GBS presents DODGEBALL OFFICIAL RULES

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THE GAME: 1)

DODGEBALL IS PLAYED BY TWO TEAMS, EACH MADE UP OF SIX PLAYERS. EACH GAME CONSISTS OF 5 ROUNDS WITH A 4 MINUTE LIMIT ON EACH ROUND.

ALL PLAYERS MUST ABIDE BY THE GAY BALL SOCIETY GENERAL CODE OF CONDUCT

2) TEAMS a. EACH TEAM MAY FIELD UP TO SIX PLAYERS ON COURT DURING A ROUND USING A ROTATING BENCH b. ROTATING BENCH ALL INACTIVE PLAYERS ARE TO LINE UP AT A PYLON LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF THE GYM OPPOSITE THE GYM ENTRANCE AND ONCE ELIMINATED, PLAYERS ARE TO PROCEED TO THE END OF THE INACTIVE PLAYERS LINE. THE FIRST SIX PLAYERS IN THE INACTIVE PLAYERS LINE ARE TO START EACH NEW ROUND. FAILURE TO PROPERLY ROTATE PLAYERS MAY RESULT IN POINT REDUCTIONS BY A GAME MANAGER OR GBS EXECUTIVE c. PLAYER SUBSTITUTIONS CAPTAINS MAY OPT TO ADD SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS TO THEIR TEAM FOR A MAXIMUM OF SIX TOTAL PLAYERS. THE TEAM SHALL INCUR A TWO POINT PENALTY PER PLAYER ADDED PER GAME WITH ALL ADDED PLAYERS REQUIRING APPROVAL BY A GAME MANAGER OR GBS EXECUTIVE 3) COURT MARKINGS AND BOUNDARY RULES a. THE PLAYING COURT IS A RECTANGULAR SURFACE FREE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS AT LEAST 50 FT. LONG AND 30 FT. WIDE (VOLLEYBALL COURT) AND ARE MARKED WITH SIDELINES, END LINES, A CENTRE LINE, AND ATTACK LINES. ATTACK LINES ARE PARALLEL TO AND 9 FT. FROM THE CENTRE LINE b. DURING PLAY, ALL PLAYERS MUST REMAIN WITHIN BOUNDARY LINES. PLAYERS CAN LEAVE THROUGH THEIR END-LINE ONLY TO RETRIEVE STRAY BALLS. A STRAY BALL IS ONE THAT HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP AND IS LAYING ON THE GROUND. WHEN RETRIEVING A BALL, THE PLAYER MUST ALSO IMMEDIATELY RE-ENTER THE PLAYING FIELD ONLY THROUGH THEIR END LINE. A PLAYER MAY BE DECLARED OUT IF THEY DONT IMMEDIATELY RE-ENTER THE PLAYING FIELD c. A PLAYER MAY CROSS THE SIDE LINES TO CATCH A BALL THAT HAS STRUCK THEM AND IS STILL LIVE d. A PLAYER OUTSIDE THE PLAYING AREA CANNOT LEGALLY THROW AT AN OPPONENT AND CANNOT BE
ELIMINATED BY A LIVE THROWN BALL

e. A PLAYER MAY BE DECLARED OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING: i. HAVE ANY PART OF THEIR BODY CONTACT THE PLAYING SURFACE ON OR OVER A SIDE LINE, EXIT OR RE-ENTER THE FIELD THROUGH THEIR SIDELINE ii. HAVE ANY PART OF THEIR BODY CROSS OVER THE CENTRE LINE AND CONTACT THE GROUND ON THEIR OPPONENTS SIDE OF THE COURT iii. LEAVE THE PLAYING FIELD TO AVOID BEING HIT BY OR ATTEMPT TO CATCH A BALL 4) EQUIPMENT a. ONLY THE OFFICIAL BALLS PROVIDED BY THE LEAGUE ARE TO BE USED. (8 RUBBER BALL) b. THERE ARE SIX BALLS IN A REGULATION GAME c. PARTICIPANTS MUST WEAR SHOES, SHIRTS, AND SHORTS/PANTS d. ALL CLOTHES AND OR UNIFORMS ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THE PLAYERS BODY (EXCEPTIONS MAY BE MADE FOR THEME OR COSTUMED GAMES)

GBS presents DODGEBALL OFFICIAL RULES

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5) GAME PLAY a. THE GAMES WILL BEGIN WITH THE TEAMS LINING UP AT THE END LINE b. THE TIME LIMIT PER GAME IS 20 MINUTES WITH A SERIES OF FIVE ROUNDS AT FOUR MINUTES EACH c. THERE IS ONE 30 SECOND TIME OUT ALLOWED PER TEAM PER GAME d. THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS TO ELIMINATE ALL OPPOSING PLAYERS BY GETTING THEM OUT e. AN OUT IS SCORED BY: i. HITTING AN OPPOSING PLAYER WITH A LIVE THROWN BALL BELOW THE SHOULDERS. (IF A PLAYER DUCKS, CROUCHES, KNEELS, DIVES, ROLLS, FLIPS OR LAYS AND THEY ARE HIT ABOVE THE SHOULDERS, THE PLAYER IS OUT AND THE THROW IS CONSIDERED LEGAL.) ii. CATCHING A LIVE BALL THROWN BY AN OPPONENT iii. CAUSING AN OPPONENT TO LOSE CONTROL OF A HELD BALL AS A RESULT OF CONTACT BY A
THROWN LIVE BALL

iv. AN OPPOSING PLAYER STEPPING OUT OF BOUNDS. v. A LIVE BALL IS ONE THAT STRIKES OR IS CAUGHT BY AN OPPOSING PLAYER WITHOUT/BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND, ANOTHER PLAYER, A NON-HELD BALL, OFFICIAL, OR OTHER
OBJECT

IF A PLAYER CATCHES A LIVE BALL THROWN BY THEIR OPPONENT, IN ADDITION TO THE THROWER BEING DECLARED OUT, USING A ROTATING BENCH, A PLAYER FROM THE CATCHERS TEAM ENTERS THE GAME (TO THE LIMIT OF 6 ACTIVE PLAYERS) g. A PLAYER MAY BLOCK A THROWN BALL WITH A BALL BEING HELD, PROVIDED THE HOLDER DOES NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE HELD BALL AS A RESULT OF THE CONTACT WITH THE THROWN BALL. THE
HELD BALL DOES NEED TO STRIKE THE GROUND TO CAUSE THE HOLDER TO BE OUT

f.

h. A LIVE BALL DEFLECTING OFF A HELD BALL AND/ OR STRIKING THE HOLDER REMAINS LIVE ONLY TO THE HOLDER. THE THROWN BALL COULD BE DEFLECTED INTO THE AIR AND CAUGHT BY THE HOLDER (AND NOT A TEAMMATE), AND IF SO THE THROWER WOULD BE OUT i. ONCE A PLAYER IS OUT, THEY MUST DROP ANY BALLS IN HAND AND EXIT THE PLAYING FIELD AT THE NEAREST SIDELINE. THEY MUST NOT INTERFERE WITH THE GAME 6) START OF THE GAME a. THE GAME STARTS BY PLACING SIX DODGEBALLS ALONG THE CENTRE LINE THREE ON EACH SIDE OF
THE CENTRE HASH MARK

b. PLAYERS TAKE A POSITION BEHIND THEIR END LINE. (IF THERE IS A BACK WALL PLAYERS MUST TOUCH THE BACK WALL AT THE START OF THE GAME.) c. AT THE STARTING COUNTDOWN OF 3,2,1, DODGEBALL TEAMS APPROACH THE CENTRE LINE TO
RETRIEVE THE BALLS

d. A FALSE START WILL BE CALLED IF PLAYERS CROSS THEIR END LINE PRIOR TO THE OFFICIALS SIGNAL
AND ALL PLAYERS MUST RESET TO TRY AGAIN

7) OPENING RUSH a. ONCE A BALL IS RETRIEVED AT THE START OF THE GAME IT HAS TO BE TAKEN BEHIND THE ATTACK
LINE BEFORE IT CAN BE LEGALLY THROWN ACROSS THE CENTRE LINE

GBS presents DODGEBALL OFFICIAL RULES

IN FRONT OF THE ATTACK LINE

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b. ONCE A BALL IS MOVED BEYOND THE ATTACK LINE IT MAY BE THROWN FROM ANYWHERE INCLUDING

8) FOULS a. b. c. d. e.

STEPPING OUT OF BOUNDS (EXCEPT THE END LINE) STEPPING OVER THE CENTRE LINE DELIBERATELY THROWING A BALL AT A PLAYERS HEAD DELAY OF GAME UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

* THE REFEREES DECISION IS FINAL NO EXCEPTIONS. TEAM CAPTAINS ARE THE ONLY PLAYERS WHO MAY APPROACH THE REFEREE. TECHNICAL FOULS AND EJECTIONS WILL BE ISSUED TO PLAYERS AT ANY TIME FOR VIOLATING THE RULES OR DISPLAYING UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER THE GAME. IF ISSUED A TECHNICAL FOUL THE PLAYER IS EJECTED FROM THAT PARTICULAR MATCH (SET OF 5) 9) DECLARING A WINNER a. THE FIRST TEAM TO LEGALLY ELIMINATE ALL OPPOSING PLAYERS WILL BE DECLARED THE WINNER b. IF NEITHER TEAM HAS BEEN ELIMINATED AT THE END OF REGULATION, THE TEAM WITH THE
GREATER NUMBER OF REMAINING PLAYERS WILL BE DECLARED THE WINNER

c. IF AN EQUAL NUMBER OF PLAYERS REMAIN AFTER REGULATION PLAY, ALL BALLS WILL BE RESET TO
THE CENTRE LINE AND ALL PLAYERS ON THE COURT WILL PLAY UNTIL ONE PLAYER IS ELIMINATED

10) STALLING, 5 SECOND VIOLATIONS, AND 10 SECOND VIOLATIONS a. A TEAM TRAILING DURING A GAME MUST BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELIMINATE AN OPPOSING PLAYER. THIS REQUIRES A BALL TO BE AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE TRAILING TEAM b. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR THE LEADING TEAM TO CONTROL ALL THE BALLS FOR MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS. IF THIS IS NOT DONE WITHIN FIVE SECONDS, A 5 SECOND VIOLATION WILL BE CALLED. AT THIS TIME, THE TRAILING TEAM WILL BE SUPPLIED WITH A BALL, AND PLAY WILL RESUME c. NO PLAYER MAY HOLD A BALL FOR MORE THAN 10 SECONDS. THE VIOLATING PLAYER MUST
IMMEDIATELY ROLL ONE BALL TO AN OPPOSING PLAYER

d. NO TEAM CAN HOLD ALL SIX BALLS ON THEIR SIDE FOR MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS. THE VIOLATING
TEAM MUST IMMEDIATELY ROLL ONE BALL TO AN OPPOSING PLAYER

11) POINTS SYSTEM AND STANDINGS a. A TEAM WILL BE AWARDED TWO POINTS FOR WINNING A ROUND BY ELIMINATING ALL OPPOSING
PLAYER

b. ONE POINT WILL BE AWARDED FOR WINNING A ROUND BY THE CLOCK OR IN OVERTIME c. THE TEAM WAS THE MOST POINTS WILL BE SEEDED FIRST FOR THE PLAYOFFS d. IF TWO OR MORE TEAMS ARE TIED, THE TEAM WITH THE MOST POINTS SCORED AGAINST THE TEAMS
THEY ARE TIED WITH WILL BE AWARDED THE TIEBREAK

e. IF STILL TIED THE TEAM WITH THE MOST ROUND WINS WILL BE AWARDED THE TIEBREAK f. THE TEAM THAT WON THE LAST ROUND WILL BE THE FINAL TIEBREAK