Adult Dodgeball League Rules
THE TEAM
Teams will be made up of no more than 10 players on a roster. Six players from the roster will
compete at a time; others will be available as substitutes. Substitutes may enter the game only in the
case of injury. All players will be checked off the roster before beginning play.
If you do not have at least four players on the floor at the scheduled start time, you will receive a
forfeit. Teams will also forfeit if found to be playing with a person not on their roster. The win-loss
records for those teams will be the best win-loss record from that day.
Players will not be allowed to wear any jewelry for their safety and the safety of others. If a player
violates the jewelry rule after they or another player of their team has received a warning for jewelry
previously during the same match, the player is ejected for the remainder of the match. The team
may use a valid substitute if one is available, otherwise they play shorthanded.
THE FIELD & BOUNDARIES
We will play on one side of the YMCA gymnasium using the BLACK basketball court lines to define the
sides of the playing area, and the walls to define the back of the playing area. The playing area will
be divided into thirds by the GREY attack lines (top of the key on the basketball courts).
During play, all players must remain within the boundary line. Players may leave the boundaries
through their end-line only to retrieve stray balls. They must also return through their end line.
Players entering the field after a caught ball must enter through their end line.
You may not cross the attack line during play. If you cross the attack line or boundary line you
become out and any balls you threw are ruled dead.
If mutual consent for court side does not exist it is determined by rock paper scissors.
THE OPENING RUSH
Game begins by placing four dodgeball along the center line. Players must line up behind their end line
or in contact with the back wall. Following a signal by the official, teams may approach the centerline,
but CANNOT CROSS THE CENTERLINE to retrieve the balls. ABSOLUTELY NO CONTACT IS ALLOWED.
Once a ball is retrieved it must be taken behind the attack line before it can be legally thrown. The ball
must be entirely behind the line.
THE RULES
RULES OF THE GAME
The object 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 thrown ball. Ball must be thrown. It cannot be batted,
kicked, etc.
2) Catching a thrown ball by your opponent before it touches the ground.
*A caught ball also results in another player from your team being allowed back into
the game.
You cannot get your own team members out or yourself out.
Once a ball leaves the throwers hand, it is a live ball and continues to be live until it hits the floor,
regardless of whether or not the thrower is thrown out before the ball strikes the playing surface.
Back walls, side walls, the dividing tarp, the ceiling, other flying balls, basketball hoops, etc are all live
surfaces. The mats that people sit on are dead as well as all non-participants on the sidelines.
Each match will last for 25 minutes.
Any shot striking the head of an opponent ruled by the referee to be intentional or flagrant will result
in the thrower being out, and the violating team is forced to play shorthanded for the rest of the
game. All other head shots count and the player is out.
Clothing counts as part of the body. If a ball changes direction in flight, it is considered to have struck
you.
You may NOT use a ball to block. If you do it is just like the ball hit you. If a ball hits your ball that
you are holding and you or someone else catches that first ball it is a valid catch only if you maintain
possession of the original ball that you were holding.
When a player becomes out, they move to the player return area, lining up in the order they became
out (for returning to the game, the first out is the first in).
After possession of all four balls are attained, the team has five seconds to make at least one throw.
If 5 seconds expires than all four balls are awarded to the other team.
In order to speed up the game the referee can make a 5 second count when he/she deems necessary
even if there are less than 4 balls on one side.
If a 5 second delay of game is called with under 1 minute left in a match it is a game forfeit.
Play is continuous until all members of one team are out, or time expires. There are no timeouts. Only
the official can call a time out.
When called out, players shall leave the court immediately. Failure to do so can result in a forfeit of
the game. Players cannot interfere with current play. If a player gets out and they have a ball in their
possession they may pass that ball back to teammates. An out player can not touch any ball that is
not in their possession while they are on the playing floor. Doing so results in a game forfeit.
Substitutions are allowed for injured players.
Kicking a ball is illegal. Doing so results in a game forfeit.
Players that are on the sideline must pass the dodgeball into play immediately. Players must stay on
their side of the half court and must stay on the mats side of the gym. Fans are also not allowed to
hold onto the dodgeballs and must pass the ball in immediately.
When coming back into play from out of bounds players cannot fake coming back in. They must come
straight in.
Players can not stall out of bounds either.
If a team forfeits more than one game in a given season they are ineligible for the postseason
tournament.
RULE ENFORCEMENT & SPORTSMANSHIP
Players shall observe the highest level of sportsmanship and promptly call themselves out when struck.
Players will be expected to rule whether or not they were legally eliminated. A missed call by the
official does not remove the obligation of a struck player to call himself of herself out. All contests
will be supervised by at least two court monitors who will be responsible to rule on any situations in
which teams cannot agree. THE COURT MONITORS DECISION IS FINAL—NO EXEPTIONS.
Judgment rulings of the officials shall not be questioned. Other rulings may be questioned if a player
feels there has been a misinterpretation of the playing rules. A player must address officials
respectfully and never scream or argue with an official. EFFECT: For hollering or yelling at an official,
a coach or player is ejected from the facility for the remainder of the day. At the start and end of a
match, players shall shake hands at the center of the courts.
The official may call a game for reasons of sportsmanship if, in his/her opinion, a travesty of the game
is being made, a poor example for youth is being displayed, or if foul or abusive language is being used
by fans, players, or parents.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH TEAMS CAPTAIN TO ENSURE THAT ALL TEAM MEMBERS
HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THESE RULES!!!