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 All Sorts of Sports: Benchball

There is only one format of Benchball under JAM rules. It is described in its entirety below.

JAM is for Everyone – Inclusion Statement

Our program offerings are designed to be inclusive for all members of the JAM community. Our goal is to create a welcoming gender policy that uplifts and supports each player where they are at. To ensure we can offer something for everyone, our programs may be offered in the following formats: Mixed-Gender, Women's, Men's, and Open.

Many of our league rules specify gender-based roster requirements, the goal of which is to ensure that each player has an equal opportunity to be included in gameplay.

Everyone participating in a JAM program is welcome to compete based on their gender identity and gender expression; regardless of their gender assigned at birth. Members whose gender identity does not align with the binary man/woman construct are welcome to play in all our mixed-gender and open programs.

Nonbinary, trans, genderqueer, and all other players who identify as a gender minority can count towards the roster minimums for either men or women in our mixed-gender leagues.

Game Time

All matches of Benchball are 55-minutes in length. Please arrive early to ensure you get the full use of your allotted court time. Regardless of when your game begins, your game will always end on time to allow the succeeding games to begin at their scheduled time.

Time Keeping: If you’re playing without an official score clock the Event Coordinator on site will be keeping track of time and will determine the end of your game. In this instance, you will receive a warning indicating the final five (5) minutes of your game and a final signal for the end of your game. Once the final signal occurs your game is over.

Defaults: Teams will default a match if they cannot provide a full team 10 minutes after the scheduled start time.

Halftimes: There is no stoppage for halftime unless requested by one of the teams. If a half-time is requested, then it must be accommodated by the opposing team.

Players

A full squad consists of six (6) players on their team

Roster Numbers: Each team must have a minimum of two (2) men or gender minority players and two (2) women or gender minority players playing at once.

Defaults: Teams will default a match if they cannot provide a full team 10 minutes after the scheduled start time. A team can play with a minimum of five (5) people, as long as the roster minimums are met. 

Exceptions: Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding roster requirements, but this should be decided before the game starts. IF IT IS AGREED THAT THE GAME COUNTS, IT COUNTS!

Playing Area

All Benchball gyms/arenas vary in size and there is no set standard for an JAM Benchball surface.

The setup for Benchball consists of four (4) dodgeballs and two (2) benches. A bench is placed about one (1) metre out from the wall/end line on either side of the playing area, and the four dodgeballs are spaced apart along the half court line.

In addition, there’s a defensive key one (1) metre in front of each bench. No defensive players are allowed to step foot in the key.

Equipment/Set Up

Team captains are responsible for bringing the two (2) supplied dodgeballs to each game.

Teams are also responsible for keeping track of the score. Please designate one person to keep track of the score.

Uniforms

Teams are required to bring both light and coloured shirts to every game. Team colours are posted on the JAM website in your schedule. If two teams have the same colour the team captains should contact each other to ensure that each team knows what colour to wear.

Defaults: There is no default for players that don’t wear the right colour. However, that player must do everything they can to ensure it’s not confusing for the opposition. Whether this means wearing a pinny, a hat, a teammate’s shirt, etc. Under no circumstances can a player purposely deceive the opposition.

Benchball 101

Benchball is a schoolyard game that uses elements of dodgeball. The object of the game is to get all your players from one side of the playing area and onto your bench on the other side of the playing area.

Starting the Game: The match begins with four (4) dodgeballs at the half-court line with five (5) members of a team on one side of the playing area and one (1) teammate standing on the bench on the other side of the playing area.

The five (5) members of the team stand on the end line of the playing area. Once the match begins players from both sides of the gyms may run to half-court to retrieve the dodgeballs.

Players to the Bench: The only way to get players onto the bench is by having a teammate catch a ball on the bench that is thrown from the other side of the half-court line by another teammate.

Bench: Any player on a bench that player may also catch dodgeballs to help their team get players onto their bench.

Once players are on a bench they may not step off of it. If they do step off it, they must return to their side of half.

JAM Rules and Exceptions

• Prior to starting the game, each team stands on their respective end lines minus the one team member who begins the game on the bench. The game begins once the JAM event coordinator on site or a designated player calls "ready, set, go!" 
• Once play has started players must remain on their own side of half. A player may only cross the half-court line when travelling to the bench.
  • Players can lean over the half-court line to retrieve a ball, but they cannot touch any part of their opponent’s half. 
• Players that begin the match must remain on the court until a point is awarded and the match is concluded. There are no substitutions in the middle of a match.
• A player on the bench may only catch one (1) ball at a time.
  • A player on the bench may deflect the second ball to another player on the bench to be caught. If the teammate makes a clean catch of the ball and remains on the bench the entire time then the player who threw the ball can go to the bench.
• Once a clean catch is made by a bench player the ball may be thrown back to their teammates and the thrower of the clean catch may run across the half-court line to their bench. The runner may not interfere with play while running to their bench.
• A player on the bench cannot leave the bench. Once a player touches the ground with any part of their body they must leave the bench and return to their side of half.
  • The only exception to this rule is if the only player on the bench touches the ground in any matter. Since there has to be a player on the bench at all times play continues and the player may step back onto the bench.
• Players on the bench can retrieve balls on the ground as long as they stay on the bench and do not touch any part of the ground.
• The area one (1) metre directly in front of the bench is the defensive key. No defending players are allowed to stand in the key at any time.
• Matches and Scoring:
  • Matches will consist of as many games that can be played in the 55-minute time period.
  • Each game won will count for one point.
  • If a game is still being played when time expires, the team with the most players on the bench at the time will win the game. If it is a tie the game will not count as a point.

Regular Season Matches

All regular season matches can end in a tie.

Playoffs Eligibility and Tiebreak

There must be a winner in a playoff match. In the event that the match ends in a tie, teams will partake in a three (3)-minute overtime session to determine a winner:

• If within three (3) minutes the game has not completed then the team with the most players standing on the bench when time expires will be declared the winner.
• If teams have the same number of players standing on the bench when time expires than play will be resumed. The next team to get a player to their bench will win the game.

Rough Play

Any rough or physical play will result in immediate expulsion from further league play and may result in a lifetime league expulsion. Please see the JAM General Policy for our official guidelines on this subject. It is recognized that incidental contact between players is inevitable; however, all players should go out of their way to avoid creating an unsafe play.  This rule supersedes all others. 

Please note that on-site staff members have full autonomy when supervising games. Games may be stopped entirely, players may be asked to leave the playing area or be removed from the game entirely under their discretion.

Alcohol

There are absolutely no alcoholic beverages permitted on JAM property. Any offenders will be asked to leave the league without refund. No exceptions.