There is no one set of rules that is better than any other. The rules of dodgeball should reflect on what your game is trying to accomplish.
Primarily, we play based on two different sets of rules. Tournament rules and open gym rules
Our tournament rules are adapted as the game and teams adapt.
Number of players: The number of players changes almost every aspect of the game. If there are a lot of players, teams will play more loosely and games will last longer. With fewer players, teams are forced to play conservatively and focus on strategy and ball control. In a tournament, teams should have lower numbers of people, ranging between 5 – 10 players per team. When playing during an open gym, the game could potentially be as large as a 50 vs. 50 game of dodgeball, though this is not recommended as it can become too crowded and therefore dangerous in an average sized gym.
Number of balls: A dodgeball game should have as many players on the court participating at once as possible. This means at any one time most of the players should have a ball in their possession, be throwing a ball at an opposing player, or getting a ball thrown at them. But having a dodgeball should remain a large advantage. Therefore not everyone can have a dodgeball. A players with a ball needs to be able to get another player out who does not have a ball. We have found the most amount of ball you want on a court is the number of half the total players. So if each team has 6 players, knowing that there are a total of 12 players on a court, there should be 6 balls on the court. The more players there are on a team, the more this rule can be bent.
Time limit: A time limit should reflect two things. If it is a tournament, the time should be about 2 to 5 minutes. This allows the tournament to stay on schedule and teams will spend less time waiting and more time playing. Our time limit for open gyms is however long it takes the court that takes the longest to finish their game or when players from the quicker court have been sitting for about 5 minutes or more. At this point we create rules such as "no blocking" or “sudden death”. These rules help to finish the game more quickly.
Boundaries: In a tournament they should be strict and enforced and are marked by cones, lines or walls. That way players cannot run "out of bounds" to save themselves from being hit. In an open gym, boundaries should create maximum action. This is possible if the players can throw hard and hit opposing players on the opposite end line. In an open gym a simple center line should be enforced. If players such as young children have trouble throwing, then think about adding a center neutral zone.
Types of balls: PLAY WITH RUBBER COATED FOAM CORE BALLS. The average person can thrown these balls much harder and more accurately than a rubber kick ball. Also foam core balls offer a huge variety of curves and trick throws. They make the game easier to watch and play; also the game is more exciting and can be more strategically based.
For more rules and tips please email us at wsdbdodgeball@yahoo.com
