Definitions

1. LIVE BALL: A ball that has been thrown.
2. DEAD BALL: A ball that has touched the floor, hit an opposite player then hit the floor, hit an opposite player that is out, hit an official or other fixture outside of the playing field (wall, ceiling, basketball hoop, LIVE BALL, etc.).
3. A CATCH: A LIVE ball that is in possession of a player (players) where the player (players) is (are) completely in bounds (please see below the section THE GAME / BOUNDARIES for an explanation of being in bounds). Note: Trapping a ball against the floor is not a CATCH.

A player is defined as "out" if...

1. They are hit below the shoulders while the player is upright with a LIVE ball that eventually dies. Clothing is considered an extension of the body (i.e. if a LIVE ball brushes a player's tee shirt and the ball dies, they are OUT).
2. The LIVE ball that they throw is caught by your opponent before it is DEAD.
3. He/she crosses the boundary lines with one or more than one whole body part.
4. He/she steps over the centerline.

A player is defined as "in" if...

1. The player is not OUT
2. One of his teammates catches a LIVE ball and the player is the first one to rotate in. Note that players can be cycled in only when there are 5 or fewer players on the court.

Scenarios

1. If a LIVE ball hits one teammate, then bounces off that teammate and hits another, and the ball dies, then BOTH teammates are OUT.
2. If a LIVE ball hits a ball that a player is holding, bounces off that ball and hits another(s) teammate(s) and the ball dies, then that(those) other(s) teammate(s) is(are) OUT.
3. If a LIVE ball hits a ball that a player is holding, bounces off that ball, is caught by another teammate and then it dies, then the person who threw the ball is OUT, and one player can cycle IN depending on the number of teammates on the court.
4. If a LIVE ball hits a ball that a player is holding, bounces off that ball without knocking the first ball out of his/her possession, and then it dies, neither the thrower nor the opposing teammate are OUT.
5. If a LIVE ball hits a ball that a player is holding, and knocks that ball out of their possession, then that player is OUT. It is fine to drop your own ball first to catch one LIVE ball thrown by an opponent player.
6. A LIVE ball deflected off a teammate can be caught by another teammate, resulting in the person that threw the ball being OUT, and one player being cycled in depending on the number of teammates on the court.
7. A LIVE ball caught by a player who is in the air will only be considered a CATCH if said player lands with at least one foot fully in bounds before going out of bounds.

The Game / Opening Rush

1. Dodgeball game begins by placing the 4 dodgeballs along the center midcourt line.
2. On the west court (the court in back), prior to the first game of each match, a coin toss will determine which team plays on which side.
3. Players then take a position behind their end line. Following a signal by the official, two players from each team "rush" the centerline to retrieve only the 2 balls to their right of the center of court.
4. Players cannot step over the center line to grab a ball. Doing so will immediately result in that player being OUT. By stepping over the center line it is understood that any part of the body touches anything past the center line different from a ball.
5. Once a ball is retrieved the ball must be taken behind the back line (this is called "clearing" of the ball) before it can be legally thrown as a LIVE ball.
6. The "clearing" must be done by a player; the player can not bounce the ball against the back wall back to him/herself to count as "clearing."
7. Once the balls have been "cleared," all players must be inside the boundaries and the gameplay can begin.

The Game / Boundaries

1. During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines.
2. If any player crosses the boundary lines (back and side lines) with one or more than one whole body part, then they are OUT. That is, if one player's whole body part is completely outside the court, then the player is OUT
3. If any player steps over the center line then they are OUT. (Stepping over the center line is defined as any part of the body touching anything past the center line other than a ball.

The Game / Timing

1. Each game will last 5-minutes.
2. During the Game: time-outs, 5-second countdown
   1. Each team is allowed ONE time out per game (remember: one match has three games).
   2. ONLY the captain can signal to the the head or assistant ref.
   3. The time out is NOT in effect until the ref signals for it.
   4. The clock will STOP during each time out.
   5. If a team signals for a second timeout in a single game and play is stopped, then one player from that team will have to leave the court.
   6. Only referees are allowed to call additional time-outs.
   7. To keep gameplay moving, referees will initiate a 5-second countdown, at the end of which the team with the majority balls must throw a ball. The ball must be live as it crosses center court to count as a throw.
   8. The countdown will go: "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, WHISTLE." Failure of the team with majority balls to throw by the time the WHISTLE blows, will result in a player from that team being called OUT by the referee. The captain decides who is OUT of the people who had a ball. If nobody had possession of a ball, the captain may pick any player.
   9. If both teams have two balls, then BOTH teams must throw a ball within the 5-second countdown.
   10. Ball collisions (or other unforeseen interference) that prevent thrown balls from crossing the center line while live may count as throws and stop a countdown at the ref's discretion.
   Ending the Game: winning, final whistle, sudden death
   1. If neither team has been eliminated by the end of the 5 minutes, the team with the greater number of players remaining wins.
   2. The game is over when the final whistle is blown AND all balls are DEAD. If a ball is LIVE in mid-air when the final whistle blows, that ball is still LIVE until it becomes DEAD (see Section 4). If a LIVE ball hits a player after the final whistle, that player is OUT.
   3. In the case of an equal number of players remaining from each team when the final whistle blows, a 1-minute "sudden-death" overtime will be played. Each team selects one player to be added to the court. The first team to eliminate a player wins.
   4. If no team has eliminated a player by the end of the first one-minute round, one player gets added to each team and the sudden-death continues for another minute, and so on.
   5. If two players from opposing teams get out simultaneously during a sudden-death round, the clock does not stop. The remaining players will play until one person gets out or until the end of the minute when another player will be added, and so on.

   The Game / Cycling In

   1. When a member of your team catches a ball thrown by your opponent, a member of your team who is OUT can come into the game. Players will rotate into the game in the same order they were called out. Team can never exceed more than 6 players on the court.
   2. Players waiting to rotate in cannot interfere with the game in any way.

   The Game / Balls

   1. A team holding the majority of balls must throw a ball (within the 5 second countdown as warned by referees). No ball can be placed by a player anywhere on their opponent's court.
   2. Pinching the ball (where a player squeezes rubber to rubber inside the ball, or exerts excessive squeezing deemed close enough to pinching by a ref) while THROWING at an opponent will not be permitted. If a referee sees a player pinching, a warning is issued. A player hit by a pinched ball thrown at them is not out (so deemed by the ref). A second warning results in an out for that player. The impacted player may be caught back into the same game.
   3. Pinch BLOCKING (where a player blocks by squeezing a rubber to rubber, or excessive squeezing deemed close enough to pinching by a ref) will not be permitted. If a referee sees a player pinch blocking, a warning is issued. A second warning results in an out for that game. The impacted player may be caught back into the same game.

   Code of Conduct

   1. NO HEADSHOTS OF ANY KIND: A player who throws a ball that hits an opposing player above the shoulders while that player is upright will result in the player who threw the ball being called OUT. A player who throws any high ball will be officially warned. Should said player throw a second high ball, they will be called out.
   2. NO KICKING BALLS: Flagrant kicking of balls is not allowed on the dodgeball courts. A player that kicks a ball during a game will be called out.
   3. The referee has the final say on all rulings.

   Sportsmanship

   Big Apple Dodgeball, Kickball, and Bowling leagues strive to create an inclusive environment for all participants. All players are expected to conduct themselves with the highest level of sportsmanship.

   1. Sportsmanship is defined as: fairness and respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing.
   2. Threatening language, verbal threats, or slurs against race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality or gender will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
   3. In the gym or at any league function, any player who deliberately tries to harm or intimidate another player through the use of force, threatening language, or verbal threats will be subject to league consequences including warnings, ejections from the gym, suspensions from games, and expulsions of the player from the league without any refund of his or her paid player fee. The level of penalty imposed is at the sole discretion of the Board and will be based on the severity of the infraction, as decided by the Board.

   Attendance / Eligibility

   1. A player must attend at least 50% of regular season games to be able to play in the final tournament.
   2. A player must attend at least 60% of the season (including the final tournament) to retain "vet status" for subsequent season registration.
   3. Special circumstances must be presented to the Board in advance.

   View Official Rules