Rules – DePaul

DePaul's matches involve lots of chaos. Tons of throwing, trick shots, head shots... Total chaos.
We use NCDA Rules for tournaments and the like. Back in the day, DePaul was one of the major players in first codifying a unifying set of rules for college dodgeball. Just a fun fact.

DePaul Dodgeball Society - "DePaul Rules"
Version 4.1 - May 08, 2010

Contents:

1. Overview
2. Definitions - 2.1 Terminology - 2.2 Equipment
3. Play - 3.1 Division Teams - 3.2 Opening Rush - 3.4 Gameplay - 3.7 Conduct

Dodgeball is a children's game. Two opposite teams throw rubber playground balls at each other. The gameplay is defined by two reactions to the stimulus of a thrown ball: the Failure to Dodge & the Failure to Catch.

1. You dodge the throw. Well done. Gameplay continues.
2. The ball hits you. Oh no! You best catch that ball before it hits the ground.

The purpose of dodging balls is two sided: first, to dodge balls is to understand the harsh, unyielding nature of life, that being, in the end we get out. Secondly, dodging balls helps us as a society to tap into the ritualistic, emotional content of our shared collective consciousness, in effect helping us all to communicate better.

Headshots count.

2.1 Terminology

2.1.1 Kill/Tag - A direct, forward throw which gets another player out.
2.1.2 Thrower - Any live player that makes a direct throw of a dodgeball.
2.1.3 Target - Any live player on the opposite team, who is the unlucky recipient of a direct throw.
2.1.4 Live ball - Any ball that has not become dead. Dodgeballs become live when thrown.
2.1.5 Dead ball - A dodgeball that hits a dead player, another dodgeball, or any surface of the court.
2.1.6 Trap - A ball that is caught simultaneously with a player's body and another part of the environment. The ball is ruled dead.

2.2 Equipment and Field of Play

2.2.1 Dodgeballs - 8.5 inch rubber playground balls
2.2.2 Court at 94' x 50' - NCAA Regulation is preferred, as a regulation basketball court can be converted easily for play. Sidelines are the longer, while baselines are the shorter. Volleyball court and badminton court markings may be included on the court for the ease of marking the neutral zone.

2.2.2.1 Halfcourt - A line halfway between each baseline; usually already marked.
2.2.2.2 Neutral Zone - A line clearly marked 30' from each baseline. At the Ray, this is the second blue line from halfcourt, also known as the outside lines of the center badminton court.
2.2.2.3 Jail - Each team forms a jail on the same sideline, with each line starting from halfcourt and at least three feet from the sideline.

3.1 Division of Teams - All players make a circle around center court. Players are counted off by 1's and 2's. The ones make up one team and the twos make up the opposite team.

3.2 Opening Rush - Dodgeballs are spaced evenly along halfcourt. Teams line up behind their respective baselines. An official confirms both teams are ready, then calls a loud and clear "Dodgeball!" and It ensues. Teams switch sides after every game.

3.3 Activation of Balls - Dodgeballs must be brought back to the base line in order to be considered active. All dogeballs are considered active ten seconds after the opening rush.

3.4.1 Catches

3.4.1.1 Direct Catch - If a Target catches a directly thrown ball, a player from the Target's jail comes back into play. The Thrower is not out.

3.4.1.1.1 If a Target bobbles and secures the ball before it becomes dead, it counts as a direct catch.

3.4.1.1.2 If a Target catches a directly thrown ball and the Target's jail is empty, the Thrower is deemed out.

3.4.1.1.3 Ball Trap Catch - If a Target catches a directly thrown ball while holding another ball, and the catch is secured in one motion, it counts as a Direct Catch.

3.4.1.2 Team Catch - If a directly thrown ball hits a Target and a teammate catches the ball before it becomes dead, it is deemed a Team Catch. No player is out, no player is in.

3.4.1.2.1 A thrown ball can ricochet off any number of live teammates before being caught, but contact with a dead player, another dodgeball, or any surface of the court causes the ball to be dead.

3.4.1.2.2 If a Target and a Teammate catch the same ball at the same time, it is deemed a Team Catch. No player is out, no player is in.

3.4.1.2.3 If a Teammate traps a ricocheted ball instead of cleanly catching and securing it, the ball is considered dead and the original Target is out. The Teammate remains live.

3.4.1.3 Trapping - If a Target catches a directly thrown ball, simultaneously, with both their body and any surface of the court, it is deemed a trap. No player is out, no player is in.

3.4.1.3.1 The ball must be caught and controlled in one motion; the Target cannot bobble the ball.

3.4.1.3.2 If a Teammate traps a ricocheted ball instead of cleanly catching and securing it, the ball is considered dead and the Target is out.

3.4.1.4 Two-For-The-Show Catch - If a Target cleanly catches and secures a directly thrown ball with solely their feet and/or legs, it counts as two Direct Catches. Two players from the Target's team come in.

3.4.1.4.1 The ball must be caught cleanly; if the ball is caught with any surface of the court, it is considered a trap.

3.4.1.4.2 If hands or arms are used to secure the ball, it is considered an ordinary Direct Catch. Only one teammate comes in.

3.4.1.5 Immediate Catch - If a dead player is walking towards his or her empty jail and their teammate catches a live ball, the dead player is back in.

3.4.1.4.1 The recently deceased must re-enter play through the baseline.

3.4.1.4.2 If an Immediate Catch is made a split-second after a Target is eliminated, the Target is permitted to remain in play on an official's call.

3.4.2 Throws, Hits, and Blocks

3.4.2.1 Direct Throw - Any ball thrown in a forward direction by a live player is considered a directly thrown ball.

3.4.2.1.1 Balls thrown "behind" the thrower, in a direction towards the thrower's own baseline, are considered dead.

3.4.2.1.2 If any thrown ball comes into contact with any other dodgeball in mid air, both balls are considered dead.

3.4.2.2 Direct Hit - If a Target is struck on any part of their body or clothing with a directly thrown ball, and fails to complete a catch (3.4.1 Catches), the Target and only the Target is ruled out.

3.4.2.3 Blocking - A Target may use any dodgeball to block any thrown ball, but the blocking dodgeball(s) must remain secure.

3.4.2.3.1 If a blocking ball becomes dislodged, the Target must regain possession before the ball becomes dead. Failure results in a Loss of Possession and the Target is ruled out.

3.4.2.3.2 Balls may be thrown into the flight path of a direct throw in order to make a block, but the blocking ball must make enough clearance so as not to be confused as a Loss of Possession.

3.4.3 Loss of Possession

3.4.3.1 If a Target has secured a ball and that ball is knocked out of possession by another thrown ball, the Target is ruled out.

3.4.3.2 Stripping - Any player may strip a ball from the opposing team if they are sneaky enough to pull it off. The Stripper must strip and control the ball, dropping a ball does not result in a kill of either involved player. If a player is stripped, that player is ruled out. Unnecessary roughness will result in the offending player to be ruled out.

3.4.4 Boundary Violations

3.4.4.1 Out of Bounds - One point of bodily contact inside the boundary lines must be maintained; if all points of bodily contact are outside the boundary lines, the player is ruled out.

3.4.4.1.1 Players must remain in front of the baseline, but a player has five (5) seconds to retrieve stray dodgeballs that might be behind their baseline, if no Ball Runners are present.

3.4.4.1.2 No throws are valid when made by a player out of bounds, except Suicides (3.4.4.3).

3.4.4.1.3 Direct Hits are valid on live players who are out of bounds, but all catches by said Live players are ruled as dead.

3.4.4.2 Neutral Zone - Any player that makes contact beyond their opponent's neutral zone line closest to the baseline, with any part of their body, is ruled out.

3.4.4.3 Suicides - If a player jumps from the neutral zone, over the neutral zone line, and throws their ball before landing out of bounds, the Thrower's ball is live and acts as a directly thrown ball. The Thrower is ruled out once they contact the ground, thereby causing any dodgeballs secured in their possession to be dead.

3.4.4.4 Coming in from the Jail - Players must enter play from the baseline, and are not considered live until they reach the baseline.

3.5 Dead Player Involvement

3.5.1 The recently deceased should immediately raise their hand and leave the court in the quickest and least intrusive way possible.

3.5.2 The Death Touch - No dead player can be involved in a play. If a live ball contacts a dead player, the ball becomes dead.

3.6 "1 on 1" - In the event of a 1 versus 1 situation, gameplay pauses and the two gather at opposite sides of center court. Both teams form a ring around the two surviving players. The two players tap balls in chivalry and recommence play on an official's "Dodgeball!" call.

- The offending player(s) will be ruled out, unless otherwise noted.

3.7.1 Excessive Physical Contact - Restraining, grabbing, holding, and other physical roughness will be ruled as unnecessary roughness and the offending player(s) will be ruled out.

3.7.2 No kicking or spiking dodgeballs

3.7.3 No profane language or gestures

3.7.4 No removing any part of the Player's uniform or clothing

3.7.5 No Jailed player may interfere with play.

3.7.6 Any unsportsmanlike conduct not listed may be dealt with by the highest ranking officer present.

3.7.7 Fighting - Physical abuse of another player will result in expulsion for the remainder of the match. Repeat offenses may result in a fair and justified suspension from further matches.

CREDITS:

Influenced by: a children's playground game, National Collegiate Dodgeball Association, Midwest Dodgeball Conference, Daily DePaul Dodgeball Demonstrations

Evolved from Midwest Dodgeball Rules Revision 4: DePaul Dodgeball Society: Ryan "Magoo" McGeehan, et al

Codification of Ruleset 4.x: Zigmas Maloni

Specific Contributions: