Eliminating Players (getting them out)

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 neck. (Note: If a player ducks or takes a position with their head below where their neck 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). A LIVE ball is a thrown ball that strikes or is caught by an opposing player without/before contacting the ground, another player, a held ball, a non-held ball, official or other object.
2. Legally catching a LIVE ball thrown by your opponent before it touches the ground.
3. Causing an opponent to lose control of 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)
4. An opposing player stepping out of bounds.
5. Head hunting will be strictly enforced.  Head Shots is defined as striking an opposing player while in an upright/standing position above the shoulder area which includes the head, face and neck.  Any head shots (intentional or not) the thrower is OUT. In addition, multiple head shot offenders are subject to our 3 & OUT policy. For the first headshot, the thrower is OUT and must take his/her spot on the sideline wall. For the second headshot by the same thrower, they are OUT for that game and must exit the dodgeball court into the substitution area and the team will play down a player for the remainder of that game. The third headshot by the same thrower results in ejection from the match, they must exit the dodgeball court and are no longer eligible for the remainder of that evening’s match.
6. Male players MUST throw the ball past your opponent’s 10′ attack line at all times!  Failure to throw past the attack line will result in that players being called out. This rule doesl not apply if there is a player inside the attack line.

• A player may block a thrown ball with a ball being held, provided the holder does not lose control of the held ball as a result of the contact with the thrown ball.  The held ball does not need to strike the ground to cause the holder to be OUT, only be knocked loose of the holder’s grip. Even if the holder regains control of the held ball, they are still out. Any actions by the holder after the initial loss control are ignored.
• A live ball deflecting off the body of Player “A” remains live only to player “A”. If Player “A” legally catches the deflected ball, the thrower is OUT. Teammates of “A” may not legally catch the deflected ball. In fact, touching of the deflected ball by another player causes it to become dead.
• Once a player is OUT, they must drop any balls in hand and exit the playing field at the sideline determined by the official.  If an OUT player intentionally contacts a live ball or interferes in any way with play before exiting the playing field the officials may call OUT an additional member of their team as a penalty for interference.
• Players that are OUT or eliminated need to line up side-by-side in the order they are OUT at the sideline wall.  Once a teammate makes a legal catch (defined below) the first eliminated player in line may re-enter the game and is granted a three (3) second grace period prior to opponents being able to throw balls at them.  During the three (3) second grace period, the player re-entering is not yet eligible to throw balls at the opposing team, nor can they catch the opposing team ball until the grace period has ended.
• Kicking the dodgeball is not allowed at any time during the game, balls must be thrown, tossed or rolled by hand. A warning will be passed onto a player who kicks any ball.  A second violation, that player will be OUT.