dodge ball

A player dodging a ball.

Dodgeball means any game in which players try to hit other players with balls and avoid being hit. There are many such games; see List of dodgeball variations. This article is about a well-known form, also called battleball: a team sport with codified rules that is often played in physical education classes and has been featured in a movie, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. It is typically played in elementary school, but has emerged as a popular middle school, high school and college sport as well. It is also popular in informal settings and is often played on a playground, in a gym, or in organized recreational leagues. There are many variations of the game, but generally the main objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls, catching a ball thrown by a member of the opposing team, or forcing them to move outside the court boundaries when a ball is thrown at them.

Players

Four to ten players start on each team's side of the court, though six players per side is most common. Rules dictate both a minimum number of players needed to start the game and a maximum number of players allowed on the court at any one time. The maximum number of players per side is typically the same as the number starting the game.

After a player is eliminated, he may re-enter the match if another player on his team catches an opponent's thrown ball (provided his team does not already have the maximum amount of players on the court). Players must re-enter the game in the order in which they were eliminated.

Some leagues allow players that have been eliminated to assist their team by directing thrown balls back to the players on the court, while other leagues confine eliminated players to a designated area off the court and prohibit them from participating in the game until they are allowed back on the court.

Equipment

One to ten dodgeballs can be used in a game, but six dodgeballs are most common. Exceptions are usually made if a court is particularly small or if many people participate.

There is no standard measurement or material for a dodgeball. It can vary in size from that of a softball to that of a soccer ball, and is made out of anything from cloth to hard rubber. However, most dodgeballs are roughly the size of a volleyball and composed of foam with a thin plastic shell. Some leagues allow the use of multiple sizes of dodgeballs in a single match (often with restrictions on whether men or women can throw certain sizes), while others use one standard size for all balls.

Starting the game

The game begins by placing the game balls on the attack lines or the centerline, spaced evenly apart. If the balls are placed on the attack lines, then the balls are evenly divided between both sides. If the balls are placed on the centerline, then there must be an equal amount of balls on both the right and left sides of the court.

All players on each side must have one foot in contact with the endline before the opening whistle is blown. When the referee blows the opening whistle, players may rush to pick up the dodgeballs on their own attack line (or, if the balls are on the centerline, the balls to the right of center court). Some leagues allow players to pick up any ball, regardless of location. Players may only begin to throw at the opponents once a ball has been brought back over the attack line.

Rules of play

Once the game has commenced, players throw balls at members of the opposing team. When a player has been hit by a ball that subsequently becomes "dead" due to hitting the ground or a court obstruction, that player has been eliminated and must move to his team's designated bench area. If a player catches a ball thrown by the opposing team, then the player who threw the ball is eliminated and the team that caught the ball can reinstate one of its eliminated players. A player who moves completely out of bounds when a ball is thrown at him and does not catch that ball is also eliminated.

Players can pick up dead balls and throw them back at the other team. Players are allowed to leave the confines of the court to gather balls, but cannot throw the ball until they are back inside the court. A ball thrown from outside the court cannot eliminate an opponent who is hit, but the thrower can be eliminated if the ball is caught.

Depending on the rules of a particular game, a ball in the possession of a player can be used to block incoming balls thrown by the opposing team.

Once all the players on one team are eliminated, the game is over.

Media

In literature, dodgeball in which smaller or weaker children are forced to play against older and stronger children is sometimes depicted as licensed bullying for the amusement of cruel gym teachers.^[1] Other writers retain better memories of it.^[2]

• The 2004 movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is generally credited with reviving interest in the sport, especially among young adults.^[3]
• The South Park episode "Conjoined Fetus Lady" and Season 1 of Freaks and Geeks depict dodgeball as a potentially violent sport.
• In The Simpsons episode "My Fair Laddy", the new gym teacher has the students play "Bombardment", a variant of dodgeball.
• In the Total Drama Island episode "Dodgebrawl", the campers compete in a game of dodgeball.
• In the series Ed, Edd n Eddy, the character Edd never removes his hat from his head due to what he calls the "dodgeball incident."
• In the 2006 movie Jackass: Number Two, one of the skits involves playing dodgeball both in the dark and using medicine balls rather than traditional dodgeballs.
• In the Discovery Channel series Wreckreation Nation, host Dave Mordal competes in a WASA Dodgeball tournament in Denver, Colorado.
• In Greek, the ZBZs take on the IKIs in an all-girl match, resulting in a winning blow by Jordan to Frannie.

In addition, the dangerous nature and associated risks of dodgeball have resulted in controversies, lawsuits, and calls to eliminate the game from school physical education programs.^[4]

Variations of Dodgeball

See also

Look up dodgeball in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Ga-ga
• Prisoner Ball

Notes

References

• The Complete Book About Dodgeball by Andy Keyes
• International Dodgeball Federation rule book
• YMCA School Playground Partners: Dodgeball Games YMCA of San Diego County

External links

• National Dodgeball League, directions for member clubs, and leagues in the United States.
• National Amateur Dodgeball Association
• National College Dodgeball Association
• International Dodge Ball Federation
• Fun and Games