CLUBWAKA (Southern California) DODGEBALL RULES FOAM DODGEBALL: OFFICIAL RULES OF THE GAME Copyright © 2018 WAKA Group, LLC www.foamdodgeball.com. All rights reserved. LICENSE FOR USE This license governs the use, redistribution, and/or republication of all or any part of the text containing the copyright notice above, (the ”Rules”) in written or any other tangible form, with or without modification, which is permitted provided that the following conditions are met: ●

Replication, redistribution or the reprint of all or any part of the Rules must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer:

THESE RULES ARE PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL WAKA GROUP LLC, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, ASSIGNS OR OTHER CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; BUSINESS INTERRUPTION; OR PERSONAL INJURY) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THE RULES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOAM DODGEBALL AT A GLANCE THE GOLDEN RULES PLAYING COURT AND EQUIPMENT I. DODGEBALL COURT II. EQUIPMENT OFFICIALS III. REFEREES PARTICIPANTS IV. TEAMS AND PLAYERS V. CAPTAINS

CLUBWAKA Southern California Dodgeball Rules

VI. SHAGGERS GAME PLAY I. REGULATION GAMES II. STARTING PLAY III. OUTS AND INS IV. SUBSTITUTIONS V. BALL CONTROL VI. WARNINGS AND REMOVAL LEAGUE SPECIFIC RULES DEFINITIONS

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FOAM DODGEBALL AT A GLANCE CLUBWAKA foam dodgeball is first and foremost about fun. Foam dodgeball is a game based on the old-fashioned rubber dodgeball game, but is specifically designed to be fun and painless. It is a simple game consisting of two teams, a rectangular court, and some soft balls. The object is to get players on the other team out by hitting them with the ball, keep players on your team in by avoiding getting hit, and have the most players on the court at the end of the game.

THE GOLDEN RULES For the enjoyment of all, proper respect is required of all participants toward one another. Unsportsmanlike conduct is not allowed or tolerated. Leagues rely on a self-reffing honor system. If you think you are out, raise your hand and take yourself off the court. You are not to rely on refs to make calls. Refs will likely miss many calls due to their position on the court. It is up to you to ref yourself. If you think someone is out, DO NOT complain, yell or point to other players that you feel should have made calls on themselves. We insist that refs give warnings, stop games and ultimately ask players to leave the game who do not follow these GOLDEN RULES.

PLAYING COURT AND EQUIPMENT I.

DODGEBALL COURT a. The Head Referee will designate a court suitable for play in accordance with the following provisions: i. Boundary Lines: The foam dodgeball court allows for an even number of players on each side. The court boundaries, including center divide line, clear lines, out of bounds lines, side lines and back lines shall be a clearly defined by the league organizer based on playing location prior to the season. ii. Upon notification to the Head Referee of any improper court set up, the court layout shall be corrected before the beginning of the next game. iii. Ground: throughout these rules, the ground refers to the floor or ground, depending on the court surface. b. Players in or out of bounds: i. A player is in bounds as long as no body part touches outside the court boundary lines. ii. A player is out of bounds when they touch any body part outside of boundary lines. iii. A player jumping from in-bounds is considered in bounds while in the air. 1. Example: Player is hit with ball. Without first hitting the ground ceiling or wall, ball bounces in the air over the side bounds line. Until ball hits an inanimate object, player is still in. Player jumps over the side bounds line to hit the ball back on the court to a teammate who then catches that ball. Player lands out of bounds after hitting the ball in the air to the teammate. Player is then out. Player who threw the ball is out. 1 new player from team who caught the ball comes in. iv. A live player may safely walk out of bounds to retrieve a ball if they exit from the back corners of court. Unless they are the last live player on the court.

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II.

EQUIPMENT a. While participating, players must properly wear the official athletic clothing designated for their use. b. Athletic Shoes are required. c. Players may wear protective equipment providing it does not offer the wearer an unfair performance advantage. Any equipment deemed by the Head Referee as a performance enhancement must be removed or the player will be removed from play. d. All player attire is an extension of the player.

OFFICIALS III.

REFEREE RESPONSIBILITIES a. Matches must be officiated by at least one authorized official. For leagues with peer reffing, matches must be officiated by 2 refs; the Head Referee and a secondary referee. i. When available, more referees are encouraged. Example: Head Referee, 2 Assistant Referees, 1 Line Judge. b. The Head Referee governs all match play, issues all final rulings, and has final authority on equipment issues. i. Referees are responsible for explaining their calls to captains. ii. If a call is in question, it’s recommended that all referees for that match huddle to discuss the call. The Head Referee has final say if an agreement cannot be met. c. Prior to each match, the Head Referee must conduct a meeting with the Captains of each team, to address any ground rules in effect, to ensure the exchange of team participants, and to identify the designated Captains who are authorized to discuss calls with the Referees during the match. d. Referees have jurisdiction over play and may: i. Call a timeout. ii. Penalize a player, including game ejection, for any reason deemed fit. This includes but is not limited to unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting, delay of game, or excessive verbal abuse. Ejected participants must leave the court area and may not return to the game. iii. Once a ref steps onto the court all game play stops immediately regardless of any balls in play. e. The League Organizer or appointed representative has jurisdiction over all play and must: i. Make rulings on any points not specifically covered in the rules (at the time of occurrence). ii. Keep a record of the final match score. iii. Cancel an outdoor match if lightning is seen, or delay it until safe to continue.

PARTICIPANTS IV.

TEAMS AND PLAYERS a. Matches and games are played between 2 participating teams: the Home team and the Away team. b. At the start of each match/game, teams must play the minimum number of players as deemed by the League Organizer prior to the start of season.

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i. Failure to have what the League Organizer requires as the number of male/female players available to play on a team for each game (which is communicated to the league prior to league start date) will result in a match forfeit. 1. A paper or match forfeit results in a 5 - 0 match score in favor of the team that did not forfeit. a. Paper forfeit - Failure to provide refs or other infractions at the league organizers discretion. b. Match forfeit - Not having enough players to start a match 2. A game forfeit results in 1 point being rewarded to the team that did not forfeit. a. Game forfeits due to incorrect ratios, unapproved players/subs, or other infractions at the league organizers discretion. c. Players arriving late during an active game may not play in that game. d. A team without the required players shall receive a match forfeit at 5 minutes past the start time. e. A claim of ineligible players (see Substitution Policies) must be made to the Head Referee who will make the final determination. Any such claim must be made no later than the beginning of the next game. If the game in question is the last in the game, the claim must be made before the game’s end. Any game won by a team with an ineligible player will be converted to a loss. V.

CAPTAINS a. For a given match, each team shall have one Captain and one Co-Captain (collectively the Captains”) who are jointly responsible for the team. b. Only Team Captains may discuss calls and dispute rules with the Head Referee, but must accept the Head Referee's final ruling.

VI.

SHAGGERS a. Members of each team that are out or not playing in the game may return (shag) balls to the court that go out of bounds. b. Spectators cannot shag balls. Such balls will be given to the team who’s side the ball was on when thrown by the spectator. c. Shaggers may: i. Return balls into play by rolling, handing, or tossing them in bounds to their own teammates or the opposing team. ii. Only retrieve out-of-bounds balls that are on their team's side of the court. They may not reach over the centerline. d. Shaggers may not: i. Physically assist live players. ii. Touch a live ball within the court boundary lines. iii. Cross over or reach into the court boundary lines. e. Any live ball or out of bounds ball on the opposing side that is touched by a shagger must be surrendered to the opposing team. If a live player and shagger reach a ball at the same time, the ball with go to the live player.

GAME PLAY REGULATION MATCH a. A regulation match lasts for 50 minutes and consists of a series of games. b. A game ends when all players of one team are out or the referee ends the match due to time limit, safety conditions, or team GOLDEN RULE infractions. c. The match clock starts when the first game begins, and ends 50 minutes later. CLUBWAKA Southern California Dodgeball Rules

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d.

e.

f. g.

h. i.

j.

k.

VII.

i. If a game is in progress, the round must end at that 50 minute time and if there are players remaining on both sides, the round is a draw. The match clock shall not be stopped except for: i. Referee timeout for each team (1 per match ), an injury, a hazard on the court, equipment malfunction, or power outage. 1. Each team has 1 timeout per 50 minute match. A timeout can only be called by the Captains. Timeouts are 45 seconds long and only live players and the Captains are allowed to be on the court during the timeout. ii. Referee timeout between rounds for a rules clarification, or any other reason deemed appropriate by the Head Referee. iii. Referee timeout when there are less than 2 minutes left in a match and a match is within 1 point and there is ball control violation. The Rush is when the referee audibly signals the start of the game and players located behind the back line advance toward the balls. i. While retrieving balls on the opening rush. A live player may cross the center boundary line. This is the only time this is acceptable. The team that wins the game shall receive 1 point. Teams change court sides after 25 minutes of regulation match play. A game that is in progress when the match clock hits 25 minutes will continue and teams will change court sides after the game ends. The team with the most points at the end of the match, wins. If there are only 2 opposing players left on the court (1 from each team), they have 2 minutes to finish the game. After 2 minutes, the referees will enact a no blocking rule to speed up the game. If either player uses a ball to block, they are out. In the event of a tie score at the end of the match, the match shall be marked as a tie. A match that is called off that ends in a tie shall be marked as a tie. The ONLY EXCEPTION is during playoffs. i. Playoffs Tie Breaker 1. Each team will choose an even number of male and female players. Determined by the League Organizer and enforced by the Head Referee. 2. Rock, Paper, Scissors for ball control. Sides remain the same as when regulation time expired. 3. Only original players are able to re-enter the game after a catch. 4. No time limit. A game that is called off by the Referee after 15 minutes or games shall be considered a regulation game. The match score at the end of the last game shall determine the match winner.

STARTING PLAY a. Before a game starts, only referees and designated shaggers may occupy the sideline area. After the game starts, any dead player may also occupy the sideline area. An infraction shall result in a warning to the player. b. At the beginning of each game, all players line up behind the backline on their team’s side of the court. Shoes may rest on the back line, but no part of the shoe may be in front of the line. c. All balls are placed on the centerline. d. The Head Referee audibly signals the start of the game at which time, players may advance toward the balls. e. Players may only retrieve the balls to their right and may not touch or retrieve the balls to their left. Players touching or retrieving balls on their left side are penalized with a false start.

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f.

A false start halts play and restarts the game with a ball being moved to the left for the penalized team. g. A ball may be played once it is behind the clear line. The player who first throws the cleared ball must not be standing between the center line and the clear line i. A cleared ball thrown at a rushing player still between the center and clear line is allowed. h. Any ball thrown before it and the players 2 feet are behind the clear line is a dead ball. A player hit by a dead ball is not out. i. Players throwing a ball on the opening rush while between the clear line and the centerline are out. VIII.

OUTS AND INS a. A player is out when: i. Hit by a live ball thrown from the opposing team that has then touched a dead object. ii. Hit by a thrown ball from the opposing team’s side that has hit another live player or ball in bounds, but has not touched a dead object. iii. The player’s thrown ball is caught by a live player of the other team before it touches a dead object. iv. Touching out of bounds for any reason including dodging a ball. v. Unintentionally dropping a ball that is used to block a thrown ball from the opposing team’s side (“Disarm”). vi. Throwing a ball before clearing it during the rush. vii. Hit by a live ball while attempting to block a ball from the opposing team that has not touched a dead object. viii. Hit in the head by a live ball that was deflected off of a block. ix. Hit in the head or neck while their body has 3 points or more of contact with the ground. 1. A foot, knee, hand, elbow, or any other body part each count as 1 point of contact. A rear end/butt, laying on stomach or back will automatically count as 3 points of contact. x. They are the last live player on the court and go out of bounds to retrieve a ball or dodge a ball. This ends the game and results in a loss for the team whose final live player went out of bounds. xi. Dead players must immediately raise their hand and leave the court within 5 seconds of being out. Such players join their teammates at the end of the waiting line on the predetermined side of the court, starting at the back of the line. xii. Dead players must line up in the exact same order they are out of the game. This is of the utmost importance in order to avoid having the wrong player re-enter the game when a catch is made. Players found in violation of this will be immediately called out by the ref and no player will return in their place. b. A player is not out when: i. Successfully catching a ball. 1. When a live player catches a thrown ball from the opposing team’s side, the next teammate in the waiting line must join the game. 2. The player coming in must have played in that game. 3. A player coming in must enter the game within 5 seconds. 4. A player coming in becomes a live player when they have 2 feet within the courts boundary lines. ii. A live ball’s first contact is the neck or head of any player. 1. The ball immediately becomes a dead object.

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iii. iv. v. vi. vii.

a. When a headshot occurs, the player must give a verbal or hand signal that they are ok before play can resume. Hit with a live ball thrown by a teammate. Stepping on the center, side, or back boundary lines. The player is only out when stepping over these lines. Intentionally dropping a ball to catch another (“controlled drop”). Hit with a ball that is not thrown by hand, or not thrown from inbounds, or deflected from any dead object. Getting hit by a dead ball. Examples of Dead Balls 1. A thrown ball whose first initial contact is with a live players neck or head. 2. 2 thrown balls from opposing teams that collide mid-air. a. Balls remain live balls if both are thrown from same team.

IX.

SUBSTITUTIONS a. Match Substitution Policy i. See Substitution Guidelines. b. Game Substitutions i. In cases of injury or illness, a time out may be requested for the participant removal and replacement by the next teammate of the same sex in the waiting line. ii. The Head Referee should announce any player removed from the game for injury or illness.

X.

BALL CONTROL a. Balls must be thrown by hand from an in bounds position. There are no restrictions on throwing style. i. Kicking a ball is an infraction. b. Players may use a ball in their possession to block a live ball thrown by the opposing team to avoid being hit and called out. c. Dead players may not intentionally make contact with a ball while exiting the court. d. Teams may not maintain possession of majority of the balls at the same time for longer than 15-seconds. The head referee or assistant referee will begin an audible 10-second countdown when such possession occurs. The countdown resets when the team being counted down does not have possession of majority balls. If the end of the 10-second countdown is reached, play stops and all balls are surrendered via rolling them across the court to the opposing team. Possession is determined by which side of the center line the ball resides. i. Possession definition: Has picked up and released a ball(s) that is making forward progress that is in accordance with rules in this section. ii. Point of clarification: When the 15-second countdown begins, the referee will determine the ​original ​burden and the countdown resets when the original burden is relinquished. 1. Example: In a game with 7 balls, a Team A has 4 balls, but Team B throws all 3 of their balls over to Team A with burden. Team A with original burden only needs to throw 1 ball before the countdown resets. However, the 15-second countdown begins again right after Team A threw the 1 ball since Team B threw 3 balls during the original 15-second countdown. At this point Team A has 6 balls and Team B has 1 ball. Therefore, Team A must throw 3 balls within the 2nd 15-second countdown to ​relinquish​ their burden. e. If a ball is accidentally thrown outside the gym or playing area, that ball will not be counted as one of the majority balls until it comes back into the gym or playing area. f. No opposing players may place any ball in a position that forces the opposing team to move towards the center line.

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i. This is all simply a form of stalling. If this happens, refs stop play and award one additional ball to the opposing team. g. Players may not hide balls inside their clothing. h. Players and shaggers may not purposely throw balls in stands or out of bounds to delay play. XI.

WARNINGS AND REMOVAL ​Referees shall issue warnings for GOLDEN RULE and all other above rule infractions. Referees may issue multiple warnings for the same rule infraction to correspond with its severity level. A player receiving two warnings in the same round shall be removed from that round and the following round without substitution (Yellow Card). A player receiving three warnings in the same game shall be expelled from that game and the following game without substitution (Red Card).

LEAGUE SPECIFIC RULES The following rules must be determined by the league organizer (AKA: Community Coordinator (“CC”) and effectively communicated to all team captains at the start of the season. NO RULES CHANGES CAN BE MADE ONCE THE SEASON HAS BEGUN​: DETERMINE BEFORE WEEK #1 OF SEASON ● # of players per team ● Gender ratio ● Minimum # of players to start a match ○ Minimum # of each gender to avoid a match forfeit ● Determine what will constitute a paper forfeit ○ Example: Not providing refs for peer ref duty ● Substitution guidelines ○ Replacement players and last week to add players to your roster ○ How many times an intra-league player can sub ○ How many times an outside player can sub ● League/venue specific rules (if applicable & must be approved by Senior CC or Community Manager ) ○ Example: If a live player reaches for a ball in the bleachers, that player is safe from being hit while reaching for the ball DETERMINE BEFORE PLAYOFFS ● Playoff Tie Breaker rules ○ Example: # of players per team including # of each gender

DEFINITIONS TEAM ● A team is a predetermined maximum amount of players that competes against other teams. LIVE PLAYER ● A live player is any player that is not out. DEAD PLAYER ● A player who was in an active game that is no longer a live player. A dead player is also a dead object. CLUBWAKA Southern California Dodgeball Rules

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LIVE BALL ● A live ball is a ball that has not made contact with a dead player/object.

DEAD OBJECT ● A dead object is any object that is not a live player or surface. Examples of dead objects are ( but not limited to ) the floor, basketball hoop/backboard, wall, or net. OUT ●

A player is that is no longer a live player.

BLOCK ● Using a ball as a shield to deflect live balls. GAME ● A game is an untimed competition between 2 teams. A game ends when all players on a team are out. The team that still has 1 or more live players after all of the opposing team’s players are out, wins the game. Teams are awarded 1 point for every game won. MATCH ● A match consists of as many games as possible within a predetermined amount of time between 2 teams. The team that accumulates the most points wins the match.

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