Dodgeball

Dodgeball (German dodge ball ) is a sports / ball game , in which players, similar to dodge ball , the ball should avoid. Other core elements are shooting and catching. Dodgeball is very common in North America, Asia and the UK. In continental Europe, dodgeball is also enjoying increasing popularity.

game

Dodgeball opening rush

Dodgeball is a game that can be learned quickly and is therefore suitable for all ages. The most important elements and rules listed here are based on the official European regulations.

1. Game setup

As with dodgeball, the players are divided into two teams (mostly 6 vs. 6, variations possible) and divided between two halves of the game. In the middle there is a neutral zone (center zone or neutral zone). In the game of dodgeball, several balls are used at the same time (usually 5).

2. Opening rush

At the start of the game, the game balls are in the middle of the field in the center zone. The 6 players on the team stand at the back of their half of the field and touch the back wall with one hand. If the game is played without a back wall, they are behind the baseline. At the referee's whistle, 3 players per team run and try to capture the balls. These have to be brought behind the "attack line" to activate them, then the game starts.

3. Object of the game

The aim is to have more players on the field than the opposing team after the specified playing time (usually 4 minutes) has elapsed. This is achieved by eliminating opponents. In the best case, you manage to eliminate all opposing players. In this case the game ends prematurely.

Dodgeball throw

4. Eliminate

There are 3 ways a player can be eliminated.

a) By shooting an opponent. The player hit must leave the field of play.

A player is shot down if he is hit by a ball thrown by the opposing team and the ball then hits the floor, wall, etc.

b) By catching a thrown ball. The player who threw the ball must leave the field of play.

In addition to the fact that the thrower “has to go out” by catching a ball, a player who has already been eliminated comes back onto the field in addition to the catcher's team.

c) By crossing all boundaries of the playing field (sideline, center zone line, baseline).

5. Block

If you hold a ball in your hands for defense and use it to block an oncoming ball, you are not shot. However, if you lose the block ball from your hands, it counts as a shot.

6. Fair play

Dodgeball only works with fair play. The spirit thought is paramount. Since not everything can be seen by the referees due to the speed of the game and the number of balls, the following applies: Play fair and support the referee team to the best of their knowledge and belief!

matchfield

Official dodgeball field

The playing field is rectangular with the dimensions 8 m × 17 m as the standard for international competitions. In addition to the playing field and the zones marked in it, there are areas outside of it that are necessary for the game. The area called “Player Queue” or “Out-Box” is for players who are eliminated from the current game. Players who have received a yellow card are referred to the “Penalty Box”. There is also a "referee zone", a "coaching zone" and an "exchange player zone", which is intended for the respective people.

Variations

Variations of the dodgeball are very common. These generally include all types of throwing games.

Dr. Dodgeball : In this variant of dodgeball there is a king. Players who are hit must lie on the ground until Dr. Dodgeball comes and revives her. The game only ends when the king himself is hit.

King's Court is like the normal dodgeball , but there is also a king, on which the victory or defeat of a team depends. If he is eliminated, the game is over.

There are also the variants Prisonball (prison ball) , Nationball , King's Court (Canada) or Crossfire . The last variant is very similar to the German dodgeball. If a player is hit, he goes to prison (behind the enemy team). From there he can try to throw himself back into the game. If a prisoner succeeds in throwing off an opposing player, he may return to the field. There is no king here.

Dodgeball events

Beach dodgeball events

Germany

The largest dodgeball tournament in Europe with more than 2000 participants from all over the world has been taking place once a year in Stadtlohn in Westphalia since 2007. The Dodgeball Beach Cup is one of the largest fun sports events in Germany and attracts more than 20,000 visitors to the man-made city beach every year.

Austria

Trend sports are becoming increasingly important in Austria. The ADBA (Austrian Dodgeball Association) has been organizing major tournament events for students, schoolchildren and ball sports enthusiasts across the country since April 2012. The ADBA can now register over 3000 active participants and several hundred spectators.

Europe

In general, more and more dodgeball events are emerging in Europe that count on the fun sport character of the game and where it is customary to go to the start in disguise.

European Dodgeball Association

In Europe, the sport of dodgeball has increased significantly over the past 10 years. Therefore, the European Dodgeball Association was founded in 2008 and since 2010 European championships have been held annually in the sport of dodgeball.

The European Association now has 23 national member associations that implement the sport of dodgeball at all levels in their countries. The long-term goal is to achieve official recognition as a sport in all European countries.

National member associations EDF
	nation	organization
1	Belgium	Dodgeball Vlaanderen
2	Bulgaria	Dodgeball Federation Bulgaria
3	Germany	German Dodgeball Association
4th	England	England Lions Dodgeball
5	France	Fédération du Dodgeball Français
6th	Georgia	Georgian Dodgeball Federation
7th	Great Britain*	British Dodgeball
8th	Ireland	Irish Dodgeball Association
9	Italy	Associazione Italiana Dodgeball
10	Croatia	Hrvatski Dodgeball Savez
11	Netherlands	Dodgeball Bond Nederland
12	Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland Knights Dodgeball
13	Poland	Polski Zwiazek Dodgeballa
14th	Romania	Asociatia Romana de DodgeBall
15th	Scotland	Scotland Highlanders Dodgeball
16	Sweden	Dodgeball Sweden
17th	Switzerland	Fédération Suisse de Dodgeball
18th	Slovenia	Dodgeball Slovenia
19th	Spain	Asociacion International de Datchball
20th	Czech Republic	Dodgeball Czech Republike
21st	Austria	Austrian Dodgeball Association
22nd	Hungary	Hungary dodgeball
23	Wales	Wales Dragons Dodgeball

* Great Britain has both a general federation and subsidiary federations for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

European Dodgeball Championships

Dodgeball European Championship 2014 in Vienna

The Dodgeball European Championships will take place for the 11th time in 2020. From October 15th to 18th, up to 66 teams from 22 member associations will compete in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, to compete for the title of European Dodgeball Champion.

In the years 2010-2018, the English national team was the measure of all things, from 2015 Italy and Austria were able to defeat the series winners in the women’s category, and in 2019 Austria succeeded for the first time in dethroning England in the men’s and mixed competitions.

All European championships including all winners
year	host	place	European champions men	European champion women	European Champion Mixed
2010	England	London	England	---	---
2011	Sweden	Stockholm	England	England	---
2012	Italy	Cesenatico	England	England	---
2013	England	Chester	England	England	---
2014	Austria	Vienna	England	England	England
2015	Northern Ireland	Belfast	England	Italy	England
2016	France	Paris	England	Austria	England
2017	Scotland	Glasgow	England	Austria	England
2018	Italy	Lignano	England	Austria	England
2019	England	Newcastle	Austria	Austria	Austria
2020	Netherlands	Leeuwarden

World Dodgeball Federation and World Dodgeball Championships

From 2016 to 2018 the world dodgeball association "World Dodgeball Association (WDA)" hosted 2 world championships, which also included European teams.

From 2020 all European associations will play under the "World Dodgeball Federation (WDBF)", which until now was only present in North America and Asia.

The long-term goal is to bring the two world associations together, the separation of which is based on different regional developments in the game (rules, balls).

The next WDBF World Championships will take place in the UK in late summer 2020.

Dodgeball World Cup 2016 - Manchester / England

Results 2016

Men - Top 4 / Women - Top 4
space	nation	space	nation
1.	England	1.	Australia
2.	Malaysia	2.	Austria
3.	Australia	3.	England
4th	Wales	4th	Italy

Dodgeball World Cup 2018 - New York City / USA

Results 2018

Men - Top 4 / Women - Top 4 / Mixed - Top 4
space	nation	info	space	nation	info	space	nation	info
1.	Austria	current world champion	1.	England	current world champion	1.	England	current world champion
2.	Malaysia		2.	Austria		2.	Scotland
3.	Northern Ireland		3.	Australia		3.	Austria
4th	England		4th	Hong Kong		4th	Australia

Participants men: USA, Canada, England, Austria, Egypt, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Northern Ireland, Ireland

Participants women: USA, Canada, England, Austria, Egypt, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Slovenia

Mixed participants: USA, Canada, England, Austria, Egypt, Australia, Malaysia, Scotland, Hong Kong, Slovenia

Video game implementation

The game principle was developed in 1987 by Technos Japan Corp. processed in the form of a video game . The title Super Dodge Ball has since been released for numerous game consoles and computer systems.

literature

Tim Madigan, Tim Delaney: Sports: Why People Love Them! . University Press of America, 2009, ISBN 978-0-7618-4490-7 , p. 4 ( excerpt (Google) ).
Roger Naylor: The Tao of Pow . Cincinnati Magazine, September 2004, pp. 64-67 ( excerpt (Google) ).
Andy Keyes: The Complete Book About Dodgeball . AuthorHouse, 2005.