Dodgeball
Any issue that arises that is not covered in the league rules should be settled by the two team captains. The issue should then be brought to the attention of JAM so information can be added to the league rules.
JAM is for Everyone – Inclusion Statement
Our program offerings are designed to be inclusive for all members of the JAM community. Our goal is to create a welcoming gender policy that uplifts and supports each player where they are at. To ensure we can offer something for everyone, our programs may be offered in the following formats: Mixed-Gender, Women's, Men's, and Open.
Many of our league rules specify gender-based roster requirements, the goal of which is to ensure that each player has an equal opportunity to be included in gameplay.
Everyone participating in a JAM program is welcome to compete based on their gender identity and gender expression; regardless of their gender assigned at birth. Members whose gender identity does not align with the binary man/woman construct are welcome to play in all our mixed-gender and open programs.
Nonbinary, trans, genderqueer, and all other players who identify as a gender minority can count towards the roster minimums for either men or women in our mixed-gender leagues.
Game Time
All Dodgeball games are approximately 55 minutes in length. Please arrive early to ensure you get full use of your allotted court time. Regardless of when your game begins your game will always end on time to allow the succeeding games to begin at their scheduled time.
Time Keeping: If you’re playing without an official score clock, the JAM Ambassador on site will be keeping track of time and will determine the end of your game. In this instance, you will receive a warning indicating the final five (5) minutes of your game, a warning to play the final round, and a final signal for the end of your game. Once the final signal occurs your game is over.
Halftimes: There is a scheduled 5-minute stoppage for halftime unless requested by one of the teams to pass on the stoppage of play.
Changing Sides: If one side of a venue has a potential advantage (i.e. stage at one end, etc.), teams should agree before the game that they will be switching sides at approximately the mid-point of the game (and agree on the time to switch). If a switch is requested, then it must be accommodated by the opposing team.
Players
Teams are comprised of six (6) players on the court at a time. A default will occur if any team cannot field a squad by 10 minutes after the official start time.
Roster Numbers: Each team must have a minimum of two (2) men or gender minority player and two (2) women or gender minority player on the court at once.
Defaults: Teams will default a match if they cannot provide a full team 10 minutes after the scheduled start time. A team can play with a minimum of 4 people, as long as the roster minimum is met.
Exceptions: Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding roster requirements but this should be decided before the game starts. IF IT IS AGREED THAT THE GAME COUNTS, IT COUNTS!
Substitutions: The 6 players that start each game are the ONLY players that can play during that particular game (i.e. for that point). Substitute players must wait until the next game before playing. Teams can alter their roster for each game, as long as the roster requirements are met. Exception: Injured players can be substituted midway during a game if necessary (man or gender minority for men, woman or gender minority for women).
Playing Area
All Dodgeball gyms vary in size and there is no set standard for a JAM Dodgeball surface.
Equipment/Set Up
For this format of the league, we will be using the smaller, 7" balls.
Players are not permitted to wear gloves.
Uniforms
Teams are required to bring both light and coloured shirts to every game. Team colours are posted on the JAM website in your schedule. If two teams have the same colour the team captains should contact each other to ensure that each team knows what colour to wear.
: There is no default for players that don’t wear the right colour. However, that player must do everything they can to ensure it’s not confusing for the opposition. Whether this means wearing a pinny, a hat, a teammate’s shirt, etc. Under no circumstances can a player purposely deceive the opposition.
Officiating
All Games are self-officiated. Players are responsible to make their own calls and keep their own scores. When a player is hit, they must raise their hand and move off the playing court immediately.
Players should be honest when they get hit by a ball. Don't assume no one saw you and stay on the court. If a team continually does not call themselves out, the JAM Ambassador on-site will step in to make the call. If the same player continues to not make honest calls, they will be told to sit out.
Any reckless, aggressive, threatening or unsportsmanlike behavior will result in being ejected from the game. If this behavior continues, that player may be ejected from the league and future suspensions may apply. If this is a team issue the entire team may be ejected from the league.
The JAM Ambassadors has the right to
Warn a player
Ask a player to sit out
Ask a player to leave the gym
Recommend to the league that a player or team be ejected or suspended from the league.
Judgment calls by the JAM Ambassadors are final and should not be protested or argued under any circumstance. Players or teams that argue with the Ambassador will be subject to suspension or ejection from the league.
NO Arguing with the Ambassador
NO swearing at or towards the Ambassador
NO Complaining
JAM Ambassadors are not referees. They are there to supervise the games, keep the games running smooth, and ensure players are making the correct calls. They have the right to ask a player to sit out or leave the gym. If asked to do either, you must do so immediately.
SOME RULES THAT MAY DIFFER FROM 8" DODGEBALL
You can hold as many balls as you want.
You cross a boundary line, you are out.
Balls are placed on the CENTER line like this: --o o o ----------- o o o—
Activation Line:
The line you use for the 8” ball start line is the 7” activation line.
This line is used to activate the ball off of the opening rush. You cannot throw at the center line at the beginning of a round. You must pass the activation line for that round’s opening rush. afterwards you can throw from anywhere. Balls thrown at the line off the rush are invalid throws.
The activation line is only used during the opening rush and disappears for the rest of the round.
If a ball gets hit out of your hands you are out, this is called a “disarm”.
No finger blocking. This means a player’s finger cannot be hit while using a ball to block
Catches count as long as the player is within the lines and has control of the ball. The first player hit out may enter. If multiple players are out, they must return to the court in that order. If the wrong player enters the court, that player must get off the court and no replacement is given.
You have 10 seconds for re-entry, if you miss the 10 seconds, reentry is forfeited.
You can pass balls to other teammates.
The ball is considered dead when:
Hits another ball from the opposing team
Hits the floor, wall or anything that is a type of structure
Timing of when the balls died can be taken into consideration to decided who was out first. If my ball hit you and died first before your ball hit me and died, you are out.
Starting the Game and General Rules:
OPENING RUSH
Both teams line up 6 players at the back of the court (minimum 2 women and 2 men on the court.)
The foot is on the backline/hand touching the wall.
The farthest right player on each team runs to get the 3 balls at the centerline. Teams can decide how many players go up to get the balls. This is called the opening rush.
The players grab the balls and run them past the “activation” line, now all balls are active and can be thrown from anywhere on the court.
This is the only time you are allowed to cross the center line.
All balls should be taken during the opening rush, if they are left at the center line they are anyone’s balls and may cause your team to have a disadvantage.
CHOOSING BURDEN
Once teams distribute the balls after the opening rush, the team with the most balls starts. If the balls are divided equally, we pick who has the most players, if both sides are equal then the “ref” or a selected person chooses which side has burden for the first round only. Subsequent rounds will give burden to the team who got a point last.
The side that has burden needs to throw at least 1 ball within 10 seconds.
If the count gets down to 1 and no balls are thrown, ALL BALLS get passed to the opposing team.
Throws must be targeted otherwise they are considered “invalid throws” and that player is out. These throws tend to look silly and not calculated in nature.
As the round progresses and players get hit off, burden continues to be selected until the round is won by one of the sides. (Although burden is being selected, anyone from any side with a ball can throw to the opposing team.) The count restarts when a ball is thrown across the center line or when the “play” slows down enough to figure out which side has burden.
Burden goes to the team that has more balls if the balls are divided equally then burden goes to the side with more players, at the beginning of each round, burden goes to the team that won the last point.
Once play has started, players must remain on their own side of half.
Players can lean over the half line to retrieve a ball, but the player cannot touch any part of their opponent’s half of the court. If any part of a player touches their opponent's side of half, that person is out.
Players cannot remain static in areas that conceal or partially conceal their body. e.g., door entranceways, climbers, etc.
Eliminated players should sit on the opposite side/corner of their team bench (to clarify who is participating in that particular game). A bench area should be defined (using a bench turned on its side) and this area is out of bounds. Live players may only enter this area to retrieve balls.
Teams are responsible for enforcing rules and ensuring fair play.
Players cannot lean up or jump against the walls to avoid being hit.
No Headshots - If a ball hits an upright player above the shoulder the thrower is out. If the player that got hit deviates from the upright position - bending, crouching, kneeling, leaning, etc... that is not considered a headshot.
NOTE: If a player that is ducking gets hit in the head. The player that got hit is out. Ducking is any movement that deviates from an upright position (Kneeling, bending over, crouching, etc...).
NOTE: When a player is hit by a ball and the deflects upwards, there is the possibility that the original ball will either be caught by a teammate (saving the hit player) or the ball will hit the ground/wall/obstacle (meaning the ball is dead and the hit player is out). In this split-second window of time, the hit player may be involved with another ball. Anything that happens between the first ball hitting the ground/wall/obstacle and any other subsequent play with a different ball is a live play. This means the player hit with the first ball can catch another ball or get another player out by throwing a ball and hitting another player before the first ball touches the ground/wall/obstacle.
It is the responsibility of all players to make a fair and honest call as to whether or not they were hit. Please remember, "it's just dodgeball". Ultra-competitive players are not welcome.
Every time that only 2 players remain on the court (1 from each team), the timekeeper should announce that the two players have "one minute" to eliminate each other. After the one minute has expired, if the game has not yet ended, each team will return one player to the court. (Again, each team must abide by their order of returning players).
Players cannot purposely kick the ball towards their opponents. Hands-only, please!
Scoring/Winning:
Matches will consist of as many games that can be played in the 55-minute time period.
Each game won will count for one point.
If a game is still being played when the time expires, the team with the most live players on the court at the time will win the game.
Ties are allowed during the regular season. If a match is tied at the end of a playoff game, a 3-minute overtime session will break the tie. (a new game should be started right away with a full 6 players). If this final game is not completed within the 3 minutes, then the team with the most players remaining on the court will be declared the winner. If, after 3 minutes, there are the same number of players left on both teams, then the team that eliminates the next player wins the game. Please note that playoff games should only be 50 minutes in length in anticipation of needing the extra time to settle a tie.
Rough Play
Any rough or physical play will result in immediate expulsion from further league play and may result in a lifetime league expulsion. Please see the JAM General Policy for our official guidelines on this subject. It is recognized that incidental contact between players is inevitable; however, all players should go out of their way to avoid creating an unsafe play. This rule supersedes all others.
Please note that on-site staff members have full autonomy when supervising games. Games may be stopped entirely; players may be asked to leave the playing area or be removed from the game entirely under their discretion.
Alcohol
There are absolutely no alcoholic beverages permitted at JAM venues. Any offenders will be asked to leave the league without a refund. No exceptions.