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Main rules
Simple summary of the rules that are most relevant.
Scoring
Every team plays one match a week which consists of 7 games of 3 minutes. The team that wins the most games gets 30 points, the loser gets 10 and it's 20 points each for a draw. 2 bonus points are awarded for every game that ends in an annihilation. Same as last year, but no one seemed to understand it.
The finals will be played as a seeded tournament based on the results of the league.
Team composition
Again exactly the same as last year. Ideally teams should be 3 guys and 3 girls. A team can field 4 guys and 2 girls if necessary, but one guy starts in the player return area and only comes on when a catch is made. If a team wants to play more girls than guys that's fine. Hope that doesn't strike people as too sexist, but it seems fair to me.
Refereeing
The two teams not playing will be needed to referee the two games that are going on. Some people don't like doing it and obviously some people are totally new to the game, but it is pretty simple stuff and it really helps to have three pairs of eyes on the game. We should have one at each end watching for hits and one in the centre as an extra pair of eyes and using the spare ball to make sure we have three in play as much as possible. Please volunteer and pick up a whistle.
Hits
If the ball hits a player and then goes dead (hits the floor, a wall, another player, a referee or a spectator) that player is out. When hit the player should leave the court and go to the player return area. Being hit on any part of the body counts except the hands when holding another ball.
Clothing counts as a part of the player!
If a referee says you are hit then you are hit, go to the player return area.
Catches
If a player catches a ball before it goes dead then the player who threw the ball is out. A player from the catchers side can return from the player return area. Players should always return in the order they went off. First off is first back.
Defending with a ball
A player can hold a ball and use it as a shield. As soon as a thrown ball hits a defensive ball it is dead. If the player holding the ball drops it then they are out exactly as if they had been hit by a thrown ball. When using a defensive ball the player hands count as part of the ball. If a thrown ball hits a player then the defensive ball they are out, but not vice versa. Referees may have to make the call as to what the thrown ball hit first.
Five second rule
The game is dodgeball; no one can dodge if no one throws. Which ever team has the majority of balls on their side of the court must throw one within five seconds. If teams are delaying the referees should start a countdown to get them moving. If a team has all three balls then the countdown should be restarted immediately after they throw the first ball.
If a team hasn't made a throw in the five seconds a player holding the ball should be sent to the player return area. If no players are holding balls then one of the players nearest the ball should go. Players must always make a fair attempt when getting rid of a ball on a five second count. Which leads nicely on to ...
Fair attempts
Only throwing the ball counts as a fair attempt, hitting, kicking, rolling or any other thing that isn't throwing that I've not thought of doesn't count. The ball must be thrown at the opposition, not at the ground, walls or ceiling. Throwing unreachable balls off the side or back wall so that there is no chance of the opposition making a catch or getting hold of the ball is definitely not a fair attempt. This kind of thing is deemed unsportsmanlike behaviour. Leading on to ...
Unsportsmanlike behaviour
The general principle is of everything above is to keep the game moving fast and fairly and in the right spirit, let's keep it fun and friendly and then go for a pint. The examples above are by no means exhaustive, but I'm sure you get the point.
Every team plays one match a week which consists of 7 games of 3 minutes. The team that wins the most games gets 30 points, the loser gets 10 and it's 20 points each for a draw. 2 bonus points are awarded for every game that ends in an annihilation. Same as last year, but no one seemed to understand it.
The finals will be played as a seeded tournament based on the results of the league.
Team composition
Again exactly the same as last year. Ideally teams should be 3 guys and 3 girls. A team can field 4 guys and 2 girls if necessary, but one guy starts in the player return area and only comes on when a catch is made. If a team wants to play more girls than guys that's fine. Hope that doesn't strike people as too sexist, but it seems fair to me.
Refereeing
The two teams not playing will be needed to referee the two games that are going on. Some people don't like doing it and obviously some people are totally new to the game, but it is pretty simple stuff and it really helps to have three pairs of eyes on the game. We should have one at each end watching for hits and one in the centre as an extra pair of eyes and using the spare ball to make sure we have three in play as much as possible. Please volunteer and pick up a whistle.
Hits
If the ball hits a player and then goes dead (hits the floor, a wall, another player, a referee or a spectator) that player is out. When hit the player should leave the court and go to the player return area. Being hit on any part of the body counts except the hands when holding another ball.
Clothing counts as a part of the player!
If a referee says you are hit then you are hit, go to the player return area.
Catches
If a player catches a ball before it goes dead then the player who threw the ball is out. A player from the catchers side can return from the player return area. Players should always return in the order they went off. First off is first back.
Defending with a ball
A player can hold a ball and use it as a shield. As soon as a thrown ball hits a defensive ball it is dead. If the player holding the ball drops it then they are out exactly as if they had been hit by a thrown ball. When using a defensive ball the player hands count as part of the ball. If a thrown ball hits a player then the defensive ball they are out, but not vice versa. Referees may have to make the call as to what the thrown ball hit first.
Five second rule
The game is dodgeball; no one can dodge if no one throws. Which ever team has the majority of balls on their side of the court must throw one within five seconds. If teams are delaying the referees should start a countdown to get them moving. If a team has all three balls then the countdown should be restarted immediately after they throw the first ball.
If a team hasn't made a throw in the five seconds a player holding the ball should be sent to the player return area. If no players are holding balls then one of the players nearest the ball should go. Players must always make a fair attempt when getting rid of a ball on a five second count. Which leads nicely on to ...
Fair attempts
Only throwing the ball counts as a fair attempt, hitting, kicking, rolling or any other thing that isn't throwing that I've not thought of doesn't count. The ball must be thrown at the opposition, not at the ground, walls or ceiling. Throwing unreachable balls off the side or back wall so that there is no chance of the opposition making a catch or getting hold of the ball is definitely not a fair attempt. This kind of thing is deemed unsportsmanlike behaviour. Leading on to ...
Unsportsmanlike behaviour
The general principle is of everything above is to keep the game moving fast and fairly and in the right spirit, let's keep it fun and friendly and then go for a pint. The examples above are by no means exhaustive, but I'm sure you get the point.