Diablos Dodgeball

SPORTSMANSHIP/CONDUCT

1. Accept and understand the seriousness of your responsibility.

2. Be on time, be prepared by warming up and ready to play at game time.

3. Show respect for opponents, always.

4. Respect contest officials as impartial decision makers and contest managers. Accept decisions despite the impact on the contest. Control emotions.

5. Understand the rules of the game. Understand that rules are intended to provide the safe control of a contest. 

6. Accept victories and losses with self-control, poise, and dignity.

7. Treat opponents as you would wish to be treated.

8. Refrain from harassment, taunting or degrading commentary about opponents, officials, or teammates.

9. Avoid disrespectful language, conduct, trash talk and profanity.

10. Demonstrate respect for officials’ opinions and judgment, always. Any player that is disrespectful or argumentative with an official causing a delay in the round will be asked to sit out the next round. If the player continues to be disrespectful and disruptive, they will no longer be allowed to play the rest of the night’s games. 

THE TEAM

• Teams will be made up of 8-14 players. 8 players will compete on each side; additional team members will be available to rotate in during game play. Teams will be required to wear the current season’s shirts to play. Everyone MUST wear the current season shirt to play.

SUBSTITUTION RULE

• A team must have at least 6 of its own players to begin with and can only pick up 2 substitute players to bring the team total to 8, which is the minimum number of players required to play. If the team has 8 of its own rostered players, it may not pick up any substitutes.

EQUIPMENT

• The official ball used in tournament and league play is an 8.25” rubber-coated foam ball.

BOUNDARIES

• During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines that are marked with cones. Players may leave the court only through their back-line to retrieve stray balls or to exit the game if they have been tagged out. If any of the other lines are crossed, that player is out.

• Game balls will be placed at the center line.

• Each team will start at their respective baselines until the referee blows the whistle to start the game. After the whistle blows, players from each team may run to the center line to retrieve balls.

• Teams may only retrieve the three balls to their right on the centerline. 

• Once a ball is retrieved, it must be taken behind the attack-line before it can be legally thrown. 

• A false start may be called if players leave their end line before the game whistle is blown. If a player false starts, the game is restarted, and that player may not rush on the restart.

• If a player crosses the centerline during the opening rush or any time during play, they will be declared out.

• If a player needs to leave the court because of an injury, the next player in line will take their place. 

ELIMINATION

• If you are hit by a ball after it hits the ground or any other obstacle, that ball is considered a dead ball.

• If the opposing team catches a ball you throw, you are out.

• If you catch a ball off a teammate deflection, the person who threw the ball is out.

• A ball that is caught off the wall or out of bounds does not count. 

• A ball caught by a player falling out of bounds does not count unless he manages to stay in bound through the duration of the catch and does not step out.

• If you drop a ball while attempting to block an opponent’s strike, you are out, unless a teammate catches it.

• If you throw the ball and it strikes an opponent in the head (head shot), you are automatically out as well as the person hit in the head. 

• When you are out, you must exit through the back line and go to the sideline and stand in the order you were eliminated. 

• Any player caught not exiting through the back line of the court will sit out the next round of the game. 

• You may not stall. You must throw the ball withing 15 seconds. This will be strictly enforced!

• When a teammate catches an opponent’s ball, the first person in line will be allowed back into the game.

CLARIFICATION

• If you are hit by a ball and your teammate catches it, you are safe and the person who threw the ball is out. 

• If you or a teammate is hit by a blocked ball, you are not out. 

• No player may hold the ball longer than 15 seconds.

• You may go out of bounds through your baseline to retrieve a ball, or a player that is out, may roll it to you.  A player that is out may not throw the ball at the opposing team.

• You may not catch a ball of a wall or any other obstacle that is not a person.

• Kicking a ball is not allowed. If a player is observed kicking a ball, they are automatically out. 

HEAD SHOT

• A throw that is considered a head shot is one that impacts above the neck. If a player throws a ball and hits another player in the head, both players are automatically out. There will be no discussion, call is final.

GAME DURATION

• Games will not last more than 25 minutes, and no new round should start if there is less than 5 minutes left.

TIME OUTS

• Each team will be allowed one 30-second timeout per round. Timeouts will also be used if a captain wants to discuss a call they do not agree with. After that one, 30-second timeout is used, there will be no more timeouts in that round.

REFEREE CALLS

• A referee’s call is THE FINAL CALL. Only a captain may discuss the call, at which point, a timeout will have to be taken. Please refer to Sportsmanship Conduct, line 10.

8-SECOND VIOLATION

• To reduce stalling, a violation will be called if a team in the lead has possession of more than 3 balls on their side of the court for more than 8 seconds. This also applies to teams in a tie situation. 

HONOR SYSTEM:

Players will be expected to rule whether a hit was legal or whether they were legally eliminated. All contests will be supervised by two referees (team captain/co-captain). The referee’s responsibility will  be to rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. THE GAME REFEREE’S DECISION IS FINAL. NO EXCEPTIONS. 

Violations of the Sportsmanship Conduct Code may be enforced by a game official, a Diablos OutSports board member or Commissioner. Violations of the Sportsmanship Code of Conduct may result in ejection from current game(s), suspension from future games and/or expulsion from the Organization.