I.  Team Size

• A team will consist of 6 players (3 men, 3 women) on the court.  There shall be no limit to the number of eligible players on a roster.  Never shall any team be permitted to have more than 3 men or 3 women on the court, but there shall be no minimum number of players necessary for a team to begin play.

II. Eligibility – See also Program Policies and Procedures and Participation Guidelines

• Only players listed on the official roster are eligible to participate on a Dodgeball team.  All players must meet the eligibility participation requirements of the UC San Diego Intramural Sports Department. Additions and subtractions to official team rosters must be made prior to that team’s third league game. No changes to rosters will be accepted after that time.
• Players who have played two games with a team are automatically considered an official member of that particular team. AN INDIVIDUAL MAY PLAY ON ONLY ONE TEAM
• If one or both teams do not have 6 players present and ready at 5 minutes after game time, a non-roster player may participate upon approval from the opposing team captain and may only play one game for that particular team.

III. The Grand Marshal

• Each game will be officiated by one specialized, licensed, and accredited “Grand Marshal” graduate of the World Dodgeball Association Official Training Program. Out of respect for the Grand Marshal, their actual name must never be spoken out loud. Instead they will be addressed solely as Mr. or Ms. Grand Marshal.
• The Grand Marshal will carry two flags and a whistle. When a player has been struck, they will be deemed out when the official points a flag at them. The official will keep track of time, the score, and will issue judgments on any issues not covered by these rules. They will be considered part of the court for purposes of dodgeball contact.
• All calls made by the Grand Marshal are final; do not argue with them; for purposes of this sport, they shall be considered Immortal Dodgeball Charge D’affaires.

IV. Equipment

• Six neoprene covered rubber “Hydro” balls will be used.
• Please do not excessively squeeze the balls as it greatly detracts from their longevity.  Any players that continuously misuse the balls may be call for a “Caitiff Vexation” at the Grand Marshal’s discretion and be immediately removed from the game and sent to Julio’s Impregnable Quarantine.
• Please also note that due to the weightlessness of the “Hydro” balls, players are at much greater risk to throwing out their arm. Teams must wear shoes that are acceptable for use on the gym floor.

V. Playing Area

• The game shall occur on one basketball court in the Auxiliary Gym. The center curtain will be lowered to form a fourth wall. All lines will be considered out.
• Inner Court 
  • Consists of all area within the basketball court and all active players shall reside here.

• Outer Court
  • Consists of the area between the baseline and the wall on either side of the basketball court and all throwing from “out players” must occur here.
• Free Zone
  • Consists of the area between the wall and sideline on either side of the basketball court and no active throwing will occur within those parameters.

 VI.  Game Play                   

• The Grand Marshals shall place the six balls somewhere in the court, the placement will differ from game to game in accordance with the Grand Marshal’s appraisal of the game in order to ensure teams’ adaptability to unique dodgeball situations.
• Each game will begin with players having one hand on their respective baseline walls. On the WHISTLE of the Grand Marshal, both teams must immediately run into the court, to retrieve the dodgeballs.
• Play starts as soon as the whistle is blown, and all players within the court are fair game. There will be no time-outs during games, except for injuries.

VII. How to Win the Game

• The object of dodgeball is to “peg” out everyone on the other team before everyone on your team is pegged out. The team with the last man still standing wins that game.
• A match will be played in a best of seven format, with the first team to win 4 games taking the match, with a 12 minute time-limit per match. In the event that neither team has won 4 games at the end of the 12 minute period, the team with the most wins will take the match.
• In the event that both teams have the same number of games won, the team with the most players in the “inner court” at the time will win the match. In the anomalous situation that both teams have the same number of players in the “inner court,” the Grand Marshal shall declare a “Bamboozle Bottleneck” and a “Showdown” will ensue (see Sec-14).

VIII. Getting Out 

• A player who is declared out must drop any balls in their possession where they stand and immediately exit outside of the nearest end or sideline. DO NOT RUN THROUGH THE COURT!  They will then proceed to behind the baseline that is behind the opposing team to the “outer court.” From this vantage point they can throw at the opposing team. A player will be declared permanently out if they cross into the other team’s half from the back baseline.
• There are three obvious manners in which a player can get out:

1.    Pegged – If a player is hit by a dodgeball below the neckline and the ball is not caught in midair, they are out. The neckline requirement is void if a player is ducking or in some other way making themselves shorter than their actual height.

2.   Caught – If a ball is caught by the opposing team before it strikes the ground, a wall, another ball, or any other portion of the playing area, than the player that threw the ball is out. If a ball strikes a player on the opposing team but is then caught by that player or any other player on that team, the thrower is out.  Any player whose pass to the “outer” court is Intercepted, will be declared out.

3.   Going Out of Bounds – A player who steps out of bounds or onto the opposing  team’s half will be declared out. The lines delineating the opposing courts shall be out of bounds.

Note: Balls will be declared “dead,” not able to get another player out, when they hit the floor, the wall, or any other apparatus in the gym (basketball hoops, fire alarms etc.).

IX. Blockies

• If a player blocks a thrown ball using a ball in their possession, the ball is “dead” and not able to peg any player out on the remainder of its flight path.

X. The Ricochet Effect

• A ball caroming off one player is still live and able to strike out other players until it is either blocked, caught, or it hits a court apparatus. The effect is that one ball, on any given flight path, can strike out two players, an “Exacta,” three players, a “Trifecta” or, as yet unobserved by the Intramural Grand Marshals, four or more players a “Great Googli Moogli.”

XI.  Balls out of Bounds

• Balls which pass outside of the basketball court boundaries are retrievable by any player so long as they remain within the bounds of the court in which they reside.  Players shall be allowed to assist in this retrieval by placing ONLY their hands on the playing surface outside their current court.
• Once a player has occupied their “outer court,” they may not, at any time, cross over the mid-line into their opponents’ “outer court.”  The penalty for such an infraction shall be immediate removal to Julio’s Impregnable Quarantine.

XII. Suicides

• Suicides, purposely running out of bounds in order to gain an early “outer court” advantage in the game, shall not be tolerated.  A “caitiff vexation” will be declared and the perpetrator shall be sent to Julio’s Impregnable Quarantine.
• A player breaching the midline during the opening game sprint shall not be penalized with an infraction, and shall merely be declared “out.”

XIII. The Dodgeball Monopoly Dilemma

• In order to keep the game moving and fair, no team may control all of the dodgeballs for more than 5 seconds. If such an instance occurs the Grand Marshal shall call a Dodgeball Monopoly and all of the balls will be turned over to the other team.

XIV. The Showdown

• The Showdown will be used as a tie-breaker for a Bamboozle Bottleneck.  Also, the Showdown can be executed at any time during the regular season by the Grand Marshals to fairly decide discombobulated situations.
• One player from each team will stand in the middle circle of the “inner court” facing opposite walls and one ball will be placed on each side of the mid court arc.  Each player has only one opportunity to peg out their opponent and must remain within the realm of the circle.  If there are both participants miss and there are no infractions, the Showdown shall start again.

XV. Julio’s Impregnable Quarantine

• The alcove at mid court shall be deemed the quarantine area.  Players that are sent to the quarantine are no longer able to participate in any dodgeball activity for the remainder of the game.

XVI. Caitiff Vexations

• A caitiff vexation shall be declared for any unsportsmanlike conduct on the behalf of the players.  This includes, but is not limited to, any act of physical aggression, abusive language (not to be confused with playful banter) toward other players or the Grand Marshal, or any conduct that is detrimental to the spirit of dodgeball.
• The penalty enforcement for this violation shall at least be immediate stoppage of play, removal of the offending party to Julio’s Impregnable Quarantine, and forfeiture of all balls to the innocent team.  Extreme cases may also involve additional reprimands concurrent with the Intramural Departments guidelines.  Play will resume on the Grand Marshal’s command and the Dodgeball Monopoly countdown will commence.

XVII. Substitutions

• Substitutions may not be made during a game unless a player is injured. If an injury occurs only a player of the same gender may be brought in. Teams may make as many substitutions as they want in between games.