Social sports club in Wimbledon, London

Dodgeball Rules

Eliminate all your opponents within a fixed time limit by hitting them with balls whilst avoiding being hit by ducking, jumping, & dodging.

The court

The dodgeball court contains a rectangular play zone at either end where opposing teams are confined. In the centre of the court is a "dead zone" which is out of bounds for all players.

Players

Each team starts with 10 players on court.

Game set-up

Players start the game by standing the end line of their play zone.

10 balls are placed along the centre line of the court.

When the referee blows the whistle, players race towards the centre line to pick up a ball and must run back to their end line before starting to eliminate opponents.

The game

Players throw balls at their opponents to try to eliminate them by hitting them.

Players are eliminated if:

• they are hit by a ball (including if the ball bounces off the ground, or off a team-mate),
• they drop a ball which has been passed to them by a team-mate.
• they step into the dead zone,
• they step outside their team's play zone to avoid a ball,
• they throw the ball and an opponent catches the ball,
• they hit an opponent on the head (except when the opponent is ducking to avoid the ball),
• they play in an unsociable or unsportsmanlike way (e.g. taunting opponents).

Players may step outside their play area (but not into the dead zone) to retrieve a ball, but only after their opponent has completed an attempt to eliminate them.

If a player takes more than 5 seconds to make an attempt to eliminate an opponent then the referee will whistle to halt the game, retrieve the ball from the holder, and bounce it to the opposing team, then play will continue.

If a player kicks a ball then the referee will give possession of that ball to the opposition.

If a team interferes with play in any way (physically or verbally) then the referee will give possession of that ball to the opposition.

Leaving the court

Players must immediately leave the playing area when knocked out by a ball or called out by the referee. Failure to leave the court immediately will result in forfeit of the game by the offending team.

Returning to play

A player is allowed to return to the game when their team mate catches a valid elimination attempt from an opponent. The player that is allowed to return is the player that has been put out the longest time during that game. First out is first in.

Notes

Players can NOT wear glasses, only except if worn beneath protective sports goggles. Contact lenses are recommended instead.

No taunting your opponents.

Players must play in a sociable sportsmanlike way.

Game end

The game ends either if all of the players from one team are eliminated, or if the game time expires.

The winners are the team with the most players left at the end.