How to Win in Dodgeball

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Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 23, 2024

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Ball-Throwing Techniques

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Dodging Techniques

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Teamwork Tips

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Dodgeball is a rather simple game; hit your opponents with the ball to eliminate them and avoid balls thrown at you. These are the basic rules of the game, but there are a number of tricks and strategies you can use to improve your chances of winning. They can roughly be grouped into three categories: tricks for throwing the ball, tips for catching the ball, and working as a team.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Ball-Throwing Techniques

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1
Hold the ball in one hand. You’ll have much more power throwing the ball with one arm than trying to toss it with two. Spread out your fingers to grip the ball tightly. Hold the dodgeball much like you’d hold a tennis ball.
- If your hands are too small to grip the dodgeball this way, you can curl your hand and wrist around the ball, cradling it. You’ll still be able to throw the ball effectively.
It’s much more difficult for your opponents to catch the ball if you throw it at their shins. Even if they dodge your throw, at least you won’t be out. Be careful not to let the ball bounce before it reaches your target.^{[1]
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Even if your throws are powerful, limit the distance between yourself and your target. That way, all the power you put into your throw is translated to speed, making dodging more difficult for your opponents.^{[2]
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Whether you have a ball in your hands or not, keep your hands hidden. This gives less information to the opposing team and prevents them from making educated decisions. This is a simple way to get an edge over the other team.^{[3]
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Dealing with the opposing team’s best throwers will keep your team alive longer. Limiting your adversary’s ability to eliminate your side gives you the edge as the game stretches on.

Part 2

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Dodging Techniques

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Put as much distance between yourself and your opponents as possible when you’re on the defensive. This gives you more time to see the balls coming and more time to react. This makes it easier to catch or dodge incoming throws.^{[4]
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When you’re making a catch, use as much of your body as possible. Use your hands to make first contact with the ball, then scoop it towards you until it hits your chest. This makes you less likely to drop the ball and be eliminated.
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Deflect incoming balls. If you’ve already got a ball, you can hit incoming balls rather than dodging them. This is especially useful for balls that are thrown low. Hold the ball firmly in your hands and push out quickly towards the incoming ball to bounce it away.
- Be careful not to drop your ball when blocking incoming shots, or you’ll be eliminated.
Since it’s a good strategy to throw balls low, you might not be able to catch or deflect everything that’s thrown at you. If a ball’s coming right down the middle, split your legs as you jump, and aim to get just enough height to narrowly miss the ball. If you put too much spring in your jump, it’ll take you longer to readjust to face the next throw. When the ball comes at just one of your legs, just lift that leg as you jump.

Part 3

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Teamwork Tips

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Before play starts, have everyone on the team agree on a number given to each member of the other team. This will help you coordinate both attack and defense, since you’ll all be on the same page when referring to other players.^{[5]
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Dodging or catching a single ball is simple. When two or more are coming at your opponents, you’re making things more complicated for them. Use the numbers you’ve already assigned to coordinate attacks against specific targets. Call that number out just before your throw.^{[6]
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If your team stays close together, you’ll essentially present one large target to your adversaries. Instead, spread out along the back wall for defense. Move forward when you need to throw, but try not to get in the way of your teammate’s line of sight. This will make their throws more difficult.
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Force players out of bounds. Hitting enemy players with a ball isn’t the only way to eliminate them. It takes some coordination between team members, but it’s possible to force an opponent to step out of bounds by making them dodge in that direction.
- Say you want to make an opponent dodge left until they’re out of bounds, keep throwing at their right side. After a few throws, they’ll start moving left and eliminate themselves.

Community Q&A

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Question

What if I hit the person, but they stay in? They're cheating then, right? This has happened a few times to me where I hit a player on the opposite team and they don't catch it but still stay in the game.

Community Answer

Yes, and usually there is an official whose job it is to see and penalize such infractions.

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How do I hit someone who keeps deflecting balls?

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Use the 1,2 technique. Throw one ball up in the air above them and then peg another straight at them.

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Question

How do I dodge in dodgeball?

Community Answer

Move from left to right and diagonally in order to dodge team mates and projectiles. You could simply stay far away from the opposing team as you are less likely to be targeted and just be aware of your surroundings.

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Tips

Be sure you're able to actually catch the ball before attempting to catch it.

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Always be moving. Even if there are no balls near you, you will be harder to hit so people will be less likely to aim for you.

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Don't put yourself front and center, because then people will definitely go for you. Station yourself towards the back, maybe towards a corner, and wait until enough of your teammates are out. Then, you can come to the rescue!

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Try waiting to throw the balls on your side of the court or field. Then, when the other team has thrown all their balls your team's way, you can attack them with every ball.
Work with your teammates to distract the other players. Maybe you zig-zag back and forth or do a silly dance.
Think of a fun or cool name for your team to have even more fun!

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