.   A center line will be used to determine team boundary and off-sides.  When throwing, the point of ball release must be on the players’ teams’ side of the mid-court line.  After the ball has been released, it is permitted for a player’s momentum to carry them over the boundary line, as long as they immediately return to their side of the court and do not attempt to pick up a dodgeball while on the other side of the boundary line.  In this case, a player may still be hit by a ball in the time it takes to get back to their side of the court.

5.   Once both teams have two or fewer players, teams may advance across the center line to attack opponents. Also, at the 30 second left mark, teams advance across the center line to attack opponents regardless of the number of players remaining.

6.   Players will be called out if a thrown ball hits them directly.  If a thrown ball hits a player and deflects to hit a teammate, both players are out.  The ball must hit a player below the top of the shoulders to be considered an out. If a player (standing up) is hit in the head, the thrower will be considered out. If a player ducks or is on the ground and is hit in the head, the player hit will be called out.

7.   Players will be called out if a ball they throw is caught on the fly. If a ball is deflected off of a player, and caught by a teammate, the thrower is out and the initially hit player is out.

8.   Deflections off the floor, wall, court dividers, ceiling, bleachers, hoop, or official do not count as an out if caught.

9.   If a ball hits another ball, which a player has in their possession, it does not make either player out.  If the held ball is dropped as a result of contact from the thrown ball, then the player who drops the ball is out. 

10.  If a thrown ball hits a held ball and is deflected and caught by any person then the original thrower is out.  If the originally thrown ball deflects off of held ball and hits a player, the person who was hit is out.

11.  If a player is stalling, or making no attempt to play a ball, they will be ordered to roll the ball to the other side by the official. A verbal count to “10” is allowed before a ball must be thrown.

12.  Once a player is out, they must immediately leave the floor stand away from the field of play. Players who have been called out can not retrieve or direct stray balls for their teammates, or that ball will be given to the other team.

13. All decisions by officials are final; ARGUING DECISIONS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.  Players arguing after a warning may be penalized by disqualification from the remainder of a game or match, or possibly ejected from the tournament. The Intramural Supervisor will rule on any situation not specifically covered in the rules.

14. The winning team is either the one with the last person left on the court, or the team with the most people left at the whistle.  Ties are possible (individual games, not matches) if both teams have the same number of players at the buzzer.  If after three games, a tie exists, a 3 minute overtime period shall be played.  Play continues as before until an overtime period ends with an uneven score.  (No additional points accumulated during overtime periods.)

Each game:   Winning Team receives 20 Points (10 points per team of tie game) plus any accumulated bonus points.

Scoring Example:

 Team X consists of 4 males and 2 females. Team Y consists of 6 males.

Game 1: Team X eliminates all of Team Y with 2:10 remaining.  They have 1 female and 1 male remaining.  Team X gets 20 pts for win, 2 bonus for time, 0 bonus points for total players remaining, and 1 point for having 1 female remaining.  Total after Game 1: Team Y has 0 pts. Team X has 23 points.

Game 2: Team Y quickly eliminates all of Team X with 3:35 seconds remaining.  Team Y has 5 players remaining (all males).  Team Y earns 20 points for win, 5 bonus points for time and 3 bonus points for total players remaining. For Game 2: Team Y earns 28 pts.  Team X earns 0 pts.

Game 3:  Team X eliminates all of team Y with 50 seconds remaining.  Team X has 2 males remaining.  Team X gets 20 pts for win, 0 bonus for time and 0 bonus points for total players remaining.  Total for Game 3 is Team Y 0 pts. Team X 20 pts.   

Final score of all 3 games summed: Team Y 28, Team X 43.  Team X wins!