This variation of dodgeball is significantly different than traditional dodgeball and can easily be played without needing traditional dodgeball or other variations to keep things interesting.
Materials
- One basketball for each team. (Recommend 3+ teams)
- One dodgeball for each team. (Typically a larger dodgeball such as a 9″ soft rubber ball.)
- A basketball goal.
Preparation
Split the group into even teams. I recommend 3+ teams (even if each team is small) to make it more interesting. If there are an uneven number of players on a team, someone should be chosen to run twice. I always line up teams from shortest to tallest to keep each round competitive. Have each team line up 40+ feet from the basket. Place a basketball about 5 feet in front of each team and all the dodgeballs in the center of the court. (If playing on uneven ground consider using a tub or basket to keep balls from rolling away.)
Rules
Gameplay
Each team will have one player running at a time. This is not a relay style game. When go has been shouted. One player from each team should run forward, grab their team’s basketball, and run down to shoot a basket. They can shoot from as close or far away as they wish, and I don’t often require dribbling. The player should continue shooting until they make a basket (consider adding a maximum number of attempts required if younger players are involved.) Once they have made a basket, the player should return their basketball to the start spot where the basketball was originally placed. Afterwards, the player should run to the center of the court and grab a dodgeball. (I only allow them to use one dodgeball for the entire round. This means they cannot grab all the dodgeballs, and if they miss someone, they will need to retrieve their dodgeball.) The player should then attempt to knock out the other players. Once a player is hit out, they should go back to their team. Whichever team has the last man standing, receives a point and the court should be reset for the next group of players.
The End
The team that wins the most rounds wins the game. Alternatively, you can have teams continue to play until a team reaches a specified number of points. (E.g., wins 10 rounds.)