Progressive Dodgeball

Source: Games For The Playground, Home, School And Gymnasium
Category: BALL GAMES



_15 to 100 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Basket ball._

GROUND
The ground is divided into three equal courts, each 30 x 30
feet. The end courts may be shorter if full space be not available.



TEAMS
The players are divided into three equal teams, which for
convenience may be designated by colors, Red, White, and Blue. There
are no officers for the teams, but one referee for the game, who
should also act as score keeper, is desirable, and for match games
necessary. At the opening of the game the two outer teams line up,
each on its inner boundary line, each player standing with one foot on
the line. The center team is grouped promiscuously near the middle of
the center court. The teams change courts at the end of each inning,
and the formation or line-up just described is resumed at the opening
of each inning.

OBJECT OF THE GAME
The game consists in hitting players with a
flying ball (not a bounce), any player so hit being out and leaving
the field. For this purpose the two end teams play against the center
team (but not against each other); and the center team also plays the
ball in a retaliatory or aggressive game, trying to hit players on
either of the end teams.

START
The game is played in three innings, each of five or more
minutes' duration. Each inning begins with the teams in the formation
shown in the diagram and described under "Teams," except that the
different teams will be in different courts for each inning.

The referee puts the ball in play by tossing it to the center team
(say the Whites, as shown in the diagram), and at the same time blows
his whistle as a signal for the game to open. The referee also blows
his whistle whenever a player is hit so as to be out (_i.e._ hit by a
ball "on the fly," not on a bounce). The hit player at once leaves the
field, and play is resumed by the referee's whistle and tossing of the
ball to the center team as at the beginning. The referee also calls
time for the close of innings. After the ball has been put regularly
in play, teams may only secure the ball when it is "dead," _i.e._ when
it has not just been played by an opponent, but has stopped, rolled,
or bounced into its own court.

RULES AND POINTS OF PLAY
After the referee has put the ball in play
by tossing it to the center team, the player catching it runs to
either the left or right boundary line of his field and throws the
ball at one of the opposing players (Red or Blue). These players,
meanwhile, immediately upon hearing the whistle to start, should have
run toward the rear of their respective courts to lessen the chances
of being hit. Should the White player succeed in hitting a player on
the Red or Blue team, the referee's whistle is blown, the hit player
leaves the field, and the game starts over again as at the beginning.
Should the White player fail to hit one of the opponents, the latter
try, in turn, to secure the ball before it rebounds or rolls back into
the center court. The player who gets it either runs up to the
boundary line and throws at the Whites, or passes the ball to some
other player of his own team who does this. The Whites naturally
scatter to the farther boundary line of their court to avoid being
hit. Should the ball fail to hit a White player, it is most likely to
go entirely across to the Blue court, where one of the Blue team
should catch it, and in turn try to hit the Whites.

The end teams (in this case Red and Blue) play against the center
(White), but not against each other. The center team plays against
both end teams. Thus, a player in either of the end teams may be hit
by a player on the center team, but it is not a part of the game for
these end teams to try to hit each other. A ball thrown by either end
team across the center court may be caught, however, by a player on
the opposite end.

A player is not out if hit by a ball that rebounds, whether from the
floor, another player, a wall, or any other object.

A player is not out if the thrower of the ball overstepped the
boundary lines while throwing.

The only kind of a hit that puts a player out is one from a ball "on
the fly" thrown from behind a boundary line.

Players may dodge in any way they choose, but a hit from a flying ball
on any part of the person or clothing puts a player out.

At the close of each inning (of five or more minutes) the teams
progress or change courts in regular order, from right to left. That
is, the Blue team moves to the center, the White team to the left
court, and the Red team to the right court. For the third inning
another change is made in the same direction, the Reds going to the
center, the Blues to the left court, and the Whites to the right
court. Thus, in the three innings each team will have played in each
court.

When a new inning is started and the teams change courts, all players
who have been hit and are out return to their teams. Each inning
begins, therefore, with full teams.

SCORE
A score is made for each team for each of the three innings,
and consists of a count of the players who have been hit (put "out")
during the inning. The team wins which at the close of the three
innings has the smallest score; that is, has had the smallest number
of players hit.

It adds much to the interest of a game to have the score posted on a
bulletin in sight of the players. But whether on a bulletin or card,
the accompanying form is desirable.

This game was devised and developed by Mr. William A. Stecher.


Next: Schoolroom Dodgeball

Previous: Double Dodgeball

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