Dodgeball Versus Darwin

When and how did dodgeball originate? Historians don't know for certain, but they do have some ideas about ball playing in general. One disgusting hypothesis is that when ancient armies conquered their enemies, they would play a primitive kind of soccer using their enemies' heads as the balls (good times). According to When Human Heads Were Footballs: Surprising Stories of How Sports Began, conquered Viking chieftains suffered this very outcome during an ill-fated invasion of England in the eighth century.

Later, human heads were replaced with animal bladders which can be blown up with air like a balloon (and are more readily available than human heads). This is why, even to this day, the inside part of a football is called a bladder. Perhaps these bladder balls weren't as strong as players would have liked, so they were covered with sewn animal hides (leather) to provide them with additional strength.

With the discovery of rubber, balls became softer, easier to bounce, and less expensive. Balls could also be formed into more exact spheres. Today, dodgeballs are made from synthetic rubber or rubber coated foam, ranging in size from 6" to 13."

But what about the game of dodgeball itself? Prisonball, which is a pretty close relative to the professional (their word, not mine) dodgeball we see on television, was played back in the 1970s on American playgrounds. Circle Dodgeball was played even earlier, however, in the early 1920s. It probably began as a form of keep-away, and was most likely played in a circle in order to prevent balls from straying into busy streets or adjacent games.

In 2002, some school districts in New Jersey banned dodgeball, saying that it was a form of bullying because it allowed the strong to pick on the weak. The headlines in several newspapers read "New Jersey Schools Ban Dodgeball." While true, these headlines led the rest of the country to think that all New Jersey schools banned dodgeball, which certainly wasn't true. But the damage was done, and the rest of the country from that day forward thought New Jerseyans were a bunch of wimps. By the way, one of those schools also banned tag. Go figure.

Today, dodgeball is becoming popular again, due in part to televised dodgeball tournaments, Dodgeball the Movie, and a recent emphasis on team oriented fitness. Leagues are popping up around the nation, and the National Dodgeball League is even seeking to form professional dodgeball teams.

So, dodgeball is back and more popular than ever! When played in a structured and supervised environment, the game of dodgeball

• increases strength, speed, flexibility, balance, and coordination;


• develops all large motor skills;


• emphasizes hand-eye coordination;


• promotes catching and throwing skills;


• improves cardiovascular health;


• provides a healthy outlet for energy; and


• allows a venue for both competition and cooperation.

As a teacher, I believe that well-supervised, structured dodgeball can play a beneficial part in any school athletic program, and that every student, regardless of athletic experience and ability, can play and enjoy the game.

Each week we followed the same basic format, as outlined below:

Attendance and Remarks
Warm-Ups
Skill of the Day
Dodgeball Game of the Day 1
Team Tournament Play
Dodgeball Game of the Day 2
Debriefing

The Dodgeball Games of the Day are variations on traditional dodgeball, and teams are mixed for these each week. Team Tournaments, however, rely upon fixed teams which battle it out each week in order to earn points in the tournament standings. Tournament Teams are formed by Week Two after observing players' strengths during week one.

In all of our play we follow the recommendations provided by the North American Youth Sport Institute:

1. Teachers teach students the skills needed to play the various games of dodgeball.


2. As much as possible, students will not be eliminated. Inclusion is the name of the game.


3. Students will not be permitted to hit others above shoulders.


4. When the target catches the thrown ball, the thrower is penalized.


5. Finally, the dodge ball must be a soft ball.

(www.NAYSI.com)

Below you'll find a few of our dodgeball variations. Feel free to modify them; that's how they became variations in the first place!

On week one, all students participated in Cooperative Dodgeball (see below), arguably the finest children's gymnasium version of dodgeball because no player is ever eliminated.

Traditional Dodgeball
Kids are divided into two equal teams which take either side of the gym, with a center line separating them. Four balls are placed along this center line. At a given signal, players run to retrieve the balls, and play begins. To get a player out, you hit them below the shoulders with the ball, or catch a ball that they have thrown. Once a player is out, he/she is out for good. Players can block throws by deflecting with a ball in their hands, but if a player from the opposite team catches the rebounding ball before it bounces, the throw still counts as an out. Any ball touching the ground or a wall is "dead" and can be put back into play. Last team with remaining players wins. The National Amateur Dodgeball Association basically plays with these same rules (see http://www.dodgeballusa.com/rules.html).

Cooperative Dodgeball
Similar to Traditional Dodgeball, yet there are no eliminations. Two equal teams take either side of the gym, with a center line separating them. Three to four balls are placed along this center line. At a given signal, players run to retrieve the balls, and play begins. To get a player "out," you hit them below the shoulders with the ball, or catch a ball that they have thrown. Once a player is "out," however, he/she joins the opposing team, and is now a member of that team. Players can block throws by deflecting with a ball in their hands, but if a player from the opposite team catches the rebounding ball before it bounces, the throw still counts as an out. Any ball hitting multiple players, without ever touching the ground, sends all of those players to the opposing team. If a player is hit but his/her teammate catches the ball before it hits the ground, the thrower is then forced to change teams, and the player who was hit remains. Any ball touching the ground or a wall is considered dead and can be put back into play. Play ends when all players have been brought onto one side of the gym.

Circle Dodgeball
All players form a large circle, facing inward, with feet set about shoulder width apart. Ideally, there will also be about three feet between players. (our playground actually had a circle painted on the ground which was about 15 feet in diameter). Four to five volunteers stand in the center of the circle. These "targets" are given a token to hold (a coin, poker chip, etc.). The object is for the students on the outside of the circle to hit the students in the center. If a student is hit, she relinquishes the token to the thrower and that player now takes a spot in the center of the circle. Why the tokens? Well, it seems that sometimes the throwers "think" they hit someone, so they go into the circle. The token system guarantees that only five targets will occupy the circle at any given time. Play goes on like this forever, or until the bell rings.

Bludger (Bombs Away)
For this variation you'll need a large fitness ball (over two feet in diameter), several striking balls (the bludgers), and two smaller striking balls called the "point-blank bludgers" (a different color or type than the bludgers).

The large ball is placed in the center of the gym. Two evenly divided teams stand at opposite ends, behind back line on basketball court. At signal, players begin throwing bludgers (smaller striking balls) at the large ball in the center, attempting to move it to their opponents' line. During play, any player who gets possession of a point blank bludger is allowed to enter the field and throw that ball at the target from point-blank range (hence that name). However, the opposing team is allowed to peg that person, and put them out of the game. If pegged out, this player stands on the long side of the gym, and still tries to help his/her team. They cannot, however, reenter the field with a point-blank bludger. Point blank bludgers cannot be used to peg players! If the large target ball is forced to a designated line four feet out from a team's endline, the game is over.

Survivor
For this one you'll need lots of balls, various sizes.

Players are spread out on perimeter of gym. Balls are spread out on the interior. At signal, players move forward, grab nearest ball, and start throwing. Any player hit returns to the perimeter. As in traditional Dodgeball, if you catch a ball that was thrown at you, the throwing player is out. Although players who were hit are technically "out," they still participate by picking up stray balls and throwing them at remaining players (they, of course, do not need to be concerned with the players catching the thrown balls, as they are already out). Last player standing is the sole survivor. Also see the variation below called Every Man for Himself.

Team Survivor
Again, you'll need lots of balls in various sizes, plus two to four teams identified by colored pinnies.

Players are spread out on perimeter of gym. Balls are spread out on the interior. At signal, players move forward, grab nearest ball, and start throwing. Any player hit returns to the perimeter. As in traditional Dodgeball, if you catch a ball that was thrown at you, the throwing player is out. Players who are accidentally hit by their own teammates are still out. Although players who were hit are technically "out," they still participate by picking up stray balls and throwing them at remaining players (they, of course, do not need to be concerned with the players catching the thrown balls, as they are already out). Eliminated players can also pass balls to their teammates who are still alive. Last color team standing is declared winner.

Every Man for Himself
Lots of balls again, in various sizes.

The beginning of this game, and the actual play, at first seems a lot like Survivor above. Players are spread out on the perimeter of gym. Balls are spread out on the interior. At signal, players move forward, grab nearest ball, and start throwing. Any player hit returns to the perimeter. As in traditional Dodgeball, if you catch a ball that was thrown at you, the throwing player is out. Players who were hit are technically "out," but they "come back to life" (rejoin the game), when the player who put them out is, in turn, hit, and sent out. So if Player A eliminates seven other players, those seven players are immediately back in the game when Player A gets hit and put out. Last player standing is the sole survivor, although this game rarely ever ends with one survivor (you may want to play it in five minute increments).

One of the biggest criticisms offered by those who wish to ban dodgeball is that it allows bullying to take place. I suppose that can occur, but only in an environment where a teacher permits it. We don't. In fact, we have designed this program to allow aggressive yet safe and fair play. Furthermore, we believe that dodgeball, when played in a structured environment, actually helps to solve the problem of bullying.

To explain this better, we offer the following excerpt from Games Children Play by Kim Brooking-Payne (reprinted by permission of Hawthorn Press).

Why play games to help counteract bullying? Games work at a deeper level on the dynamic of victimization than our usual reaction of talking (or lecturing) to students, or giving somewhat meaningless or even harmful detentions or punishments. There are many games which you can play to help both bullies and their victims into more social ways of interacting with others. This is not to say that this is the only answer; but I have seen how games really can change the social constellation of a group of children, including unhealthy patterns like victimization.

Carefully designed and supervised games have the advantage of helping control the level of exposure and contact between the bully and victim without fueling any particular crisis or conflict; at the same time, the whole group goes through the experience of the social dynamics of the game. The focus shifts from a personality conflict into a more situational or objective view. By means of a game, it is for example possible to transform a blanket statement such as "I hate John," into something like "I hate it when John does that." A game can provide the opportunity for working on a problem area, without dismissing completely the person who is being bullied.

Games also give the bully (and the rest of the children) a chance to express the positive aspects of her strength as a leader. The child who bullies often has deep seated insecurities, which make her seek peer approval. She will try to seek this approval by taunting or tormenting others while being watched by her peers. The bully will very often pick on others who are weaker in some way than she is. Often the bully will be stronger than the victim ¬usually physically but also verbally. Games can use this strength and energy in a healthy and positive way...

Children who bully have often acquired or had this behavior triggered in a myriad of differing ways. An environment of aggression at home or in the playground, family crisis, sudden change, learning difficulties and frustrations, role modeling from aggressive adults she sees at home, or from sports or music stars. Games can show these children how to channel their aggression in a more positive way. A child who continues to show aggression in an inappropriate way will often ruin the game and thus risk losing peer approval. It is interesting to note that the playground can be either the worst environment - breeding all sorts of unhealthy behavior; or the best - where children learn to cooperate whilst still standing up for what they think is right. Playgrounds and play time at home can be transformed when teachers and parents take an active interest in reintroducing games.

Is dodgeball just for elementary kids? Absolutely not! As two recent news articles prove, dodgeball is also for university students who want to act childish!

From Harvard University comes the headline, "Jell-O Wrestling Adds Flavor to Dodgeball." Their recent event featured "inflatable water slides and a pool brimming with lime Jell-O set up on the sidelines of the dodgeball courts." One of the college dodgeball players who was thrown into the pool after his team lost summed up the experience as "pretty tasty."

From our very own Princeton University here in New Jersey comes the news of Princeton's Third Annual Dodgeball Tournament, with a whopping $2,500 in prizes. Over 2,500 students participated in the event.

"There is an uncanny way the tournament attracts students from all walks of Princeton life," said Freddy Flaxman, the organizer of the tournament, "What other event brings together the football team, the Orthodox Jewish club, a cappella groups, and so many more?"

So study hard and play hard, kids, and some day you might just be able to earn a dodgeball scholarship to the university of your choice!

Bombardment (Pin Guard, Guardian, Baton Ball)
You'll need 4-6 balls and about 8 bowling pins.

The class is divided into two teams, separated by center line which cannot be crossed by any player. Four batons (bowling pins) are given to each team, and they must be placed on end along a line at an appropriate distance from the center line (same distance for both teams). The object of the game is to knock down all of the opponents' batons (bowling is permitted), or get all opponents out. If a player gets hit, he/she stands against the wall, closest to center line. The next player out stands beside the first, so that a line begins to form in order. The referee normally stands at center to monitor the "out" lines. Players can protect batons, but must remain standing. Accidental knock downs count, and batons cannot be reset (they are simply rolled out of playing area). If a player catches a ball, he/she indicates that and the first "out" player can return to the game. The thrower of a caught ball is not out. Missed attempts at catching result is an "out". Game ends when all batons are down or all players are out.

Dodge Soccer (Superhuman)
You'll need 4-8 Gatorskin balls and floor hockey nets.

The class is divided into two equal teams, separated by a center line which cannot be crossed. A net is placed about midway in each playing area. One person is assigned, or chosen by the team, to be the goalie. He/she is invincible (superhuman), and is not out if hit (until all other players are out, then he/she is vulnerable). Once all other players are out, a goalie hit is worth two goals, and this ends the round. The object of the game is to score the most goals by throwing balls past the goalie into the net. Players struck below the shoulders (direct hit) are out and stand on the sideline in the order in which they got out. If a player catches a ball, one player on that team is permitted back into the game. Attempted catches are "outs." Players may not use balls as blockers.

Snatch (Steal the Bacon)
Equipment: 2-3 balls, rubber ring

Kids form two teams and line up at opposite sides of the gym. Players number off from right to left. In the center of the space between the lines is placed a rubber ring (or bowling pin). Balls are placed adjacent to that object. The referee calls at least two numbers at a time, usually three. The players on each side who have those numbers run out to the center. The one who gets there first snatches up the ring and dashes back to his or her team's line. The players from the other team try to tag this student with a ball (and they can hit other students as well). If a student is hit, he or she drops the ring and must either return to line or get a loose ball to be "alive" again. The dropped ring can be picked up by any "live" player from either side. A player is safe and scores points if he or she reaches the line without being tagged. Players on line can kick balls back into play, but not touch them with their hands.

Freeze Dodgeball
Three to four players begin with one ball each. Other players scatter about. At the signal, the bombarding starts. Players who are hit must freeze in place. Although their feet are frozen to the ground, they can move every other part of their body. In order to become "unfrozen," these players must grab stray balls (without moving their feet) and hit players who are still active. A successful hit unfreezes the thrower, and freezes the target. Play continues until just one player (or two, or ten, who cares?) remains.

As a kid, Keith was aways picked last for dodgeball, but he's still grew up to be a well-adjusted adult.

Nowadays, Keith Schoch is a 6th grade Reading/Language Arts teacher in Bedminster, New Jersey. During his 20+ years in teaching he earned a Masters in Instruction and Curriculum, served on the New Jersey Department of Education ESPA Mathematics Item Review Committee, piloted tests for Educational Testing Service, assessed candidates for The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and was named a Governor's Teacher of the Year.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Keith specializes in professional development for organizations such as the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the New Jersey Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (NJASCD), the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA), The New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS), and the American Camping Association (ACA). He also shares his expertise with colleagues through three highly acclaimed blogs: Teaching that Sticks, Teach with Picture Books, and How to Teach a Novel.

During the summer, Keith serves on the leadership staff of LakeView Day Camp in East Brunswick, NJ.