OFFICIAL DODGEBALL RULES

The following is an abbreviated version of the rules printed in the Official NADA Rule Book.

THE TEAM
Teams will be made up of 6-10 players. Six(6) players will compete on a side; others will be available as substitutes. Substitutes may enter the game only during timeouts or in the case of injury.

THE FIELD
All games will be played indoors. The playing field shall be a rectangle at least 50 ft long and at least 25 ft wide, divided into two (2) equal sections by a center-line and attack-lines 3m from, and parallel to the centerline.

ROUGH MEASUREMENTS:
60’ x 30’ – Similar to a volleyball court.

THE EQUIPMENT
The official ball used in tournament and league play will be an 8” rubber-coated foam ball.

THE GAME
The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them “OUT”. This may be done by: 1. Hitting an opposing player with a LIVE thrown ball below the shoulders. 2. Catching a LIVE ball thrown by your opponent before it touches the ground.

Definition: LIVE: A ball that has been thrown and has not touched anything, including the floor/ground, another ball, another player, official or other item outside of the playing field (wall, ceiling, etc)

BOUNDARIES
During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines. Players may leave the boundaries through their end-line only to retrieve stray balls. They must also return through their end-line.

THE OPENING RUSH
Game begins by placing the dodgeballs along the center line – three (3) on one side of the center hash and three (3) on the other. Players then take a position behind their end line. Following a signal by the official, teams may approach the centerline to retrieve the balls. This signal officially starts the contest. Teams may only retrieve the three (3) balls to their right of the center hash. Once a ball is retrieved it must be taken behind the attack-line before it can be legally thrown.

TIMING AND WINNING A GAME
A 5 minute time limit has been established for each game. Teams will play a minimum of 9 (not consecutive) games throughout the first round of tournament play. In case of an equal number of players remaining standing after regulation, a 30-second sudden-death overtime will be played to determine the winner of that game. In the case of teams with tied records at the end of the first round of regulation, a 1 minute sudden-death overtime match will be played to determine the winner(team with most players left standing at end of 1 minute).

TIME-OUTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
Each team will be allowed one (1) 30 second timeout per game. At this time a team may substitute players into the game.

5-SECOND VIOLATION
In order to reduce stalling, a violation will be called if a team in the lead controls all six (6) balls on their side of the court for more than 5 seconds.

RULE ENFORCEMENT
All games will be supervised by a court monitor*. The court monitor’s responsibility will be to rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. THE COURT MONITOR’S DECISION IS FINAL – NO EXCEPTIONS.

*NOTE: During tournament play, All Semi-Final and Final Round matches will be officiated by no less than three (3) Tournament Officials. These officials will rule on all legal hits, out-of-bounds and 5-second violations.

N.A.D.A. Code of Conduct
1. Understand, appreciate and abide by the rules of the game.
2. Respect the integrity and judgment of game officials and N.A.D.A staff.
3. Respect your opponent and congratulate them in a courteous manner following each match whether in victory or defeat.
4. Be responsible for your actions and maintain self-control.
5. Do not taunt or bait opponents and refrain from using foul or abusive language.