Team Rules
START OF THE GAME:
Teams will alternate sides following each game. Substitutions from each team will line up on opposite sidelines to help retrieve errant dodgeballs.
CLOCK:
All dodgeball matches will have a 40-minute time limit. All play will stop 45 minutes from the time your game begins. The head officials clock will be the official match clock.
ROSTER:
There is no maximum number of players allowed on your roster. Players will not be allowed to participate without signing the OCSSC waiver/roster. After the final tee shirt order date, there is only one way to add to your roster. Teams must DROP a player(s) before they can add a player(s), up to the 3rd week. The additional player must obtain the tee shirt from the dropped player in order to play. Rosters are frozen after last game of the 3rd week. Additional roster sheets will be available for adding players that were not at the first game.
PLAYER RESTRICTIONS:
All players in the OCSSC must be 20 years old when the season starts. Teams will forfeit all games if this rule has been broken. OCSSC will have the right to request ID from any player throughout the regular and/or play-off season.
PLAYER PARTICIPATION:
Players can only play on one team. Player(s) that break this rule will cause their team(s) to forfeit all games that were participated in. (Forfeit fine will also be assessed).
GAME TIME:
All games must start on time, no exceptions.
FORFEITS:
If a team does not have the minimum number of players by game time, they must still start the game. If the minimum number of players does not show up 10 minutes after game time, a forfeit will be called.
FORFEIT FINES:
If a team does not have the minimum number of players by game time, a $50 forfeit fine will be assessed. Teams that receive a forfeit fine must use it the following week or lose it. (No, carry over). If a team e-mails the OCSSC by 5pm of the preceding day, no fine will be assessed. This will allow the opposing coach to inform his team of the impending forfeit. All fines must be paid before your next scheduled game. Teams not paying the above fines the following week will have 2 points taken off their win total. After the 2nd week the fine doubles, 3rd week the team can be removed from the league.
GAME UNIFORMS:
OCSSC tee shirts/shorts must stay in the original color ordered. Illegal changes include: tie-dyeing, dying to make the shirts another color, bleaching, etc. No logo, patch, website address, company name, phone number, etc can be added to a OCSSC tee shirt. Additions that are allowed: American flag patch or print, player’s name/number must be minimal in size and may not be offensive in nature or cover the OCSSC or Sponsor logo. Teams that break this rule will be forced to purchase new OCSSC shirts @ $15 per shirt and teams will forfeit all games until the balance is paid on the purchase of new shirts.
DODGEBALL EQUIPMENT:
The OCSSC will supply dodgeballs for each field.
SPORTSMANSHIP:
Sportsmanship: “Conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants in sports, especially fair play, courtesy, striving spirit, and grace in losing.” Any OCSSC members that do not conduct themselves (on or off the field) in a manner other then described above can/will be removed from the league. If a staff member believes a player should be removed, a meeting between me, the coaches involved & the staff member will occur to discuss removal. If player(s) or team(s) are involved in a fight, they will be banned from the OCSSC for life.
COACH RESPONSIBILITIES:
Please take your team back to our sponsor bar for the SOCIAL part of the OCSSC. Keep reminding your players that this is a very SOCIAL league and unsportsmanlike conduct will ensure them a seat on the bench or a view from the outside looking in.
Dodgeball Rules:
PLAYERS ON THE FIELD:
The maximum numbers of players on the field is 10 (6 men, 4 women); minimum number of players is 6 (4 men, 2 women). There are no limits to the number of females allowed on the field at one time. However, there cannot be more than 6 men on the field under any circumstance. Players may enter the game at any time if they are running late. Substitutions can only be made after the completion of a game, or in the case of injury. Teams may not substitute male for female.
FIELD:
The playing field shall be marked with sidelines, end-lines, attack lines and a center hash mark. Attack Line is parallel to and 10 ft from centerline. All errant balls leaving the field must be retrieved equally by both teams to avoid delays in the game.
BEGINNING THE GAME:
Prior to beginning a game, an equal number of dodgeballs are placed along the center line on each side of the center hash mark. A standard game consists of 6 balls, 3 on each side of the hash mark.
Players then take a position behind their end line and wait for the official’s whistle to begin play.
Following the whistle by the official, players approach the center line to retrieve the balls located on the center line. Teams may only retrieve balls placed to the RIGHT (as they face the center line) of the center hash mark. If balls remain on the center line after a team has retrieved and moved their balls beyond the attack line, those balls may be retrieved by either team.
FALSE START:
Will be called if players cross their end line prior to the official's signal to start the game. Result: Play will be stopped and one ball from offending team's side will be moved to Opponent's side of hash mark. Repeat for each infraction.
BOUNDARIES:
During play, all players must remain within the boundary lines. A player may be tossed a stray ball from out of bounds by a sidelined teammate, provided the player receiving the ball remains completely within his/her team's field boundaries. A stray ball is one that has not been picked up and is lying on the ground. Players that are playing in the game may not retrieve a ball that is out of bounds.
NEUTRAL ZONE:
The neutral zone will be located between the attack line and the center hash mark. The neutral zone allows players who do not have a ball in hand, to retrieve errant balls without the threat of being hit. Players retrieving an errant ball must quickly enter and exit the neutral zone. They must cross the attack line before throwing the retrieved errant ball from the neutral zone. If a player enters the neutral zone with a ball in hand, they are eligible to be hit.
OUT RULE:
The OCSSC will hold each player personally responsible for upholding the HONOR system while playing dodgeball. This means each player is expected to call him/herself out after being hit by a ball. The OCSSC expects EVERY player to abide by this sportsmanlike rule or he/she will be removed from the league.
PLAYER “OUT” SIGNAL:
Every player who is out (see “player out”) and is still inbounds will raise their hand over their head as they are exiting the playing field. Players may not be hit by the opposing team while their hand is in the air. Once a player is OUT, they must immediately drop any balls in hand and exit the playing field at the nearest sideline. If an OUT player intentionally contacts a live ball before exiting the playing field, he/she will sit out the next game.
GAMES/MATCH:
A 5-minute limit has been established for each regulation dodgeball game and 40 minutes for the match. The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner of that game. If neither team has been eliminated at the end of regulation, the team with the greater number of remaining players will be declared the winner. If an equal number of players remain after regulation play, the game will be called a tie.
GAMES/MATCH SCORING:
TWO points will be awarded to the regulation game winner. ONE point will be awarded to each team if the regulation game ends in a tie. When the 40 minute time limit has expired, the team with the most game points will be declared the MATCH winner.
DECLARING A FINAL GAME WINNER:
If a game is in progress when time expires, OCSSC officials will stop play and count the remaining number of players left on the field from each team. The game/match scoring rule will be followed.
A PLAYER SHALL NOT: (Player will be declared out)
a. Hit an opposing player while they are in the neutral zone.
b. Hit an opposing player while they are using the “player out” signal.
c. Have any part of their body contact the playing surface on or over a sideline.
d. Exit or re-enter the field through their sideline.
e. Leave the playing field (sideline or neutral zone) to retrieve an errant ball, avoid being hit by, or attempt to catch a ball.
f. Have any part of their body cross over the center line and contact the ground on their opponents' side of the field. Exception: During the "opening rush" many players will cross the center line. Officials should refrain from calling players OUT at this time unless a definite advantage is gained by the action.
PLAYERS "OUT":
The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them OUT.
An OUT is scored by:
a. Hitting an opposing player with a LIVE thrown ball below the shoulders.
NOTE: If a player ducks or takes a position with their head below where their shoulders would normally be when standing, i.e. crouching, kneeling, sitting, diving, rolling or laying, and this clearly is the cause for the player being hit above the shoulders, the player is out and the throw is considered legal.
b. Catching a LIVE ball thrown by your opponent (opponent is out).
c. Causing an opponent to drop a held ball as a result of contact by a thrown LIVE ball (usually occurs when a ball is being used to block a thrown ball)
d. An opposing player stepping out of bounds
LIVE BALL (def):
A thrown ball that strikes or is caught by an opposing player without/before contacting the ground, another player, ball, official or other object.
A player may block a thrown ball with a ball being held, provided the held ball is not dropped as a result of the contact with the thrown ball.
NOTE: A ball deflecting off a held ball and striking the holder is no longer a LIVE ball. A LIVE ball deflecting off Player "A" remains LIVE only to Player "A" and may only be legally caught by "A." If another player catches the deflected ball, Player “A” is out.
All LIVE balls in flight at when the game ending buzzer sounds, remain LIVE, and may eliminate an opponent.
STALLING AND 5-SECOND VIOLATION:
The following procedure will be used to prevent "stalling":
After a catch, players must release their ball within 5 seconds. This includes any ball within a 10’ circle of the player’s body. Players are not allowed to catch and release to reset the 5 second clock.
It is illegal for the leading team to control all the balls for more than five (5) seconds also. If the leading team controls all the balls --i .e.., all balls are located on their side of the center line--they must make a legitimate effort to get at least one ball across the attack line and into the opponent's backfield. If this is not done within 5 seconds, a "5-second violation" will be called. A team may avoid a 5-second violation by throwing or rolling a ball into the opponent's backfield.
OFFICIALS:
The OCSSC will provide an official at each field. The OCSSC staff’s responsibility will be to rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. If the official feels a player had been hit, but did not remove themselves from the game, they will immediately remove that player. (See ejection rule). THE OCSSC STAFF'S DECISION IS FINAL.
Penalties:
Removal From Current Game:
· Any part of a player’s body that contacts the playing surface on or over a sideline.
· Exit or re-enter the field through their sideline.
· Leave the playing field (sideline or neutral zone) to retrieve an errant ball, avoid being hit by, or attempt to catch a ball.
· Violates the 5 second rule, by not releasing the ball after 2nd warning by official.
Ejection:
[Player(s) shall be removed from current game and will sit out the next game. Teams will play short the position(s) on the court while violator(s) sit out their ejection penalty.]
· Hitting an opposing player while they are in the neutral zone.
· Hitting an opposing player while they are using the “player out” signal.
· Players NOT raising their hand over their head as they are exiting the playing field, after being hit or called out.
· Hitting above the shoulders.
· Player(s) not abiding by the "honor system".
· Arguing with OCSSC staff, opposing players, abusive language, etc.
· Unnecessary hard throws, especially a man throwing at a woman.
· Any unsportsmanlike conduct deemed by the OCSSC official.
Suspension:
[Player(s) shall be removed from current game. Teams will play short the position(s) of the violator(s) on the court for all succeeding games that evening. Player(s) will be suspended for the next week’s scheduled game. ]
· Hitting above the shoulders with intent to harm or because of frustration.
· SECOND VIOLATION :
· Hitting an opposing player while they are in the neutral zone
· Hitting an opposing player while they are using the “player out” signal.
· Arguing with OCSSC staff, opposing players, abusive language, etc.
· Unnecessary hard throws, especially a man throwing at a woman.
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT:
The OCSSC will not tolerate any unsportsmanlike conduct by ANY player in the league. A player that is ejected twice during the season will be removed from the league.
OVERTIME (PLAY-OFFS ONLY):
The first overtime period of any play-off game will begin with a minimum of three (3) players from each team. To begin all overtime periods, players must first take a position with at least one foot "in contact" with their attack line. NOTE: Following the OCSSC staff signal, players may move from the attack line and take a position anywhere on their side of the field.
All overtime periods begin with each team having three (3) "balls in hand." The first team to eliminate any ONE opposing player will be declared the winner. The sudden death format continues through all extra periods.