Student Activities
Sports - Dodgeball
Usual Locations:
Play-offs: The top four eligible finishers from this league will advance to a pre-determined playoff bracket.
Conduct and Disqualification : Good sports conduct is essential in Intramural Sports contests. Therefore, if a player or players are sent off from a game, they will receive a minimum, automatic one game suspension. The suspension of that player becomes effective immediately following the ejection and carries through the remainder of that game, and the following game. While on suspension, the player is not allowed to participate in any Intramural Sports-sponsored sport. In order to be reinstated for play, the player(s) must meet with the Director of Intramural Sports. Meetings take place at the availability of Intramural Sports Staff and must be scheduled appointments. Call (972) 825-4747 to schedule an appointment. Failure to meet with the above individual will maintain the suspension in full effect. In some cases where appropriate, the Intramural Sports Director may suspend the player(s) for a longer period. In extreme situations, the matter will be referred to the Office of Student Services.
1. THE TEAM: A full team consists of 6 players on the court. A team may play with fewer than 6 (which would be a disadvantage as there would be fewer players to eliminate) but must have at least 4 people to start the match. Extra Players: No more than 6 players per team may be on the court at a time. Substitutions can only be made between games.
2. THE COURT: The game will be played on a basketball court. The basketball court and the surrounding out-of-bounds areas are in play. The dividing line for teams will be the division line (half-court) of the basketball court, with the line remaining neutral.
3. THE EQUIPMENT:
- Players must wear proper attire (tennis shoes, shirts etc.).
- Around Playground type ball about 8.5" in diameter will be used.
- 4 dodgeballs will be used per court.
- Players must remove all jewelry before each match.
4. THE GAME: The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them "out" or “sending them to jail”. This may be done by:
- Game begins by placing the dodgeballs along the centerline.
- Players then take a position behind their end line.
- Following a blown whistle by the official/supervisor, teams may approach the centerline to retrieve the balls. This signal officially starts the contest.
- If a player is hit by a “thrown ball”, after being thrown by a player on the opposing team, and before the ball hits the ground, the player hit is out.
- If a player catches a thrown ball, the thrower is out. ALSO: The team that caught the ball returns a player who was in jail to their team. Players come back into the game in the order they were put out or sent to jail.
- A player who is hit in the head (if they did not duck) is not out. The thrower is out. If the player hit in the head did duck, they are out and the thrower remains in.
- Hitting an opposing player with a thrown ball below the shoulders results in the hit player being sent to jail.
- If a thrown ball is deflected and then caught before it hits the ground, the thrower is out, but if the player drops the ball used to deflect the thrown ball, that player is out and the original thrower remains in. Also if a player touches a deflected ball but does not catch it, that player is out.
- A ball rebounding off a “catch” attempt may be caught before touching the floor by any in bounds player on the “hit” players team. It may not hit a wall/backboard etc. Result: the thrower is out.
- Out-of-bounds: Catching a ball out-of-bounds does not count. If a ball is deflected off one player and he/she or a teammate catches it out-of-bounds the first player is still out because the catch does not count. Anything caught or thrown or being hit outside of the boundaries of the court does not count.
- A ball rebounding off a wall, backboard etc. does not eliminate a player.
- If a player from a team crosses the division line, they are declared out.
- When all the players of one team have been declared out/sent to jail, the other team wins the game.
- A 10-minute time limit (running clock) has been established for each game.
- Stalling: If the game official(s) feel that a team is intentionally stalling (i.e. intentionally throwing balls out of play to waste time) they may send a player from the offending team to jail. If the team then continues to stall, the game official(s) may forfeit the game to the non-offending team.
- If neither team has been eliminated at the end of the 10 minutes, the team with the greater number of players remaining will be declared the winner.
- In the case of an equal number of players remaining after regulation, a 2-minute sudden-death overtime period will be played. In sudden death, the first team to put someone out will be declared the winner of that game.
5. JAIL BREAK: If a player makes a basket over the other team, all players from his/her team come back on the floor. If the ball does not reach the basket/net/backboard, & is caught, the thrower is out (as in “e” above).
6. MATCH PLAY: Matches will be decided using a "best-of-three" format in which the first team to win two (2) games will be declared the winner.
7. AREA OF ELIMINATED PLAYERS:
- Eliminated players on each court will form lines on their side of the court next to the end line. These players must remain in the order that they were eliminated with the first person eliminated closest to the end line. If a member of their team catches a “fly ball” then the first person eliminated can reenter the game.
- Eliminated players may throw an out of bounds ball back to their own team but they may not throw a ball at the opposing team or “hold” a ball. If an eliminated player holds a ball the official/supervisor should warn them to throw it to one of their teammates or roll it away from them. If they do not comply within 5 seconds after this warning, one of their teammates will be eliminated by the opposing teams choice (5 second violation).
8. TIME-OUTS, SUBSTITUTIONS & OVERTIME:
- Each team will be allowed one (1) 60-second time-out per match.
- Substitutions will only be allowed between games.
- If a game ends in a tie, a 2-minute sudden-death overtime period will be played.
9. RULE ENFORCEMENT: Rules will be enforced primarily by the "honor system"*. Players will be expected to rule whether or not a hit was legal or whether they were legally eliminated. An official or supervisor will supervise all contests. The official/supervisor’s responsibility will be to rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. IF AN OFFICIAL/SUPERVISOR IS ASKED TO RULE, ALL DECISIONS ARE FINAL – NO EXCEPTIONS. *Exception: During tournament play, All Semi-Final and Final Round matches will be officiated by no less than two (2) officials. These officials will rule on all legal hits, out-of-bounds and 5-second violations.
10. SAFETY: Players may not lift or support their teammates in catching a throw etc.
11. BOUNDARIES: During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines. Players may leave the boundaries only to retrieve stray balls. A player may not step on or over the centerline. They may reach over to retrieve a ball. (This includes an extension of the black line to the other court for ball retrieval).
12. PROTESTS: Protests will only be accepted in cases involving use of an ineligible player. Protests of judgment calls will not be accepted.