Materials

• Dodgeballs
• Tape, rope, or cones

Preparation

Split playing area in half using tape, rope, or cones. Place dodgeballs along the halfway line. If playing space is not naturally enclosed evenly, use tape, rope, or cones to mark outer boundaries. On the side of the dodgeball court there should be a “sideline” where players that are out can go. The sideline should be split in half along with the court so that both sides can move to their sideline, but not mingle with each other.

Rules

The Start

First, pick a “Jailer”. The jailer’s responsibility is to monitor the jail and handle the buybacks for both teams. The jailer should be stationed on the dividing line between the two sides of the sideline and close to the court.

Divide group into 2 teams. Both teams should start with the foot or hand on the outer boundary. After a countdown, (our group cannot start until they hear the word “go”) both sides rush to get the balls from the middle and “tag them in”. To “tag in” a ball, a player must grab the ball from the center line, run back to their side, and touch the ball to their back boundary. Once “tagged in” the ball is live and they can begin to throw any and all balls they acquire from that point forward.

Gameplay

Players continue to throw balls back and forth at each other. If a player gets “out”, they must move to the sidelines and observe. A player can get out the following ways.

• Hit by a ball thrown by the opposing team.
  • The ball must not touch any surface before contacting the player. (e.g., the floor or a wall.)
  • The ball must be thrown, not kicked or propelled some other way.
  • The ball cannot hit the someone in the head. (This discourages headshots.)
• Hit by a legal (see above) ball that bounced off a teammate first. In this scenario, all players the ball touches are out.
• Has their throw caught by the opposing team. (Note: if a ball ricochets off a player and then is caught by a teammate, the first player is still in.)
• Crosses the line into the opposing team’s side.
• Leaves the play area.

Once a player is out, they should move to their sideline zone. Players still in can collect a predetermined number of dodgeballs (typically 3-5) to “buyback” their teammate. These dodgeballs are handed to the jailer who then releases which ever prisoner the player making the buyback chooses. The jailer gives the dodgeballs used for the buyout purchase to the other team.

The End

Once all of the players on a team are out, the other team wins.

Modifications

Require all balls used for buyback to be the same color.