Agreedball

The Rules of Agreedball
As ratified by the Distiller House Convention, July 27, 2005

Rule I: The Court

1. The court shall be 10 feet long by 5 feet wide.

2. Beyond the 5 foot dimension shall be a 3 foot deep, 10 foot wide service box centered on the court. 3. The boundaries shall be marked with ½ inch lines entirely inside the boundary of the court. a. These lines whenever possible should be marked by loosely stuck tape such that there is an audible distinction between the ball hitting the service box and hitting the line. b. There shall also be a ½ inch line placed 5 feet along the 10 foot length, bisecting the court.

Rule II: The Ball

1. The ball shall be an approved agreedball, or if none is available, a lacrosse ball shall suffice for all levels of competition.

Rule III: Ball out of Bounds

The ball shall be considered out of bounds if: 1. It has bounced outside of the court and service boxes, or 2. A player catches it before it has done so, and both competitors agree that the next bounce would have been out of bounds, or 3. The player throwing the ball has stepped out of the service box and into the court during the throw and subsequent actions related to the throw.

Rule IV: Service

1. A serve shall consist of the ball being thrown from the player designated the server to his opponent who shall then respond by throwing the ball back. 2. The serve may only bounce in the service box in which the recipient of the throw is standing. 3. The player to last score a letter is designated the recipient of the serve.

Rule V: Completed Play

1. A play shall be considered complete if during a player’s throw: a. The ball is not out of bounds b. The ball has bounced the correct number of times within the court c. It has bounced in the service box of the recipient, or d. The recipient catches it before it has done so, and both competitors agree that the next bounce would have been in the service box. 2. The players shall alternate attempts to complete a play starting with the server. 3. The first play after the serve shall require 1 bounce. 4. If both players complete the play, each player must bounce the ball 1 additional time on the next play, such that each player’s second attempt to complete a play shall require 2 bounces, the third shall require 3 bounces, etc. 5. If neither player completes the play, then both players may re-attempt the play with the same number of bounces.

Rule VI: Scoring

1. A player shall score a letter if they fail to complete a play and their opponent completes the same play. 2. The letters shall be given in the following order: 1. A 2. G 3. R 4. E1 5. E2 6. D 3. If two players have the score of E2, the next letter shall be E3, and this pattern continues such that at no point in the game can either player win on the next play. 4. Once a player has received a D, that player has lost the game.

Rule VII: Line Decisions

1. All decisions on whether a ball was out or in is left to the consensus of the players. 2. The players may consult anyone else in attendance and use any means necessary (aid) to determine the status of a play as long as a consensus is reached about the specific aid to be used. 3. If a player decides a ball to be out of bounds, that player shall call out “Disagreed.” 4. If a player decides a ball to be in bounds, that player shall call out “Agreed.” 5. If the recipient of a throw should call out “Agreed,” the play is considered complete and the throwing player need not make a call.

Rule IX: The Director

The director shall an official in charge of: 1. Keeping accurate and official score 2. Informing the players of the current score when requested 3. Insuring that both players have heard and understood any calls made 4. Insuring that the game continues without undue delay.