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The general rules listed below are designed to fit the Jacksonville Scene Format.

OVERVIEW

Teams will consist of 8 players (5 men/3 women) on the court at one time. Teams may play with a minimum of 5 players, as long as at least one is a women.

There will be six balls, three per team, placed at the middle of the court at the start of the game.

The object is to eliminate all of the other team's players to win the round.

Teams will play one match per week of seven rounds. Each round will count in the overall standings.

Teams will play 7 rounds that will be no more than 6 minutes long.

The team with the most players left at the end of the round will win that round.

If teams have an equal number of players at the end of the 6-minute round, there will be a 2-minute playoff.

Substitutions will only be allowed in-between rounds.

Rule 1 Players, Field, & Equipment

Section 1: Team

Art. 1 Teams will be made up of 8 players. A minimum of five players will compete on a side; others will be available as substitutions.

Art. 2 Co-Rec teams must start all games with at least one female

Art. 3 Substitutes may enter the game only in the case of injury. Co-Rec may not substitute male for female.

Section 2: Field Dimensions and Markings

Art. 1 The game is played indoors at Jacksonville Indoor Sports

Art. 2 The playing field shall be a rectangular basketball court dimensions will be used.

Art. 3 The playing court shall be marked with sidelines, end lines, attack lines, and a center hash mark.

Art. 4 A restraining line will be located outside and parallel to each end line. Only active players (those not out) will be allowed to pass through the area between the end line and restraining line.

Section 3: Boundaries

Art. 1 During play, all players must remain in boundary lines.

Art. 2 Players may pass through their end line only to retrieve stray balls. Stray balls are ones that has not been picked up and is lying on the ground.

Art.3 When retrieving a ball, the player must also immediately re-enter the playing field only through their end line.

Note: A player not immediately re-entering the playing area may be declared out.

Art. 4 A player may be handed a ball, provided the player receiving the ball remains completely within their team's field boundaries. Players may be handed a ball while standing out of bounds.

Art. 5 A player shall not:

A. A. have any part of their body in contact outside the playing surface or over the sideline.

B. B. Enter or re-enter the field through their sideline.

C. C. Leave the playing field to avoid being hit by attempt to catch a ball.

D. D. Have any part of their body cross the center line and contact ground on their opponents' side of the court.

Note: A player may, without penalty, step on the center-line.

Penalty: Player will be declared out.

Exception to 1,3,5d: During the opening rush many players cross the center-line. Officials should refrain from calling players at this unless a definite advantage is gained by the action.

Section 4: Equipment

Art. 1 The official ball used in tournament and league play will be an 8.5 inch rubber coated ball.

Art. 2 The standard number of balls for a game is three on a side.

Art. 3 Participants must wear shoes. No metal cleats will be allowed.

Art. 4 Participants must wear shirt and shorts/pants.

Rule 2 Game Play

Section 1: The Game

Matches will begin with the flip of a coin.

Art. 1 The team winning the coin flip will have a choice of sides to begin the match.

Art.2 Teams will alternate sides after each match.

Art.3 The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them out.

An out is scored by:

A. A. Hitting an opposing player with a live thrown ball below the shoulders.

Note: If a player ducks, and this clearly is the cause for the player being hit above the shoulders, the player struck is out and the throw is legal.

B. B. Catching a live ball thrown by your opponent.

C. C. Causing an opponent to drop a live ball as a result of contact by another thrown live ball. (usually occurs when a ball is being used to block a thrown ball.

D. D. An opposing player stepping out of bounds with momentum carrying a caught ball.. Both thrower and catcher are out.

Live (def) A thrown ball that strikes, or is caught by, an opposing player without before contacting the ground, another player or ball.

Art. 4 A player may block a thrown ball with a ball being held, provided the held ball is not dropped as a result of the contact with the thrown ball.

Note: A ball deflecting off a held ball and striking the holder is no longer a live ball. A ball bouncing off one player and striking another player will only result in the first hit player being called out.

Section 2: Timing, Time-outs, & substitutions

Art. 1 A 6 minute time limit has been established for each game.

Art. 2 Each team will be allowed one 30 second time out per game.

Art. 3 Only the court monitor's whistle starts and stops the clock.

Art. 4 All players are in jeopardy until the Court Monitor recognizes and signals, the beginning of a time out or end of regulation time.

Exception: All live balls in flight at time of an official's signal (to end regulation time or begin a time out) remain live, and may eliminate an opponent, until they become dead.

Art. 5 During time outs, teams may substitute players for an injured player. Substitutes may be players who did not start the game.

Note: Co- Rec may not substitute male for female.

Section 3: Beginning the Game

Art. 1 Prior to beginning a game, an equal number of dodgeballs are placed along the center line on each side of the center hash mark. A standard game consists of 6 balls, 3 on each side of the hash mark.

Art. 2 Players then take a position behind their end line.

Art. 3 Following a signal by the official, teams may approach the center lines to retrieve the balls. Teams may only retrieve balls placed to the right ( as they face the center line) of the hash mark. If balls remain on the center line after a team has retrieved and moved their balls beyond the attack line, those balls may be retrieved by either team.

Section 4: Opening Rush Rule

Art. 1 Each and every ball retrieved at the opening rush must first be taken beyond the attack line and into the team's backcourt before it may be legally thrown at an opponent.

Example: Following the opening whistle, a player rushes and is the first to secure a ball from the center line. That player must then carry or pass the ball into their backcourt before it may be legally thrown at an opponent.

Section 5: Declaring a Winner

Art. 1 The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner.

Art. 2 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.

Art. 3 In all overtime periods, the first team to legally eliminate any one opponent will be declared the winner.

Section 6: Overtime (tournament only)

Art. 1 If an equal number of players remain after regulation play, a 2 min. sudden death over time period will be played.

Art. 2 Overtime will begin with the number of players left standing at the end of regulation.

Art. 3 All overtime periods will begin with an equal number of "balls in hand" behind a teams end line. The first team to eliminate any one opposing player will be declared the winner.

Art. 4 No time outs allowed during over time.

Art. 5 Substitutions and/or additions may be prior to the start of any overtime period.

Art. 6 At the end of each overtime period, if no players have been eliminated, an additional player from each team- max of 8- will be placed back into play.

Art. 7 The sudden death format continues through all extra periods.

Section 7: Stalling and 5-second violation

The following procedure will be used to prevent overtime.

Art. 1 A team trailing during a regulation game must be given the opportunity to eliminate an opposing player. This requires a ball to be at the disposal of the trailing team.

Art. 2 It is illegal for the leading team to control all the balls for more than 15 seconds. If the leading team controls all of the balls they must make a legitimate effort to get at least one ball across the attack line and into the opponent's backcourt. If this is not done within 15 sec., a 15 sec. Violation, will be called. A team may avoid a 15 sec violation by throwing or rolling a ball into the opponent's backcourt. This does not include throwing the ball over and through an opponents end line.

Note: Only a court monitor or official mat call a 15 sec violation.

Penalty for 15 sec. Violation:

First Violation: Stoppage of play and the balls will be divided evenly between the teams. Play will continue with "Balls in hand."

Second violation: Free throw for the opposing team - a penalty in which one player is allowed an obstructed throw at their opponents without risk of elimination. This is possible because a caught free throw does not result in an out for the thrower.

Third violation: Ejection of one player from the offending team.

Note: The stalling procedure does not apply to over time periods.

Rule 3 Officials and Their Duties

Section 1 Court Monitors and Officials

Art. 1 All contests will be supervised by a Court Monitor.

Art. 2 Rules will be forced primarily by the honor system. Players will be expected to rule whether or not a hit was legal or they were legally eliminated. ALL PLAYERS WILL FOLLOW THE HONOR SYSTEM or they will be given a technical.

Art. 3 The Court Monitor's responsibility will be to rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. A team may appeal to the Court Monitor if they feel a player has violated any rule. THE COURT MONITOR'S DECISION IS FINAL

Art. 4 Court Monitors may warn players and call technical follows on those who display unsportsmanlike conduct. Any players receiving 2 technical fouls in a game will be ejected and suspended a minimum of one game. Suspensions will begin with their next scheduled game. Severe infractions or multiple technicals mat result in suspensions from matches or tournaments.

Note: A Court Monitor in not required to warn a player before calling a technical foul.

Section 2 Unsportsmanlike conduct

It may include, but is limited to:

1. foul language

2. hits above the shoulders

3. unnecessary roughness

4. arguing with officials, staff, participants, or fans

5. abuse of the honor system

Section 3 protests

Protests will only be accepted in cases involving use of an ineligible player. Protests of judgement calls will not be accepted.

Rule 4 Format and Tie Breakers

Art.1 All 7 matches will count in a team’s record.

Art. 2 During regular season play, or round robin play, all games will be played, regardless of the results of the games.

Art. 3 The format used to determine a champion in a particular division will be decided by tournament officials, based on the number of teams registered.

Tie Breakers Situations

In the case of teams finishing pool play with identical win loss match records, the following tie breaker procedures will be used:

Step 1: Head to head match record between tied teams

Step 2: Games win loss record between tied teams

Step 3: Coin toss

Code of Conduct

1 Understand, appreciate and abide by the rules of the game and the honor system.

2 Respect the integrity and judgement of game officials and Jacksonville Scene staff

3 Respect your opponent and congratulate them in a courteous manner following each match, whether in victory or defeat.

4 Be responsible for your actions and maintain self control.

5 Do not taunt or bait opponents. Refrain from using foul or abusive language.

ALL DODGE BALL 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 ALLOTTED TIME. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE.