Intramural Rules

Warball

The Players

The game is played by two teams with six players on each team. Four players are the minimum required to avoid a forfeit.

The Court

The game will be played on a basketball court. The basketball court and the surrounding out-of-bounds areas are in play. The dividing line for teams will be the division line (half court) of the basketball court, with the line remaining neutral.

The Ball and Equipment

A round nerf ball about 16" in diameter will be used. All players must wear court shoes to be eligible to participate. Running shoes, turf shoes, and any non-athletic shoe will not be allowed. Players must remove all jewelry before each match.

The Game

The game will begin by placing five balls on the division line. Theparticipants will then line up behind the endlines of the basketball court.The Staff Assistant or official starts the game by blowing the whistle. Players run to the division line to retrieve balls. A player may not run to the other side of the court to get a ball, but a player may reach over the division line to get a ball as long as no part of his/her body touches the other side. Any ball considered out of play (i.e., on the track) will be set on the division line and made available to either team. A match is won by the first team to win two of three games. The game is won if all players on a team are in jail or whoever has the most people not in jail at the end of the 10 minute time limit. If the game is tied at the end of the time limit, the teams will play sudden death. The first team to legally strike a player of the opposing team will be declared the winner of the game.

The Rules

The object of warball is to throw the ball at a playing opponent and strike them anywhere between the shoulders and feet. When throwing the ball at the other team, a player may not:

1. hit a player in the head with a ball, or
2. step over the division line.

Note: A violation of these rules results in the player going to jail. Theplayer who is hit in the head remains in the game. However, if a player dives in front of a ball on purpose just to get hit in the head, that player will be sent to jail. A player struck by a thrown ball remains in the game if he/she catches the ball or if it is caught by a teammate before it touches the ground. When this happens the player who threw the ball is sent to jail. A player may also block a thrown ball with a ball currently in possession.

The Jail

A person struck by a legally thrown ball must go to jail. Jail is located on the opponent's side of the court, the bottom half of the free throw lane underneath the basket, with the lines being outside the jail. A player may get out of jail if one of the following occurs:

1. Catch a ball thrown by a teammate without the player's feet leaving the jail area. If the ball is caught by a player, that player may take the ball and return to his/her team's side of the court. If a ball rolls into the jail area, a player in jail may throw it to a teammate on the other side of the court. This does not release a player from jail.
2. A player makes a basket from behind the division line. Everyone standing in jail at the time of the basket gets out of jail but may not take any balls to the other side of the court. A player on the way to jail but not yet in jail at the time the basket is made, remains in jail.