Dodgeball Rules

GO Mammoth Dodgeball Rules & Policies

OVERVIEW 
Teams will consist of eight players on the court at one time. A team may not have any more than five men on the court at one time. If a team is short the required three women they must play a man down accordingly.

There will be six balls, three per team, placed at the middle of the court at the start of the game.
The object is to eliminate all of the other team’s players to win the round.

Teams will play three sets (approx 13 minutes each) per week. Sets will consist of five games each, with individual games lasting no more than three minutes. The team with the most players left at the end of the round will win that game.

If teams have an equal number of players at the end of the two and a half minute round, the game will enter sudden death with the players that remain, and the next elimination will win.

BEGINNING OF THE GAME AND PLAY FORMAT
The game will begin with the referee placing six balls along the centre line of the court.

Teams will line up along the back wall and on the whistle rush into the middle to collect any ball they can (without crossing the centre line). Players must bring the ball back to behind the attack line before they can throw any balls.

Players must not cross the centre of the court for any reason including attacking or retrieving balls. Crossing the centre line results in immediate elimination.

The referee will keep track of the time and update teams as time is expiring. If both teams have the same number of players remaining at the end of the regulation, an additional one minute, sudden death overtime will be instituted.

TEAM SIZE
Teams will consist of eight players on the court at one time (maximum 5 male players and minimum 3 female players). Teams may have as many players as they would like on their team, but can only substitute new players after a round has been completed. Teams may play a legal game with 7 players (minimum of 2 women), 6 players (minimum of 2 women) or 5 players (minimum of 1 woman). All substitutes must remain in a designated, out of bounds area.

REFEREES
Each week there will be a referee on hand to get the games started and to referee the games. The referee will also rely on people using the honour system when they have been eliminated because with so many balls flying around it is difficult to see everything. The referee’s decision is final; any player that argues with the referee or shows poor sportsmanship may be removed from the match or the league.

FORFEITS
If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office so as to help us schedule your opponent a game; however this does not mean that your team will not receive the loss as a forfeit. Teams with less than the legal number of players may still play a “legal” game but only with the opposing team’s consent. All teams consenting to play a legal game with less than the allowed minimum waive their right to a forfeit win. In the Group Stages,  Teams need 5 regular players, and can have 2 ringers in addition to make up the numbers. Ringers are not permitted in finals. Ringers are classified as players  from another team within the same league who play to help out. If a team has a full squad (8 on the court) of their regular players they cannot use a ringer to take a regular players spot.

Any questions regarding policies, rules, or eligibility must be addressed before the start of the match.

ELIMINATION OF PLAYERS
Eliminated players must stand out of bounds, in a designated area, in the order that they were eliminated. They may throw out of bounds balls back to their teammates, but not at the opposing team. They must not re-enter the court for any reason, including attempting to interfere with balls on the court.

Ways to be eliminated:

• If a ball hits you on any part of the body or clothing before it has touched the ground, wall, ceiling or another ball.
• If an opposing player catches a ball you have thrown. The opposing team can also bring in one player.
• If you go to block a ball with a ball you are holding and drop your ball.
• If you fumble a catch.
• If you step over the centre line.
• If you hit someone in the head with the ball, unless their head is below shoulder height.
• If you kick or attempt to kick a ball towards the opposing team.
• If you consistently hold the ball for longer than 15 seconds.
• If you consistently throw or dodge from an out-of-bounds position.
• If eliminated teammates consistently re-enter the court to interfere with the balls.
• If you show unsportsmanlike behaviour towards the opposing team or the referee.

The ball is dead as soon as it hits the floor, walls, ceiling, another ball, or the referee. If the ball hits a second player it becomes dead and the first player hit is out. If the ball is caught, the catch does not count.

Teams are not allowed to stall with the ball. All balls need to be thrown within 15 seconds. If a team consistently ignores this rule, the player that is stalling will be removed.

If a player catches a ball, one eliminated team-mate can re-enter the game. Players must follow a “first off, first on” logic. This means that the first player to be eliminated should be the first player to re-enter the game if a ball is caught. Players that consistently ignore this rule will be eliminated.

If a player crosses the centre line whilst throwing, or throws or catches a ball from an out-of-bounds position, no player on the other team can be eliminated as a result. However, an out-of-bounds player can still be eliminated by a catch or by getting hit by an opposing player.

If a player is hit in the head, and their head is below shoulder height (e.g. they are attempting to duck or dodge away from the ball), they are eliminated. If a player is hit in the head, and their head is not below shoulder height, the player that threw the ball is deemed to have thrown it unacceptably high, and is eliminated. If a player intentionally moves their head towards the ball, they are eliminated. The referee’s decision is final.

Once all players are eliminated the team with players remaining has won the game.  If the three minute game time is reached, the team with the most players remaining wins.

PLAYOFFS:
Playoffs (including finals) will begin immediately following the end of the regular season and will typically last between 1-2 weeks. Teams will be seeded according to their records. It is ALL TEAMS’ responsibility to check the playoff brackets at the league or online to find when they are playing. In playoffs it is not uncommon (and in some cases will be necessary) for teams to have more than one match in a given night.

PLAYER CONDUCT:
No matter the level of competition, keeping the leagues safe and social for all involved is our highest priority. We expect all participants in our leagues to uphold these values, and will not tolerate any level of disrespect or abuse (verbal, or physical) towards our umpires, the staff at our venues or other league participants. This includes swearing, using threatening language or aggressive body language.