Dodgeball Rules

General Information

1. The National Amateur Dodgeball Association Rules will be used with Tulane University modifications.
2. Participants are subject to all of the policies and procedures in the Intramural Handbook.
3. Games will consist of 2 teams, 6 players per team.
   1. Games may start with 5 players.
   2. Mixed-Rec teams may have a maximum of 3 male-identifying players on the court.

Equipment

1.  All participants should wear proper recreational attire. This includes t-shirts, gym shorts, wind or sweat pants, and athletic closed toe shoes.
2. Jewelry or sun glasses shall not be worn.
3. Headwear that contains knots, hard or stiff material including billed hats are prohibited.
4. Any hard braces must be covered and padded.
5. Participants wearing casts are prohibited from intramural play.
6. The final determination regarding legal equipment will be made by the Intramural Supervisor present at the game.

Time Regulations

1. A match will consist of the best 4 out of 7 games.
   1. A game will be 3 minutes in length.
   2. The clock will run continuously with the exception of: injuries, referees’ time, and time-outs.
   3. Each team will receive two 30 second times out per match.
2. After a time out is called play will begin with the same number of balls on each side when the timeout was called.
3. Balls will be on the ground at the restart of a timeout.
4. If an equal number of players remain after regulation play, a sudden death overtime period will be played.
5. Overtime:
   1. The overtime period will begin with the same number of players that ended the game in a tie.
   2. All overtime periods will begin with equal number of “balls in hand” behind a teams’ end line.
   3. The first team to eliminate any one opposing player will be declared the winner.
   4. There are no timeouts in overtime.
   5. The sudden death format continues until a winner is determined.

Substitutions

Teams may substitute players only between games, with the sole exception of an injured player unable to continue.

Boundaries

1. The playing boundaries are bounded by the wall and drop-down net for the width and the blue volleyball baselines for the length.
2. During play, all players must remain within the boundary area.
3. When retrieving a ball, the player must immediately re-enter the playing field through the end line only.
4. A player not immediately re-entering the playing area will be declared out.
5. A player shall not:
   1. Leaving the playing field for an extended period of time.
   2. Contact the ground on their opponents’ side of the court, or pick up balls fully on the opponents' side of the court.
      1.  If such contact with the ground is a result of the follow-through of a throw, the thrown ball is dead.
   3. During the opening rush only, players may cross the center line momentarily while attempting to retrieve a ball if no opponent is making a play for that same ball.

The Game

1. The team listed first on the schedule will have choice of sides to begin the match.
2. Teams will alternate sides following each game.
3. The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them out.
4. An out is scored by:
   1. Hitting an opposing player with a live thrown ball below the shoulders. (If a player ducks and this clearly is the reason for the player being hit above the shoulders, the player is out and the throw is considered legal).
   2. Catching a live ball thrown by your opponent. If a catch is made the team that caught the ball is allowed one team member to re-enter the game on a first-out-first-in basis.
   3. Causing an opponent to drop a held ball as a result of contact from a live ball. (Usually occurs when a ball is being used to block a thrown ball).
   4. If a player steps out of bounds and fails to immediately return to play.
   5. Live Ball: a thrown ball that strikes, or is caught by an opposing player without/before contacting the ground, another player or ball.
   6. Parried ball: a parried ball (blocked by a held ball) remains live to the player who deflected it; it is not live to the player’s teammates.
5.  A player may block a thrown ball with a ball being held, provided the held ball is not dropped as a result of the contact with the thrown ball.
6. One on one: If the game comes down to a one on one situation, players may cross the center line to attack an opponent.
7. If a ball hits a player, deflects off that player, and is caught by a teammate the player the ball was deflected off of is not out.
8.  If a ball hits a player, deflects off that player, then hits a teammate(s) before subsequently hitting the ground uncaught, all struck players are out.
9. All players that are out must sit in the designated team areas. Failure to due so will result in a sportsmanship violation.
10. Once a player is out they must hustle to the designated team area without interfering with play. An out player may not deliberately impede the path of a ball. Result of an out player impeding a ball will be a yellow card, and any teammate in the projected path of the impeded ball will be called out.

Beginning the Game

1. Six dodgeballs will be placed along the center line, 3 balls on the right and left of the center hash mark.
2. Players take position behind their end line.
3. On the whistle from the official, teams may approach the center line to retrieve the balls. Teams may only retrieve the balls to their right of the hash mark. If balls remain on the center line after a team has retrieved and moved their balls beyond the attack line, those balls may be retrieved by either team.
4. Each and every ball that is retrieved from the center line on the opening rush must be taken back beyond the attack line before the ball may be legally thrown at an opponent.
5. A player may carry or pass the ball into the back court beyond the attack line.

Declaring a Winner

1. The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner.
2. If neither team has been eliminated by the end of regulation time, the team with the greater number of players remaining will be declared the winner.

Stalling/5 Second Violation

1. A team trailing during a regulation game must be given the opportunity to eliminate an opposing player. This requires a ball to be at the disposal of the trailing team.
2. It is illegal for either team to control all the balls for more than 5 seconds. If either team controls all the balls they must make a legitimate effort to get at least one ball across the attack line and into the opponent’s backcourt. If this is not done within 5 seconds a violation will be called. A team may avoid a 5 second violation by throwing or rolling a ball into the opponent’s back court.
3. The 5-second count will cease, when in the opinion of the official, a ball is at the disposal of the trailing team.
4. A ball may be considered at a team’s disposal without being secured if, in the opinion of the official, players of the trailing team are not making a legitimate effort to do so.
5. Penalty for 5 second violation:
   1. First Violation: stoppage of play and balls will be divided evenly between the team. Play will continue with balls in hand.
   2. Second Violation: Free Throw for the opposing team. A free throw is an unobstructed throw at their opponent(s) without risk of elimination. This is possible because a caught free throw will not result in player elimination.

Sportsmanship Violation:

1. A Yellow/Red card system will be used to control unsportsmanlike conduct and improper behavior, persistent infringement of any rules of the game by player, coach and bench personnel.
2. When cautioning a player, coach, or other bench personnel, the official shall display a Yellow card and indicate the person concerned.
3. The second yellow card displayed on the same person in the same contest for any unsportsmanlike conduct shall be a Red card.
4. When ejecting a player, coach, or other bench personnel the official shall display a Red card and indicate the person concerned. A player, coach, or other bench personnel receiving a Red card shall be ejected from the game and will be suspended from the next scheduled game.
5. Any player ejected from the game must leave the playing area and is not permitted to watch the remainder of the game.
6. A player that is ejected cannot be substituted for; the team must play a player down for the remainder of the match.
7. Team captains are responsible for the conduct of their players, sidelines, and spectators.

Yellow Card

A sportsmanship violation will be called by the official for the following:

1. Team failing to sit in designated team area.
2. Players refusing to leave the court after being called out, or excessively delaying their departure from the court.
3. Players trying to reenter the game after being called out.
4. Purposely aiming for a head shot.
5. Persistently infringes upon any of the rules of the game.
6. Shows dissent by word of mouth or action to decisions given by the referee.
7. Is guilty of any incidental vulgar or profane language.
8. Is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Penalty: Free Throw for the opposing team. A free throw is an unobstructed throw at their opponent(s) without risk of elimination. This is possible because a caught free throw will not result in player elimination. Regular play will restart as soon as the free throw ball makes contact with player of ground. Balls will remain at the feet of the opponents until the free throw ball makes contact.

Red Card

1. Receives a second yellow card.
2. Is guilty of violent conduct or serious foul play.
3. Is abusive in language or gesture toward a player or official.