Table of Contents

1. Quick’n’Dirty Gameplay
2. Refs’n’Rulings
3. Teams’n’Players
   1. Shagging
   2. Ins’n’Outs

1. Quick’n’Dirty Gameplay

ASSL dodgeball consists of two teams on a court with several foam dodgeballs for throwing at opponents in an effort to hit them with the ball to get them out.

You want to:

• Hit the other team with foam balls
• Catch balls when possible
• Have fun
• Be supportive

You want to avoid:

• Getting hit with the ball
• Hitting opponents in the head or neck (which will not result in an out)
• Unsportsmanlike behavior of any kind

To begin a game, players start behind their back line. At the sound of the whistle, players rush to the midline where they grab their team’s balls (on the right) and bring or throw them behind the clear line to the rest of the team.

No team may possess ball majority for more than 15 seconds. The refs will keep track of possession times and count down. If at the end of the countdown, the team has not relinquished the possession of the majority of the balls, this team must then roll all of their balls to the opposing team.

A round ends when all the players of one team are out or when the game time runs out. The game clock does not stop for timeouts or injuries due to the limited time slot the gym is reserved for. If the time runs out and a round is in progress, the round does not count towards the final game score.

Once 50 percent of the time allotted for the match has expired, the teams will switch sides. Play continues until the end of the match time. The team with the most rounds won during the match wins the game.

2. Refs’n’Rulings

Each game will have a minimum of two referees with the option of having two more line judges. The refs have the final say in gameplay and their calls are final. If an issue arises or clarification is needed, the team captains will convene with the refs and the ruling will be then relayed to the teams.

Unsportsmanlike behavior is not tolerated in ASSL. Refs may eject players from the game based on their subjective assessment of the situation. An ejected player must leave the court and facility immediately upon the ref’s call without substitution. If multiple infractions accrue for a player, the board will decide if the player will need to be ejected from the league.

Note that a ref’s call in one game does not set an official rule or precedent for future games.

3. Teams’n’Players

Teams have no minimum number of players to play a game. If your team feels it is outstanding enough to win with fewer players, we fully support your ambition. However, each team needs a male-to-female ratio of 4 to 1. Teams are allowed a maximum of 8 players on the court per round. During regular season, opposing teams may agree to have up to 10 players on the court per round. During Playoffs, there is a maximum of 8 players per team and the 4 to 1 ratio will be enforced. (The maximum number of players is subject to change dependent on registration).

If a team is short players, they will be allowed to invite subs to play in the stead of their absent teammates. No substitutes are allowed for Playoffs.

If a player arrives after a round has started, they may not play in that round.

4. Shagging

Teammates who are not playing the current round or are out may shag balls back to their team. Players who are not out may exit and re-enter the court at the back corner to shag balls back to their team.

Balls must be shagged on your own team’s side of the court (you may not shag balls that are on the opposing team’s side), and cannot be held; they must be rolled back into play right away.

Active players shagging a ball are safe until they return to the court. Players may not purposely delay reentering the court.

Active players must abide by the Last Player on the Court Rule - see Ins’n’Outs.

5. Ins’n’Outs

You are out if:

• You’re hit by a thrown ball
• You’re hit by a deflected ball
• Your thrown ball is caught
• Your thrown ball is deflected and then caught
• You’re hit in the head or neck by a thrown ball while sitting, lying down, or touching the ground with 3 or more points of contact
• You step out or onto the opposing team’s side
• You throw a ball that hasn’t cleared the clear line at the rush
• You drop a ball while trying to catch another ball
• Your ball is knocked out of your hand by another ball

If any of these occur, raise your hand and immediately walk off the court and stand in the out line. Do not participate in the game as you exit the court. The out line is where you will shag balls and wait for your teammates to catch a ball and bring you back into the round.

In a 1v1 showdown, players continue as normal for 1 minute. After 1 minute, blocking is no longer allowed. Blocking/deflecting after the 1-minute mark results in an out.

Last Player on the Court Rule — If a team has one player left on the court, that player may not step off the court for any reason, including shagging. If they do, or if they are off-court when their last teammate gets out, they are also out.