logo UREC HOME UA HOME Facilities Mission Staement

Dodgeball Rules

Intramural Sports General Information

The Intramural Sports Office is located in the atrium of the Student Recreation Center.
Office Hours:  Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Phone Numbers: 
205-348-8055
205-348-3906
Rain Hotline: 205-348-2708

Email address:imsports@bama.ua.edu

 

Rule 1: The Court

Section 1: Play Area
Dodgeball games will be held in the MAC on one-half of the court. The play area consists of the black basketball guidelines as the end lines and side lines. The center basketball line will be the division between the two sides of the arena. The red volleyball court lines will be the 10’ lines.

Section 2: Deadballs
A ball is considered a deadball when it touches:

  1.  a wall, objects mounted flush with a wall, or objects on the floor outside the court
  2. the floor
  3. any part of a backboard or its supports hanging or the goal or net
  4. a non-player
  5. a player
    1. Exception: if a player is hit by a ball and a teammate catches the ball before the ball touches any of the requirements to make it a dead ball, then neither the thrower nor the player that was hit is out.
  6. the ceiling or overhead obstructions

Court Diagram
playing area

 

 

Rule 2: Player Equipment and Uniform

Section 1: Legal Uniform
All players on a team shall wear:

  1. Matching color uniforms which are free of hard, unyielding items.
  2. Appropriate playing shoes, which consists only of athletic shoes with a non marking out sole

Section 2: Equipment
A guard, cast or brace made of unyielding leather, plaster, pliable (soft) plastic, metal or any other hard substance, even though padded, is not permitted on the finger, hand, wrist, or forearm

Section 3: Braces
Supports/braces are permitted on other parts of the body (an elbow brace shall not extend more than halfway down the forearm) if the official declares them safe. However, the supervisor shall require a support/brace to be covered or padded if a sharp edge or point is exposed.

Section 4: Intramural Staff Discretion
Any equipment that in the judgment of the supervisor increases a player’s advantage or presents a safety concern is prohibited.

Section 5: Optional Equipment
Players may wear a nit or stocking cap as long as it has no bill. Players may wear a headband no wider than 2’’ and made of non-abrasive unadorned single-colored cloth, elastic, fiber, soft leather, or rubber.

Section 6: Jewelry
Players shall not wear jewelry. Religious and medical alert bracelets are not considered jewelry. A religious medal must be taped and worn under the uniform. A medical-alert medal must be taped and may be visible.

Rule 3: Team Composition and Captains

Section 1: Team Players
A team shall consist of six (6) players. Co-rec teams are required to have three (3) men and three (3) women per team. Co-rec teams are allowed to play with a minimum of two (2) per sex and a maximum of three (3) per sex. All other mens’/womens’ teams must be composed of all men or women. Teams can begin play with as few as four (4) team members. Teams who do not have the minimum four players to start a game will be given a forfeit.

 

Section 2: Participation
Participation is limited to currently-enrolled, fee-paying U of A students, faculty members, and full-time staff. All participants must have a valid Action Card to sign in for the game.

Section 3: The Captain
A playing captain shall be designated by each team; this is the only player who may communicate with the supervisor. If this player is replaced by a substitute, the coach shall designate another player until the original playing captain returns to the game.

Rule 4: The Game

Section 1: Definition
Dodgeball is a game played by two teams of six players each with four (4) inflated rubber balls on a rectangular court separated into two areas by a line. The purpose of each team is to eliminate opposing team members by getting them out.

Section 2: Match
A match consists of the best three out of five games. A time limit is set for each game in the amount of six (6) minutes. If at the end of the six (6) minute time limit no team has won the game, the team with the most players on the court is declared the winner of that game. If the teams have equal amounts of remaining players, the first team to “knock out” a player from the opposing team is declared the winner, or the first team to successfully increase the number of their players is declared the winner (i.e. scoring a basket to bring the whole team back on the court).

Section 3: Starting the Game
The Intramural staff representative will place the home team on one side of the court, and the visiting team will be on the opposite side. Players then take a position behind their end line. After a signal by the IM staff representative, teams approach the center line to retrieve the balls. Balls must be taken back across the 10’ line before they can be thrown at an opposing player. If the ball is not taken behind the 10’ line before it is thrown, the throw will not count.

Section 4: Knocking Players Out
Players shall attempt to eliminate members of the opposing team by hitting them with the ball. If a player is hit with any live ball, that player is out.
A player is considered out when:

  1. A player is hit with a live ball.

      a. Uniforms and clothing are considered part of a player’s body.

  1. A defender catches a live thrown ball (thrower out).
  2. A defender attempts to block a live ball and the blocking ball is dropped as a result of contact from the live ball.

Exception: If the ball that was thrown is caught, all players are safe.

  1. A player leaves the playing field in order to avoid being hit or in an attempt to catch a ball.
  2. A player crosses the dividing center court line.
  3. A player holds a ball for more than 20 seconds.
  4. A headshot occurs resulting from a high thrown ball (thrower out).
  5. A player is hit in the head while ducking or dodging a ball (dodger out).

Section 5: Regenerating
To get teammates back in, players may:

  1. Make a half court shot - brings the whole team back.
    1. When the opposing team has only 1 person left on the court, the team may win the game for their squad by making a basket with a dodgeball in the basketball hoops at the end of the opposing team’s side. This basket eliminates the final player on the opposing team rather than regenerating the shooter’s team.
    2. In the attempt to make a basket for regeneration or elimination, the dodgeball may touch the backboard or rim without causing the ball to become dead for the purpose of making the shot.
    3. Attempted regeneration shots may be blocked by the opposing team (goaltending is permitted). However, such blocks put out the blocker (essentially getting hit with the ball) unless the block ball is subsequently legally caught by a teammate.
    4. If any player hangs on or uses the net, rim, or any other piece of equipment to remain in the air in order to block a shot they will be considered out.
    5. No team may lift up a player in order to catch a thrown ball.
    6. Any players that are put out while the shot is in the air will not be regenerated if the shot goes in. If the last player gets put out, but the shot goes in, the team is still regenerated.
  2. Catching a ball thrown by the opposing team – brings back last player out.
    1.  Exception: A ball that is caught in an attempt to “save” another player who was just hit with the ball, does not allow an additional player onto the court.

Section 6: End of Game
Play continues until one team is eliminated or until time runs out. If the match is not completed, the balls are then reset on the center line, and play resumes when the whistle is blown.

Rule 5: Game Conduct

Section 1: Team Benches
All non-playing team members shall be seated on the designated team bench during the game.

Section 2: Rules During Play
The following rules shall also be imposed during play:

  1. The defender may block a live ball with another ball. That ball is dead once it is blocked.
  2. A player may block a live ball, then throw the blocking ball down and catch a live ball.
  3. ONLY active players may leave the court to retrieve balls for their team. Once out-of-play actively retrieving the ball, the player is not eligible to be put out. Players shall return to the court immediately once they have retrieved the ball. Any delay deemed excessive by the official can result in the player being called out.
  4. Players may not go across (touch the opponents side of the court) the mid-court line (and the mid-court line extended out from the court) for any reason. All players, substitutes, and spectators for a team must remain on their side of the court at all times. A player may reach across the mid-court line and grasp a ball, but may not touch the opposing team’s side of the court with any part of their body during retrieval.
  5. Under no circumstances may a spectator or inactive substitute pick up a dodgeball or otherwise try to help retrieve a ball for their team. If any one other than the players of the respective teams involved in the game grabs a dodgeball or impedes the progress of a member of the opposing team in ball retrieval, that dodgeball immediately becomes forfeited to the opponent. Spectators should always make their best attempt to get out of the way of the thrown dodgeballs and allow easy access for the players to get to them and to retrieve them.
  6. It is illegal for either team to control all of the balls for more than five seconds. A violation will result in the staff member stopping play, and the balls will be divided evenly.
    1. Balls may not be placed on the opponents’ side of the court within the placing teams reach. The placer shall be called out.
    2. Balls rolled or tossed onto the opponents’ side of the court without the intent of putting a player out must be rolled toward or tossed within the opponents’ three-point arc. Balls rolled or tossed that do not go through this area and go out-of-bounds in the corner or out a sideline are illegal throws. The thrower/roller/tosser shall be called out.
  7. If three or more balls become irretrievable, an official may stop play and have all balls moved onto the court. Balls will be distributed evenly among the teams.  

Rule 6: Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is an important part of intramural sports. Any player who uses foul language, violently protests a call, or curses an intramural staff member, will be removed from the game and will automatically be suspended from his/her team's next game. In addition, he/she will have to meet with the Coordinator of Intramural Sports during office hours (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) before he/she is eligible to participate again. Any player who touches an official or staff member will be placed on suspension from all Intramural activities for a minimum period of one calendar year from the time of the incident.