Welcome to Dodgeballgear.com

Welcome to dodgeballgear.com. We will be providing great quality dodgeball guides and equipment recommendations. Pardon our mess as we are currently under construction.

Warm up ideas

Stretch arms, legs, and back

A solid stretch will allow you to remain nimble and agile. Be ready to move in any direction away from an incoming ball. Stretching your arm will help your shoulder from becoming tired too early.

Play catch

Getting your arm loose for throwing heat is recommended before any dodgeball match. Throwing out ones arm is a costly mistake and quite a painful experience. Keep your arm well rested inbetween game days. Remember, most starting pitchers in baseball only start every 5 games.

Jogging/Sprints

As a former coach of mine said, you must run the race before you actually run the race. The name of the game is cardio and you must be able to withstand being the last man to win it for your team. Most of the action comes fast and rapid, so there is very little time for rest out on the court. You must be able to have endurance to do quick bursts of energy for 5 minutes of straight action.

Jump around

There will be balls thrown at your legs. You must be able to jump up to avoid getting hit.

Selecting your Dodgeball arena

When push comes to shove, the 2nd most important aspect of your dodgeball experience is your venue. Depending on where you live, you may have access to a high class facility or you may have to improvise and select a less than ideal location.

In general, an ideal venue will have the following attributes:

• Fully enclosed playing area
• Won't be kicked out for trespassing
• Minimal chance to hit bystanders
• Drinking fountains onsite

Here are some suggestions for potential venues.

Gymnasium

A school gym is an ideal indoor location to play a variety of sporting events, including dodgeball. Usually it is hard getting access to a gym because they'll either be locked for the weekend or will be booked by organized athletic activities. If you can get access to an open gym with no one else around except for you and your buddies to play dodgeball, then you are fortunate. If you have a gym in your area you'd like to use, it might be worthwhile negotiating with the operators to set up a time or event for dedicated dodgeball activities.

Tennis Courts

Here a local group plays inside a fully enclosed tennis court

Tennis courts are a good candidate for use as a dodgeball court. However, not all courts are created equal. An ideal court would be a single, fully enclosed court in a low traffic area (see image above). Most of the time, only half of a tennis court (lengthwise) is enough space to get a game going.

Many tennis courts are not created like the one above and can consist of many open courts (see image below). These are not ideal as you'll be playing fetch for the dodgeballs more than you'll be throwing. Additionally, many tennis courts are privately owned and maintained. Use your best judgement when it comes to tennis courts.

Racquetball/Handball courts

Using a racquetball court to play dodgeball is very similar to using a single, fully enclosed tennis court. Instead of being fenced in, the walls surrounding the court are typically made of hard concrete. You're essentially trading away the risk of balls popping on a fence for the risk of deforming your equipment.

Image ©Sean999diving

The arena provides a different playing atmosphere, as ricocheting balls off the walls can pose a threat to injury. Depending on how the walls are constructed, there can be a lot of noise generated from the echoing impacts.

Overall, these are a decent playing venue, as the close quarters will provide for intense matches. Be sure to not trespass or offend people using them for their intended purpose.

Volleyball courts

For when you're at the beach and need a venue, a volleyball court can make for some barefoot dodgeball fun. They are viable as long as you don't need to go running after too many balls and are able to take down the net.

Image ©Paul Gillett and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

What kind of court do you play on? Leave your answer in the comments below.

General Game Rules

Basic guidelines

A normal game of dodgeball usually involves two teams of 6 players per side. The number of players can vary, but it should usually be an even match.

Before the game starts, the balls are placed on the middle line of the court and players of both teams line up along their respective endlines. When "DODGEBALL" is called, the players rush out to grab the balls to bring them back to their side.

Some games require the balls to be brought back all the way to the endlines before they are thrown, while others have a designated "Attack line" about halfway back that the ball must be returned to. The image above shows the NDL court dimensions, which have the attack lines located 10 feet behind the center line.

From then on, it's game on. If a player is hit with a thrown ball in the air, they are called "out" and move out of the court to line up along the sidelines. If a player catches a thrown ball, the player who threw the ball is "out" and an "out" player on the receiving team comes back in.

The game ends when one team is eliminated.

There is no one way to play dodgeball. You should setup your ground rules before starting play. There will be plenty of "What if" scenarios during play, so try to cover all bases before these issues arise.

Blocking

Most rules state that a player can use a held ball to deflect a ball without being called out. However, if a player blocking drops his/her held ball, then they would be called "out". The deflected ball is considered a "dead ball" after this. If this is the case, a ball is blocked and caught by another teammate, it would not count as a catch and no one would be called "out" or allowed to return "in".

Headshots

Headshots are a controversial subject. Most rules dictate that headshots are illegal, resulting in the player hit being allowed to remain in. Some rules state that the thrower would be called "out" for the action. For "headshot illegal" games, the only time a headshot would be allowed is if the hit player purposely positions themselves to take the hit in the head.

Conversely, there are rulesets which allow headshots, such as those found in the movie Dodgeball itself. This is considered more dangerous, as the potential for injury and concussions is significantly higher. Please play at your own risk.

Time limits

For tournament and other play, match time limits can be implemented. These can range anywhere from 3 minutes to 7 minutes a match. The winner of the round is the team with the most players still in at the end of time. In the case of a tie, the tournament rules will dictate if the round ends in a tie or if there is sudden death.

A player who intentionally stalls the game can be given a warning of be called out depending on the nature of play. Stalling can include stockpiling all the balls on ones side of the court and refusing to throw the ball.

Other considerations

Examples of being called "out" without being hit
Crossing the centerline or sideline
Crossing the backline for any reason except retrieving a ball
Unsportsmanlike conduct
Hitting another player in the head
Stalling

(Work in progress)

Rubber Balls vs Foam Balls

One of the biggest decisions you'll have to make when acquiring balls to play dodgeball is the choice between rubber and foam balls. Both have their advantages and disadvantages in a normal game of dodgeball. It's likely though that your decision will likely come from those who you play with. Here are our comparisons between the two materials.

RUBBER

Rubber balls are typically used for many dodgeball events as they are widely available and can be used for a variety of playground activities. Due to their size, shape, and material, they make for high intensity dodgeball matches. The downside though is the increased risk for injury during play.

PROS	CONS
Can be thrown fast Great for high intensity matches Easy to replace when broken Usually cheaper than foam Balls lose grip through use	Chance of deforming from impact Can get popped if hit on a sharp edge Players have higher chance of getting injured

Recommended Use

• College and High School pickup games
• High intensity athletes
• Tournaments where participants are forced to sign a waiver

See our recommendations for Rubber Dodgeballs

FOAM

Foam balls are usually used by youth leagues and other organizations where liability for injuries to participants is high. It's hard to hurt someone with foam balls.

PROS	CONS
Soft, squishy design means less chance for injury Ball designed to resist becoming deformed Skin is tear resistant Do not need to be inflated	Most cannot be thrown as fast as rubber balls Not as widely available Usually have to shop online for them Generally more expensive than rubber balls

Recommended for:

• Grade School Playgrounds
• Youth Leagues
• Charity Tournaments
• Casual players

See our recommendations for Foam dodgeballs

Which material do you play with? Leave your comments below.