This variation of dodgeball is the favorite of most kids.
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.
Rules
The Start
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 “downed”, they go down on one knee wherever they got downed” Players downed can still participate by blocking balls, but cannot catch or throw balls. A player can get downed 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.
The doctor will run around during gameplay tagging players that have been downed which reactivates them. If a doctor is downed, they can no longer tag downed teammates up.
Downed players should not move their knees.
The End
Once all of the players on a team are out, the other team wins.
Modifications
We frequently do not allow “shields”. These are players who constantly protect the doctor and get tagged up as soon as they are hit. While they can be defeated. It often takes too long and is something that can only be accomplished by older teens.