UNITED KINGDOM DODGE BALL ASSOCIATION

Match Rules

Changes to the Match rules made in December 2007 are in red

1. The Players:

Mixed sex or single sex teams, down to personal preference. 6 players make a team; a squad of 10 is recommended.

2. The Court & Equipment:

Senior Courts are 24ft wide x 42ft(min)-60ft(max) long with a 2ft dead zone at the centre across the width. No player is allowed to step in the dead zone.

Courts shall be clearly marked with Blue Lines

Each game uses a set of 3 Dodgeballs

The Ball

The ball shall be official UKDBA or IDBF dodgeballs, 9-10” diameter and inflated to 2-3 pounds of pressure.

Uniforms

Each Team shall wear the same colour shirts, numbered on the back.

It is recommended that shoes appropriate for indoor court play are worn.

Appropriate sports clothing should be worn. No belts and no zips are allowed on players’ clothing

No jewellery of any kind is allowed on the court.

No spectacles are permitted on the court unless the player can prove they are specialist sports glasses.

If any player insists on wearing spectacles or jewellery, they can still be allowed to play, but they must take full responsibility for any injuries caused by wearing the item(s) and any damage caused to or by the item(s).

3. Match Play

Each game has a time of 2 minutes.

Each overtime period has a limit of 1 minute.

Start of Play

Each team takes opposite courts prior to the start of the game. The designated home team chooses which side of the court to begin play on.

If at the start of a match one team fails to field a team of 6, it is normally accepted that two guest players can complete the team. If this is not achieved the team then forfeits the game.

After the official has determined that both teams are present and ready they place the dodgeballs in the dead zone on the court. The official will start the game and the game begins.

Only 3 players from each team will run to collect the balls, once possession is attained the player has to pass the ball to the backcourt before an attempt can be made.

No player can step into the dead zone during the match, if they do they are called out, and must retire to the player return area in order put out.

Play

A match consists of 5 or 7 games. (Subject to change)

Generally play is continuous as each team makes attempts at throwing the other team’s players out, until all players on one team are out or time expires.

No player may leave the boundaries of the court to avoid being struck by an attempt.

• · - If a player does leave the boundaries of the court the official will call them ‘Out’.
• · - Players may only leave the court to collect ‘dead’ balls, after a match official has given permission; players must return to the court at the backcourt.
• · - Players recovering ‘dead’ balls from off the court are not in play and must return to play before any attempts on them are valid.
• · - Players must return to the court before they make an attempt.
• · - Players recovering balls must return to the court immediately they have possession of the recovered ball or the officials can call them ‘Out’.
• · - Any deliberate delay in recovering a ‘dead’ ball will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and the player will be called ‘Out’.

• During play, stepping on the boundary line is considered leaving the court.

A player is called out when:

• Struck by an attempt before the ball strikes the ground.
• A player from the opposing team catches their attempt cleanly.
• A player violates any rule i.e. taunting

• The Referees/Officials decision is final. Disputing with the Official may lead to the game being forfeited or players being banned from game/match.

Players are expected to abide by the Honour System. Any player who remains on court after they are clearly out and waits to be called ‘Out’ by an official will be in breach of the Honour System. This is unsportsmanlike conduct; players will be warned and may be ejected from a game/match if they are seen to behave in this manner on more than one occasion during an event.

Possession Changes

Possession changes after an attempt is retrieved.

If the leading team controls the balls – i.e. the team with more players on court have the majority of the balls located on their side of the court – they must make an effort to get at least one ball across the dead zone and into the opponent’s backcourt. If this is not done, a 5-second violation can be called; the official calls for the ball to be bounced or rolled into the back of the opposite court and play continues. If both teams have an equal number of players on court, the team with the majority of the balls in their possession will be regarded as the leading team, re. ball possession.

When a dead ball is declared due to an illegal attempt or team interference, the possession is taken by the official from the offending team and given to the other team by bouncing the ball into their court.

Ending a game

A game is ended when:

• · All players on one team are out.
• · Time expires
• · A forfeit occurs
• · At the moment of the official’s signal, to indicate the end of a game, all play is ended and all balls are ‘dead’
• · The winner of the game is the team with the most players left at the end.

• Ending a match

A match is ended when:

• One team wins the majority of games within the match.
• One team voluntarily or involuntarily forfeits the match.

• The winner of the match is the team that wins the majority of games in a match. In league play, matches and games within a match can be drawn. In knockout tournament play, a drawn match is decided by Overtime, played at the end of the match.

Illegal attempts

Any deliberate head shot is an illegal attempt.

Kicking the ball at the opposing team or at a match official constitutes an illegal attempt.

Punching the ball at the opposing team or at a match official is an illegal attempt

Illegal attempts are considered as unsportsmanlike and aggressive behaviour and the offending player will be ejected from the game and/or match.

Leaving the court when Put Out:

Players shall immediately leave the playing area when put out or called out. Failure to leave the court immediately can result in forfeit of the game by the offending team.

Players must sit out in the order that they are called out and must re enter the game in the order called out i.e. first out first in. Players must remain seated in the player return area. Failure to do so may result in the game being forfeited by the offending team.

Injuries

Play and time is suspended when a player is injured. The player must leave the court and cannot return till the following game. A substitute can be used.

Any player with a blood injury must leave the court immediately and dress the injury. Players must change uniform with blood on it – if no uniform is available any safeclothing can be used. If blood becomes present again the player must be substituted.

Play is continuous, there is no time allowed between games.

Substitutions

Substitutes must meet the requirements of the game being played.

A substitute is allowed to enter only once per game.

Substitutions may only be made during a stop in play with the recognition of the Official.

Returnees:

Players are allowed to return to the game from the ‘Player Return Area’ when their teammate catches a valid attempt from an opponent. The official will call the player back in.

The player that is allowed to return is the player that has been put out the longest time during that game. First out is first in.

Alcohol: The consumption of Alcohol is completely forbidden during the tournament hours. No player can play whilst under the influence of alcohol; if they do they will be immediately expelled from the tournament.

4. The Definitions

Attempt: The act of a team with possession of the ball trying to put out a member of the other team by throwing the ball at them.

Backcourt: A team’s Backcourt is the area of the court within approximately 6 feet of the back line and within a recoverable height, i.e. within reach of the team’s tallest player on court.

Blocked Ball: When a player uses a ball in their possession to block an incoming ball attempt. When holding a ball, which is being used to block an incoming ball, the player’s hands and fingers will be considered to be part of the ball he/she is holding,while the player’s hand(s) or finger(s) are in contact with the blocking ball. If the ball used to make the block is dropped on impact, the player is ruled out and the incoming ball is declared dead. The incoming ball is ‘dead’ at the moment it strikes the blocking ball.

Catch: The act of a player cleanly catching an attempt by the other team prior to the ball striking the ground or any other object natural or unatural to the playing area. The deliberate drop of a ball to catch a second ball is not prohibited. A catch is considered clean, i.e. a valid catch, when a player has full possession of the ball. The ball can be caught after it has struck the player that catches the ball, but for a catch to be clean no other player, ball, object, person or surface can be touched by the ball before the catching player has full possession; except when a player already has possession of a ball and catches a second ball without dropping the other ball first; if the first ball is touched by the second ball after it has touched the player, the original ball will be considered as part of the player while he/she is in the process of catching the second ball.

Clothing: Players’ clothing counts as part of the body. If a thrown ball touches a player’s clothing, while it is still a live ball, that player is ‘Out’. All players MUST wear shirts/tops.

‘Dead ball’: Declaration by the official that an attempt has been nullified. A ball striking an official is a dead ball; a kicked ball is a dead ball. An attempt made before the official has started the game is also a dead ball. A ball thrown by a player who is out is a dead ball. The official shall make a verbal call declaring the ball dead.

The possession of the ball will change to the opposite team if a dead ball is called. The official shall continue the game by bouncing the ball towards the team who have gained possession, or by calling for the team in possession to roll the ball to the back of their opponent’s court.

Dead zone: The area at the centre of the court separating the two plating areas. Players stepping into the dead zone are out as if they have been struck by an attempt.

Driven Ball: A ball that the official deems has been delivered with force and intention. A driven ball may not be delivered intentionally to the head of any player.

Five Seconds: A call by the official that the leading team has had possession of the majority of balls for more than 5 seconds prior to making an attempt. The official calls for the ball and bounces it into the opposite court and play continues.

Forfeit: A game forfeit occurs when a team fails to field the required number of players at the start of a game. A match forfeit occurs when a team fails to show up to play or fails to field the required number of players.

Head Shot: A ball that strikes the head of a player above the shoulders. This is a valid attempt and a player struck on the head is OUT, unless the referee believes it to be a deliberate Head Shot.

Hit: A successful attempt. After a hit on a player, the ball is ‘dead’ and no further hits or catches will count; the hit player must go to the ‘Player Return Area’.

Lines: The lines showing the boundaries of the court. The actual line is out of bounds. If any part of a player touches any boundary line, or any surface beyond the boundary line, either wall or floor, they are ‘Out’. The opposing team’s court is considered as being over the boundary line.

Official: Responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations of the game. All judgement calls of the official are final. An Official can be a Referee, Scorer, Line Judge, Coordinator or any UKDBA officer or the league/tournament organisers.

Overtime: In knockout tournament play. Overtime is played at the end of a match, when both teams have won an equal number of games in the match. All 6 players retake the court and the one-minute overtime game starts. At the end of one minute the referee will halt play. The team with the most players on court wins the match. If both teams have an equal number of players at the end of the overtime period, the referee will order all remaining players to the back of the court with any balls they have in their possession and restart play. After the restart, the team that has the first player called ‘Out’ loses the Match.

‘Play Ball’: Declaration by the official that a team must pick up a ball on their side of the court to make an attempt.

Player Return Area: The area on one side of the court beginning the centre where players in the current game retire when ‘out’ by an attempt. Players must sit in the order they where out until the game is over.

Referee: An Official who is responsible for enforcing the match rules during play.

Returnees: Allowing the return of players put out when a member of the same team catches an attempt of the other team before the attempt has struck the ground, wall or official.

Taunting: Verbally attacking the opposition and referees in an unsportsmanlike manner as determined by the official. Taunting is illegal; teams charged with taunting may forfeit the current game.

Team Interference: Interfering with the natural direction and/or speed of a live ball within the boundaries of the court, by a player who is not actively involved in the game, i.e. a player who is out, a team member not involved in the game or a spectator.

Team Possession: Begins when a ball is in play on that team’s side of the court and ends when a player on that team makes an attempt.

Throw: Another term for attempt.

UKDBA reserves the right to alter any rule at any time. Teams will be notified.

Participation in any sporting activity is entirely at your own risk and the organisers, their agents or servants do not accept liability for any personal injury or loss/damage to property howsoever caused.

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