dodgeball

Dodgeball (or dodge ball) is the name of a traditional elementary school game, taught in high school education classes, but also popular in informal settings, often played by schoolchildren on a playground. There are many variations of the game, but all involve some players trying to avoid being hit by a ball, that other players are throwing at them. Players are usually split into teams, though sometimes play individually. A number (although sometimes only one) of medium-sized rubber balls (the same sort used in four square) are placed in a central location. The objective of each player is to hit an opponent so as to eliminate him or her from the game. The game ends when one player (or team) remains. In some variants, catching the ball enacts a reversal; if the target catches (rather than dodges) the ball, the thrower is eliminated. In other variations a catch (in addition to eliminating the thrower) also allows another player from the catching team to re-enter. In other variants which don't allow catching, handling the ball counts as a hit, while punching or handling the ball with a closed fist does not. In all versions, a player who steps from his square to the enemy team's square is also eliminated. One rule variant specifies that players who are hit, instead of stepping off the court, sit down where they are hit. If any of these players should later catch a ball thrown by the opposing team, the opposing thrower is out (and must sit down) and the player who caught the ball is back in.