2016/17 RULES & REGULATIONS

Transcription

1 2016/17 RULES & REGULATIONS September

2 Introduction This document details in full the rules and regulations applicable to all versions of UK Dodgeball Association adult events for 2016/17. All individuals and clubs competing in UKDBA events during 2016/17 should familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations prior to entering a UKDBA event. The UKDBA reserves the right to amend or update the 2016/17 rules and regulations at any time. Rules for junior events are available separately. 2

3 Amendments The following text has changed since the original September 2016 version of this 2016/17 rules: - 1.b.6-1.b.7 (second edit 6/12/16) - 1.c.4-1.c.10-1.c.11-1.c.12-1.c.14-1.c.20-1.c.21-1.c.31 (second edit 6/12/16) - 1.c.36-1.c.37-1.c.38-1.c.40-1.c.42-1.c.43 (second edit 6/12/16) - 1.d.6-1.d.7-1.d.14-1.d.15-1.d.16-1.d.18 (second edit 6/12/16) - 1.f.16-1.g.55-2.a.53.x - 2.a.58-2.b.9-2.b.24 (second edit 6/12/16) - 2.b.25-2.b.26-2.b.72.i - 2.b.73.xi - 2.b.77.xii - 2.b.78.ii - 3 (Annexes) 3

4 Contents 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations a. Club and Team Affiliation b. Player Registration and Eligibility c. The Dodgeball Season d. Team Registration and Transfers e. Competition Formats and Clothing f. Expected Behaviour and Discipline g. Referees and Officials h. Injury and Insurance i. Media Equipment j. UKDBA Social Media Policy 2) Competition Match Rules a. UKDBA Three Ball Rules b. UKDBA Five Ball Rules 3) Annexes 4

5 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations a) Club and Team Affiliation 1 To compete in a UKDBA competition, league, or tournament, a team must belong to a UKDBA-affiliated club for the current season. 2 Clubs must renew their UKDBA affiliation every season, and before the first competition they enter each season. A club will only be affiliated once payment has been made and confirmation of affiliation received. Clubs will not be permitted to enter a UKDBA event until this confirmation is received. 3 UKDBA club affiliation is only available online. 4 All clubs must have a unique club name, by which they should be affiliated to the UKDBA. If a club was affiliated to the UKDBA for the 2015/16 season, they reserve the right to continue using that club name for the 2016/17 season if they affiliate before September 18th Clubs may have as many teams as they like registered to their club for UKDBA events. However, only teams listed as 2016/17 UKDBA league teams will be able to compete in league competitions, and teams may only be registered to one club. 6 Every team name must be unique. Teams competing in the 2016/17 league will reserve the right to keep their team name if the parent club affiliates before September 18th Names not belonging to a UKDBA league team will be available on first-come-first-served basis through the season, and once used by one club will only be available to that club for the remainder of the season. 7 A team may only change their name once they have received permission to do so in writing from the UKDBA. 5

6 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations b) Player Registration and Eligibility 1 Individual players must be registered to the UKDBA through a UKDBA-affiliated club in order to participate in any UKDBA event. Participation includes being a named substitute at any UKDBA event. 2 Players must renew their UKDBA player registration every season, and before the first competition they enter each season. A player will only be registered once payment has been made and a registration number received. 3 UKDBA player registration is only available online. 4 Players may register as either a league ( 18 per season) player or as a non-league ( 6 per season) player. Non-league player registration allows the player to compete in Open events, Tournament events, The Nicholas Pinnock Cup and Championships only. For all other events, including UKDBA leagues, players must be registered as a league player. Players who had previously purchased non-league registration may upgrade to league registration at any point during the season via the UKDBA website. 5 The UKDBA will hold a database of all registered players, and details of when players have participated in events. 6 Players may only be registered to one club during the 2016/17 season. Transfer requests between clubs are not permitted during the course of the league season. The league season for any player runs from whichever is sooner of the first ranking event they play in or the league registration deadline of December 15 th, to the UK Championships 2017 inclusive. Outside of the league season, any transfer request must be sent in writing to the UKDBA Head of Rules and Regulations. 7 If a player is determined to have played in a competition or for a team that they were ineligible to play for, the player will receive a red card suspension and both teams may face a fine of up to 100. All points gained at any events where the ineligible player participated will be void. The UKDBA Sanctions Committee will decide what sanctions are appropriate. 8 Prior to first entering a team in any UKDBA event that is not an Open event, clubs will be required to submit a roster of all players selected to play in that team via the UKDBA website, including the UKDBA registration numbers of those players. A 6

7 minimum of three players must be listed on the online roster as this is the minimum required for a team to compete at an event. 9 At the beginning of every UKDBA event, the completion of an electronic team sheet will be required for each participating team. For all events other than Open events, only players already listed on the online roster for that team can be entered on the electronic team sheet to compete in any event. 10 If a team has not completed their electronic team sheet prior to their first scheduled match, they will not be allowed to participate and that match will be forfeited, alongside any subsequent matches until a team sheet is completed. 11 There is no limit to the number of players who may be registered to one team. However, a maximum of 10 players may be listed on the electronic team sheet at any one event, and any awards, medals or prizes will be limited to 10 per qualifying team. 12 Matches at UKDBA events will be 6 a side. A team requires a minimum of 3 registered players present in order to be permitted to play. If a team is unable to field 3 players, the match will be forfeited and a fine of 10 per match will be charged to the club. This charge must be paid prior to the club next competing in a UKDBA match or event. 7

8 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations c) The Dodgeball Season 1 For adult competitions, the period from September/ October to mid-january will be Open and Tournament season. 2 The University Championships will take place in December The Six Nations Championships, for the national teams from the four Home Nations, plus the Republic of Ireland and France, will take place in November For adult competitions, the period from January to May will be The League Season. For the 2016/17 season, there will be the following UKDBA adult leagues: a. The Men s Community Dodgeball Premier League (DPL) b. The Men s University Dodgeball Premier League (UDPL) c. The Women s Dodgeball Premier League (WDPL) d. The Men s Northern Ireland Dodgeball Premier League (NIDPL) e. The Women s Northern Ireland Dodgeball Premier League (NIWDPL) f. The Men s Community Dodgeball National League 1 (DNL1) g. The Men s Community Dodgeball National League 2 (DNL2) h. The Women s Dodgeball National League North (WDNL-N) i. The Women s Dodgeball National League South (WDNL-S) j. The Men s University Dodgeball National League North (UDNL-N) k. The Men s University Dodgeball National League South (UDNL-S) l. The Men s Scottish Dodgeball Premier League (SDPL) 5 Each of the above leagues will contain a maximum of ten teams and will involve up to seven rounds of fixtures. 6 At the end of the league season a final ranking of teams will be available from league positions, and this will determine the basis by which leagues will be structured for the following season. This ranking will use the following criteria: a. Where leagues are not split into North and South, the bottom two finishers in one league will be ranked lower than the top two teams in the next league down. b. Where leagues are split into North and South, a team in the North will be paired with the team finishing in the equivalent position in the South league. Of these two teams, the team with the greatest number of points per match during the league season will be ranked higher. For the overall top two teams in each league (across North and South), 8

9 both of these teams will be ranked higher than the overall bottom two teams from the league above. 7 Second teams will only be permitted to take up spots in the DPL, UDPL, WDPL or NIDPL if their team name is sufficiently different from the name of their existing club team in that league (as approved by the UKDBA), and a fee equivalent to the UKDBA club affiliation fee is paid. This means that they cannot refer to themselves as a second team or a B team if they wish to compete in the top division. If the second team chooses not to take up this position, the place will be given to the next ranked eligible team. 8 Multiple teams from the same club are permitted to participate in any other UKDBA league. Open Events 9 An Open event is a competition where the only eligibility requirements are that every team is entered via an affiliated UKDBA club, and every player is a UKDBAregistered player. Players do not have to play for the team or club for which they registered. 10 The majority of Open events will use the UKDBA three-ball rules. Any exceptions will use the UKDBA five-ball rules. For full details of these rulesets, please see section 2b of these rules and regulations. 11 Open events will follow a standard structure, beginning with pre-announced, unseeded groups. When group play has finished, the teams finishing at the top of these groups will progress to the knockout stages (usually quarter finals onwards). Any other teams will usually progress to a plate competition. 12 All Open events in the UKDBA calendar will feature both Men s and Women s competitions. These competitions will usually take place on the same day. Tournament Events 13 A Tournament event is a competition only open to entries from any team outside of the UKDBA League in 2016/17, plus those teams competing in the UKDBA Men s Community Dodgeball National League 2, the UKDBA Men s University Dodgeball National League North, the UKDBA Men s University Dodgeball National League South, the UKDBA Men s Northern Ireland Dodgeball National League 1 (men s tournaments), and the Women s National League North and the Women s National League South 9

10 (women s tournaments). Junior tournaments can be entered by any affiliated junior team. 14 Tournament events will be run as one-off competitions, with awards for first and second placed teams in each category, and will provide a ranking system for those teams outside of the UKDBA leagues in 2016/ Each Tournament event will be different in terms of the competitions available, with some events featuring Men s and Women s competitions, and others featuring Men s and Junior competitions or Women s and Junior competitions. 16 For any teams outside of the UKDBA League in 2016/17 looking to qualify for the UKDBA leagues for 2017/18, these Tournaments replace the Non-League events of previous seasons. Points will be allocated based on final ranking position at each individual tournament, with the sum of the best three tournament scores used to produce the overall non-league ranking for 2016/ Points will be allocated for each individual tournament as follows: 1st = 30 points 2nd= 25 points 3rd= 20 points 4th= 18 points 5th= 16 points 6th= 14 points 7th= 12 points 8th= 10 points 9th= 8 points 10th= 7 points 11th= 6 points 12th= 5 points 13th= 4 points 14th= 3 points 15th= 2 points 16th= 1 point 18 There will be separate non-league ranking tables for men s, women s, u13s and u16s teams. Nine of the ten tournaments will offer scoring opportunities for men s teams; seven for women s teams; three for under 13s teams; two for under 16s teams. 19 A minimum of two men s and two women s 2017/18 league positions will be available to those non-league teams competing in tournaments, and will be allocated based on 10

11 overall non-league ranking. The UKDBA reserves the right to modify the number of teams gaining promotion at the end of the 2016/17 season at any time. University Events 20 University events include the University leagues, the University Open and the University Championships. To be eligible to play in a University event, a player must currently be enrolled in a University or education institution course, and must be able to produce a valid student ID card on request. The University team for which a player competes must be the only UKDBA affiliated university team that the player is registered for. A player may only play for a team belonging to a different University or education institution to the one at which they are enrolled if their university does not have a UKDBA-affiliated team, and only after having requested special permission in writing from the UKDBA. 21 Players eligible to play in University events are permitted to register for both a men s university club and a men s community club, but one of these must be the player s parent club, through whom their UKDBA registration fee will be paid. Their parent club will be the only club they are permitted to represent in The Nicholas Pinnock Cup and in Regional Championships, and in Tournaments if the player and their team are eligible to do so. Permission to play for both a men s university club and a men s community club in ranking events must be requested in writing by contacting the UKDBA Head of Rules and Regulations. 22 The club that is the player s parent club will be determined by the team within those clubs that the player is registered on the roster of. 23 Where a player s university team competes in UDPL and their community team competes in either DPL or DNL1, the player may choose which club will be their parent club. 24 Where a player s university team competes in UDPL and their community team either competes in DNL2, or is outside of the UKDBA leagues, the university club must be their parent club. The player is not permitted to represent their community team in Tournaments in either of these cases, but may compete in DNL2 events. 25 Where a player s university team competes in UDNL (North or South), and their community team competes in DPL or DNL1, the community club must be their parent club. The player is not permitted to represent their university team in Tournaments in either of these cases. 11

12 26 Where a player s university team competes in UDNL (North or South), and their community team either competes in DNL2, or is outside of the UKDBA leagues, the university club must be their parent club. The player is not permitted to represent their community team in Tournaments, but may compete in Tournaments for their university team, and in DNL2 where relevant. 27 Where a player s university team is outside of the UKDBA leagues, and their community team competes in DPL, DNL1 or DNL2, the community club must be the player s parent club. The player is not permitted to represent their university team in Tournaments, but may compete in Tournaments for their community team (DNL2 teams only), and in the community league where relevant. 28 Where a player s university team and community team are both outside of the UKDBA leagues, the player may choose which club will be their parent club. This will be the only club for which they may compete in Tournaments. 29 Once a player has competed for a team at a UKDBA Tournament, that team s club must be their parent club for the remainder of the 2016/17 season. 30 For 2016/17 women s university leagues are not separate from women s community leagues. Therefore players will only be able to play for one women s UKDBA affiliated club, either university or community, in the UKDBA leagues and tournaments. A player eligible to play for a university team who chooses to play for a community club will be able to play for the university team at The University Open and The University Championships. The Nicholas Pinnock Cup 31 The Nicholas Pinnock Cup will take place throughout the 2016/17 season, with a number of rounds played locally from December 2016-May 2017, and the Nicholas Pinnock Cup Finals (semi finals onwards) taking place on June 10th It will follow the UKDBA five-ball rule-set, unlike the majority of UKDBA events which will be played using the UKDBA three-ball rules. 32 The Nicholas Pinnock Cup is open to all UKDBA affiliated clubs, and will include a separate men s and women s cup competition. 33 Each club may submit a maximum of three teams into round one of The Nicholas Pinnock Cup (for each of the men s and women s competitions), and may list up to 10 players in any one team. All players must be registered to play for that club for the 2016/17 UKDBA season, and each player may be registered to only one Nicholas 12

13 Pinnock Cup team. Only the listed 10 players may participate in any of the cup roundsno transfers will be permitted between rounds. 34 All teams will be guaranteed a minimum of two Nicholas Pinnock Cup rounds, with any team losing their first round match being entered into a plate cup competition. 35 Entry for the Nicholas Pinnock Cup will close on 9th October The proposed dates for the rounds and draws of The Nicholas Pinnock Cup, and The Nicholas Pinnock Cup Plate Competition, are as follows, but may be subject to change dependent on the number of teams entering. 36 The first round draw will take place on 2nd December Teams will have until 15th March 2017 to play their first round tie. 37 The second round draw (second round of The Nicholas Pinnock Cup and first round of The Nicholas Pinnock Cup Plate Competition) will take place on 17th March Teams will have until 1st May 2017 to play their second round tie. 38 The Nicholas Pinnock Cup and The Nicholas Pinnock Cup Plate Competition semifinals, and final will take place at a central location on 10th June This will be referred to as The Nicholas Pinnock Cup Finals Day. 39 On entering the competition, teams will be allocated to a region by the UKDBA. The regions will be: Scotland, North England, East Midlands, West Midlands, London & South England, South West England, South East & East England, Wales, Ireland. 40 Where possible, teams competing in the first 2 rounds will play teams from within their region. In these rounds, each team will be drawn as either the home or away team. Teams may be asked to travel beyond their region if there are not enough teams within their region to make up the necessary fixtures. 41 The home team will be responsible for providing and financing a venue and equipment for that round. 42 The format for the first three rounds of competition will be 4 x 8 minute quarters, separated by 2 minute intervals. To allow sufficient time for warm-up and any stoppages, it is therefore required that the home team books one court for at least a 1h30 period. 43 The format for any matches on The Nicholas Pinnock Cup Finals Day will also be 4 x 8 minute quarters, separated by 2 minute intervals. 13

14 44 The date, times, and location of any tie must be agreed by both teams, and the UKDBA must be notified in writing of this by both team captains. The UKDBA will provide two referees for each tie. Each team will be required to provide assistant referees. 45 Any teams failing to play their tie in time may risk losing their space in the competition. If the UKDBA do not believe that either team has committed sufficient effort into arranging the tie, a losing team from that round with the highest points may be reinstated in their place for the next round of the competition. 46 Please see section 2b for the full UKDBA five ball rules. UK Championships 2017 and the UK Regional Championships 47 The UK Regional Championships and the UK Championships tournaments will take place following the conclusion of the league season. Qualification for the UK Championships will be solely via the UK Regional Championships. 48 The Men s UK Regional Championships 2017 will be the Scottish Championships, the Northern Irish Championships, the Welsh and South West England Championships, and the English Championships. 49 The Women s UK Regional Championships 2017 will be the Scottish Championships, the Northern Irish Championships, the Welsh and South West England Championships, and the English Championships. 50 Qualification for the 2017 English Championships (Men s and Women s) will be via the 2017 North England Championships (Men s and Women s) and the 2017 South England Championships (Men s and Women s). 51 All English teams will be allocated to either the North or South regions by the UKDBA, or to the Welsh and South West England Championships, based on the county in which the club is registered. Changing regions will not be permitted under any circumstances. 52 The North England Championships for both Men s and Women s will comprise of clubs located in Northumberland, Cumbria, Durham, Tyne and Wear, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, Cheshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire. 14

15 53 Clubs located in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall will be allocated to the Welsh and South West England Championships. 54 Any clubs located in any other English counties will be allocated to the South England Championships. 55 The four semi-finalists at the Men s North England Championships, Men s South England Championships, Women s North England Championships, and Women s South England Championships, will qualify for the 2017 English Championships. 56 The Men s UK Championships 2017 will feature the following teams: a. WINNER 2016 UK Championships (Bedford Mighty Eagles Men) b. WINNER 2017 Welsh and South West England Championships c. WINNER 2017 Scottish Championships d. WINNER 2017 Northern Irish Championships e. WINNER 2017 English Championships* f. RUNNER-UP 2017 English Championships* g. THIRD PLACE 2017 English Championships* h. FOURTH PLACE 2017 English Championships* * In the event that the 2016 UK Championships winners finish in the top four of the 2017 English Championships, the 5th-placed team at the 2017 English Championships will also qualify for the 2017 UK Championships. 57 The Women s UK Championships 2017 will feature the following teams: a. WINNER 2016 UK Championships (Bedford Mighty Eagles Ladies) b. WINNER 2017 Welsh and South West England Championships c. WINNER 2017 Scottish Championships d. WINNER 2017 Northern Irish Championships e. WINNER 2017 English Championships* f. RUNNER-UP 2017 English Championships* g. THIRD PLACE 2017 English Championships* h. FOURTH PLACE English Championships* * In the event that the 2016 UK Championships winners finish in the top four of the 2017 English Championships, the 5th-placed team at the 2017 English Championships will also qualify for the 2017 UK Championships. 15

16 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations d) Team Registration and Transfers 1 For the UKDBA England & Wales adult league competitions and for tournament events, teams must submit a Team Registration Form via the UKDBA website by midnight on 15 th December For the UKDBA Northern Ireland adult league competitions teams must submit a Team Registration Form via the UKDBA website by midnight on 30 th September Where any team at a club will compete in Tournament events prior to the 15 th December 2016, the club must submit Team Registration Forms for the team competing in Tournaments by seven days before the first Tournament event that the club enters. The club must also be aware that they should have a minimum of six additional players that they will list in each higher ranked team to the team competing in the Tournament event. 4 The registration form will involve the declaration of the team s league squad list. The initial squad list must contain a minimum of six UKDBA-registered players who are registered to that team, including the UKDBA registration numbers of these players. 5 At the beginning of every UKDBA league event, the completion of a team sheet will be required. Teams will only be able to list players who are registered on the online squad list to play for this team. If a team has not completed their electronic team sheet prior to their first scheduled match, they will not be allowed to participate and that match will be forfeited, alongside any subsequent matches until a team sheet is completed. 6 If a team competing in the UKDBA leagues fails to submit a Team Registration Form or make payment for the UKDBA leagues by midnight on 15 th December 2016 (or 30 th September in NI), they will be docked one point for every 24 hour period until their registration form is submitted. If no registration form is submitted by midnight on 22 nd December 2016, the team will be removed from the league (7 th October in Northern Ireland). 7 Eligible players may be added to the team squad list through the league season, provided these are sent to the UKDBA Head of Rules and Regulations via at least three days before the first competition that the added player(s) participates in. All additional players must be UKDBA-registered league players. 16

17 8 Players may not be removed from the squad list (club roster) during the course of the season. 9 League entry is not confirmed until the league entry fee has been paid in full. Full details of this fee will be available on the UKDBA website. 10 Failure to pay the league entry fee by the deadline will result in the team being docked one point for every 24 hour period until payment is received, and the UKDBA reserves the right to offer the league position to another team. 11 UK Dodgeball Association League Player Registration must be taken out for all players who compete in a UKDBA league. 12 Teams shall keep a register of playing members and those who have actually played. 13 It is recommended for all clubs to have their registered players sign a Player-Club Agreement at the start of the league season or when a player transfers from a different club. A copy of all Agreements signed by a player must be sent to UKDBA Office. This will assist the UKDBA in mediating on player transfers. 14 All players belong to the team in which they are currently listed for the duration of the season, unless a transfer request is approved by the UKDBA. In order to transfer players between teams within the same club, an must be sent to the UKDBA detailing the player s name, UKDBA-registered address, the teams they are hoping to move from and to and when, and the reason for the move. All transfer requests will be stored permanently by the UKDBA. Each time a transfer request is submitted and approved, the transferred player becomes a member of the team to which they have transferred (and would therefore need to have another transfer request submitted and approved to play again for their previous team). 15 Players may only transfer from a higher ranked team to a lower ranked team at the same club once per season, where the season runs from December 15 th 2016 until the end of June In order to transfer from a higher ranked team written permission from the UKDBA is always required, in response to the submission of a transfer request via to the Head of Rules and Regulations. 16 Provided a player has not previously transferred from a higher ranked team to a lower ranked team during that season, players may transfer from a lower ranked team at the same club to a higher ranked team at the same club by submitting a transfer request via to the Head of Rules and Regulations. 17

18 17 Players from a team which has more than one team in the same division cannot play for another team from their club in the same division. 18 Teams cannot name guest players from other clubs, or from their own club, as members of their team at a league event, regional or national championships event, or tournament event under any circumstances. At Open events, only players who are listed on the team s electronic team sheet at the beginning of the event will be able to participate. Players may only be on the electronic team sheet for one team at any one event. 19 Teams must compete with 3, 4 or 5 registered players from their own club if they have less than a full team present at an event. 20 Where events are Women s, teams must consist of female only players. 21 Where events are Mixed, teams must have an equal gender mix on court at the start of each period, i.e. 3 male and 3 female players. Squads containing more than 6 players can have an unequal mix of genders. 22 Where events are Men s, teams must have a minimum of 3 male players on court at the start of each period. Women are permitted to participate in Men s events. 23 If a player is a registered player with a league team in another home nation, they are not eligible to play for a team in the official national leagues of another recognised UKDBA country. 24 Regional Championship events can only be entered by affiliated clubs. No additional transfers are allowed between league events and a team s allocated regional championship event. 25 Regional Championship events are also used as qualifying competitions for the UK Championships. Where a team qualifies for the UK Championships, no transfers are permitted between the Regional Championship and the UK Championship. 26 The registered team members at a Regional Championship event should be the registered team members at the UK Championships, for those teams that qualify. Teams must ask permission from the UKDBA to add club players to their registered team for UK Championships. 18

19 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations e) Competition Formats and Clothing 1 Where possible the schedule for UKDBA events will be available via the UKDBA website prior to the event. This will include match timings for every match (limited to group stages only for Open and Tournament events and Regional Qualifiers ). 2 For Open, Tournament and Regional Qualifiers events, groups will be drawn by the UKDBA prior to the event. For Open events no seeding will be used. For Tournament and Regional Qualifier events, seeding will be based on league ranking at the date of the draw. 3 Where a match is of a play all 5 games format, 25 minutes will be allowed per match. This includes a 5 minute warm-up period that will be timed by the referee. 4 Where a match is of a play all 7 games format, 30 minutes will be allowed per match. This includes a 5 minute warm-up period that will be timed by the referee. 5 For Open, Tournament and Regional Qualifier events, all participating teams will be guaranteed a minimum of 4 matches. These matches may be at any competition stage (group matches, knockout matches, or positional matches). 6 For Open, Tournament, and Regional Qualifier events, these events will begin with group stages, with the top teams in the group stages qualifying for knockout rounds in accordance with the tournament schedule (based on the number of teams participating). For any teams who do not qualify for knockout rounds, a plate competition will generally be available. 7 Event entry is available through the UKDBA website only, and payment must be made in order to confirm entry. Event entry will close at midnight on the Monday before the weekend of the event, or when all competition spaces are filled, whichever is sooner. 8 No refunds are available for event entry, but an entry credit will be issued to any team who withdraws from an event prior to the event entry Monday deadline. Following the event deadline, the full entry fee will be forfeited by any team who withdraws from or does not attend the event. 9 All teams are expected to be able to provide up to 3 referees at any event in which they are participating, at any point during the event that their team is not playing. This 19

20 should include 1 assistant referee and 2 line referees. A UKDBA level one or above qualification is recommended but is not required. 10 All teams should expect to referee during the match directly following every match they play in. Where possible, details of the team to referee each match will be available on the schedule published on the UKDBA website prior to every event. 11 If a team does not provide 3 referees for any one match that they are scheduled to officiate, the UKDBA reserves the right to prevent them from participating in future UKDBA events. 12 An official registration time will be set for all UKDBA events. All participating players are expected to be at the venue by this time. Any player not in attendance at this time may be unable to participate in the event. 13 The first three minute period of the match will begin at the end of the 5-minute warmup time following the match start time. Any team that is not present by this time will forfeit that period, and any following three minute period that they are not lined up on court at the beginning of, with a score of 6 players to nil to the opposing team, or nil-nil players if both teams are not present. 14 In UKDBA league events, if a team fails to attend a match or round of matches at a league meeting, they will forfeit the match(es) that they were scheduled to play. 15 The team will also be penalised with a 3-point deduction from their total league points for each full missed match. 16 Any team that fails to attend at least 50% of their league meetings in one season will be penalised with a 10 point deduction from their total league points, in addition to any individual match point penalties. 17 In the instance that both teams in a match are not in attendance, the match will be declared as a non-result draw, i.e. both teams will finish the match with nil points from games, nil players on and nil league points for the match. 18 All players participating in UKDBA events must wear appropriate footwear. Shoes with marking soles are not permitted. 19 Gloves are only permitted for the support of medical conditions or injuries, and must not assist catching ability. 20 The use of knee pads is recommended for all players. 20

21 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations f) Expected Behaviour and Discipline 1 All competitions will run under the jurisdiction of the UKDBA. Players should be aware that any offence may result in a fine or ban from all competitions run by UKDBA and UKDBA affiliated organisations, should the UKDBA sanctions committee deem this to be appropriate. 2 The UKDBA sanctions committee 2016/17 will consist of the UKDBA Director of Sports Development, the UKDBA Head of Rules and Regulations, and the UKDBA Head of Referees. 3 All participants are expected to show appropriate respect and courtesy towards all other participants, officials, and spectators. 4 Failure to show appropriate levels of respect and courtesy could lead to disciplinary action, including ejection from the match and/ or tournament, and continued exclusion from UKDBA events, as decided by the UKDBA sanctions committee. 5 Taunting will result in a whole team warning for any first offence. The second offence by a team will result in further disciplinary action. A warning for taunting lasts the duration of the UKDBA event and will not reset following each match. 6 Foul language, poor sportsmanship or questioning of the match officials judgement by more than one player concurrently from the same team can result in the period or match currently being played to be forfeited by the offending team. 7 Officials and players are expected to behave with respect towards one another, and to communicate in a polite manner. 8 Any grievance raised with the referee may only be raised by the team captain. All other players must remain at the back of the court unless granted permission by the referee, or the period may be forfeited by the offending team. 9 Poor sportsmanship, including refusal to participate in scheduled matches, or refusal to shake hands with the opposition following a match, will be disciplined against and may result in a yellow card for all individuals involved. 10 Failure to adhere to any of the behavioural guidelines listed above may result in disciplinary action, including game or match forfeits. 21

22 11 Individual players will be disciplined as deemed appropriate by the match official. When a player is disciplined by match officials, both the player and the team captain will be told by the referee why the disciplinary action has been taken and of any consequences of the decision. 12 A player fine will accompany each Yellow Card and Red Card offence issued by an official. i. The fine for a Yellow Card offence will be ii. The fine for a Red Card offence will be iii. Fines must be paid in full via the UKDBA website by the offending player or club before the next event the offending player competes in. The offending player will be banned from UKDBA events until the fine is paid in full. 13 Red Card and Yellow Card offences will remain active for a 12 month period. Sanctions taken against players who receive disciplinary action are set out in the table of Disciplinary Sanctions in the Annex. 14 A Yellow Card offence will result in the offending player being dismissed for two periods in addition to the remainder of any period during which they were dismissed. No substitute is allowed during these periods. 15 A Red Card offence will result in the offending player being dismissed for all subsequent matches at that event in addition to the remainder of any period during which the player is dismissed. No substitute is allowed during these periods or matches. In addition to this the offending player may be suspended for additional events, as set out in the Annex. 16 Any two yellow card offences received by a player at the same event will result in a red card. 17 Any physical violence will result in the immediate disqualification from all of UKDBA competitions for all individuals involved. 18 At the discretion of the UKDBA, teams can be deducted points from UKDBA league tables if the behaviour of more than one of their team or their club members is deemed as unacceptable by match referees and/or competition officials. 19 All appeals/grievances regarding players from other teams or UKDBA officials at UKDBA events must be made in writing to the UKDBA within 5 days of the incident. 22

23 20 Following all UKDBA matches, teams are expected to shake hands. Team captains are then required to confirm the match score with the UKDBA officials by signing a score sheet. 21 Any interference or restriction in the decision making of officials by team supporters or coaches may also be disciplined as if those individuals were players. 22 Only timing and media equipment authorised by UKDBA officials and operated by appointed UKDBA personnel, should be used to assist refereeing decisions during match play. Objections raised as a result of external equipment will be deemed as irrelevant to the decision made, and disciplinary action may be taken. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of video cameras or personal timers. 23 Should the appointed referee fail to appear for a fixture then UKDBA will arrange for a suitable replacement to officiate the match at short notice. 24 Any team who withdraws from an event or is ejected before or during its completion will not be owed a refund for their remaining fixtures. 25 All teams are expected to participate in all scheduled matches, including any positional matches. 26 The UKDBA reserves the right to prohibit any player or team from participating in any event arranged by the UKDBA. Prohibition can result from failure to adhere to any of the rules or regulations. 27 The UKDBA Social Media Policy must be adhered to at all time by UKDBA officers, referees and players. 28 A summary of disciplinary measures and offences is available in the Annex of this document and may be updated at any time by the UKDBA Sanctions Committee. 23

24 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations g) Referees and Officials 1 UKDBA qualified referees will be appointed to officiate at UKDBA events. 2 No team has the right to object to the referee appointed to officiate any matches in which they are involved, nor does any referee have the right to object to any match that they are appointed to officiate. 3 All match decisions by referees must be made without bias in favour of or in detriment to either team. 4 Referees are expected to behave and communicate with politeness and integrity at all times when officiating an event. This includes remaining calm when dealing with any player or spectator, and escalating any issues appropriately through the competition coordinator or the sanctions committee. 5 Referees and UKDBA officials have the jurisdiction to make retrospective decisions, in particular where disciplinary matters are concerned. 24

25 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations h) Injury, Insurance and Anti-Doping 1 First Aid will not be provided by the UKDBA at UKDBA competitions. Teams are expected to make their own first aid provisions. 2 Teams will be liable for any costs arising from the injury of players at UKDBA events. This includes any charges imposed by the ambulance service should an ambulance be called. 3 The UKDBA accepts no responsibility for the loss of or damage to any property belonging to teams or to any other persons. Personal possessions in changing rooms or courtside at UKDBA events are left entirely at owners risk. 4 Any players, spectators, coaches or officials using parking facilities at a UKDBA event venue are expected to park in an orderly fashion and not in any way that causes inconvenience to any other car park user or to the owners/ occupiers. This includes ensuring that adequate access for emergency services is available. 5 The UKDBA accepts no responsibility for the loss of or damage to any vehicles parked at UKDBA events. All vehicles are left entirely at the driver s/ owner s own risk. 6 Every player participating in any UKDBA event is recommended to have their own comprehensive personal accident and public liability insurance in place, either through their team or individually. Copies of such policies must be produced to UKDBA representatives on request. 7 All insurance policies should include as a minimum: cover against all damage to the premises; cover against all damage or loss to property in or on the premises, including as a result of negligent use of the premises; cover against personal injury (including injury resulting in death) arising from negligence. 8 Participation in any sporting activity is entirely at your own risk and the organisers, their agents or servants do not accept liability for any personal injury or loss/ damage to property howsoever caused. 9 The anti-doping rules of UKDBA are the UK Anti-Doping Rules published by UK Anti- Doping Limited (or its successor), as amended from time to time. Any player contravening these rules will be sanctioned by the UKDBA sanctions committee. 25

26 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations i) Media Equipment 1 All media equipment, including photographic and video equipment, can only be used at UKDBA events with permission from the relevant UKDBA officials. 2 The publication of images, audio or videos recorded at UKDBA events, including uploading to social media or any website, falls under the jurisdiction of the UKDBA competition regulations. These media items are property of the UKDBA and as such may be required to be removed at any time. 3 Any adverse comments or adverse behaviour directed towards images, audio or videos from UKDBA events, will be regarded as gross misconduct. This includes comments or behaviour on social media, and relevant disciplinary action will be taken by the UKDBA sanctions committee. 26

27 1) Overall Code of Conduct and Regulations j) UKDBA Social Media Policy When using and contributing to social media, all staff and participants of the UKDBA and UKDBA events (including home nations, clubs and teams) are expected to behave in a manner that is consistent and appropriate to their role as ambassadors, athletes, and representatives of the UKDBA. Any contribution, posting, messaging or associated conduct on social media that is deemed to be in contravention of this expectation could lead to disciplinary proceedings. For the purposes of this policy, social media includes but is not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and any internet forums or websites that allow the addition of content. Social media guidelines: Be authentic- show your personality, talk about your interests and life away from Dodgeball. Use tasteful humour when appropriate, but remain mindful of the fact that everyone s sense of humour is different, and as such offence can be caused inadvertently. Be responsive, create a connection with your audience, and don t be a robot. Remember that not all commenters or viewers will be supportive- do not engage in online disputes or allow others to engage on your behalf. Be aware that what you say on social media can have a huge impact on the image of the sport, your teammates, and your rivals. Consider how your comments will be viewed by everyone and ensure that any public comments are accessible to all. Think- pause and think before you post or send a message. If you are in any doubt about whether the post or message is appropriate, could be misconstrued, or adheres to the UKDBA regulations, do not post or send. Remember that you are personally responsible for anything you post or send. Retain the competitive advantage by ensuring you don t talk about tactics or team selection (including embargos on squad announcements). Treat it as a quote. Do not write anything on social media that you wouldn t feel comfortable seeing in a newspaper, or hearing on TV or radio. Do not talk negatively about opponents, match officials or teammates. More general match comments are welcomedsuch as on pleasure with results or performances. Remember reputation. Don t post images or content that are not in keeping with the image and conduct of an athlete, or that could damage the reputation of the sport, its governing body, or its partners. 27

28 2) Competition Match Rules The Court a. UKDBA Three Ball Rules 1 The official 3 ball dodgeball court size is 17m by 8m. Where this is not feasible due to the dimensions of a particular hall, lengths of 16m-17.6m are permitted. No change is permitted to the standard width of 8m. 2 The back line of the dodgeball court at each end will either be a wall/ barrier, or a marked line on the court floor a minimum of 0.9m from any wall or barrier. The length of the court will be adjusted between 16m and 17.6m in order to achieve this. 3 A player entry line will be marked with a 1 metre dash, 1 metre from the back line of the court. 4 A player out area will be marked for each team 1 metre away from the court (both teams areas will be on the same side of the court). This area will be 1m by 4m, and is reserved for one team coach where applicable, plus any players who are out. 5 A centre zone will be marked symmetrically in the centre of the court, measuring 0.6m by 8m. The two markings that create this zone will be referred to as the centre zone lines. 6 An attack line will be marked on each side of the court, 4m away from each centre zone line. 7 The outside court lines, centre zone lines, and any back walls or boundaries are not part of the playing court. Therefore, touching these or any surfaces beyond these with any body part at any time during normal play beyond the opening rush will result in an out for the offending player. 8 Where possible a net, barrier, or other hard surface will surround the court, approximately 1 metre away from the outside court line on the side without player out areas, and where space allows 2.5 metre away from the outside court line on the side with them. 9 For each 3 minute period, only a team s 6 designated players for that period, and coach where applicable, are allowed inside these nets/ barriers/ surfaces. This is in addition to any referees/ linesmen/ other authorised tournament officials. 28

29 10 Each team is allowed to have one designated coach inside the court surrounds. The coach must remain inside their player out area at all times during normal game play, and must not touch anything outside of this area, or speak to the referee. A coach is allowed to touch any stationary ball that is in the player out area, but must not change the direction of a dodgeball or touch a ball that is outside of the player out area. Speaking to the referee, stepping out of the player out area, or handling a ball in a way that is not permitted can will all result in the team losing the right to having a coach for the remainder of that period and for any subsequent periods in that match. 11 Any designated coach must have a top sufficiently different to the playing top of the team they are coaching. This will ideally be in a different colour to the team playing top. If in the same colour, the top must be approved by the referee before the start of play- otherwise, the coach will be removed and no coach will be permitted for that match. Equipment and Clothing 12 Three UKDBA approved dodgeballs will be used in each match. 13 For Men s and Mixed competitions, Size A dodgeballs (diameter 8.0 inches) will be used, inflated to between 1.8 and 2.0 psi. 14 For Women s and Junior competitions, Size J dodgeballs (diameter 7.0 inches) will be used, inflated to between 1.8 and 2.0 psi. 15 Uniform and protective equipment are considered to be part of the player. Any player hit on any part of their uniform or protective equipment will be considered out. 16 All players competing in the same team in a UKDBA competition must wear coordinating uniforms (as a minimum, tops of the same colour). For UKDBA league events, players must wear matching shirts in order to be permitted to compete. 17 It is recommended that all players should display a number on their shirts that is unique for each player within the team. For UKDBA league events or ranking events, displaying a number will be compulsory, and any player without a number or unique number on their shirt or attached to their shirt will not be permitted to compete. 18 All footwear worn should be suitable for dodgeball and should be non-marking. The UKDBA reserves the right to prevent any player wearing non-marking footwear from competing. Injuries obtained through the use of ill-suited footwear are the responsibility of the player. 29