Early Spring 2025 Dodgeball Melville

Additional Info

HOW TO JOIN SEMI PRO:

Players can join as a 'franchise group' or as a 'draft pool' player.

• To join as a 'franchise group', you’ll need to join in a group with exactly 2m and 2f.
• 'Draft pool players' will get drafted onto a franchise.

You cannot join Semi Pro and be placed on a franchise of your choosing, nor is a placement guaranteed.

2025 SEMI PRO DATES

• Mar-15 optional preseason showcase tournament
• Apr-12
• May-17
• June-21
• Jul-19
• Aug-16
• Sep-20
• Oct-25 grand finale

2025 Semi Pro Constitution

The Semi Pro Constitution provides a framework to govern Semi Pro. It is the contract between LI-Kick, Franchises and Players. It will create a level playing field, while balancing stability of franchises and mobility to players. It can only be amended with the approval of 66% of franchises.

ESTABLISHING FRANCHISES

• 2025 starts a new year of Semi Pro with new franchises.
• The number of 2025 Franchises is expected to be 7-8, but is ultimately dependent on the size of the draft pool.
• A vote will be held to determine the franchise groups if the number of franchise groups exceeds the number of spots.

INITIAL DRAFT

• The franchise groups will hold a draft to distribute draft pool players.
• Each franchise must draft 4m and 1f to end up with a roster 9 players. At the conclusion of the 9th round, franchises will have the option to select a 10th player (any gender).

TOURNAMENTS

Each Semi Pro event will have 2 tournaments- the main Semi Pro Tournament and a D-League tournament which will take place immediately prior.

D-LEAGUE TOURNAMENT DETAILS

D-League tournaments will be approximately two hours. D-League tournaments are 4v4 and gender blind. There are several goals to the D-League including (1) Allowing franchises to carry large rosters where the top players can get max playing time in Semi Pro and the other players can get meaningful playing time in D-League games (2) Allow players in the draft pool (and not on a Semi Pro franchise) the opportunity to play in D-League tournaments (3) Give playing time to developing players (4) Give the option for outside players/teams to participate in tournaments in the Semi Pro ecosystem. D-League tournaments will have round round games into single elimination. D-League Winners will receive medals and a smaller sticker to go on the belt.

D-LEAUGE ROSTERS

Players are never designated as strictly 'D-League' players. Every franchise may enter a D-League team of up to 6 players. Players can participate in D-League and Semi Pro on the same day. D-League teams may come from a variety of areas including (1) Representing their Semi Pro franchise, (2) Draft pool players forming teams, (3) Teams outside of Semi Pro. Semi Pro teams will have the first option to enter a team. A Semi Pro team can take up to 2 draft pool players on a temporary basis with no draft necessary. If a Semi Pro team is not entering a D-League team, their roster will be 'opened' and individual players will be given the opportunity to enter their own temporary D-League team. All during this time, the league will have the option to create a league-sponsored team using players in the draft pool, and outside teams will be able to register. D-League teams will not have an ELO.

SEMI PRO TOURNAMNET DETAILS

Each tournament will have multiple pool play rounds into a single elimination bracket. There will be a winner of each tournament. Winners will receive medals and will take home the ‘Semi Pro Belt’. Franchises will carry forward ELO, which will be used to seed drafts in subsequent tournaments. Rules will follow USA Dodgeball rules where possible. Pool play games are 10 minutes of running clock with up to 3 minutes of no-blocking. All franchises will make playoffs. Play-in games are 10 minutes. Playoff games are 15 minutes. Championship game is 20 minutes. Playoff games that are tied, or have a chance to be tied will finish out with no-blocking game.

SEMI PRO ROSTERS

4m and 2f play at a time. Any player on the franchise is eligible to play and franchises are under no obligation to give even playing time. Any roster cap can be exceeded for a celebrity player.

PLAYER MOVEMENT

These player movement rules ensure the Semi Pro structure is flexible to accommodate our ‘real’ lives while maintaining a competitive balance. Each tournament will have a supplemental draft to accommodate new players and account for absent players. Ideally franchises know what players are in/out on Monday, and the supplemental draft is held on Wednesday before the tournament. Draft orders will be in the reverse order of standings. 

·        Incoming Players: These are players joining Semi Pro after the initial draft wishing to be permanently drafted onto a franchise.

·        Withdrawn Players: Sometimes a player finds themselves on a franchise they don’t vibe with. After attending two consecutive tournaments, a player may withdraw themselves from their franchise and enter the supplemental draft, in hopes of getting picked by a new franchise. 

·        Dropped Players: A captain may not want an unreliable player taking up a roster spot. If a player no-shows two consecutive tournaments, the captain may issue a drop, and that player will enter the supplemental draft. Captains must designate their drops within 7 days of the previous tournament.

·   Cuts - Franchises can make 1 cut without cause after the 2nd, 4th and 5th tournament. A franchise may not cut a player if it will bring them under the 6m/3f minimum for the next tournament.

·        Guest Player: In the case a franchise does not have enough players to enter a tournament, the players on that franchise may enter the supplemental draft and be picked up as guest players for the other franchises.

·        Celebrity Player: Twice per season, a franchise may exceed any cap to bring in a player from outside of Long Island (excluding the season opener and championship). The Celebrity Player may only participate in one Semi Pro tournament per season. The use of a Celebrity Players is contingent upon approval from the commissioner.

-Franchises are allowed to trade with an approval of two-thirds of franchises.

PRICING

• There is a $75 joining fee.
• The joining fee will be prorated down to $65 after the first tournament and $50 after the second.
• Players will receive a credit if they are dropped/withdrawn and do not get picked up by another franchise in the supplemental draft.
• The cost to enter a tournament is $310 per franchise.
• The cost to enter a D-League team is $150 per franchise.
• A player that plays in all 7 tournaments on a franchise of 9 will pay $316 for the complete first year of semi-pro.

FAQ:

Q: Is this like a Professional Dodgeball League?

A: We're getting there.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Dec-08: Registration for 2025 Open
• Mar-15: Preseason Showcase Tournament
• Mar-16: Deadline to join
• Mar-16: Franchise group declaration deadline. Voting beings (if necessary)
• Mar-19: Voting Ends, Results announced
• Mar-20: Initial Draft held
• Mar-24: Franchise identities revealed and jersey order
• Apr-12: First Tournament

CHANGES FROM 2024

D-League

There creation of the D-League is the biggest change from last year. This addresses the very blatant fact that franchises need to carry large rosters over a 7 month series, but it is not preferable to have a full roster show up for a tournament. Now franchises will be able to send players into D-League tournaments where they can gain valuable experience while representing their franchise. With players participating in D-League, it alleviates the pressure for franchises to evenly distribute playing time and they can focus giving more playing time to their top players. The D-League will also give playing opportunities to draft pool players and to outside teams that want to play a dodgeball tournament, without participating in the Semi Pro series.

Preseason Showcase Tournament

An optional showcase tournament will be held before the draft. It will be run 'mix and match' style with players playing multiple games with different teammates and opponents each round. The mix and match results will be used to seed a 1v1 tournament, with the winner getting to be the first person to take home the 2025 Semi Pro belt.

Roster Rules

With the D-League in place, franchises will be required to roster a minimum of 9 players (6m/3f). We've also got rid of the 'Available player' designation which would allow a franchise to use a player from outside of Semi Pro when they needed a 1-time sub. Now franchises will need to use a draft pool player as a sub. Captains are now given a third cut to give their roster flexibility.

Tournament Rules

All franchises will make the playoffs now. When the number of franchises is greater than 6, 'play-in' games will be used to qualify for playoffs. (Example, 5v8 and 6v7 in play-in games)

2024 Semi Pro Results

2024 Semi Pro Hype Video

Link to Ref Test 1

Link to Ref Test 2

Frequently Asked Questions