Is dodgeball a sport? SURPRISING Answer!

Dodgeball is one of the most fun team games you can play with your friends. It’s also a great way to get everyone working together and exercise your coordination and quick reflexes. The game became popular in the United States during the 1910s, as well as in many other countries around the world.  While it is a lot of fun, we can also wonder if it is a sport or not. Let’s find out.

What is dodgeball? How to play dodgeball

Dodgeball is played by two or more teams of players. Each team has six members, and they attempt to throw a ball at their opponents who are on the other side of the court. The defenders have to dodge the ball (this is where the name of this game comes from). The attackers have to hit the other players with the ball. Players on the same team can work together and pass to each other.

 The objective of a dodgeball game is to strike opposing players with a ball before they hit you themselves. If a player is hit, this person has to stand outside of the court. If you have eliminated all the players on the other team, you win a set. The goal is to win more sets than the other team. The ball is quite soft so it doesn’t hurt when you get hit. This game requires agility and quick reflexes from all players.

The size of the court is the same as that of a volleyball court. Players are not allowed to touch the lines or go outside of them. 

The game continues for a set time (usually about 40 minutes) until each team has had a turn to hit players on the other team. The team that hits the most players wins.

In most countries, dodgeball is played as a team game. There are generally 6 players per team. However, there are variations in rules for this game. It can be played one versus one as well. 

The match starts by placing 6 balls in the middle of the court. Teams can retrieve 3 balls each. The players are standing outside the court and can rush to get the ball behind the activation line to get started. There are a lot of strategies that can help your team win. 

For example, you can throw two balls at another player to make sure that they get hit. You have to work as a team and make sure that you don’t block each other’s move. Players are allowed to communicate. There is not always a lot of time though as you often have a limited time to throw the ball. One team can have multiple balls and launch these at the same time, making it very hard to defend. 

Dodgeball can be played on trampolines as well

The ball can’t hit the ground, another player, or another ball as this makes it a dead ball. The referee checks this to make sure that the ball is active. Players are able to catch a ball to deactivate it. The most fun part of this game is being able to dodge a ball that is coming your way. 

Dodgeball remains popular today, as it’s easy to set up, and it’s also good fun. There are a lot of teams in the USA so it should be easy for you to find one to get started.  

What is a sport?

The word “sport” is used as a synonym for physical activity or exercise. You might say that someone is a “sport” because they are active and fit. But what does it mean to be a sport? In the broad definition, it means a physical activity that requires certain skills. 

What is a sport? Made with Canva by Ballsportfriend

Stricter definitions also require that sports have a competitive element. An activity needs 3 components before it can be considered a sport according to these definitions:

1/ A physical activity

2/ That requires a skill

3/ And has a competitive element

In today’s world, most sports involve competitive games where the goal is to beat your opponent. This means that you can’t participate in a sport without having an opponent. 

A lot of sports can be viewed on TV and a lot of people have a favorite athlete. This can inspire them to start practicing this sport as well.

Is dodgeball an Olympic sport?

Dodgeball is not in the Olympics. It can be considered as a sport though.

It has a physical element as players move around and have to throw a ball. Dodgeball also requires some skill as you have to aim the ball and work together with the other people on your team. There is some luck involved in this sport but this is the case for a lot of other sports as well. Players can practice their trow and discuss strategies so that they can win. 

There is also a competitive element. The team that has the last player on the court wins. This can make this sport very exciting and unpredictable. There are a lot of competitions and players spend a lot of time practicing for them. Players start to get to know each other after a while and can work together as a real team. Similar to volleyball, you have to make sure that you can win the match by working together. 

To conclude, we can state that dodgeball is a sport. While it is not in the Olympics (yet), it fulfills all the requirements of even strict definitions of this term. It has a physical element as players move around, there is a competitive part as you can win by eliminating other players. There is also some skill involved as you have to throw the ball in a certain direction and with a specific speed. 

Source

https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/sport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sport