Dodgeball Dash
Dodgeball Dash
A Fun Youth Group Game
Watch the Tutorial Video
Dodgeball Dash puts a unique spin on kickball by giving the entire kicking team a chance to run while the outfielders work together to tag them with dodgeballs.
Overview
Ideal # of Participants: 8 or more!
Where to Play: Indoor / Outdoor
Age of Participants: Middle School / High School
Approximate Time to Play: 15–45 minutes
Materials Needed: 2 Dodgeballs, Painter’s Tape (optional)
How to Play Dodgeball Dash
Using painter’s tape or something similar, define two zones inside your gym that are about 50 feet apart. We’ll call one region home base, and the other first base.
Split your group into teams of 3–4 players each. Choose one team to be the first kicking team while everyone else moves into the outfield.
Even though the outfielders are on different teams, they’ll all be working together with the common goal of preventing the kicking team from doing well.
How a Round Works
Two dodgeballs are pitched simultaneously to the kicking team.
Any two players can kick. However, once either ball is kicked, both balls are live, even if the other kick goes nowhere.
As soon as the balls are in play, the entire kicking team takes off running.
Their goal is to complete three full laps, running from home base to first base and back to home.
Meanwhile, the outfielders scramble to retrieve the kicked balls and try to tag the runners by throwing the dodgeballs at them.
Dodgeball Throwing Rules
There’s an important limitation for the outfielders:
Each outfielder can only throw each dodgeball once per round.
Since there are two dodgeballs in play, each person can make a maximum of two throws per round.
Once someone has thrown a particular dodgeball, they can’t throw that ball again during that round.
This prevents the outfielders from repeatedly throwing the same ball at the runners and makes the game much more strategic.
Getting Hit Doesn't Stop the Runner
This is one of the most important rules of Dodgeball Dash:
If a runner gets hit, they are NOT out.
They keep running until they complete their three laps.
Instead of eliminating players, every hit adds to the team’s score.
For example, imagine a three-person team finishes a round with:
- Player 1 hit twice
- Player 2 hit once
- Player 3 not hit
That team’s score for the round would be 3.
Since the goal is to get the lowest possible score, teams want to avoid getting hit as they complete their laps.
Keeping Score
It’s very helpful to have two leaders helping keep track of the score.
One leader can watch one dodgeball throughout the round, while the other leader watches the second dodgeball.
At the end of the round, combine the number of hits and record the team’s total.
Once everyone has completed their three laps and the team’s score has been determined, the kicking team moves into the outfield and the next team gets their chance to kick.
How to Win Dodgeball Dash
Continue rotating through the teams until everyone has had a chance to kick.
I recommend going through the entire rotation two or three times.
After all the rounds are complete, add up each team’s total number of hits.
The team that was hit the fewest times is crowned the winner!
Tips for Playing Dodgeball Dash
- Have two leaders keep track of the two dodgeballs whenever possible.
- Make sure everyone understands that getting hit does not eliminate a runner.
- Clearly mark home base and first base before beginning.
- Remind outfielders that each dodgeball can only be thrown once per person per round.
- Encourage runners to pay attention to where the dodgeballs are and make quick decisions about where to run.
- If your group is younger, consider using softer dodgeballs to make the game more comfortable for everyone.
Lesson Handout
Want to make this easy to share with your volunteers or students? Download the “Dodgeball Dash” Lesson Handout (PDF) below!
Where Games Meet God's Word...
Most leaders just look for games to play, but miss their true value. When used well, games help teach your lesson, because experiential learning is by far the most effective way to teach a lesson that sticks.
If you want to see this principle in action, check out Uplift, our FREE youth group lesson that is built for engagement. It contains a fun game, but then your students’ experience from the game ties into the Christ-centered message you’ll teach.
