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RULES & REGULATIONS
Players who do not abide by the rules and regulations herein will be disciplined within the confines of the sport up to and including being removed from play. No refunds will be administered due to disciplinary action from infractions.
By refusing to follow the rules, regulations and code of conduct you will forfeit your right to play in any 3RDC Dodgeball leagues. You may also be restricted from participating in any future 3RDC open gyms or social events.
Every player in 3RDC will be held to the highest ethical standard while on court. Anyone found repeatedly violating the honor system will be carded and possibly removed from 3RDC. Cheaters are no fun and not welcome.
LET'S HAVE FUN
First and foremost, all of us are here to have fun. While dodgeball can be a competitive sport, it is important to remind ourselves that we are all adults running around in silly outfits while throwing rubber balls at each other. Please try to maintain a level head and a positive attitude at all times. Violent and aggressive behavior will not be tolerated at any time.
*Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules indicates a different ruling.
HONOR SYSTEM
We don’t have refs. That means we expect everyone to agree to the honor system. It’s the social contract. It’s what separates us from the animals, people!
If you realize you have been hit by a ball and you're out, go out!
If you see that a teammate has been hit by a ball and is out, let them know!
Not following either of these codes of conduct is cheating.
Taking your outs — even the close ones, makes you better.
3RDC Dodgeball Club: Headshot Rules & Fair Play Guidelines
At 3RDC Dodgeball Club, we're serious about fun—but that fun comes with responsibilities.
Headshot Accountability: Our primary rule is straightforward: if you choose to throw hard, you must throw wisely. This isn’t just a game rule; it’s a matter of respect and safety for your fellow players. Failure to adhere to this principle has clear consequences:
A headshot will immediately earn you a Yellow Card, sidelining you for the remainder of the game.
Accumulate two Yellow Cards (resulting in a Red Card), and you'll be benched for the rest of the match. Moreover, you'll need to pass a control test before your next play to ensure you're in alignment with our safety standards.
Two Red Cards in a season? That's a potential season-long suspension or even a permanent ban from our club.
Impact Over Intent: At 3RDC, the impact of one's actions takes precedence over intent. Whether a headshot is intentional or accidental, the consequences remain the same. Our community's safety and enjoyment are our top priorities, and we will not shy away from making tough decisions to protect these values.
Clarifying the Rules: In situations where a player is actively jumping, ducking, or has three points of contact with the ground, headshots are considered part of the game's dynamic and will not result in a Yellow Card. It's important to note that we operate without referees, so we rely on the integrity and fairness of all players—both from the offending and defending teams—to assess penalties fairly.
Community and Fair Play: We are a community built on respect, sportsmanship, and the love of the game. These rules are designed not just for the safety of our players, but to ensure that every game is played in the spirit of fair competition. We trust each member of our community to uphold these values and to hold each other accountable.
How to Play
THE BALLS
3RDC Dodgeball is played with people-friendly “no-sting” soft rubber balls. While they aren’t the giant red monsters that you used to get beat up with as a child, please be aware that any object hurled at high speeds can still smart a little if and when it connects with your frail human body.
THE OUTFITS
We all know that if you’re going to rock out with your balls out, you’ve got to look good doing it. We strongly recommend you play in form-fitting, breathable clothing that you find easy to move in. Most teams will organize a team uniform t-shirt paid for outside the cost of the season.
Occasionally teams will elect to play in themed costumes. While we encourage this kind of participation, please note that any costumes:
Must not include a substantial large design element that can swing about freely and that may possibly be hazardous to the well-being of other players on court with you.
Must not substantially impede your vision (including peripheral).
Must not be so heavy as to risk overheating, nausea, or heatstroke.
Please Note: Clothing counts! Keep that in mind when choosing your team costumes.
THE TEAMS
Every team has a roster of up to 10 players. Only 8 players are allowed on the court at a time. If more than 8 players are present for a match, it is up to the team’s captains to coordinate players rotating in and out.
Additionally a team must have a minimum of 2 female-identifying players on the court at all times.
Matches / Scoring
A standard 3RDC Dodgeball match consists of a 45-minute time period, during which two teams compete in as many games as time permits. A game ends when one team has completely eliminated the other from play. Every game won will be scored as 1 point. The team with the most points at the end of a match is the winner.
If match time expires in the middle of a game, that game is declared void.
Tie games are possible in regular season games. If teams are tied in an end-of-season tournament game, that match will enter overtime and, if necessary, sudden death.
Teams are required to switch court sides at the first opportunity between games after 22 minutes.
Start of Game
A standard 3RDC match is played with 7 balls. All 7 balls will be placed along the court’s center line—three on each side. Possession of the remaining 7th ball will be determined by the captains "ro-sham-bo".
Captains will ro-sham-bo to determine which match advantage each team starts with. The captain that wins may choose either ball control or court control. If the captain chooses ball control, the four balls will be placed on the right side of their team's court. The remaining three balls will be placed on their left side (and, correspondingly, the opposing team's right side).
The layout will be reversed at the opening of the next game, and then again, alternating back and forth every game until the match time expires.
If the captain chooses court control, they may choose which of the two court walls they wish to begin the match on. Whichever option the winning captain does not select is deferred to the captain who lost ro-sham-bo.
At the start of each game, all players on court must line up along the rear wall of their side of the court. Players must maintain contact with the rear wall until the referee’s starting signal.
On the referee’s signal, players may run to retrieve any of the balls within their initial control - that being only the balls on their right. This initial scramble is known as the rush. During the rush (and only during the rush), players may inadvertently step over the center line.
Please note: Players may not slide, feet first, to the line to grab balls in the opening rush.
Please note: Running for the balls before the referee’s signal (known as a false start) may result in a team losing ball control or the infringing player(s) being declared out.
All balls must clear the attack lines before they can be brought into play. This is done one of two ways:
A player crosses the attack line with both feet while carrying the ball.
A player tosses the ball to another player already standing behind the attack line.
Any ball thrown without clearing the attack line will be declared a dead ball.
How to Win
A team will be declared the winner of a game when all of the other players have been eliminated from play. When a player has been eliminated from play, he or she is said to be out.
You can be eliminated by an opponent:
If they throw a ball and it makes contact with you or your clothing without being caught.
If they catches a ball you throw offensively.
Or you can be eliminated by making infractions against the rules:
Touching the opposing team’s court (crossing the center line).
Jumping or dodging out of bounds.
Demonstrating poor sportsmanship.
Catches
When a player catches a (live) ball thrown by an opposing player, they are not only eliminating the player who threw the ball —they are also allowing the first person waiting in their own team’s outline to re-enter the game.
A catch is only valid if both of the catching player’s feet are within bounds and they clearly demonstrate control of the ball before releasing it.
Please note: If a player has a ball in their hands and catches another ball, the player must maintain possession of both balls. If a player releases the ball in their possession to make a catch, players must adequately demonstrate to the referees that they purposely relinquished control of the ball in possession prior to making the catch.
Please note: A trap is when a ball is caught while making contact with the floor or part of the building at the same time. Traps do not count as a hit or a catch and both players are considered safe.
Deflections / Blocking
A player may use their ball to block oncoming balls thrown at them by the opposing team.
Players must maintain possession of their ball immediately after deflecting a live ball. If a player drops a ball used for a deflection, due to the impact of the thrown ball, that player is out.
A ball that is deflected is still a live ball and can still eliminate other team members (or the blocking player) on contact or be caught to eliminate the person who threw the ball.
Please note: Your hands are an extension of you. If your hands or fingers get hit while attempting to block a ball, you will be called out! This is where the honor system comes into play the most!
Live Ball / Dead Ball
A thrown ball is said to be live once it leaves a player’s hand and crosses the center line. A live ball can either eliminate opposing players by coming in contact with them or be caught until it becomes a dead ball.
A ball becomes a dead ball by:
Coming in contact with any part of the court or building.
Coming in contact with another ball traveling through the air.
Coming in accidental contact with an eliminated player.
Coming in accidental contact with a non-player.
Directly impacting on an opposing players head (see “Headshots”)
Being caught by an opposing player.
Crossing the center line off either a deflection or after coming into contact with an opposing player.
Once a ball is dead, it stays dead until it is thrown offensively again.
Pinching
Pinching is defined as manipulating the ball so that rubber touches rubber. Pinching is not allowed in 3RDC.
Headshots
Please see rules listed above
Deliberately throwing at a person’s face is not allowed under any circumstances. Players caught “headhunting” will be removed from game play. This includes players who repeatedly throw within “head range” (between 5’3” and 6’2”) and continue to do so after they have been warned by a captain.
Deliberately using your head to block balls is also not allowed. If a captain believes a player is using his head to deflect offensive throws, that player will be declared out.
Please note: A ball caught against a player’s face is not considered a headshot and will count as a catch.
Ball Control / Countdown
When a team has majority possession of the balls in play, that team is said to have ball control.
Once a team gains ball control, that team has 15 seconds to relinquish majority possession. Failing to give up ball control within the 15 second time period will result in referees stopping play and awarding the other team possession of all balls.
The 15 second time period resets as soon as a team throws or rolls enough balls to give up majority possession. If balls are thrown and immediately bounce back, giving the same team majority possession, the 15 second time period will immediately reset.
Please note: Balls must be thrown or rolled over the centerline. Balls may not be placed by hand over the centerline.
Out-of-Bounds
Live players must stay within the boundaries of their side of the court. A live player crossing the line out of bounds will result in an out. A player may have their foot on the line, but no portion may cross over the line, doing so will result in an out.
LEGALLY EXITING THE COURT
A player may only exit the court in order to retrieve balls that have bounced or rolled out-of-bounds. When exiting the court, a player must use the open exit spaces designated on both sides of the rear of their court.
Players may not exit their court if there is no ball out-of-bounds. They may not exit the court until the ball passes the out-of-bounds line. Exiting a court in anticipation of a ball that is headed for the out-of-bounds zone is not allowed.
Once out-of-bounds, a player has 10 seconds to retrieve a ball and return to their side of the court. Failure to return within 10 seconds will result in that player being eliminated from play.
Players may not carry a ball from their court to the out-of-bounds zone. They may however collect and carry as many out-of-bounds balls as they can within the 10 second time period. Carrying a ball into the out-of-bounds zone will result in that player being eliminated from play.
Players who are in the out-of-bounds zone absolutely may not reach into the court for any reason. If a player reaches in bounds from the out-of-bounds zone to pick a ball, that ball will be rewarded to the opposing team. If a player reaches in bounds to interfere with an ongoing play, they may be penalty carded.
Players who have legally gone out-of-bounds to retrieve a ball are safe and cannot be eliminated until they step back on to the court with both feet.
The last live player on a team cannot exit the court for any reason. If a player is the last live player on their team and exits the court for any reason, the other team will be declared the winner of that game.
DODGING / CATCHING OUT OF BOUNDS
Players cannot dodge out-of-bounds. If a player moves out of bounds in order to avoid being hit by a ball, that player will be called out. Players must have one foot crossing the line to be declared out-of-bounds. A player with a foot touching the line but not crossing over is still in play.
Players who step or fall out-of-bounds while catching an opponent’s ball are safe (provided they successfully catch the ball). Whether the catch is valid depends on when the defending player successfully takes control of the ball. If they take control of the ball while both feet are still within the boundaries of the court, the catch is valid. If a player’s foot is outside of the court boundaries before they take control of the ball, the catch is invalid and both players are safe.
CENTERLINE
While players may reach across the centerline in order to retrieve a ball, they may not make contact with the floor of their opponent’s court. Touching the floor of the opponent’s court will result in a player being eliminated from play.
Please note: The centerline “extends” across the length of the entire gymnasium. While a player may reach across where the centerline would be in the out-of-bounds zone, they still may not cross it.
For safety reasons, jumping across the line in an attempt to hit the opposing team before you hit the ground (known as a suicide play) is not allowed in 3RDC.
THE OUTLINE
Once a player is eliminated, they must immediately proceed to their team’s outline, located out-of-bounds to the right side of that team’s court. The first person standing in the outline is the first person eligible for re-entry upon a catch.
As soon as a player is eliminated, they can in no way interfere with the ongoing game. This means no swatting oncoming balls or kicking or passing balls to fellow team members as they exit the court.
Players must line up in the order that they reach the outline. Line jumping (in which one player cuts in front of a teammate who was eliminated before they were) may result in yellow carding of all involved and forfeiture of the ongoing game.
Players who leave the outline forfeit the ability to be caught back in during that game. If there are five players or less in the outline, a player cannot leave the outline, even to shag on the other side of the court. Doing so may result in that player being ineligible to come back into the game.
Players must already be standing in the outline with both feet in order to come back into a game.
Players have 5 seconds from the moment their team makes a valid catch in which they can come back into the game. If the player does not enter the court in that time, they will be deemed out and must move to the back of the outline.
A player becomes active upon re-entry as soon as they step in-bounds with both feet.
Other than shagging balls out-of-bounds, players in the outline may not interfere with the game at any time, for any reason.
Please Note: For safety reasons, once you have been eliminated, please drop any ball you are currently holding, raise your hand to notify all other players that you are out, and walk quickly and directly to the outline, while watching for incoming throws. It is your responsibility to protect yourself while walking to the outline.
Shagging
Both eliminated and alternate players may shag balls for their teams while in the out-of-bounds zone. This means that they can retrieve any ball on their side of the court in the out-of-bounds zone and make them available to live players on their team.
Shaggers may not:
Reach in bounds for any reason. Reaching in bounds for a ball will result in the ball being awarded to the opposing team.
Roll or throw balls into the opposing court.
Players may shag balls only while standing on their own side of the court. Players may reach for a ball on the opposing team’s side of the out-of-bounds zone but they may not set foot in it.
Stalling
Teams must deliver the balls to the opposing side in a manner that the opposing team has an opportunity to take posession of the balls. Balls that are consistently and deliberately thrown out of bounds or at the ceiling in a way so that they bounce over the opponents heads is considered stalling. If a referee concludes that a team is stalling, they will deliver one verbal warning. If a team continues to stall, the referee will order them to relinquish all balls to the opposing team.
Substitute / Replacement Players
SUBSTITUTE / REPLACEMENT PLAYERS
In the event that a player cannot attend a match, the team may replace them with a substitute player for the evening. All substitute players must sign a waiver and pay a $5 fee to be eligible to play. All substitute players are subject to approval by a league manager.
Teams may not bring in subs in order to stack a team. Rostered players take priority and cannot sit a game out in order to make rooms for substitute players.
Games played with an ineligible substitute player are subject to forfeit. Forfeits can be applied retroactively.
Substitute players are responsible for knowing the rules before they enter the court.
Substitute players cannot be rostered players from other teams within the league.
Substitute players are not allowed in the end of season tournament.
REPLACEMENT PLAYERS
Teams may replace rostered players if:
The player is injured and cannot continue play.
The player has not attended 4 or more matches and has not communicated with the team or given the team ample time to find a substitute.
All replacements players must be added before Playoffs. Any players who are injured or forced to drop out after the cut-off time cannot be replaced.
Players who are injured after cut off time cannot be replaced.
All replacement players are subject to approval by a league manager.
End of Season Tournament
Every season customarily ends with a single-elimination tournament to declare the season champions. The tournament typically takes place over the final two weeks of season, with the first week being declared Playoffs and the second week consisting of the Semifinals and Finals.
The tournament bracketing system will vary depending on the type of league. The game schedule will be announced at least one week prior to the playoffs.
