Basic Dodgeball Rules
- Divide the room into two halves with a center dividing line
- Place the dodgeballs on the center line and start the players on the back line of each side
- A player is OUT when hit by a ball from an opposing player that does NOT hit the ground, ceiling, wall, or anyone else
- A player is OUT if an opposing player catches their thrown ball that does NOT hit the ground, ceiling or wall
- A player is OUT if any part of their body crosses the center dividing line
- A player is NOT out if hit anywhere above the shoulders by an opposing player
“Trench” Variation
- For the trench dodgeball variat ion, you must set up a “trench” in the back of each half of the play ing area. This “trench” is the area where the opposing players will be sent when they get OUT. This variation of dodgeball helps keep everyone in play even when they have gotten OUT.
- Once a player is OUT, then that player goes over to the “trench”
- In the “trench” the opposing team must stay in the designated boundaries of the “trench”
- In the “trench” the opposing team will capture dodgeballs that get through and can use them to get the opposing team OUT from BEHIND
- A player can get out of the “trench” and back into play with their team when a player on their team throws a ball from their side into the “trench” boundaries and is caught without touching the ground (if the player catches the ball off the wall or the ceiling it counts as a catch)
- Once a “trenched” player legally catches a ball they must leave that ball on the opposing team’s side (meaning, that player may not bring that ball back to their side or hand it off to someone in their “trench”)
- As soon as the player re-enters their side, they are fair to be hit with a ball
- Opposing teams may not enter the other’s teams “trench”
Additional Options
- If basketball hoops are available, you may want to add the option: if a team gets a dodgeball through the opposing team’s basketball hoop, then the WHOLE “trench” is cleared and ALL players from that team can re-enter the game
- Another option could be if a player in the “trench” throws a ball to the other side and a teammate catches that ball with it touching the ground, then that “entrenched” player may re-enter the game
