WAKA Dodgeball Rules Foam Dodgeball At A Glance:



WAKA foam dodgeball is first and foremost about fun. SOFDA – the Soft Official Foam Dodgeball Association – is the world’s largest promoter and sanctioning body of official foam dodgeballÔ leagues and events. SOFDA 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 round. In short, games are played in rounds with up to 12 players per team, until all players on one side are out, and no head shots. The following rules will govern all SOFDA foam dodgeball games. For the enjoyment of all, proper respect is required of all participants toward one another. Unsportsmanlike conduct and fighting are not allowed or tolerated. Rules may be updated without notice by SOFDA.

Rule 1- The Basics 1. 2. 3. 4.

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Games last 50 minutes and consists of a series of rounds (known as matches in this document) The team who wins the most matches in that 50-minute game period wins the game a. A match is won when one team eliminates each of the other players on the opposing team b. When a match is won the winning team shall receive 1 point toward the overall game score Teams switch ends of the court at 25 minutes a. The switch takes place at the start of the first match to begin after 25 minutes There must be at least 8 players with a minimum of 2 females on the floor at the start of each game (4:1 male: female ratio minimum) a. Players cannot sit out matches unless: (1) They are injured (2) They are serving a match misconduct (3) The team has more than 12 players present (4) They arrive during an active match i. If a player sits out a match for a reason not included in Rule 1.4.a, they may not re-enter for the duration of the match ii. If a team requests that or is found to have instructed a player to sit out from a match for any reason not delineating in Rule 1.4.a, that team forfeits that match (the not the entire game). This is a judgement call left up to the discretion of the head referee and the leagues CSR b. If a team does not have at least 2 females 10 minutes after the scheduled start time, they shall receive a paper forfeit with a final score of 12-0 i. The 10-minutes during Rule 1.4.b are considered a waiting period and are included in the overall official game time Games are played with 7 balls There can be a minimum of 8 players and a maximum of 12 players on the floor for each team at the start of each match. a. Any additional players from the team’s roster must sit out so that no more than 12 players are on the court at any time during a game. i. No player may sit out two matches in a row unless it is for a reason delineated in Rule 1.4.a ii. No player may sit out more than one out of every three matches unless it is for a reason delineated in Rule 1.4.a iii. No player on a team’s active roster may sit out a match in favor of a substitute player for a reason other than one delineated in Rule 1.4.a b. A team that violates any of Rules 1.6 will forfeit each match in which such a rule violation occurs At the start of each game: a. Team captains shall present to the CSR a roster listing all active roster players present or expected to be present and identifying all subs i. Active roster players MUST play in their WAKA issued team shirt. Subs may not play in WAKA issued team shirts

b. c. d.



All players line up behind the back line 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 All 7 balls are placed on the center line, equally spaced on each side The head referee signals the start of the round at which time, players must advance toward the balls i. Players may only retrieve the balls on the right side of the center line, and may not touch the balls on the left side of the center line 1. If the left balls are touched, a false start penalty is called, and the round resets and starts again, penalizing the team by transferring one of their balls (on the right side) to the left side ii. Any ball may be played once it is behind the clear line

Rule 2- Getting Out and Getting In 1.

2.

Players are out if any of the following occur: a. A player is out if they get hit by a thrown ball or a deflected ball, before it hits a wall, the ceiling, the floor, or a teammate’s head (head shot) i. Accordingly, one thrown ball can potentially eliminate numerous opposing players due to deflections ii. All player attire is considered an extension of the player iii. If a ball is kicked by an opponent, neither the kicker, nor the person who gets hit is out b. A player is out if they throw a ball and it is caught by the opposing team before the ball hits a wall, the ceiling, the floor, or a teammate’s head (head shot) i. If a player throws a ball, it hits an opponent, and on a deflection another opponent catches the ball before it hits the wall, the ceiling, the floor, or a teammate’s head (head shot), that player hit with the ball is not out and the player who threw the ball is out ii. If a player catches a ball and either or both of their feet land out of bounds while catching that ball, the player who threw the ball is not out, nor is the player who caught the ball 1. If the player trying to catch the ball lands with both feet fully out of bounds and does not catch the ball, that player is out for going out of bounds c. A player is out if they step or touch over or on the half court line i. Accordingly, a player may jump from his/her side of the court, throw a ball while in the air above or across the half-court line, and is out once his/her feet touch the ground on or over the half-court line. This play is colloquially known as a “suicide” and is within the rules of the game d. A player is out if they purposefully step completely out of bounds with both feet i. If a player is carried out of bounds by his/her momentum while catching a ball, that player is not out ii. If a player steps out of bounds with both feet as a result of their momentum while trying to dodge a ball, they are out iii. The only acceptable time for an active player to leave the court is through the designated back right corner of that team’s side of the court (exit space is to be taped of with clear visibility) for the purpose of shagging a ball that has rested out of bounds e. A player is out if they drop a ball they are holding as a result of that ball being hit by a thrown ball i. If a player catches a ball and, in the process drops another ball that was already in possession, the player who threw the ball is out, a player from the catching player’s team in the out-line re-enters the match, and the player who dropped the ball is out When a player is out they must immediately raise their hand and exit the court, they have 5 seconds to exit the court a. If they intentionally attempt to deflect balls in play while going out of bounds they are in violation of rule 2.2 and may not re-enter the court for the duration of that match b. The 5-second clock starts running as soon as a player is hit and/or called out

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c. Three violations of Rule 2.2 by any team in a single match results in that match being forfeited When a player is out, they are to enter the out-line in the order that they went out. The first player eliminated goes to the front of the out-line, the second player eliminated goes to the second spot, and so forth a. The out-line is to form out of bounds running perpendicular to the half-court line on the team’s own side of that line, with the front of that line positioned at the back right corner of the court (back right can be found when directionally facing toward the opposing team) b. If a team is caught “line-jumping”, if a player cuts in the out-line, the team forfeits that match When a team catches a ball in the air before it hits the wall, the ceiling, the floor, or a teammate’s head (head shot), the first player in the out-line may re-enter the match as an active player a. A player can only re-enter the game if he/she is actually in the out-line. If a catch is made before an eliminated player actually reaches the out-line, they may not return to the game If a player is hit in the head – if it is a “head shot” – neither the player who threw the ball, nor the player hit by the ball is out a. If a ball is deflected into a player’s head, that player is out b. The head includes the neck, but does not include the shoulders, the hands or the upper chest c. If a player is on the ground or has at least 3 points of contact with the ground (i.e., 2 feet and a hand) Rule 2.5 does not apply and the player hit by the ball is out d. If a player intentionally “heads” a ball Rule 2.5 still applies e. If a player is hit in the head (head shot) there is a 5-second recovery period in which that player is not out if they get hit by another ball i. If that player needs more time to recover, they may substitute out with another teammate of the same sex who is next to come in from the out-line. This must be decided within the 5-second recovery period



Rule 3- Starting Play 1.

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Team captains must present their rosters to the CSR and the referee will lead them in Rochambeau (rockpaper-scissors) a. The team that wins the Rochambeau has the option of selection ball control of their choice of sides for the start of the game b. The team that loses the Rochambeau gets their choice of whichever option the winning team did not choose Balls are places on the half-court line a. The team that wins ball control has 4 balls on its right side at the half-court line. The other team has 3 balls on its right at the half-court line b. Ball control at the start of the game alternates every other match thereafter At the referee’s whistle, players can run up and retrieve balls on their right at the half-court line a. Teams can run to their left, but cannot touch or retrieve those balls i. If any player touches a ball on his left at the start of the match, a false start penalty is called ii. After a false start, the team that commits the violation loses a ball from its side, that ball is placed on the other side, and the start is attempted again 10 feet behind the half-court line is the marked “clear line” Balls may be played once the ball itself crosses the clear line a. If a ball is thrown before it passes the clear line, any player hit by the ball is not out b. If the ball is caught, the player throwing the ball is out Players who arrive during a match cannot enter an active match. They can enter the next match that commences after their arrival Shaggers: a. When a player is out, he/she may only touch balls that are fully out of bounds and their foot cannot cross the half-court line b. Should a shagger be able to retrieve such a ball, they must roll it into play

c.

d.

Shaggers may not i. physically assist players ii. touch a ball within the court boundary lines iii. cross into the court boundary line iv. go forward into the back line of the court Shaggers must be behind the black lines when not in the process of shagging balls



Rule 4- Ball Control 1. 2.

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Balls must be thrown by hand from an in-bounds position. There are no restrictions on throwing style Players may use a ball in their possession to deflect another ball thrown by the opposing team to avoid being hit and called out a. However, if the hand which is holding a ball used for deflection is hit, that player is out If a ball is resting directly over the center line, play stops and the head referee shall kick the ball to the team possessing the least number of balls a. If the center line resting ball is the majority possession ball, the referee shall kick the ball to the team with the least amount of players in active play No team may maintain possession of a majority of the balls (greater than 3 balls) for longer than 15 seconds a. A team loses possession of a ball when it crosses the half-court line i. If a team throws a ball across the half-court line, and in doing so relinquishes possesses a majority of the balls, should that ball return to its side of the court on a deflection either off of a player or the back of the court, the 15 second clock restarts ii. While teams may roll balls across the court, they may not place balls directly over the half-court line 1. Should a team place a ball directly over the half-court line, the head referee shall kick the ball to the other side of the court b. A team with 4 balls in possession must throw 1 ball to comply with this rule; 5 balls require throwing 2; 6 balls require throwing 3; all 7 balls require throwing 4 balls c. At 5 silently counted seconds, the head referee should commence a 10 second verbal countdown d. Should a team fail to comply with the ball control rule in 15 seconds, play stops and all balls must go to the other team on the other side of the court



Rule 5- The Clock 1. 2. 3.

4.

The clock shall run continuously from the start of the game until its conclusion The referees shall stop the clock in the event of a power outage, a natural disaster, a safety risk, or other acts of God, man, or beast that out player safety at issue Each team has one timeout per game a. Only captains can call timeouts b. During a timeout, captains who are in the outline may return to the court to confer with players who have not been eliminated from that game i. All other players presently in the outline may not re-enter the court of play during timeouts c. Timeouts last 90 seconds Referees will announce “Last Game” before the final match of the game begins a. Matches may end in ties b. Should a playoff game end in a tie, a sudden death overtime game shall take place within two minutes of the end of the last match. Each team may play their sudden death overtime game with 5 male and 5 female players. The game will end upon the complete elimination of one team



Rule 6- Conduct/Referees 1.

No less than 2 and no more than 4 referees shall administer all WAKA dodgeball games a. One of these referees shall be the head referee

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i. The head referee governs all game play, issues final rulings, and has final authority of all calls Prior to each game, the head referee must conduct a meeting with the captains of each team, to address and ground rules in effect, to identify the designated captains who are authorizes to discuss calls with the referees during the game, and to perform the Rochambeau (rock-paper-scissors) to designate the team that starts with ball control and which team will start on what side of the court Referees have jurisdiction over play and may: a. Call a time out b. Penalize a player, including game ejection, for any reason. 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 match Referees must record final game score and report to the CSR Referees may make ruling on any points not specifically covered in the rules (at the time of occurrence) but the ruling shall not be deemed as a precedent for future rulings Players are responsible for self-regulating – if a player gets hit by a ball, it is his/her job to go out. If a player throws a ball that is caught, crosses the half-court line, goes fully out of bounds, and/or drops a ball when it is struck by a thrown ball, they should go out b. If a player sees a teammate get hit, they shall let them know that they are out If a referee sees a player get out, they shall call that player out if the player does not go out on their own a. Players must go out if called out by a referee, and must do so without protest Only captains may talk to referees a. CSRs and any other league players assigned responsibilities of overseeing conduct – i.e., the League Board President or the League Board Rules Chair – may speak with referees to clarify the interpretation of rules, discipline, and game conduct at their discretion b. If any player other than a captain speaks with the referees, they shall be given a warning. If the communication persists, if it is overly aggressive in the sole opinion of the referee, or if it is the second time the same non-captain has approached the referee, he/she shall be issued a Yellow Card In addition to the reasons set forth in Rule 6.8.b, Yellow Cards shall be issued for: a. Aggressive and hostile conduct towards other players b. Players refusing to leave the court when they are called out c. Conduct unbecoming of a sportsman or sportswoman (superfluous profanity, taunting, etc.) If a player repeatedly throws high resulting in a great probability of “head shots”, that player shall be issued a warning. If high throws persist from that player, a yellow card shall be issued If a player is issued a yellow card, he/she has to leave the current match, may not re-enter the current match, and may not play in the next match a. If a team has more than 12 players present, it must play the next match down a player with only 11 players If a player is issued 2 yellow cards, they shall automatically be issued a red card Red cards may be issued for egregious violations of any rule at the discretion of the head referee a. Examples of such conduct include fighting, crossing the center line to approach a player on the other team, approaching referees in a hostile and aggressive manner All red cards are subject to the immediate review of the CSR and/or League Board President If a player receives a red card, he/she is expelled from the game a. That player’s team must play the remainder of the game down a player if the team initially only had 12 players present b. That player may be suspended from his/her team’s following game at the discretion of the league’s CSR

Rule 7- Substitutes 1. 2.

Any team with less than 12 players from its active roster present for a match may play with substitutes To be eligible to play, substitutes must sign a waiver

3. 4. 5.

No player may substitute for more than two matches for any team during a given season, by the third match that player must register for the season Substitutes will not be allowed to play in the playoffs If a team is found to have instructed a player from its active roster to sit out in favor of playing a substitute, that team will receive a forfeit for that game at a score of 15-0



Rule 9- Standings and Playoffs 1. 2.



Teams shall receive 1 point for a victory, 0.5 points for a tie, and 0 points for a loss Standings tie-breakers shall be determined in the following order: a. Head to head record b. Games lost c. Differential between games won and games lost d. Coin flip