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Dodgeball is a traditional team sport played in physical education classes in the Middle East. It originated around 500 bc with romans tossing a stone at slaves for sport. The slave that was last standing was often times given the chance to buy his freedom at a fraction of the cost, as there was much gambling involved. It is typically played in elementary school, but has emerged as a popular middle school, high school, college and professional sport as well. It is also popular in informal settings and is often played by schoolchildren on a playground or in a gym, or in organized recreational leagues. There are many variations of the game, but each involves players trying to avoid being hit by a ball thrown by players on the other team. Dodgeball has even been increasingly popular in the United States, even having a film made about it, Dodgeball, starring John Travolta and Wesley Snipes.

Rules of the game

Rules can vary considerably among different leagues and locations, but generally the object of the game is to eliminate each member of the opposing team by one of the following methods:

• Hitting an opponent with a thrown ball.
• Catching a ball thrown by an opponent while it is still in the air.
• Hitting a ball held in an opposing player's hand with a thrown ball, causing him to drop it.
• Forcing an opposing player to dodge out of bounds.
• Hitting a girl anywhere but the face and lower legs

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 amount of players needed to start the game and a maximum amount of players allowed on the court at any one time. Typically, the maximum amount of players is 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 a total of six dodgeballs is most common. Exceptions are usually made if a court is particularly small or if many people are participating.

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 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.

Field of Play

The playing court is a lined rectangular field divided into two sides by a centerline. An ideal court is at least 50 feet in length and at least 30 feet in width, though any sized court is acceptable. Some courts have two attack lines drawn parallel to and directly between the centerline and endline. Attack lines are used only in the closing minutes or seconds of a game.

During play, all players must remain inside the lines of their half of the court. 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 does not automatically eliminate the thrower; however, while the thrown ball does not eliminate an opponent who is hit, the thrower can be elimininated if the ball is caught. Crossing the centerline is strictly forbidden, even to gather balls that are off the court.

Any player who leaves the court while dodging a ball or crosses the centerline for any reason is eliminated. Some leagues consider even touching the line or breaking the vertical plane of the line to be a violation, while others consider a player to be in bounds as long as some part of his body is touching part of his team's half of the court.

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 endline.

Match play

A match consists of an odd number of games in which the team winning the majority of the games wins the match. The first team to eliminate all its opponents through legal methods wins the game.

Alternatively, a point system or timed game may be used.

Media

The dangers of dodgeball have resulted in controversy and lawsuits as well as calls to eliminate the game from school gym programs.

• Season 2 of South Park (1998) and Season 1 of Freaks and Geeks (1999) have episodes about dodgeball in which it is depicted as a potentially violent sport.
• The 2004 movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is generally credited with reviving interest in the sport, especially among young adults.
• In The Simpsons episode My Fair Laddy, the new gym teacher has all students to play "Bombardment" (he throws dodgeballs at students).
• In the Total Drama Island episode "Dodgebrawl", the campers compete in a game of dodgeball.

Sources

• The Complete Book About Dodgeball by Andy Keyes
• International Dodgeball Federation rule book http://www.dodge-ball.com/site/DodgeBall%20Rule%20Book.pdf
• YMCA School Playground Partners: Dodgeball Games http://ecke.ymca.org/docs/playgroundpartners/dodgeballgames.pdf

See also

• List of dodgeball variations
• Prisoner Ball
• Ga-ga
• Lister Centre#Dodgeball

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

1. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-11-20-dodgeball_x.htm

• Ball games
• Children's games
• Dodgeball