The Rules of Dodgeball:

1. There is a  zero tolerance for unsportsmanlike conduct. This is a social sports league. Everyone is just looking for some friendly competition, have some fun, and meet new people. Any player breaking this rule will be called out for the game, warned about issue, suspended for multiple games, and if the actions merit, will be removed from the league without reimbursement. If you are questioning what things would be considered unsportsmanlike conduct, you can ask these questions, did this make the game less enjoyable for other people playing? Was it ridiculous for me to do this because I am an adult playing dodgeball? If either of those questions can be answered yes, then I am sure it qualifies.

2. The Court: We will play horizontal across a basketball court. We will build a small line between the half court line on each side as one side boundary and the end line will be the other sideline. The wall will be one side boundary, and the light line on the court(ask to be pointed out) will be the other

3. The Honor Rule: Again we are all adults playing dodgeball, so we should be able to make this work. If you are hit, go out. We will assign players from other teams as officials, but for the most part the games should be self refereed. 

4. You are OUT if A) You are hit with a live ball B) You step on or over the centerline C) You throw a ball and it is caught D) You cross the sideline boundary E) You drop a ball that you blocked with or you deflect the ball into your body F) You hit opposing player in head

5. The start of the game: There will be 6 balls set up at the center line. 3 will be on one side, 3 will be on the other side. When the game begins, you can only go for the balls to your right. Each team will start with 6 players on the court, there must be at least 2 of each gender. The additional players beyond the 6 for the game, must remain out for the entire duration of the game. They cannot go back in on a catch.

6. A thrown ball can get multiple players out:  A ball is considered dead after it hits the ground, the wall, or is caught. A ball is live until it does one of those 3 things. This means if it hits multiple people before the ground, they are all out. If the ball hits off of a person/people but is caught before it hits the ground, then it is a catch. The thrower is out, all struck people are safe, and the catching team can get a player back from the resurrection line(Same catch rules apply)

7. Blocking a Ball: You may block a thrown ball with a ball in your hand, but you are out if you block it into yourself, you drop the blocking ball, or if it is not a clean block and it hits you and the ball. This is the rule that causes the most confusion so here are some examples
    A) If you drop the ball you used to block with then you are out
    B) If the ball hits your hand as well as the ball that you are using to block, then you are out
    C) If after blocking the ball it hits any part of YOUR body before hitting the ground, wall, or another player then you are out
    D) If you block the ball cleanly with the ball and it then hits another player on your team THEY are OUT. 

E) If in the process of blocking you make a catch on the thrown ball, or one of your teammates catches the deflection, then it is considered a catch. Even if the blocking balls are dropped.

8. When you are out you must leave the court immediately WITH YOUR HAND UP so players know that you are out. If you touch a ball on the ground, interfere with a thrown ball, or hinder the game in any way, an additional player from your team will also be out.

9. Headshots: Please avoid throwing headshots as much as you can. The balls do sail at times, but you are responsible for the control of your ball. If you cannot throw accurate low and hard, then don't throw as hard. We are here for fun. This being said, there will be times where a player is hit in the head. In this case both players are out. If you do hit someone in the head, please be a civilized member of society and say that you are sorry. 

-If the headshot occurs during a 1 v 1, then the team that tossed the head shot will lose the game. 

-If the ball hits a blocker ball or another body part or teammate before hitting the head then this is NOT a headshot.

-If a player is bending down, crouching, or ducking BEHIND THE BLACK BASKETBALL BOUNDARY and gets hit in the head. It DOES NOT count as a head shot. Every other spot on the court it is a headshot.

10. The Resurrection area: Once you are out, you should get to the sideline as quickly as possible. If a ball is caught by a teammate, a player can return to the game. The player who has been in the resurrection area the longest, should be the player to return to the game.  When the player reenters the game, they need to go and touch the endwall before joining into the action. You can be hit on the way to the wall, but you cannot pickup a ball, until you have touched the wall.  A player must already be in the area at the time of the catch, to be eligible to reenter the game. This means if you are still in the process of getting off the court at the time of the catch, then you do not qualify as an eligible player to return to the game. A player that was a sub(Beyond the original 6 that started) also is NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the game on a catch.

11. You can only hold on to a ball for 10 seconds: If you exceed the 10 seconds, the ball is considered dead, and you must roll the ball over to the other team. The roll should be straight down the middle, not trying to keep it away from opponent.

12. Dodgeball Showdown/ONE ON ONE: If the game comes down to 1 player on each side, the game is paused for a showdown. Each player is given two balls on their end line. The rules for the centerline are dissolved and players can go anywhere to get the other player out. Again, if the there is a headshot in a one on one, the throwers team loses.

13. Balls that are out of Bounds: If a ball leaves the court area, the players that are out can get them and roll them back onto the court. If there is nobody out, nobody in the gym to assist, and all the balls are out of play..the game will be paused to bring them back onto the court.

14. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Cannot be stressed enough, but this is a social sports league. This behavior will not be tolerated. The gym is small and yelling and negativity can spread quickly. If you are yelling at an opponent you will be called out of the game. If you yell at the referee, you will need to sit an automatic 3 games, and YOU WILL NEED TO REF A MATCH. This will give you a chance to walk in their shoes. If you yell at the ref or continue to yell at other players, then you will be done for the evening. After all such incidents, it will be reviewed, and you may be expelled from the league with no reimbursement. There are a lot of people that are participating to have fun, one or two personalities can bring down the vibe of the entire league. Don't be that person.

15. Substitutions: During the regular season a team can have up to three subs for their game. These subs can be from the league or can be from outside the league(Pay a drop in fee). Any more than three subs and the team forfeits the game. They can play short though.

-A team can pickup players to have one sub for each gender, unless the other team has less players and then they must match. i.e If your opponent only has 6 players, you cannot pick up a 7th player. You can only match their lineup. 

-During the playoffs a team is able to have a max of 2 subs, but they cannot be from the league. They must be from outside.

-CASL will keep a list of people that are interested in playing additional games as subs. We will evaluate if this needs to be the official way to get subs through the year. We want to make sure that teams are not just picking up top players and making match-ups unfair. This will be watched through the season and addressed if necessary.

16. Game Times and Schedule: We are very tight for time at the gym, so we need to stick with a strict time schedule. If your team has not arrived and is not ready to play by start time, you will charged one lost game per minute, until you are ready to play. A team can play short for the games or use a sub to not take the penalty.

17. Scoring/Standings: Each week will be 2 head to head battles with another team. You will play as many games as you can over a 20 minute period. If at the end of the time, the game is still tied, then there will be a tiebreaker.  Each team should announce the current score of the evening at the start of each game.  Captains will then report the final score into the system or to Shaun Conway