Dodgeball (or dodge ball) is the name of a traditional game taught in physical education classes in the USA as well as other such parts of the world, usually in elementary school, but is played in middle and high school as well. It is also popular in informal settings and is often played by schoolchildren on a playground or in a gymnasium. There are many variations of the game, but each involve players trying to avoid being hit by a ball that players on the other team are throwing at them.

The sport of dodgeball is experiencing new growth in recent years, often attributed to the 2004 release of the film "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story". While the 2004 comedy can be partially attributed to the rebirth of the sport, the resurgence of dodgeball in certain areas was in full-swing before the movie debut. Leagues such as the National Amateur Dodgeball Association (formed in 2000), the International Dodgeball Federation (formed in 1996), and other emerging entities such as the National Dodgeball League, National Dodgeball Association, and others have all existed since before the popularization of the sport through the media. The rebirth of this, and other school yard games, might also be attributed to the growth in popularity of culture, movies, and fashion of past decades such as the 1980s.

Dodgeball, when it emerged in about 1922, was touted as the "nerd's sport".^{[citation needed]} Since players normally were not part of a team, no player had to endure the teasing that would fall upon a player accused of "causing the team to lose." As well, the game was seen as having a light-hearted and self-deprecatory nature and, therefore, more amenable to non-athletic students.^{[citation needed]} Dodgeball advocates also argue that dodgeball is a way for more aggressive students to use their violent energy on soft foam balls, rather than with their fists when they aren't under the supervision of a gym class teacher.

However, dodgeball has come under attack for failing to meet the needs of precisely those students. Opponents of dodgeball have argued that the game provides, for bullies, the excuse to abuse unathletic and unpopular students, by throwing the ball hard enough to cause injury. The aim of the variant King sting or Brandings is to throw the ball at others as hard as possible. In some cases, the rule may be used that a player hit above the shoulders is not out; this discourages the dangerous practice of aiming for the face.

After a series of publicized dodgeball injuries in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many schools have removed the game from their physical-education requirements, and some have even banned the game entirely.^{[citation needed]}

Many other schools, however, have taken a more moderate approach, allowing dodgeball by using soft foam balls instead of harder rubber balls. Many schools avoid the no dodgeball rule, simply by renaming the sport and adding an extra rule or two (ex. free all your teams players by making a basket on the opposite side of the gym). Most of the schools that still play dodgeball also implement a variation on the "head shot" rule, where a person that throws a head shot is called out, much as if his victim had caught the ball.^{[citation needed]}

A second regional dodgeball league is in Boston, Massachusetts. The league began with Cambridge-based Lesley College's club dodgeball team before spreading out to neighboring schools. Currently, students from Bentley College and the Art Institute of Boston regularly gather once a week to play. The league is less formal than the MDC and more closely aligned with the NADA ruleset. Occasionally, the three main schools will band together into one team to play a formal match against another school. Previous matches have been against MIT and Harvard. The league ordinarily plays at Lesley College, but has played at both MIT and Bentley in efforts to spread the game.

   *  Bait-ball: One team member lobs a ball up in the air to distract the other team, while a second team member throws a ball at normal speed in hopes of getting someone out. The name refers to the first ball's status as bait to lure the team's focus away from the second ball. One player can try to throw both the bait and kill balls, but this is less effective.
   * Suicide throw: In some rulesets, individuals can cross the center line while jumping. They are only out when their feet hit the floor. Suiciders take advantage of this by attempting to jump across the center line and throw the ball before their feet hit the ground. This is to get closer to an opposing team member in hopes of increasing the likelihood of getting that person out.
   * Covering Fire In this strategy, the team will save as many balls as possible until the order covering fire is called and the team throws all their balls at targets while the commando crosses and wrecks havoc.
   * Suicide Run / Kamikaze: Similar to the Suicide Throw, but instead of jumping across the center line, the player runs parallel to the line while throwing the ball. This tactic is a good way to trick the opposing team into throwing their balls to the other side, however, it will usually lead to the runner being eliminated.
   * Peek-a-boo: The name here comes from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The tactic is very similar to how it is portrayed in the movie. One team member comes up in the shadow of another team member who is currently throwing in order to go unnoticed by the other team. The first team member then goes out from behind the shadow and quickly throws the ball in hopes of surprising the other team.
   * Psych-out: For this strategy a player feints having a ball behind his back, and at an opportunistic time will pretend to throw the "ball." While what this accomplishes is often debated, a well timed/executed psych-out will generally cause an opposing player to hesitate or cancel a throw, as well as serve as a distraction.
   * Trick throws: Long wind-ups produce strong throws, but allow the other team to notice that the person is throwing and begin their dodges. To combat this, some dodgeball players develop trick throws that are less powerful but involve a much quicker throwing motion. Examples of these include balls flipped from an underhand or backhand position.
   * Spinning Throw: Spinning throws are accomplished by rotating one's body 360 degrees before throwing. This produces a long wind-up but a ball that's usually thrown more powerfully than from a normal throwing motion.
   * Tip Flick: This requires three to four players. One player, the setter, holds two 5" balls. Two players stand behind the setter. The setter then throws the balls in the air as the two behind run up, grab the balls in the air and throw them at the opposing side. A fourth player can be added to block for the setter.
   * Suicide Assist: This is essentially a combination of the Suicide Throw and the Tip Flick. It only requires two players, and it is played out much like an assist in basketball. One player acquires a ball, and the second player runs in for the kill, no ball in hand. The first player tosses the ball to the second player, while simultaneously, the second player dives over the center line, catches the ball, and throws it at an opponent, thusly gaining an easy out.
   * Fake Referee Chat : A Player from your team stays inside the line and is holding a ball while having a fake chat with the referee, whilst the opponent is busy Dodging/throwing the ball the player spies and when the opponent is off guard the player does a Power-throw. (Throw the ball with speed and power).

• Midwest Dodgeball Conference
• Kent State Dodgeball Club
• Super Dodge Ball

• Dallas Dodgeball League
• PlayCoed Dodgeball
• Toronto Dodgeball Association
• The International Dodge Ball Federation
• Adult Dodgeball Games and Player Database
• National Dodgeball Association
• National Dodgeball League
• Recesstime Dodgeball
• National Collegiate Dodgeball Association
• National Amateur Dodgeball Association
• Rules of Dodgeball
• New York City Social Sports Club