Section I – The Mounted Broom

Section II – Knocking Out Players

Section III – Knockout Procedure

Section IV – Redirecting & Catching Live Dodgeballs

Section V – The Third Dodgeball & Knockout Immunity

Section VI – Natural Motion

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Section I – The Mounted Broom

1. Mounting the Broom
   All players must be mounted on a broom in order to participate in play.
   1. To mount the broom the player must have their broom straddled between their legs and touching some part of their body.
   2. The player remains mounted until one of the following occurs:
      1. Their broom (or arm that is holding the broom) no longer crosses the plane between the player’s legs.
      2. The player loses contact with their broom.
      3. Their broom lays flat on the ground without the player’s hand underneath it.
2. Dismounting
   If a player becomes dismounted while in play, the player is immediately knocked out and must follow the knockout procedure.
   1. If a player is dismounted by the illegal actions of an opponent, an official may allow the player to immediately remount and continue play. If the player does not immediately remount, then they must follow the knockout procedure.

Section II – Knocking Out Players

1. Incurring the Knockout Effect
   1. A player is “knocked out” when either of the following occur:
      1. The player becomes dismounted.
      2. The player is struck by an opponent’s live dodgeball.
         1. This includes being struck on the player’s hair, clothing, or equipment other than a game ball.
         2. The following players are not knocked out when struck by an opponent’s live dodgeball:
            1. Protected keepers (See: 8.II.2 Keeper-Specific Powers).
            2. Beaters with knockout immunity (See: 6.V.2 Knockout Immunity).
            3. Inbounding players while out of bounds to inbound a ball (See: 8.V.4 Inbounding Procedure).
         3. Beaters who are not immune may delay dismounting in order to attempt to catch the dodgeball that struck them, until it becomes dead (See: 6.IV.3 Struck Beater).
   2. Players must immediately follow the knockout procedure once knocked out (See: 6.III Knockout Procedure).
      1. Players must not willfully ignore being knocked out.

   Yellow Card - Willfully ignoring being knocked out

2. Live Dodgeball
   In order to incur the knockout effect, a dodgeball must be live.
   1. To be live, a dodgeball:
      1. Must either:
         1. Be thrown, kicked, or otherwise intentionally propelled by a beater or
         2. Be intentionally dropped by a beater when not required to be dropped by rule.
      2. Must not have been in contact with an opponent at the moment it was released, or otherwise finished being propelled.
      3. Must not have touched the ground, become out of bounds, or been caught.
         1. In these cases, the dodgeball is live until the action indicated has occurred.
      4. Must not have been stripped by an opponent’s body, another dodgeball, or the quadball.
   2. Any dodgeball that is not live is considered “dead.”
3. Held Dodgeballs
   1. A beater may not attempt to deceive an opponent by contacting them using a held dodgeball.
      1. Incidental contact with a held dodgeball shall not be penalized.

   Blue Card - Illegally contacting an opponent with a held dodgeball

4. Friendly Fire
   A player cannot be knocked out by a dodgeball most recently made live by themselves or their teammate.
5. Safe Calls
   If a player is struck by a dodgeball which cannot knock them out, the referee shall call that player “safe” or “clear” unless they otherwise become knocked out.
   1. Players struck by a dodgeball should dismount and begin the knockout procedure immediately (unless the player is a struck beater attempting to catch the live dodgeball).
      1. If a player has been stuck by a dodgeball, and is not called “safe” or “clear” by an official, then that player is subject to the knockout effect.
   2. If the player dismounts due to being struck by a dodgeball but is then called “safe” or “clear,” the player may remount at an official’s direction and continue play.
      1. If the player does not quickly remount at the official’s direction, that player must instead complete the knockout procedure.
   3. If the player fails to begin the knockout procedure immediately, a penalty may apply.
      1. If the final call on that dodgeball hit is “safe” or “clear,” play shall continue and no penalty shall apply.
      2. If an official called the player “safe” or “clear” but the call changes to “beat,” the player shall receive no penalty for failing to dismount as long as the player responds to the “beat” call by dismounting.
      3. If no referee called the player “safe” or “clear” and the final call on that dodgeball hit is “beat,” the player shall be considered to be willfully ignoring being knocked out.
         1. If the official believes that the player was unaware that the dodgeball touched them, then the official may treat it as an unnoticed knockout (See: 6.III.4 Unnoticed Knockout).
            1. A player’s belief that they are otherwise safe from the dodgeball shall not be taken into consideration when determining any appropriate penalty.

      Yellow Card - Willfully ignoring being knocked out

Section III – Knockout Procedure

1. Knockout Procedure
   Knocked out players remain knocked out until they complete the following procedure, in order:
   1. Immediately give up possession of any ball by dropping it and dismount their broom.
   2. Touch their center hoop
      1. The player must touch either the hoop loop or pole, not the hoop base.
      2. The player must touch the hoop with some part of their body, not with their broom.
      3. If the 6-foot hoop is dislodged, a player may tag in at any part of it still attached to the base, including the hoop base.
   3. Remount their broom before leaving the vicinity of the hoops.

   Repeat Procedure - Violating the knockout procedure

   Yellow Card - Intentionally or repeatedly violating the knockout procedure

2. Knocked Out Players
   Knocked out players must not interact with play and must therefore:
   1. Not make any plays.
   2. Not propel or otherwise play any game ball other than in cases of natural motion (See: 6.VI.2 Natural Motion Conditions).
      1. If the player illegally propels a ball immediately after the player is knocked out, it shall be adjudicated as a natural motion violation.
   3. Drop any balls that are currently possessed.
   4. Actively avoid interactions with other players.
   5. Not substitute out while play is not stopped.

   Blue Card - Illegally interacting with play while knocked out

3. Making Contact as a Knocked Out Player
   1. A knocked out player may not initiate any physical contact, other than incidental contact.
      1. If a player is in the final motion of making contact before becoming knocked out, they may complete that motion if it could not reasonably be stopped.
         1. The player still must immediately act to cease that contact under the provisions of 6.III.3.b
         2. If a player takes multiple steps between being knocked out and initiating contact with an opponent, then that contact is illegal.
   2. If a knocked out player is already in contact with an opponent before becoming knocked out, they must immediately act to cease contact safely and with as little effect to the opponent as reasonably possible.

   Yellow Card - Illegal contact while knocked out

4. Unnoticed Knockout
   If a player unintentionally continues play after dismounting or being hit by an opponent’s live dodgeball:
   1. The referee should verbally and visually inform the player that the player has been knocked out.
   2. The referee may stop play in order to inform the player that they have been knocked out.
      1. If this occurs, any ball the player possessed when play was stopped is turned over to the opposing team.
   3. If a player affects play while unaware that they had been dismounted or hit by an opponent’s live dodgeball, they shall be penalized for affecting play while unknowingly knocked out.
      1. If the player makes otherwise legal contact while unaware of being knocked out, they are only subject to this penalty for that contact.
      2. If a player propels a ball in violation of the natural motion rules immediately after being knocked out, they are not subject to this penalty for that propulsion (See: 6.VI.2 Natural Motion Conditions).

   Blue Card - Affecting play while unknowingly knocked out

Section IV – Redirecting & Catching Live Dodgeballs

1. Blocking and Batting Dodgeballs
   A player in possession of a ball may attempt to block or bat an incoming live dodgeball with the ball in their possession:
   1. The held ball may be used to bat or otherwise propel the incoming dodgeball.
   2. A block or bat does not affect whether the dodgeball is live.
   3. A dead quadball may not be used to intentionally interact with a dodgeball.
   4. Players may not intentionally use a held ball to interact with a dead dodgeball or a dodgeball that was made live by a teammate.
      1. If the referee determines that the player was not reasonably aware that the dodgeball was either dead or made live by their own teammate, and the play was otherwise legal, the player shall not be penalized.

   Blue Card - Illegal bat

   Blue Card - Illegal Block

2. Swatting Dodgeballs
   Any attempt to swat or otherwise intentionally propel a live dodgeball, other than through the use of another ball, is considered a dodgeball swat.
   1. Players may generally swat or make any attempt to alter the course of a live dodgeball.
      1. A struck beater may not swat any dodgeball, except as part of an attempt to catch it (See: 6.IV.3 Struck Beater).
      2. A beater who is in possession of a dodgeball may not swat another dodgeball.
         1. This rule does not prohibit batting a live dodgeball with a held dodgeball (See: 6.IV.1 Blocking and Batting Dodgeballs).
      3. If the dodgeball was already live, it remains live for the original team.
         1. If it was live for the opposing team, the swatting beater becomes a struck beater.

   Blue Card - Illegal Dodgeball Swat

3. Struck Beater
   A non-immune beater is a struck beater, rather than knocked out, from the time they are hit by an opponent’s live dodgeball until that dodgeball becomes dead. A struck beater is subject to the following restrictions:
   1. A struck beater is unable to make a dodgeball live.
   2. A struck beater must immediately drop any dodgeball which they are holding.
      1. The player must not pass, toss, roll, or kick the dodgeball, unless completing a natural motion already begun (See: 6.VI.2 Natural Motion Conditions).
      2. Failure to release the dodgeball is a struck beater violation.
   3. A struck beater must either attempt to catch the live dodgeball that struck them or immediately follow the knockout procedure.
      1. A beater is allowed to propel a dodgeball farther into the air in the process of attempting a catch.
      2. After the initial hit, any intentional attempt by the struck beater to change the direction of any dodgeball, in any manner, other than to attempt to catch the dodgeball that struck them is a struck beater violation.
   4. If a struck beater takes any actions other than those outlined in 6.IV.3.a-c, they are subject to the same rules and penalties for those actions as a knocked out player.
   5. If a struck beater catches the dodgeball before it otherwise becomes dead, that beater is no longer subject to the knockout effect.
      1. A struck beater still incurs the knockout effect from all live dodgeballs propelled by opponents which hit them while they are a struck beater unless they also catch those dodgeballs before they become dead.
   6. A struck beater who fails to catch the dodgeball before it becomes dead is knocked out and must immediately begin the knockout procedure.

   Blue Card - Struck Beater violation

Section V – The Third Dodgeball & Knockout Immunity

1. The Third Dodgeball
   When one team has possession of two dodgeballs and the remaining dodgeball is unpossessed and dead, the free dead dodgeball becomes the third dodgeball.
   1. This ball remains the third dodgeball until one of the following occur:
      1. The possessing team makes a reasonable beat attempt.
      2. The possessing team loses a dodgeball directly due to the actions of an opposing player.
      3. The team without a dodgeball gains possession of any dodgeball.
   2. Players on the possessing team may not commit third dodgeball interference.
      1. It is third dodgeball interference if either:
         1. A player from the possessing team takes possession of or in any way attempts to move the third dodgeball.
         2. A player from the possessing team prevents or delays the other team from getting to the third dodgeball by continually or intentionally moving into their path.
      2. The two dodgeballs turned over for third dodgeball interference are chosen at the referee’s discretion, but should generally include the third dodgeball.

   Back to Hoops & Double Dodgeball Turnover - Third Dodgeball Interference

2. Claiming Knockout Immunity
   When there is a third dodgeball, a beater on the team with no dodgeballs may raise a hand above their shoulder, fist closed, to claim immunity from being knocked out by live dodgeballs.
   1. It is an improper immunity claim if a player claims immunity when the opposing team has two dodgeballs, but:
      1. The remaining dodgeball is still live.
      2. The third dodgeball was released by that player without attempting to incur the knockout effect.
      3. Their team’s other beater is also claiming immunity.
         1. If both beaters on a team attempt to claim immunity, one of them must put their fist back down to avoid a penalty. If neither beater puts their fist down, only one shall be penalized.
   2. It is an invalid immunity claim if a beater claims immunity when there is no third dodgeball, unless the opposing team has two dodgeballs and the remaining dodgeball is live.
      1. If the claim was unintentionally invalid, and did not affect play, the player may instead be penalized for a minor invalid immunity claim.
   3. The immune beater is not immune to dodgeballs made live before immunity was claimed.
   4. If an opponent begins the final singular natural motion on an attempted knockout before the immune beater loses their immunity, the formerly immune beater cannot be knocked out by that attempt.

   Back to Hoops - Improper Immunity Claim

   Back to Hoops - Minor Invalid Immunity Claim

   Blue Card - Invalid Immunity Claim

3. Immunity Limitations
   While a beater is claiming immunity, they are subject to the following restrictions:
   1. The beater must directly and immediately proceed to gain possession of the third dodgeball.
      1. The beater may approach the ball from any direction they prefer.
      2. Taking any other action while immune is an immunity violation.
      3. The beater loses their immunity once they gain possession of the dodgeball.
         1. The beater remains immune while attempting to pick up the third dodgeball, even if their fist is lowered in doing so.
   2. The beater may not give up their immunity unless they lose their immunity by rule or the opposing
      1. The beater must give up their immunity if they are no longer attempting to directly recover the third dodgeball.
      2. Illegally giving up immunity is an immunity violation.
   3. If the status of the third dodgeball changes, the immune beater immediately loses immunity and must lower their hand.

   Blue Card - Immunity Violation

Section VI – Natural Motion

1. Natural Motion
   When a player is knocked out or becomes a struck beater, that player may finish one singular natural motion that they had already started if that motion cannot be reasonably stopped.
2. Natural Motion Conditions
   1. For natural motion to be called for propelling a ball, the following conditions apply:
      1. The player must release any possessed ball as part of the singular natural motion begun before becoming knocked out.
         1. Any motion begun after the player is knocked out does not qualify as a natural motion.
      2. The player must already be in contact with the ball when knocked out.
   2. If a player propels a ball immediately after being knocked out without meeting the above conditions for natural motion, it is a natural motion violation.
   3. A dodgeball released by completing natural motion is considered dead.
   4. For the purpose of this rule, a struck beater is treated as knocked out.

   Turnover - Unintentional natural motion violation

   Yellow Card - Intentional natural motion violation

3. Unscorable Quadball
   If a player is touching the quadball when they become knocked out and releases it or otherwise propels it according to natural motion, the quadball becomes an unscorable quadball.
   1. An unscorable quadball cannot result in a goal, even if the quadball goes entirely through a hoop.
   2. The quadball remains live and play continues normally.
   3. The quadball becomes scorable again once either of the following occur:
      1. It is touched by an eligible quadball player teammate of the player who released it.
      2. It is possessed by any player.