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There are three ways to play. The public servers are open to anyone and feed the leaderboard. Matchmaking finds you a ranked match, alone or with friends. Scrims are matches you arrange yourself between two teams. Tournaments run on top of teams.
Here is what to do next.
Before doing anything else. They are short, and following them ensures there is no confusion. They are in place to protect you and your fellow dodgeballers.
Not knowing them does not prevent them from applying to you.
Read the rulesNo team needed. Open Matchmaking and pick 1v1, 2v2 or 3v3. Every match is first to ten.
To play with friends, search for them under Play with friends and invite up to two. Your party queues together and plays on the same side.
When a match is found you get ten seconds to accept. Missing it drops you out of the queue, and you can join again.
The server takes about half a minute. A connect button appears on the Matchmaking page.
Not turning up to a match you accepted gets you a queue ban.
Your rating moves after every match. The Ladder shows where you stand.
Scrims and tournaments happen between teams, so you need one for those.
Three ways in:
Or make your own team. You pick a name and a three letter tag, and you own it. During a match your tag is put in front of your players' names in game, so it is obvious who is on which side. Your Steam name is not changed, and you get it back when the match ends.
A player can only be on one team at a time.
Once you are on a team, the Scrims page shows every team that is currently online. So if you want to play a particular team, arrange it with them first so they are online when the time comes.
The team owner sends the challenge, and picks the terms: how many a side, which map, how many rounds to win, pauses, and how many substitutes each side brings.
A challenge lasts five minutes. If nobody answers it expires and you can try challenging another team. Or the same one again, which is the definition of insanity.
When a challenge is accepted, both teams get into a lobby page.
Each captain picks the lineup from their roster. You need exactly the number the match was arranged for, and if you chose to have substitutes you will have to assign those too.
When both sides are set, either captain can start the server using the button at the bottom of the page.
The server takes about half a minute to appear. When it is ready the connect details show on the lobby page.
Only the players on the lineup can connect. Nobody else can join, including people on your own team who are not playing.
In game the match runs itself:
!ready!scoreThe result goes onto both teams' records automatically.
The demo is on the lobby page, and on your match history. Kept for 14 days.
SourceTV is available while a match is live, so anyone can watch or cast it.
Tournaments are entered as a team. The team owner enters from the Tournaments page and picks the roster.
When a tournament round opens, your tournament page shows your next match and a join button once the server is ready.
Your team is held during a match. Nobody can join or leave the team while a match is being arranged or played.
If nobody turns up, the match is called off. Not connecting counts against the player who did not connect.
Three black marks means an admin will want a word with you. They come from things like not turning up to a match you agreed to play, and blatantly breaking minor rules.
Type !calladmin <reason> in game if
something happens and needs a staff member present. It reaches our staff
immediately.
The server is taking too long. Matches queue if all the servers are busy. The lobby page will tell you if that is what is happening. If nothing appears at all, contact the staff on Discord.
Somebody cannot connect. Check they are on the lineup. Only those players are allowed into the match. If you are trying to add spectators, point them at the SourceTV address instead.
The match needs to stop. Either captain can call off a lobby before it starts. Once a match is running, ask an admin.
Anything else, feel free to ask in the Discord.