Rules

Rules are still being drafted and formatted. These rules are in no way final and are subject to change.

General Rules

• All rules of the field owners must be obeyed. Failure to abide by those rules may result in ejection from the league.
• All players must be wearing their issued shirts of the appropriate sport and season.
• Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Acting in an unsportsmanlike manner will result in an ejection from the game, and a suspension for the following week. Two ejections from any CVSSC sport in a 1 year period will result in a 1 year suspension from all CVSSC sports. This includes sponsor venues -- reports of disruptive behavior or causing a disturbance will not be tolerated and may result in additional suspensions not limited to the rules listed above.
• Disputing Calls: Calls may only be discussed with the referee(s) by the captain or assistant captain of either squad. Verbally abusing a referee will result in ejection and further punishment may be handed down.
• Overruling: The head referee, at his discretion, may overrule any of these rules below. An example would be the head shot rule, if the referee determines that the player ducked, and due to that action, the ball then struck the head of the player.
• The league may require a team to provide a referee for a game in an adjacent time slot to said team's game. Failure to provide a referee will result in a $25 fine per referee absent. Failure to pay this fine will result in forfeits of all future games to be played until the fine is paid.

Equipment

• Dodgeballs will be provided. Outside balls may not be used.
• Players may wear protective equipment as long as it does not provide a performance advantage. Referee has final decision and may order the equipment removed.

Referees

• All games must be officiated by one referee (head referee). In the event there are two referees, each referee will monitor one side of the court. The head referee monitors any center line violations, and has final judgment on any calls.

Participants

• All players must be 18 years of age by the start of the season.
• All players must have signed the CVSSC waiver form prior to playing.
• Balances must be paid in full prior to the first team game. Unpaid teams/players will not be permitted to play.

Game Rules

• Teams must carry a minimum of 6 players on the roster. There is no maximum on the roster. All of the players are allowed to participate per game. The rest of the rostered players not participating in the current game must stand out of the field of play or re-entry zone.
• For any co-ed leagues, 3 female players must be on the court to begin the game. Once the game begins, the gender requirements do not apply.
• Sub rule: If you are short of the 6 player requirement, you may pick up players from other teams in the league to meet the 6. For each player picked up in this manner, the team score will be subtracted by 1 for each game the player plays in. Example: If you pick up 2 players to field the minimum roster and win a game with all 6 members still on the court, you will only be awarded 4 points. (6-2).
• Each team may place up to 6 members on the court to start the game. The remaining eligible players who do not start the game stand in the re-entry zone and can enter when a ball is caught by their team resulting in an elimination, as long as the team currently has less than 6 active players.
• All parts of the player are considered 'part of the uniform', and if hit, result in an elimination. Hair, shirt, shorts, pants, shoes, etc. are all legal targets.
• Balls must be blocked cleanly -- if the ball hits a blocking player in any way (including fingers), the blocking player is out.
• Re-entry zones are located parallel to the court. Players in re-entry zones may retrieve balls that have gone out of the playing field for their team, but may not cross the center line into opposition territory to retrieve a ball.
• Any unsportsmanlike conduct actions or intentional malicious play during a match are grounds for a player or team expulsion.
• Head shots are not permitted. Due to the number of balls in play, and ducking and weaving of shots, head shots will occur. It is up to the referee's discretion of whether these are intentional or not. Head shots deemed to be intentional will result in the struck player remaining in the game, and the thrower to be called out.
• A match will consist of five (5) six-minute games. Games are ended by eliminating all players on the opposing team, or having more players in play when time expires. Scoring is calculated by the number of players remaining on each side upon game conclusion. The sum of the game scores will determine the winner of the match.
• Eight (8) balls are in play at any one time. There will be six 8.5" dodgeballs, one 6" "small ball", and one 16 inch "big ball".
• When a girl is in play on either side, the "small ball" may only be thrown by a girl. When no girls are in play, the small ball can be thrown by anyone. A guy throwing the small ball when a girl is in play will be called out. This does not apply if a girl has just entered the court while the small ball is in the act of being thrown.
• None of the balls may be kicked, only throws are permitted.
• Each team will begin at the end line. On the referee's signal, teams race to center court to grab balls to throw. No balls may be thrown during the first 10 seconds of a game. The referee will signal when throwing can begin.
• The opposing team's players are eliminated by catching a ball while it is live, or striking a player with a live ball. Balls that play off a wall are considered dead. Balls that strike off a ceiling, the floor, a referee, players in the re-entry zone or any other obstruction other than an in-bounds player are dead. Balls that strike off another player are LIVE until made dead by the above rule. Dead balls cannot be caught for elimination, and no player who is hit by a dead ball shall be called out.
• A player may re-enter the game when a player on his team catches a ball from the opposing team resulting in the player being called out (catching a ball while it is still live).
• Players may use a ball to block a ball thrown at them. Balls deflected in this way are treated as live balls until they are made dead as per the rule above. If a player drops their blocking ball upon contact with a ball being thrown at them, that player shall be considered out.
• Boundary Rules
• Players may NOT leave the court area to retrieve balls that have exited the field of play. Players in the re-entry zone are the only players who can retrieve those balls.
• Players may not eliminate another player while they are out of bounds, nor can they be eliminated by anything other than referee judgment of stalling.
• Players who are struck must immediately leave the court. If a player who is called out is holding a ball, it must be immediately dropped.
• Players are permitted to chase balls out of bounds that were deflected by a player who was in bounds for the purpose of making a catch. While out of bounds, this player can be eliminated by being struck with a ball.
• Players are permitted to step out of bounds while attempting to catch a thrown ball. The thrower shall be called out if the ball was caught. A player struck out of bounds while attempting to catch a thrown ball and failing will be called out.
• If you get hit, you are out. You know it. You know if you got hit. Please make the job easier on the referee and promptly exit play -- there is a lot to monitor, and players being honest on whether they got hit or not is important to the flow of the game.
• If the balls are stockpiled on one team's side (excluding the small and big ball), that team has ten (10) seconds to attempt a throw at the other team using a regular ball. Throws may not be intentionally missed in order to bounce the ball back to the thrower's side (throwing high off the wall/ceiling to retain possession). There will be no time warning on this -- players violating it will be called out -- you are expected to keep an active pace and the flow of the game.
• Any player crossing the center line when throwing a ball shall be called out. A thrown ball by a player who crosses the center line shall be considered dead.
• Any in-bounds player crossing out of bounds in any other situation other than the rules above will be called OUT.
• When 2 minutes are remaining, or when a referee has deemed a team to be stalling or 'hiding in the back', the court shall be shortened on both sides by designated lines on the court. These constitute the new boundary lines, and may result in an out in accordance with the rules (Exceptions for retrieving balls, catching balls, etc). When 1 minute is remaining, the court shall be shortened again.
• As always, the referee's decision is FINAL. Failure to quickly abide by a referee's decision may result in ejection from the match.
• Having fun is required. Remember, in spite of all these wordy rules above, it's just a game.
• Example scenarios:
• A player is in the process of catching a ball while being struck by another ball. Unless the player has completed the catch before being struck, the struck player is counted as out, and the catch is treated as if it never occured.
• A player steps out of bounds to catch a ball thrown out of bounds. As long as the player catching the ball was in bounds before the ball is thrown, this is a legal play.
• A player who is blocking a ball accidentally deflects the thrown ball into his own teammate before the deflected ball touches the ground. The struck teammate is considered out, as the ball is still live.