GENERAL RULES:

1. Have fun and play with good sportsmanship!  We expect all of our Urban Rec participants to have a “Fun First” attitude about this unique sporting opportunity.  There is an emphasis on the players knowing the rules and managing their own actions on the court.  Sportsmanship, fun and being social are number one at Urban Rec and we hope to see that exhibited by all of our participants!
2. To be eligible to play in the league all participants must have signed an online waiver with Urban Rec. Players that do not sign an online waiver will not be issued membership keytags and are not permitted to participate. Team captains that do not fill out the online team roster will have their team removed from the schedule until they do so and all players have signed the waiver. Team captains are responsible for ensuring that all participants for their team are eligible to participate.
3. Playoffs Eligibility – all players must be added to the roster and have played a minimum of 2 games over the regular season to be eligible to play in the playoffs. A team using an ineligible player will automatically forfeit the playoff game if the game has begun and that player has played in the game at that point. If a player shows up that is not on the team roster, they will not be allowed to play regardless if they played or subbed during the regular season. All players must be on the roster and indicate they have read the online waiver even if they are subs.
4. The on-site staff may do a random ID check for players at any time at their discretion to ensure they are eligible to participate.  If a team is found to be using an ineligible player, then that player’s team will forfeit the game if it has already begun.  If the ID check is done prior to the game starting then that player is simply not permitted to participate until they have indicated they have read the online waiver (they can do this via their smartphone). 
5. Prior to your game, please double-check the online league schedule for your game times.  If your team is late and not ready to go when the whistle blows to start the match, then you will lose playing time.  Dodgeball games are 40 minutes and within that 40 minutes as many matches are played as possible. 
6. Teams have a 10-minute grace period from their scheduled start time as tracked by the on-site staff to field the minimum starting lineup (for dodgeball, a full starting lineup consists of 5 players including at least 2 women and 1 man, but a team may play with a minimum of 3 players provided they have at least 1 woman and 1 man on the floor).  If a team does not have enough players to field the minimum required starting lineup by the end of this 10-minute grace period, then that team defaults the game and is subject to the associated default fee used to reimburse their opponent.  In this situation, the teams are encouraged to mix up players and play for fun during their time slot.  Any team defaulting more than 2 games in a season may be asked to leave the league, with no refund.
7. Teams may avoid defaulting in regular season games by utilizing players from other teams (other than your opponents) that play in the league without penalty.  However, in the playoffs, this can only be done to avoid being subject to the default policy- the game will be considered an automatic loss (but not a default) if a team utilizes players not on their roster to field a lineup.

Match/Game Play

1. Each team will start the game with 5 players lined up along the back edge of the playing zone on their side of the court. There must be a minimum of 2 women and 1 man on the court when the match starts. If a team does not have a full lineup, they may play shorthanded with at least 3 players including at least 1 woman and 1 man in order to not default (and be subject to the Urban Rec Default Policy).
2. Prior to your match starting, teams must designate what side of the court eliminated players will go to once players are out.
3. Each game is a maximum of 5 minutes, although games may end more quickly.  A game is over when all of the players on one team have been eliminated.  Matches consist of as many games as can be played in the time available.
4. The game begins with either the on-site staff blowing the whistle or yelling “DODGEBALL!”
5. At the start of each game, each team will start with 3 balls on their own end wall. When the whistle blows, the balls are all active and each player possessing a ball will have the standard 10 seconds to throw the ball.
6. Players are NOT allowed to squeeze the balls so that they impact the shape of the balls. Players that squeeze the balls will be eliminated. Any players that constantly squeeze the balls could face suspension. This action significantly shortens the life of the balls and gives an unfair advantage as the balls tends to move very differently.
7. Cones will be placed a few feet from either side of the center line. These cones designate a warning area commonly referred to as a dead zone. This dead zone should act as a guide that you are very close to the center line and should proceed with caution. Any violation of the center line means you are out.
8. All games are SELF OFFICIATED.  Players are responsible for calling their own outs.  If the ball hits a player, they should be honest and call themselves out and walk off the court promptly.  We ask that Team Captains ensure that their teams are honest in calling their own eliminations and fouls.
9. The on-site staff’s job is not to officiate but if teams are not being honest or there is a safety issue (i.e. a player constantly crossing the center line without calling themselves out) the on-site staff may step in and make necessary calls.  If this occurs, the on-site staff’s decision is final and no dispute is permitted.
10. When eliminated players must immediately put up their hand and call “Out!” and move PROMPTLY off the court to sit/stand at the designated wall- NO DALLYING off the court. 
11. To eliminate a player they must be hit with a ball BELOW THE SHOULDERS.  If the ball bounces before it hits the opposing player that player is NOT ELIMINATED.
12. A player is also eliminated if a member of the opposing team catches the ball thrown at them in the air before it hits the ground.  The team that catches this ball also gets to have one of their eliminated players return to the court.
13. A player who is re-entering the game from a caught ball must touch the back wall before they are considered back in play (Example: they cannot throw a ball at an opponent, or be hit with a ball and be eliminated again before they have touched the back wall). The player must touch the wall within 5 seconds of their teammate making the catch. If all remaining teammates are eliminated before the player re-entering has tagged back in, the game will end and thus the player cannot re-enter.
14. If a ball is thrown and strikes multiple opposing players before hitting the ground/wall/etc. all of the players the ball struck are out.  If the ball strikes a player and then is caught by that player’s teammate, the initial player struck is still out as is the thrower. 
15. A player is eliminated if they drop a ball at any time or a ball is knocked out of their hands.
16. A player may not pass a ball directly to another player on their own team.
17. A player may not have more than one dodgeball in their hand at one time.
18. Once a ball hits the ground, wall, or any apparatus in the gym the ball is considered dead and cannot either eliminate a player who is hit or be caught to eliminate a player from the other team.
19. If a person is hit directly in the head (barring the exception in the next rule), the person hit is not eliminated.  However the person who threw the ball, whether intentional or not is eliminated.  Two head shots results in the player no longer being able to continue to play during the evening and can be subject to supplemental discipline – DO NOT THROW AT ANYONE’S HEAD.
20. IF A PLAYER IS HIT IN THE HEAD AS A RESULT OF DUCKING OR DEFLECTION – THAT PERSON HIT IS ELIMINATED AND THE THROWER RECEIVES NO PENALTY.
21. Players that are eliminated are able to return if a teammate catches a ball as mentioned previously. Players must return in the order in which they were eliminated – first off is first back on. Once a player has moved off the court and touched the wall, they are then eligible to come back into the game if one of their teammates catch a ball.  If the player is still in the act of leaving the court (i.e. has not touched the wall in the designated area where players go when they are eliminated) when a ball is caught, they are NOT eligible to come back into the game.
22. Ten second rule – no player can hold a ball for more than 10 seconds.  If they do so, then they are eliminated. ALL BALLS MUST BE THROWN FORWARD AND PAST THE DEAD ZONE. In a 1 vs 1 situation, the player must throw the ball towards an opponent (but it does not have to cross the dead zone as players in a 1 vs 1 scenario can pick a ball up on either side). In a 1 vs 1 situation, a player may not drop a ball to try and catch a ball, the ball must still be throw/directed at their opponent.
23. Players must throw the ball forward. If a player throws a ball and hits their own player (friendly fire) their own player is out.
24. If a player has possession of the ball and drops the ball to catch another ball being thrown at them they are eliminated; the ball must be thrown with a forward motion and must cross center.
25. If any part of a player touches the floor across the center line that player is eliminated.
26. You may not play the ball with your feet- this includes but is not limited to, keeping the ball from rolling to the other side or kicking a ball to a teammate.
27. When one player is left standing on either side, all players on both sides must actively continue to play the game. However the impetus will be on the side that has more balls, regardless of number of players,  to actively continue the play. If there is the same number of balls on each side then it will be based on the side that has more players to initiate play.  
28. When there is 1 player remaining on both sides players may cross over the center line to attack.
29. When there is 1 player remaining vs a team with 2 or more players that one person can cross over the center line to attack. In order to avoid the potential for people colliding the 1 player cannot pick up any balls that are on the other teams side, however they may use the ball in their hand to knock balls back onto their side of the court for later use. If they choose to cross over and attack they must then retreat to their side to collect another ball. The only time they can pick up a ball on the other teams side is if all the balls are on that side. Players that initiate physical contact will be eliminated. No physical contact is allowed. You may not swat a ball out of players hand.  Aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated.  When one player is left on both teams (1 versus 1), those players can pick up a dodgeball from any location on the court including their opponent’s half.
30. If a team has one player remaining, and they cross over to the opponent’s side, they are able to catch a ball, but must return back to their side before throwing it, or having a teammate come back into the game.
31. If league play during the season at any point results in teams consistently showing poor sportsmanship, the team captain will be contacted by Urban Rec staff and given the opportunity to respond to these claims.  It is Urban Rec's goal to give all players and teams the benefit of the doubt, and the opportunity to explain themselves should any unsportsmanlike conduct be reported and resolve any issue at that point.

PLAYOFFS- to be eligible for playoffs, participants should play in at least 2 regular season games for their team. No ringers allowed!

Tiebreaker - If two or more teams are tied in the standings at season’s end, the tiebreaker will be as follows:

• 1st tiebreaker – higher in-division wins
• 2nd tiebreaker – higher UR fun point average
• 3rd tiebreaker – head to head winner
• 4th tiebreaker- points for/against in head to head matches
• 5th tiebreaker – coin flip

THE ON-SITE STAFF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE AND EFFICIENT RUNNING OF YOUR LEAGUE. ANY RULINGS BY THE ON-SITE STAFF ARE TO BE RESPECTED.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT DODGEBALL IS A FUN AND SOCIAL SPORT!

We expect all of our Urban Rec participants to have a “Fun First” attitude about this unique sporting opportunity.  There is an emphasis on the players knowing the rules and managing their own actions on the court.  Sportsmanship, fun and being social are number one at Urban Rec!!

Note that the above details are generic Dodgeball rules. The rules for each specific league may differ.