Dodgeball Rule Changes

Hi VDLers,

I wanted to highlight some new changes and clarifications to the rules in order to better facilitate the game. Some highlights in brief:

1) You can’t step on the sideline at anytime. (Boundaries, point 2)

2) Both feet must be in for a legal catch. (Catch, point 5)

3) New changes to the 10 second holding rule, regarding when it starts and when it does not. (Block, point 4).

10 second holding rule: The intention of the 10 second holding rule is to prevent stalling and to encourage continuous play. Players can only hold the ball for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, the ball is dead and must be turned over. It is the responsibility of players to know their ball’s countdown status. The 10 second count begins during these situations: (a) when a player picks up a ball; (b) when a player holds a ball that is on the ground for longer than 3 seconds; and (c) when a player maneuvers a ball alongside himself on the ground to move to a different position on the court. The 10 second rule does not start when: d) rolling a ball to another teammate; e) rolling a ball back from the centerline; and f) stopping a moving ball.

4) Clarification about how the 10 second count is done. (Block, point 5)

The 10 second count is announced: “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, deadball.” The interval between the first utterance of each number or word must be at least one second. The count should be announced loudly enough for the player to hear. If the player has not released the ball at the first utterance of the word ‘deadball’, it is a turnover.

5) Clarification about how to turn over dead balls (Block, point 6)

A dead ball after a 10 second count must be rolled over with the intention to touch the opposing team’s wall, not just placed over the centerline. If a dead ball stops midway from the centerline and the opposing team’s wall, the referee can intervene to help move the ball towards the wall. The receiving team must play that dead ball before the other team can use it again.

6) Clarification about what happens to the ball count when a player is out. (Block, point 7)

When a player is out for any reason, all balls under his/her possession are to be dropped. Any countdown on those balls is reset.

7)  Rule against high throws. Players need to be accountable for the balls they throw and they can’t reset the ball count anymore by throwing it up 10FT high. There will be no taping for the 8FT mark. Rather, it’s more of a guideline than it is an exact spec, as people shouldn’t be throwing from 6FT -8FT anyways.

High throws: All balls thrown above 8ft are dead and must be turned over.

8)  Clarification about substitutions during a game and definitions regarding a match and set. (Other Details, points 1 & 2)

Substitutions and timeouts: Substitutions and timeouts are not allowed during a game, unless there is injury, or if the referees call timeout to resolve an uncertain play. The same 6 players who start a game, end the game. Substitution may occur after each individual game (i.e. when you switch sides).

Definitions: A match is a series of games played against a team. During regular season, these matches are split up into 2 sets per night.

That’s pretty much it! If you have any questions, please let us know. And if you’re new, check out the excellent Dodgeball 101 video series.

Looking forward to an excellent season!

Kevin