In 2025 we will be drafting teams each night. 2-3 people will be captains and we will mix the players up so that everyone gets equal playing time. We will not be keeping any standings. This will be combined with the Teen Dodgeball sessions while numbers are still growing. It the future we may use the old format, below:

This is the format we used prior to 2025.

This is a Draft League. Players sign up as individuals and are drafted onto teams. These teams will play the whole season together in a round robin format. There will be playoffs to determine a champion.

Captains will be chosen based on previous results of Indy Leagues, experience playing in tournaments in New Zealand and overseas, and general play.

As mentioned above, 2-3 adults players will be asked to be captains and they will draft the available players each night.

Old Format:

Once registration is closed, the number of teams will be determined (we will aim for more teams, rather than teams of 6, so we can make a more interesting and varied league). Captains will be determined by Indy Leagues, experience playing in tournaments in New Zealand and overseas, and general play and then ranked and mixed up slightly (each pair of captains will be given a coin flip to potentially change their order). Those captains will then be given the chance to draft a team of their choice. Picks will start with the lowest ranked captain in the first round and the top ranked captain in the second round. Eg if there are 4 captains, the picks will be as follows: 

Round 1: 4, 3, 2,1;

Round 2: 1, 2, 3,4

This pattern will repeat until the whole team is selected.

The draft order WILL NOT be released once teams are set.

Team composition is always a tricky task and we don't always get it right. If you feel like there are any issues around this (i.e. you're playing with the same people too often) please contact us to express your concerns.

In 2025 we will aim to have 3 teams play 3x20minute games on one court. This will work for a maximum of 18 players. However, if we have more players we may draft 4 teams, or if less, two teams.

Old Format:

That depends on  how many people we have. The ideal number of teams is 8, which will allow us for 7 weeks of round robin play and then 2 playoff brackets. The smallest number of players on a team will be 3. However, we realise that not everyone can make every week, so we may look at 4 players as a minimum. We can take up to 8 teams of 6 players (probably plus a sub). 

We will prioritise having more teams over having teams of 6 (so if we get 24 people signed up, we will have 8 teams of 3, not 4 teams of 6).

We will follow, regular WDBF Foam Dodgeball Rules.  The main exceptions:

• Games will be 30 minutes long, consisting of two 15 minute halves & sudden death at the end of each half.

• New sets will only be started at the end of each half if there is at least 30 seconds of time left on the clock at the conclusion of the previous set.

• Games will be played based on the number of players in attendance on each team. A team must have 2 players from their roster on the court at the start of their game to avoid a default (scored a 3-0 win for the opposing team). In the playoffs this rule will change - only 1 player is required to avoid a default.

• If a team defaults we will still play a game with subs, but the scores will not count in the standings. This game will not have a ref.

• If teams have the required two players but less than their opponent, names will be drawn from the non-captain players who are in the other games to fill those spots - up to 4 players. This will change in the playoffs where a team will start the game down 0-1 if they have one sub, 0-3 if they have two subs or 0-6 if they have three subs.

• Each set will begin with NO RUSH. Each team will start with 3 balls.

• At the beginning of each game, captains will play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner will choose either 1) which side they want to start on or 2) Who will have advantage first. The other captain will get the second decision,

• All players are asked to come for the whole time as the league cannot run without the support of the non-playing teams. It is expected that each team provide a ref if they are not playing, and the other players are either: ball retrieving, filming for social media or watching lines.

• If a ball is out of bounds and no ball retrievers are available, players may put their hand up to step out of the court to grab the ball. However, THEY ARE STILL ABLE TO BE HIT OUT BY OTHER PLAYERS.

We will not be scoring this league in Autumn 2025

Old Format:

Subject to change, teams will receive 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss.

Standings will be determined (in order) by:

• Points

• Head to head record (if multiple teams are tied, their head to head record will include all tied teams)

• Differential (Sets won minus sets lost)

• Total Sets won

• Coin toss

Playoffs will happen after round robin games to determine a champion. Seeding will be based on the above standings. All teams will participate in the playoffs and have a game scheduled even if they are eliminated from the championship.

This is irrelevant as we will make teams each week.

Old Format:

Any teams who do not have enough players will be given the opportunity to take a sub from a team that is playing at a different time. This player or these players will be chosen by a random draw of players who are present on the night (their names will be chosen by the online tool Wheel of Names or using a similarly random method - there will be a witness to each choice). Captains will be ineligible to sub for other teams. If more than team needs a player at one time, all required names will be drawn first, and then teams will choose, alternating. The team that is the lowest in the standings will pick first. If teams are tied then rock paper scissors will be used to determine the first pick.

This rule changes in the playoffs. Teams will be able to choose their subs, but the price will be starting the game down points. If one sub is used the score starts as 0-1, if two subs it starts as 0-3 and if three are used it starts a

We will not have outside subs for this league, unless we have special circumstances (eg an overseas player). You need to be registered and pay the fee for the whole season to participate in this league (prorated fees may be accepted upon discussion with the league organiser if you know you cannot make all the games. We just don't want players coming in after the draft and unbalancing the teams.

We are happy to have people play with their friends if they show up to this league. Please note though, if they are not experienced players, it will concentrate the experienced players on one or two teams and could lead to some lopsided scores.

Old Format: 

There are a few circumstances where you can do this. If you are:

• A new-ish player and haven't played in any major tournaments (eg Nationals, or anything outside of New Zealand) AND your team are all new-ish and haven't had any major tournament experience

OR

• An experience player AND your team are all new-ish and haven't had any major tournament experience

You may enter your team as a whole and you will be able to play with them. Please note though, that the definition of 'new-ish' player is up to the league organiser (Michael) and anyone who has been playing in Dodgeball Auckland or Dodgeball For All events for a decent amount of time, will not be considered new-ish. Please contact us if you would like to do this and we will explain how to enter your teeam.