League Policies
Contents
Registration
DE is committed to ensuring as many people are able to play Dodgeball as possible. If there is a way we can help more people get involved, we will do our best to make it happen. That said, we are often limited by the number of available facilities each day as well as having enough registrations to form a league.
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Registration fees must be paid in full before the team/group or individual can be added to a league or event.
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Registrations completed and paid for first will be given priority over those completed later. Your spot is reserved only once you have paid the deposit for your team/group.
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Registrations may be cancelled without penalty within 24 hours of making the payment.
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Cancellations made after the 24-hour holding period will be charged a 5% cancellation fee
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Registrations may be transferred at no cost.
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If a team, group or individual wishes to drop out of a league after the schedule has been posted, or at any time during the season, no refund will be issued. In the case of a team dropping out, or a group large enough to cause the team to forfeit the remaining games the parties dropping out will be responsible for paying the forfeit fees for all remaining games or finding adequate replacement players.
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If a team is unable to be placed in their desired league due to it being sold out or not having enough other registrations, a list of other alternative spots will be provided to them. A team may accept another spot from the list provided, or be refunded in full.
Team Registration
A minimum of 6 players is required to register. The maximum roster size is 18. The maximum number of players to dress for one match is 12. Teams are also allowed 3 subs to fill vacant roster spots week-to-week.
Team Names
All team names will be formatted to title case (unless specified otherwise by the team). DE reserves the right to request a change to team names that are deemed to be inappropriate. Stay classy Dodgeballers.
If two teams submit the same name, the team who registered first is given priority. The other team will be required to change names.
Divisions and division making
We believe that division parity is key in creating the best possible user experience. Every team wants to feel like they have a shot at winning every time they step on the court, and that competitive fuel is one of the elements that keep people coming back. Teams should feel challenged, but not to the extent that they are getting blown out game after game. That said, there are a finite number of teams who play dodgeball each night in each division; while we do our best to create the most balanced divisions possible, having stronger and weaker teams is an inevitability.
Waivers and Releases
It is required that all players complete a waiver and release prior to participating in any event with Dodgeball Edmonton. Once completed, this waiver will be kept on file for a 1-year period after which, if you are still participating, you may be asked to complete an updated form.
Team Management
Captains
Captains will be the first point of contact for information sent between DE and teams. It is the responsibility of the captain to ensure the proper information is sent to players on the team as necessary, to ensure roster sheets are provided to the official and that the team behaves in accordance with league rules and policies.
Rosters
A team roster consists of 18 total spots. A minimum of 6 spots must be filled. Once a player is listed as a roster player for a team, they are locked onto that team for the season and can only be released through - trade, injury or expulsion.
A match roster consists of 12 spots for dressed players, and up to 3 of those may be filled by substitute players. A minimum of 3 spots must be filled to play a match. All players participating in a match must be listed on the match roster in order to play, and only players who are actually at the match may be listed.
It is not required that a team fill all roster spots. In fact, most teams will tend to have only 7-9 players attend any given match and may never sign 18 players within a season.
Roster Players
Roster players may only be on one roster per night in Dodgeball Edmonton. A player may be added to the formal roster after the season has already begun. In order to be eligible for playoffs, a player must be on the match roster for at least 2 regular season matches.
Substitutes
If a team needs to fill a temporary spot for a match, they may use a substitute player. (If a team requires the spot to be filled on a more permanent basis, they should add the player to the team roster).
A player may only sub for one team in a division each night. Substitutes are not eligible for any non-consolation playoff games, even if they subbed multiple times for a team. Playing at least two games as an added roster member (not as a sub) is the only way to be eligible for playoffs.
If a player is listed on a team roster, they may not sub for another team within that division, on that night. Players already listed on a roster may act as a substitute in a different division on that night, but only if the division they sub for is higher than the division they are rostered in.
Adding Roster Players
Players may be added to the roster through the team management function on the website until 2 weeks before playoffs. Players can only be added if they are not on a roster for another team in the division. All added players will be required to confirm via email.
Player Conduct
Rules
It is the responsibility of all players to ensure they are aware of all rules and policies of Dodgeball Edmonton. Please see the Dodgeball Edmonton Rulebook for more information.
Players who fail to abide by the rules and policies of Dodgeball Edmonton will be subject to discipline as outlined by Dodgeball Edmonton.
Physical and Unsportsmanlike play
Dodgeball Edmonton strives to create a welcoming, safe and fun environment for dodgeball to be played, while still promoting the highest possible level of competition.
Physical and unsportsmanlike play will not be tolerated in the league.
This includes but is not limited to
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Aggressive physical contact
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Fighting
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Taunting or other verbal altercations
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Obscene gestures
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Threats
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Name calling
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Discrimainatory or derogatory statements
The Sportsmanship Process
The Individual
Sportsmanship begins first with each and every player. It is each player’s responsibility to be aware of all rules and policies. Players must be accountable for their behaviour, from verbal statements to physical actions.
The Team Captain
The team captain is accountable for the actions of the team on the whole. If a player is not behaving appropriately, it is the responsibility of the captain to deal with the conduct of that player. This may include reminding the player of any rules they are breaking or sitting the player to allow them to cool off before a situation escalates. The captain will be the first point of contact for all in-game and post-game sportsmanship follow-up and will be kept apprised of all developments if an issue is being dealt with by league management. If the team captain is involved in the issue itself, an alternative team contact may be utilized.
The Official
The official (provided it is not a self officiated game) has final authority at a venue. If a player or team is behaving inappropriately, the official may issue a warning/penalty, stop the game, eject a player, or, in extreme cases, call the game. The official will report any notable occurrences (that may or may not have resulted in an ejection) to the Dodgeball Edmonton league officials.
The League Management
A review of major incidents will take place within 5 days of the incident and any disciplinary action will be distributed. If there is video of the offence in question, it will be reviewed at this juncture.
Tribunal
A player accused of major offenses may be given a 10-minute tribunal to speak their side prior to discipline being handed out.
League Management
Team captains will be notified of final verdicts and discipline will be handed out.
The Official
Suspended players will be placed on a watch list to ensure that the suspension is upheld. Referees will check rosters at each game to ensure that no ineligible players are playing.
Suspension/Expulsion Chart
If a player is participating in multiple leagues or events the term of the suspension will be served across all that a player is currently participating in.
If a player is suspended for any number of games, they may not participate in any other league events until they have served their suspension for the particular league the were suspended for.
(If they were suspended for a 2 weeks for Monday Tier 1, but play Wednesdays as well, the player will miss all Wednesday games on top of the 2 Monday games until the suspension has been served in full)
The following are hypothetical situations to help to show levels of discipline for certain behavior, each instance will be treated uniquely but will rely heavily on historical precedence as well:
Conduct Warning - Johnny swears at an opposing player who keeps getting him out. The referee issues a mid-game warning to him. He was so darn mad, he didn’t even shake hands at the end of the game. Ultimately, cooler heads prevail and he apologizes after the game.
1 Week Suspension - Sally thinks the other team is totally cheating, and decides to let them know by arguing with them and the official throughout the game. Despite verbal warnings from the official, Sally can’t handle it anymore and storms out, flipping everyone off in the process.
2 Week Suspension - Johnny’s back again, and this time he can’t control his desire to swear at
his opponents. At one point someone from the other team calls him a name, so he slings a high throw at the guy on the bench (and misses, it just isn’t his night). After being asked to sit for the remainder of the match, he realizes he really shouldn’t have done that, and complies. Sure, maybe he would have gotten off with only 1 week for these actions, but Johnny is a repeat offender so is more harshly assessed.
3 Week Suspension - Throughout the game, Marco is argumentative, non-compliant with warnings, swearing, and says to his opponent, Jack, “I’ll see you in the parking lot”. He is then ejected from the match by the official.
4 Week+ Suspension - Jack decides to take Marco up on his offer to fight in the parking lot. When he gets outside, Marco has already left, but Marco’s teammate, Francois, is still there, ready to go. The two duke it out. As with all fights, nobody is a winner. BOTH PLAYERS are suspended.
Multi-season Expulsion (re-admitted to league on probation after term is served along with a letter of re-admittance)- Janice is frustrated by the official’s calls one night and kicks a wall in anger, putting a hole in it. A caretaker is notified but Janice continues to handle the situation poorly. The following day, DE has permits withdrawn from the City for that facility, all games there must be rescheduled and DE is prohibited from booking it again.
Facilities
Dodgeball Edmonton rents facilities from the City of Edmonton as part of the joint use agreement. Players must treat the facilities and their caretakers with the utmost respect as any action causing a booking to be lost by DE would have severe implications to the league.
Game times
Games will have starting times between 6:00pm and 10:00pm for regular league play. Teams will have games at various times throughout the season as dictated by the schedule. If a player has a request for game times, they must make a request prior to the release of the schedule.
Alcohol/Drug Use
Any presence or consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs at a facility will not be tolerated. Failure to abide by this policy will result in immediate suspension.
Property damage
Players must treat all facilities, the contents therein, caretakers, and all provided league equipment with the utmost respect. Any damage to the facility, whether intentional or unintentional falls to the individual. Should repair be needed for any damage caused, the individual will be charged with the cost of the repair.
Permit Loss
As league facilities are a very limited resource, any action that causes a permit to be revoked with be treated with severe discipline.
Facility Fine
A facility fine will be charged to teams who violate any of the above. Depending on the severity of the infraction, the fine may range from $100-$500 in addition to costs for any property damage. The team may also face suspension.
Facility Cancellations
The City of Edmonton occasionally will cancel facilities at the last minute due to oversights in their booking system (not accounting for school events such as Christmas concerts, examinations and evening school events). In this situation, teams will be notified of a cancellation or change of venue with as much notice as possible. This is unfortunately not a scenario DE can protect against, nor is DE compensated by the city for any last minute cancellation. For this reason, we are unable to provide refunds but will work to reschedule any missed game.
If DE can reschedule a cancelled game before 4pm captains will be notified and the games will be played at a new facility/time.
If a game is unable to be rescheduled by 4pm on gameday it will be cancelled and rescheduled on another night/week.
Spectator policy
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Spectators are welcome to attend and view league events.
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Spectators will be treated in the same manner as any participant and held to the same standards, rules and policies.
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If a spectator has not completed a waiver, they should ask the official or facility manager for one.
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For adult leagues, children are not permitted in the game arena. They must be supervised and can watch from any adjacent room if permitted by facility staff.
Weather Policy
Games will be played as scheduled regardless of the weather or road conditions. If a facility is closed due to inclement weather, games may be cancelled and captains notified by league staff with as much notice as possible. If you have not heard otherwise, always consider games to be on as scheduled.
Equipment
Provided Equipment
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Game Balls
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First aid Kit
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Scoreboard
Equipment for players to bring
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Clean, non-marking, indoor shoes.
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Team jersey meeting required specs (beginning Fall 2015)
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Protective gear (optional) such as elbow/knee pads, helmet, joint braces, etc.
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Player ID card
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Roster sheets
Available in online store
Uniform Policy
Dodgeball Edmonton strives to legitimize dodgeball as a competitive sport. We believe that dressing for the part is just one step toward this goal.
The top tier of the league is required to wear matching jerseys, which can be coordinated through the league for customization and purchase.
Jerseys should adhere to the following specifications:
Other tiers are encouraged to wear uniforms, but they will not be required.
Injury Policy
Dodgeball Edmonton is dedicated to creating a safer dodgeball environment. However, as with every sport, there are inherent risks involved in playing. Please keep in mind that dodgeball is a fast-paced game with the objective of throwing objects at other people to hit them out.
Officials will have a basic first aid kit at their disposal to assist with any injuries that occur during the game. This includes ice packs, bandages, tape, etc.
Blood - if a player is bleeding for whatever reason, they must leave the playing area (they may sub out with another player mid-game) and attend to the injury before they may return to play with the bleeding stopped and/or the wound covered.
Game stoppage injury - If a player suffers an injury mid-game that prevents them from continuing to play, the game will be temporarily stopped to attend to the injured player. If possible (depending on the nature of the injury and the the risks of moving the injured player) the player should make their way to the sidelines so the game can continue without significant delay. Another player may replace the injured player.
Reporting Injuries - Significant injuries should be reported to the official so that the league can follow up with players and teams as necessary.
Season-Ending Injuries - An injury that puts a player out for a season is definitely a huge downer. When possible, DE will offer a discounted registration to players who have had their season cut short from a dodgeball injury.
Standings
Standings will be updated by midnight the day following the games. Officials will submit final scores immediately following the game which will be processed the following day by league staff.
Game score disputes
Scoreboards are provided for all games, however officials are prone to human error every now and then; it is possible they may tally a point for an incorrect team. Captains and players should try to remain aware of the score to help ensure accuracy. If there is a disagreement regarding the score, it should be mentioned to the official immediately and corrected, if necessary, with input from both teams. As a last resort, if the game is being video taped, the tape can be used to determine the true score when reviewed by the league.
Standings corrections
It is also possible for the game score to be updated incorrectly online. If the score that is posted on the website is in error, captains should contact the league to resolve the discrepancy.
The official and opposing captain will both be contacted to corroborate the score.
Forfeit Policy
If a team does not have a minimum roster present (3 players, with at least one of each gender) 5 minutes after the scheduled match booking time (given a 5-minute warm up, this would be at the beginning of the first game), the game will be forfeited.
If a team forfeits without notice, they will be fined $115. $100 will be given to the team that was forfeited against. The remaining $15 is an admin fee.
If a team knows that they will not be able to field a team ahead of time and notify league officials at least 6 hours prior to game time they will be fined $65. The $50 will be given to the team that was forfeited against. The remaining $15 is an admin fee.
The team’s opponent will be notified of the forfeit and may choose to use the booked gym time if they wish or may choose not to attend as well.
Forfeit fines must be paid prior to the next game. Failure to do so will result in an automatic game loss until the fine is paid. If a game is played, the score will count for the standings of their opponents.
If a team forfeits without notice 2 consecutive weeks or has 2 weeks of outstanding fines unpaid, they will be immediately removed from the league if this is not remedied 24 hours prior to their 3rd game.
Waiving a forfeit
The opponent of a team that would be forfeiting at game-time may decide to waive it in the following ways:
1. They agree to play the game against the opponent with the results to be counted. The team that would have forfeited will be allowed to play with (as dictated by the non-forfeiting team): a) Less than a minimum roster, b) less than a minimum number of each gender, and/or c) an otherwise ineligible player. In this circumstance it may also be necessary to play a shortened match, as time will dictate. No fine will be issued.
2. They agree to not fine the forfeiting team. The game will be played for fun, but no score will counted and no refund issued.
A team may also choose to waive the forfeit fee in the instance where a team notifies the league of a forfeit at least 6 hours ahead of game-time. A $15 admin fee will still be charged to the team initially making contact to forfeit.
