Blast Ball Tournament Rules

Starting the Game

1. Four (4) balls will be used in the game; 2 balls will be given to each team before the game begins.

2. Teams will start each game with exactly 6 players on the court. This is a Coed Tournament, so a minimum of one (1) player of each gender MUST be on the court at beginning of each game.

3. A minimum 4 players are required to start any game (one of these players MUST be of the opposite gender).
   - All non-active players must remain clear of the playing area.

4. If a team possesses 5 male players and 1 female player, or vice versa, and the lone gendered player gets injured, and the team cannot find a replacement player of that gender, then the team will consequently have to start the game with 5 players. At no time during the game will they be allowed to play with 6 players, unless:

a)     The original injured player wishes to return.
b)    The team finds a player of the missing gender.

5. If a team has less then 6 players at the start of a game, the opposing team decides whether to play at an equal player ratio (i.e. 4-on-4) or whether to start play with the opponent at a disadvantage.
   
   a)  If team members to the disadvantage team arrive during a game, they will not be allowed to play until the next game commences.

6. The game begins at the sound of the referee's whistle.

 

Game Rules - Gameplay

1. Players cannot cross the centre line.  Players will be called out if any part of their entire foot crosses the center line onto their opponent's side of the court.  If a player falls across the centre line that player will be called out either when their entire foot lands on their opponent's side of the court or any other body part touches the other side of the court. If a player jumps across the line they will be called out immediately (no suicide rule allowed).

2. To eliminate an opponent with the ball, a player must throw the ball and hit an opposing player anywhere below the head, clothing included.  Headshots will not result in any players being called out; however if a player is ducking or knowingly making themselves smaller and gets hit in the head then they may be called out on the referee’s discretion.

3. When a player is called out they must drop any balls held and immediately leave the playing area.

4. Any ball thrown by a player already called out will be considered a dead ball.  No one can be called out by that ball until it's touched by another player.

5. All intentional interferences may result in a player being called out at the referee's discretion.  Examples of interference include:
   
   a) A player intentionally blocking a ball or passing/bumping a ball to a teammate while on his/her way to the bench.

   b) Players on the bench intentionally stopping balls, passing/bumping balls to their teammates, or keeping balls
    from  crossing the center line on the playing area.        

6. If a player is struck with a ball anywhere below the head (including loose clothing) the struck player will be called out.  However, if a player is struck but the ball is caught either by the struck player or by a teammate before it touches the ground, wall, ceiling (etc), the player who threw the ball will be called out.

7. If a player catches an opponent's throw, the player who threw the ball will be called out, and a team member on the catcher's side will be allowed back into the game.  If there are already six players still on the floor, the thrower will still be out, but no new player will be allowed back in. The tournament does not enforce who the next player back on is.

8. If a player throws the ball striking an opposing player, and the ball is caught either by the thrower or another player on the thrower's team, only the struck player will be called out.  Players cannot catch themselves or teammates out.

9. A player can be called out by both direct or indirect hits. If a ball hits more than one player, on any throw, all players hit will be called out. However, it is the referee's discretion during a close call and/or "trapped ball".  A trapped ball is when a player is hit and/or catches a ball essentially at the same time it hits the ground.  All referee decisions are final!

10. Rebounds off of the walls and/or court netting separation are considered dead balls and do not count towards getting a player out if hit. At the same time if a player is struck by a ball and then the ball hits a wall or the separating divider, the hit player cannot be saved by his team nor can the thrower be caught out. 

11. No player can catch anyone on his or her own team out; nor will they be called out if they drop a pass from his or her own teammate

12. Players re-entering the game are considered active as soon as their teammate catches and one foot touches the active playing area. Players must re-enter play as soon as the teammate catches the ball.

13. Players may hold as many balls as they please. They can also make a valid catch while holding another ball.

14. A player may block an oncoming ball with another ball.  If a thrown ball is deflected upward and is caught by a teammate, the thrower of the ball will be called out.  If a player deflects a ball with another, but drops their ball in trying to deflect the on-coming ball, the player who dropped their ball will be called out (even if the deflected ball is eventually caught).

15. Players must keep the game in play.  If referees feel any team/player is delaying the game by not throwing/holding too many balls, they may order a team/player to throw any number of balls. This is done by a 3 second countdown; either team may throw during the countdown which resets the play. If the required team does not throw at the end of the countdown all 6 balls will be provided to the opposing team.  

16. If a ball hits more than one player on any throw, all players hit will be called out.  If a player throws the ball striking an opposing player, and the ball is caught either by the thrower or another player on the thrower's team, only the struck player will be called out.  Players cannot catch themselves or teammates out.

17. Balls are always to be thrown, not kicked.  Any kicked ball may result in the player being called out from the game at hand and suspended from any future games at the referee's and commissioner's discretion. (Exception: The reasonable use of all limbs is acceptable to deflect balls upward in attempt to make a catch.)

18. A legal throw involves the player having full control of the ball before throwing.  A ball swatted from the air/ground will not count as a throw.

19. Honesty is essential in dodgeball.  If a player is hit, it is the player's responsibility to call themselves out, whether the referee sees it or not.  The referee has the final say in any hit.

20. Unsportsmanlike conduct will result in a removal from the game, as judged by the referees.

21. If the last player on each team is eliminated in the same play, the team with the player struck last will win the game.  In the event that no referee can make a call on any play and no player admits first elimination, the referees can make the decision to have the game continue with no one being called out.

22. Out of Bounds:

a) A player is allowed to go out of bounds to retrieve a ball but can still only remain out of bounds for up to 3 seconds; otherwise, they will be called out by the referee.

b) The 3-second out-of-bounds time limit begins once any portion of any players body is out-of- bounds and continues until a player's entire body is back in the in-bounds playing area. 

c) If a player remains out of bounds for longer then 3 seconds they will be called out.

d) If a ball is irretrievable within the allotted 3 second out-of-bounds time limit, then the ball will either be retrieved by the referee, a player who is already sitting on the sidelines as they have either already been called out or are not participating in the match on hand. The referee should have extra balls on hand to put into play if, for whatever reason, the original ball cannot be retrieved as already explained.

23. Both the head referee and the tournament directors have the right to amend any rule as they feel necessary.  They must provide a valid reason for the rule amendment, and their decision will be expected to be followed and respected.  The individual making the call will be expected to have that rule implemented immediately, publicly announced, and added to the written official rule list as soon as possible.

Game Rules - Substitutions

1. If a team has non-active players starting a game (players who start on the bench), these players should start the next game, BUT THIS IS NOT MANDATORY. 

2. If a team starts a game with less than 6 players and the 5^th or 6^th player arrives late, that player must wait until the next game to play.

3. Players cannot switch who is "active" unless in the event of an injury. Same gender substitution is enforced.

4. It is up to the team's discretion as to how they want to rotate through their players if they have more than 6 players on a team. Non-active players at the start of the game can come in for a caught ball during a game. 

Game Rules - Violence

1. Any player crossing half-court as a result of any dispute may be ejected indefinitely. 

2. Any player leaving the bench as a result of a dispute may be ejected indefinitely.

Game Rules - Penalties

1. Early Start Penalty:  An early start is when at the beginning of each game, a player throws a ball towards the opposing team prior to the referee’s whistle.

PENALTY:
    a) The team being called for an early start may be penalized by having all 4 balls on the court automatically being
     handed over to their opponents. Most of the time the balls are re-set and the start of the game is re-done.

2. Honesty Penalty:  As noted, honesty is essential in dodgeball.  If a player is hit, it is the player's responsibility to call themselves out, whether the referee sees it or not.  A player is expected to leave the game upon an obvious and/or direct hit/catch on their own honesty and volition.  If a player does not leave the playing area in a timely fashion after an obvious and/or direct hit/catch regardless of a referee's call then it is at the referee's discretion to remove that player and/or call a penalty.
   PENALTY:
      a) The player who refused to their remove themselves after an obvious and/or direct hit/catch will be
         removed from the current game and the possibility of future games within the match.
      b) All 4 balls may be provided to the other team at that point in time.
      c) At the referee's discretion, the team may be further penalized by having to play the rest of the games
       within the match with only 5 players (regardless of how many players the team may have on their roster).