Dodgeball Rules: How to Play, Fair Teams and Safety

Dodgeball is a fast team game: two teams throw soft balls at each other, and anyone who is hit is out. It is loud, simple and a favourite in gyms and on playgrounds, but it only works when the teams are fair and the balls are soft. Here are the standard rules, a fair way to pick teams and the first ball, safety rules every group should use, and popular variations.

What you need

• A gym or flat open space split in half by a centre line.
• Four to eight soft foam balls. Fewer balls make a slower game, more balls make a faster one.
• Two teams of roughly equal size, from about five players each up to a whole class.

Standard rules

1. Place the balls on the centre line. Each team starts at its own back wall.
2. On the signal, both teams run to the centre to collect balls. Many groups have each team take only the balls on its own side of the line.
3. Players throw balls at the other team. A player hit by a thrown ball below the shoulders before it touches the floor or a wall is out.
4. If a player catches a thrown ball, the thrower is out instead, and in many versions one player from the catcher’s team comes back in.
5. Players may not cross the centre line. Stepping over it means you are out.
6. Out players sit at the side in the order they went out. The game ends when one team has no players left.

A ball that bounces off the floor or a wall before hitting someone does not count. If a player blocks a throw with a ball they are holding, most groups let them stay in; agree on that before you start.

A fair way to pick teams

Captains picking teams one by one is the classic way, but it is also the part of dodgeball many children remember for the wrong reasons: the same kids are always picked last. A fairer way is to put every name into the Random Name Picker and split the class with its team option, as explained in our guide to random teams.

A common worry is that a random draw will put all the strong throwers on one side. The table shows how the six strongest throwers in a class would be split between two equal teams by a fully random draw.

In 85% to 92% of draws the strong throwers end up 3‑3 or 4‑2, which is a fair game. A lopsided 5‑1 split happens in about 8% to 14% of draws, and 6‑0 almost never. A simple rule that keeps the draw honest: agree before you spin that a 5‑1 or 6‑0 split gets one redraw, then accept whatever comes next.

Who gets the first ball

If the balls are not split evenly at the start, or if you skip the rush and give one team the first throws, decide with a Coin Flip. One team calls heads or tails, and the winner chooses first ball or side. For a series of games, switch the first ball each game so neither team keeps the advantage.

Safety rules

• Use only soft foam or coated foam balls, never hard rubber playground balls.
• Hits must be below the shoulders. A throw to the head does not get anyone out, and many groups put the thrower out instead.
• No throwing at a player who has fallen or from very close range.
• Let children sit out without fuss. Some schools have restricted dodgeball because some children feel targeted, so a teacher should watch for the same player being hit again and again.
• Glasses off or sports goggles on, and a clear space with no hard objects near the walls.

Popular variations

• Jail or prison dodgeball: out players stand behind the other team’s back line and can get back in by catching a ball or hitting an opponent from there.
• Doctor dodgeball: each team secretly chooses a doctor who can tag hit players back into the game. When the doctor is hit, nobody else can be saved.
• Everybody is it: no teams; every player is on their own, and anyone hit sits down until the player who hit them is out. It plays a lot like tag.
• Catch-only rounds: players are out only if their throw is caught, which slows the game down for younger children.

For another big team game with the same soft ball and fair random teams, see our kickball rules.

FAQ

What are the basic rules of dodgeball?

Two teams throw soft balls at each other across a centre line. A player hit below the shoulders before the ball bounces is out, and a caught throw puts the thrower out. The last team with players left wins.

Do headshots count in dodgeball?

No. In most school and recreational rules a hit to the head does not get the player out, and the thrower may be out instead. Hits must be below the shoulders.

What happens if you catch the ball in dodgeball?

The player who threw it is out. In many versions one player from the catching team who was already out also comes back in.

How do you pick fair dodgeball teams?

Use a random name picker to split the class into two teams instead of captains picking. Agree before the draw that a very lopsided split gets one redraw.

Is dodgeball safe for kids?

It can be when you use soft foam balls, allow only hits below the shoulders, ban throws at close range or at fallen players, and let children sit out if they want to.