🤾‍♀️EVERPLAY DODGEBALL RULES🤾‍♂️

*WE ARE TRYING TO BRING BACK DODGEBALL AND GROW!  RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY POINT DURING THE SEASON.  RULES WILL BE ADDED OR CHANGED IN ORDER TO KEEP THE GAME AS FUN AND FAIR AS POSSIBLE DURING THE SCHEDULED TIME.  IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION PLEASE CONTACT US VIA HOTLINE OR EMAIL.  THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING! HAVE FUN! =)

Sportsmanship Policy: Everplay Sport & Social Club is dedicated to providing a safe and fun sporting environment. All participants should keep this in mind when joining any Everplay League or Event. Because we encourage competitive play while maintaining good sportsmanship, any behavior deemed unacceptable by the Everplay staff may result in consequences such as ejection from the game or event, suspension from the current season, or potentially being banned entirely from Everplay as an organization. This includes actions and behavior toward umpires/referees/field managers, opposing players, and/or teammates. Some examples of unacceptable behaviors include shouting, cursing, physical altercations, and intimidation. Everplay reserves the right to determine actions as violations of the sportsmanship policy and to deal with each instance accordingly. Everplay appreciates it’s participants love for the game and has the ultimate goal of maintaining it’s motto: Play sports, Have fun, Stay social.

*Summer Rules Emphasis

Team/General Rules

1. Team rosters shall include a minimum of 10 players, including at least 3 of each gender.
2. The maximum number of players on the Court is 6, with at least 2 of each gender.
3. The minimum number of players on the Court is 4, with at least 1 of each gender..
4. All players present for a game must play at least 1 Round, unless the player elects not to play.
5. All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will receive a 3 game penalty and the unregistered player will be removed.  Any team with multiple illegal players will forfeit the game.  In the Playoffs, any team with illegal players will suffer a forfeit.
6. Team Captains reserve the right to do a Roster Check of the Opposing Team if there is suspected illegal players. 
7. When a team has fewer than the required number of players of a specified gender available, players of one gender may not be substituted for members of another gender. For example, if a team has 6 total players available at game time, but only 1 are female, the team must play short in the field with 5 players.
8. Late Registration: a team may add players to the roster through the 1st scheduled game provided the team captain approves. The league fee shall be pro-rated for the remainder of the season with the late fee built in. All players must be formally registered with the League and paid in full prior to playing.

Officials-Although there are officials, dodgeball is based on an honor system.  Anyone that ignores the honor system will be removed from the game and potentially the league.

1. Each game shall be officiated by at least one League-assigned referee, who shall act as the head referee. A second League-assigned referee may also be used.
2. Referees are responsible for:
   1. Maintaining the game clock.
   2. Recording the game score.
   3. Enforcing the honor system.
   4. Enforcing penalties.
   5. Enforcing the five second rule.
   6. Readmitting players who mistakenly called themselves out.
3. A referee may call a player out for any of the following reasons:
   1. The player does not voluntarily leave the court when required.
   2. The player engages in unsportsmanlike conduct.
   3. The player argues with the game official.
   4. The player uses abusive language.
4. The staff shall eject a player from the game if the player engages in any unsportsmanlike behavior.  If a player is ejected from a game, they are suspended for a FULL week (if they participate in more then one league they are suspended ALL all those league games).  If in Playoffs, they are suspended for the entirety of the Playoffs.  If a 2nd Ejection occurs during the Season, that Player is suspended for the remainder of the season.
5. An ejected player must leave the field and facility immediately; failure to do so may result in removal from the league and automatic forfeits for their team.
6. Ejected players will receive emails from the leagues ownership team with ruling on suspension or potentially being banned entirely from Everplay Sport & Social Club.  (Any players suspended for games or leagues must not show to participate or spectate or their team will automatically forfeit those games).

Playing Area

1. The dodgeball court shall will roughly approximate the dimensions of a regulation basketball court.  The court shall include a center line and attack lines 10 feet from each side of the center line. These dimensions may vary depending on the facility used.

Equipment

1. Games will be played using two 10-inch, two 8.5-inch & two 6.5-inch rubber-coated foam balls.  *Males can grab but not throw 6.5-inch balls at opponents.
2. Players must wear their League-provided t-shirts of the appropriate color for their team.
3. Players may modify their League-provided t-shirts, provided that they do not remove or alter League or sponsors logos.
4. Players must wear soft-soled, close-toed shoes. (Tennis Shoes)

Opening Rush

1. Balls shall be placed along the center line prior to the opening rush, equidistant from each another and the sidelines. On a standard width 30-foot wide court, the distance between each ball and sideline is 3 feet.
2. Players shall line up along the wall on their respective side of the court, with at least one foot or hand touching the wall.
3. The referee shall blow the whistle to start the round.
4. Teams may advance to the center line and retrieve the four balls on their right. They may not touch or interfere with the balls on the left, which are intended for the opposing team.
5. Upon retrieving a ball, the ball must move back past the attack line before it may be used against the opposing team. This can be achieved either by carrying the ball across or tossing/rolling the ball to a teammate who is standing behind the attack line.
6. If a team chooses not to retrieve the balls at the start of the game, the opposing team may retrieve the balls at their convenience.

Game Play

1. The objective of each team is to eliminate all players on the opposing team.
2. A player is eliminated when one of the following occur:
   1. Any part of the player's body, or any part of his or her clothing is struck by a ball thrown by an opposing player. Only thrown balls are live; kicking balls is illegal.
   2. The player's thrown ball is caught by an opposing player. (Catching team is to NOT bring another player back on the court when catching an opposing ball)
   3. The player steps out of bounds, unless they are attempting to retrieve an errant ball in accordance with the errant ball retrieval rules.
   4. The player steps over the opposing attack line. Reaching over the attack line is permitted provided no part of the body comes into contact with the court's surface opposite the attack line.  Having a foot on the attack line is legal.
   5. The player is the nearest to an out-of-play teammate who steps or touches in-bounds on the court. Reaching into the court is permitted provided no part of the body comes into contact with the court's surface.
   6. The player's held ball is knocked out of his or her hands by an opponent's thrown ball.
   7. The player retrieves an opposing team's ball on the opening rush.
   8. The player throws a ball at the opposing team before the ball has retreated past the attack line on the opening rush.
   9. The player intentionally hits an opposing player who is already out.
   10. The player kicks the ball.
3. A player is NOT out if the ball hits them after hitting the floor, the wall, any other object or another person.
4. A player is NOT out if hit when out of bounds while retrieving an errant ball, including on while retrieving ball on bleachers.
5. When a player is eliminated, he or she must raise his or her hand and exit to the nearest side of the court. That player must remain outside the sideline until the conclusion of that round.
6. Catching. If a player catches a ball thrown by an opponent, the thrower is out, unless the ball hits a wall, the floor or another object. If the ball hits another player first, but is then caught, the thrower is out and the person originally hit is NOT out.  You must catch the ball in the boundaries lines (at least one foot in- College Football Rule) for the thrower to be OUT.
   
7. Blocking. A player may block an incoming ball using a held ball. The thrown ball must be deflected completely, that is, it must not strike the holder of the ball after hitting the held ball.
8. Friendly Fire. Friendly fire does not result in an out. A player who is hit by a teammate shall not be called out.
9. Deflections, i.e. Blocking Scenarios Further Explained:
   1. If you deflect a ball and it hits you after, YOU ARE OUT.
   2. If you deflect a ball and it hits someone else, NO ONE IS OUT.
   3. If you deflect a ball and it is caught, either by you or another person, THE THROWER IS OUT.
10. Balls that leave the playing area, including balls that land in the bleachers or stands, may be returned to the playing area by out-of-play teammates, spectators or players. If a player retrieves an errant ball, he or she may exit and reenter the playing area only from the back court area behind the nearest line to the wall, and must immediately return to the playing area. Players that are actively retrieving an errant ball may not be hit by the opposing team and may not catch balls from the opposing team while they are out of bounds. Stepping out of the playing area for any other reason will result in the player being called out.
11. Players must respect their opponent's half of the court in the out-of-play area by not attempting to retrieve errant balls past the center line.
12. When the court is longer than 60 feet, the court shall be divided by a "neutral zone" located between the attack lines. Players from both teams may play inside the neutral zone.

Matches & Rounds

1. A match shall consist of two 18-minute halves. (1 Minute Halftime).
   The clock shall be a running clock.  Teams will play a total of two full matches against different teams during each  of game day.
2. No round shall begin after 18 minutes into the half.
3. Teams will switch sides of the court after the first 18 minutes.
4. Teams shall play as many rounds as time allows in each half. Upon the conclusion of each round, the balls will be replaced on the center line and the next round will begin at the whistle.
5. Each round will continue until either:
   1. All players on one team are eliminated. The winning team will score one point for the match.
   2. 5 minutes has elapsed.
6. If 5 minutes elapses, the team with the most players remaining will win the round and score a match point.
7. If 5 minutes elapses and both teams have the same number of players remaining, the round shall be considered a draw and no point will be awarded.

Stalling/Hoarding (Ten Second Rule)

1. A player may not "stall", i.e. retain possession of the ball without intent of playing the ball for more than 10 seconds. If a player holds on to the ball for more than 10 seconds, and in the judgment of the official is not actively making the effort to play the ball, the referee will warn the player. If the player continues to stall by failing to release or play the ball within a reasonable time after the warning, the player shall be called out.
2. Teams may not "hoard" the balls. If one team is in possession of ALL of the game balls, they must make a conscious effort to roll (not throw) at least one ball to the opposing team. If one team has significantly fewer players currently on the court and is having difficulties doing so, the official(s) may walk on to the court and send a ball over to the opposing team to help streamline the match. After a warning, matches will be called immediately in favor of the opposing team who will receive a point for the match. If hoarding continues throughout the ensuing games, at the discretion of the official(s), matches will continue to be called in favor of the opposing team.

Mercy Rule

1. If a team trails by 4 or more points, that team may start the round with one extra player (for a total of 7). For each additional 2 points the team trails, they may add an additional person to the starting lineup. These players must be removed once the team has made up these points. Extra players may play even if the team is playing short-handed due to insufficient players of a particular gender.

Forfeits

1. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements at the posted game time. Any team not ready to play at this time will receive a 5 Minute Grace Period.  At 5 Minutes, the score becomes 2-0.  At 10 Minutes, the game is entered as a 4-0 forfeit.
2. If neither team is ready to play, both teams shall forfeit and can play a scrimmage game.

Playoffs

1. Qualifying teams will play in week 7.  (Playoffs are done in one night).
2. Teams that qualify will play 2 18 minute halves. (1 Minute Halftime).
3. No round shall begin after 18 minutes into the half.
4. Teams will switch sides of the court after the first 18 minutes.
5. Teams shall play as many rounds as time allows in each half. Upon the conclusion of each round, the balls will be replaced on the center line and the next round will begin at the whistle.
6. The team who wins the most rounds in the 2 halves will advance.
7. If time becomes a factor, officials will announce sudden death round.
8. Sudden death round includes teams choosing 3 throwers and first team to "hit" 2 of the 3 wins the round/game.
9. The Champs will receive a gift card to a sponsor restaurant, prizes and a pic with our banner.