Facility

Dodgeball will be played at the Campus Recreation Center or East Campus Recreation Complex, depending on the weather. Location will be notified before the tournament.

Equipment

  1. Athletic shorts/ pants must be worn. No belts, belt loops, exposed drawstrings or zippers are allowed.
  2. No leg or knee braces made of hard, unyielding material is allowed.
  3. No jewelry is allowed. Including earrings, rings, necklaces, watches and bracelets of any kind.
  4. No headwear with a hard surface or exposed knot may be worn. This includes baseball hats, bandannas, do-rags, and stocking caps.
  5. Game balls will be provided for each contest.

Players and Game Timing

  1. Teams should consist of 6 players.
  2. If the tournament is hosted inside, each game will be played on a basketball court.
  3. The game shall consist of 3 games of 5 minutes each.
    • The first team to win two out of three games will be declared the winner.
    • If both teams still have players remaining after a 5-minute game, the team with the most players remaining will be declared the winner.
    • If both teams have the same number of players remaining, the first team to eliminate an opposing player will be declared the winner.
  4. The playing space will be shrunk to the blue lines (Volleyball Court) when:
    • After 4 minutes both teams have players remaining.
    • Officials will announce when there is 1 minute left
    • There are 2 players from each team left remaining
    • Example: 2v2, 2v1, 1v1

Playing Regulations

The Game

  1. Six (6) dodgeballs shall be set up, equally spaced out, along the half-court line.
  2. The six (6) players on each side will line up completely behind their own end line. On the official’s signal players may then move towards the balls on the half-court line.
    • Players may retrieve any ball on the half-court line; however at no time during the game can one team contain all six (6) dodgeballs.
    • Each player with a ball must return to and touch the end line before they can begin to legally throw a ball.
    • Players who fail to touch the end line before throwing a dodgeball will be declared out (illegal throw).

Eliminating Players

  1. A player is out when:
    • A player is hit anywhere at or below the shoulders (including clothing) by a dodgeball that is thrown by an active opposing player and that has not touched the floor or an out-of-play area/structure, unless the player is out-of-play actively retrieving a ball.
    • A player throws a ball that is legally caught by an active member of the opposing team.
    • A player commits an illegal throw.
    • A player jumps out of bounds while attempting to dodge a ball.
    • A player leaves the court illegally in order to retrieve a loose ball.
    • A player touches any part of the opposing team’s side of the court during ball retrieval.
  2. A ball thrown by an active player remains live and able to put out an opposing player even if the thrower is put out while the ball is in the air.
  3. When a player is hit in the head with a dodgeball:
    • A player hit in the head by an undeflected ball shall not be out. The thrower is out.
    • A player hit in the head by a deflected ball shall be out. The thrower is safe.
    • A player who intentionally ducks or positions his/her head to contact a ball anywhere on the court shall be out. The thrower is safe.
    • If a player ducks to miss a thrown ball or is on the ground & is hit in the head or neck, the player is out. The thrower is safe.
  4. When a player is put out, he/she shall move to a position behind the endline on his/her team’s side of the court. If in possession of a dodgeball, he/she may toss or roll it to a teammate or place it on the court. Players shall remember their order of elimination for catch-and-return purposes.

Illegal Handling, Throwing, Rolling, Placing and Heaving of a Ball

  1. An illegal throw occurs when:
    • The thrower throws a ball which intentionally or unintentionally hits an opponent in the head (before any deflections) as described above.
    • The thrower steps on or over an out-of-bounds line or the mid-court line before, during, or after a throw.
    • The thrower kicks, strikes, or spikes a dodgeball toward an opponent.
    • The thrower throws a dodgeball, at the beginning of a game, without touching the end line before they throw the ball.
  2. On all illegal throws, the thrower is out. The throw cannot put out an opponent, but can be caught for a catch-and-return.

Deflections

  1. A deflection occurs when a thrown ball hits off an opposing player, airborne ball or ball that a player is in possession of and remains in the air. Players who are hit with a deflected ball are out.
    • If a player deflects a thrown dodgeball with a ball they are in possession of, and he/she does not maintain complete control of their possession he/she will be out.
  2. All dodgeballs are live and are able to put people out until they touch the ground or any other object that is out of play (official, spectators, etc.) and become dead. A thrown dodgeball may deflect off of multiple players, effectively putting out multiple opponents with a single throw.

Catching a Thrown Ball and Catch-and-Return

  1. A thrown dodgeball that is legally caught by a member of the opposing team before it has struck an out-of-play area or the floor will result in the thrower being declared out and the return of the first teammate in the catch-and-return order for the team, if that team has less than six (6) active players on the court. There are no stored catch-and-return credits.
  2. A legal catch by an active, in-play player occurs when the catcher:
    • Begins the catch inbounds (must have at least one foot in bounds during catch)
    • Catches the ball cleanly and maintains complete control during the entirety of the catch.
  3. While catching a thrown dodgeball, momentum may carry the catcher out-of-play. In this case, the catch is legal, the thrower is out and catch-and-return rules apply.
  4. For a legal catch by an active, in-play player:
    • The thrower is out
    • The catcher is safe
    • The first person in the catch-and-return order shall return to the court.
  5. A player returning to the court can be put out once both feet have been established in bounds.
  6. A legally caught ball that is either legally deflected or deflects off teammate can be caught to put out the thrower. The teammate that the ball deflected off is considered out (hit with a thrown ball).

Ball Retrieval

  1. When there are no inactive players (all 6 starters are still in-play), active players on the court will be permitted to leave the court without penalty to retrieve dodgeballs.
  2. When retrieving dodgeballs players MUST:
    • Exit and re-enter the court through the end line.
    • Players must actively retrieve dodgeballs and cannot stall out of bounds.
  3. When there is at least one (1) inactive player, active players are prohibited from leaving the court to retrieve dodgeballs. Inactive players will serve as ball retrievers at all times.
  4. Under no circumstances may a spectator pick up a dodgeball or otherwise assist his/her team or interfere with opponent.

Stalling

  1. Teams and players must be actively involved and engaged in the game, either by attempting to put out other players or retrieving balls. Regardless of the number of balls in team possession, inactivity including excessive rolling or heaving of the balls without the intent to put out an opponent is considered unsportsmanlike conduct and may result in the stoppage by official and forfeiture of the match.