Official Belgraveball Rulebook

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A drawing showing how the field was set up. Players are represented by the X's and referees by the R's. This image is merely to demonstrate the concept of the field setup and is not to scale according to the official rules.

This is the intial draft version of the belgraveball rulebook. As games are played and issues are discovered, this rulebook will be updated to reflect the most current version of the game.


The Playing Field

Field Dimensions:

The center of the game field is made by placing a 15ft diameter circle in the center of the field with a 5ft diameter circle in the center of that. Equally spaced and perpendicular to the circle, as many 100ft dividing lines as there are teams, are made starting at the outer circle and measuring outward. Perpendicular to the end of each of these lines, another line is drawn in each direction until it intersects with the line perpendicular to the next dividing line over. This will create a perfect polygon with the correct number of territories to teams. In the case of only two playing teams, the initial outward lines will be only 50ft and the lines perpendicular to those will be 100ft in either direction, with another line at the end to close both of the two outer lines, forming a rectangle. Another series of lines will form a 10ft perimeter around the entire field, marking the boundary for spectators. This game is best played with at least 3 teams but is not recommended for more than 5 teams.

Features:

Each team will have a flattened base within their territory. It will be located 50 ft from the circle and centered between the two side boundaries of the territory. It will be triangle in shape with the point facing toward the circle.

10ft on either side of the intersection of the two outside boundary lines and along the same lines, a flag of that team will be placed into the ground. These mark the entrance of the goal. A box will stretch 20ft behind these flags and will mark the boundaries of the goal.

Centered directly between the two goal flags will be a 2ft wide basket suspended 10ft in the air. Padding will be wrapped around the pole to ensure no injuries are encountered by players accidentally running into the pole.

Equipment:

Each team will provide their own equipment. They must have at least 1 3ft long club, 1 ball, 1 triangle shaped base that is 3ft on each side, 2 flags for their goal, and one individual to be a referee. Extra equipment is recommended in case items are broken during the game. Another referee, unaligned to any team, will also be needed.

The Team

Each team will consist of at least 11 players, 1 pitcher, 1 hitter, 1 basket guard, 2 line guards, and 6 blockers. They will each wear the same team uniform but will have a different colored headband to denote their position on the field. Reserve players are recommended in case of injuries.

Pitcher:

The pitcher will stand within the 15ft diameter circle but outside the 5ft diameter circle. He will wear a white headband to denote his position as a pitcher.

Hitter:

The hitter will stand to either side of the base when hitting, and behind the base when not hitting. He can assist the Line Guards in tagging an opponent hitter. If there are more than one hitter on a team, they will rotate out with each play and they will wear blue headbands. If there are no extra hitters, they will be interchangeable with the blockers and wear red headbands.

Line Guard:

Line Guards must stay inside their territory and will generally remain just inside the two side boundary lines. They have two primary functions. The first is to attempt throwing the ball into another team’s basket, or guarding against the other team’s basket attempts. The second function is to try and tag a hitter with the ball before he reaches their base. Line Guards will wear a green headband.

Basket Guard:

The Basket Guard will stand in front of his team’s basket and either catch a ball missed by the hitter or attempt to block an opponent’s attempt at getting a basket. If he succeeds in blocking a basket attempt, he then picks up the ball and attempts to carry the ball to any opponent’s goal. When attempting a goal, the Basket Guard will direct his Blockers where he wants to go. He will wear a yellow headband.

Blockers:

The job of the Blocker is to protect the Basket Guard or attempt to stop an opponent’s basket guard from getting to their goal. All Blockers will wear red headbands.

Referee:

Referees are the only individuals that do not wear a team uniform. Instead, they wear an outfit of diagonally striped or checkered black and white. Referees will stand just outside the outer boundary lines but in line with the dividing lines. The extra, unaligned referee will stand inside the center 5ft diameter circle.

Game Play

Starting the Game:

The game will be started when all teams are on the field. The initial hitting team and the initial pitching team will be determined by either picking numbers or drawing straws from the unaligned referee or an official in attendance. Upon conclusion of the draw, the 15-minute timer will start and the game will begin.

The Pitch:

Pitchers can move around anywhere within their pitching circle, but cannot interfere with a pitch. The active pitcher will throw or toss the ball over the active team’s base. The ball must not hit the base and it must not be higher than the hitter’s head when it crosses the base. It must not be to the side of the base either. If the ball is thrown outside these boundaries and the hitter does not swing, the unaligned referee will call it a bad throw and the active team’s basket guard will return the ball to the pitcher. If there is a third bad throw, the referee will call it a failed pitch and the active team hitter will get to try running to the base within the pitching team’s territory. The active team’s basket guard will also be given the chance to attempt running the ball to any team’s goal.

The Hit:

If a hitter hits the ball, he must run to the base within the territory the ball lands within. When a ball is hit, the referees standing along the outside boundaries of that territory will hold up that team’s flag so the runner and other players have no question of what territory the ball was hit to. If the hitter manages to reach the base without being tagged, his run is successful and his team earns 4 points. Out of the opponents, only the line guards and the hitter can pick up the hit ball and attempt to tag the hitter. If the hitter is tagged by an opponent line guard or hitter that has the ball before he gets to the base, he has failed the run and his team’s pitcher will then pitch the ball to the team that tagged him out. If a throw is a good throw and the hitter misses, the basket guard is able to take the ball and give it to one of the line guards. The line guard will then attempt to throw the ball into the basket of the adjacent team. If the ball lands within the hitter’s territory or a pitcher catches the ball when it is hit, the run is stopped and the pitcher is permitted to try kicking the ball into any opponent’s goal to earn 2 points for his team.

The Basket Throw:

When the line guard is given the ball for a basket throw, he can take up to three steps within his team’s territory before he must throw the ball. If the ball goes into the basket, his team earns 3 points. If the shot misses the basket, the opposing team’s basket guard can pick it up and attempt to carry it into any other team’s goal. Opponent line guards and basket guards can attempt to block a basket throw.

The Goal Run:

If a basket throw is missed, the basket guard at that basket can pick up the ball and attempt to run it into the goal of the opponent team of his choosing. He will direct the blockers on his team where he wants to go and they will attempt to keep him safe from the enemy blockers. If he succeeds in carrying the ball into an opponent’s goal, he earns his team 1 point for every enemy territory through which he traveled in his attempt. If the basket guard is knocked down or drops the ball, the goal run is stopped and the opponent team’s pitcher is given an attempt to kick the ball into any opponent goal to earn 1 point for his team.

The Kick:

When a pitcher is given a chance to kick, all the other pitchers and the referee step outside of the pitcher’s circle without penalty. The pitcher must signify which goal he wishes to kick toward and the other pitchers and referee cannot block that territory. The pitcher can either kick the ball from a sitting position on the ground or attempt to drop it in front of him and then kick it. He can take up all the area within the pitcher’s circle, including the smaller referee’s circle. If the kicked ball goes between the opponent’s goal flags, the pitcher earns his team 2 points. If he misses, the play is over and the next pitch begins.

Scoring:

A scorecard showing the ten plays of the first time period of the first ever game of Belgraveball. At the time of the game, there were no official rules other than those given by Commander Sidrahkir, so this scorecard was filled out later when the game became popular.
  • 4 (Base Run)
  • 3 (Basket Throw)
  • 1+ (Goal Run)
  • 1 (Goal Kick)

There is also hybrid scoring but it is rarely used. For example, if a hitter hits the ball into a basket and also manages to get to the base without getting tagged, he would earn his team 7 points, 4 for the base and 3 for the basket.

Timing:

A large visible sand timer will be set up just outside one of the outside boundary lines beside the scoreboard and will be used to keep track of each time period. Each game will be broken into 4 time periods of 12 plays or 15 minutes, whichever comes first. After the end of each period, the final play will continue until finished and then the game will be paused for 3 minutes. Between the second and third periods, the resting time will be extended to 7 minutes. During these times, teams can make adjustments to their roster. When it is time to resume the game, the team with the least points will be pitched to by the team with the most points. If any teams are tied for the least or most points, they will either pick a number or draw straws to determine which team gets to hit or pitch. The timer starts again when the unaligned referee signals the start. When all 4 time periods are over, the game is over and the team with the most points wins.

Penalties:

Penalties are given based on actions players perform while playing. These can range from a reduction of points to players being removed or suspended from one or more games.

  • If a line guard puts at least one foot outside his team’s territory, his team is given a 1 point reduction from their score.
  • If a pitcher puts both feet outside the pitching circle, except when he is stepping into the referee circle during a kick or stepping outside the pitching circle during another pitcher’s kick, his team is given a 1 point reduction from their score
  • If any player other than a pitcher steps inside the pitching circle, the play is considered stopped and the pitcher of the team in control of the ball is given a kick attempt. That player's team is given a 1 point reduction from their score.
  • If a player in a specific position plays outside his position or attempts to cause a player to play outside his position, he is ejected from the game for the remainder of that time period. That player's team is given a 1 point reduction from their score.
  • Intentionally causing injury to another player will result in the ejection of the injuring player for the remainder of that time period. Subsequent intentional injuring will result in suspension from the rest of the game. If a player is ejected in three games, they will not be allowed to play the rest of the season. Referees will be expected to closely monitor plays for such injury causing. That player's team is given a 1 point reduction from their score.
  • Unintentional injury will result in the injuring player being ejected for the remainder of the time period. If a player is found to be causing an abnormal number of unintentional injuries, they will be considered for removal from the rest of the season. Blockers are given more leeway in this because they have the most physical contact during the game. That player's team is given a 1 point reduction from their score.
  • Spectators who cross the outermost perimeter line or interfere with the game will be removed and barred from watching the remainder of the event.


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