The competitive game of dodgeball is still a timeless hit

Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) ^ | March 2, 2004 | Todd Ceisner

[zook]

Todd Ceisner | The competitive game of dodgeball is still a timeless hit

By Todd Ceisner

tceisner@centredaily.com

A whistle blows. A half dozen pre-teens staged at each end of the gym dash toward midcourt where a collection of playground-worn balls are arranged in a line across the parque. Some are the fuzzy, limey yellow indoor soccer balls, which are a little harder to grip but pack more punch than the other red, underinflated, synthetic rubber balls.

In a matter of seconds, center court is a no man's land and the balls are gone, held tightly by those brave enough to venture forward. Others stand defensively, scanning their foes, waiting for the first salvo.

And it begins.

Thump!

A ball, hurled from 30 feet toward an unexpecting target, boomerangs off an exposed hip, then off the bleachers and back to its source.

"You're out," echoes through the gym as the first casualty makes his way to the sideline, rubbing the point of impact.

The next ball hurled is caught by a member of the shorthanded team.

"You're back in," howls a teammate toward the sideline.

All-out gym class combat ensues as the inflated pellets find and miss their targets while the targets lunge and leap to avoid their demise.

Finally, a whistle blows, a winner is crowned and class is dismissed.

Welcome to dodgeball, a timeless game of survival, vigilance and teamwork. It's made gym class heroes out of thousands but it's been the target of special interest groups trying to reform what type of physical education children receive in schools.

What's wrong with a little competition?

In a way, dodgeball is the junction box for sports. It's controlled chaos, yet it requires the agility and vision of a running back, the throwing arm of a right fielder, the courage of a receiver going across the middle and the quick feet of a serve-and-volleyer.

Dodgeball is a simple game played for generations under a set of basic set of rules, the most elementary of which is hit or be hit.

It's a game that is taken pretty seriously nowadays. So serious that it has an international federation, based in Gulfport, Miss., the apparent cradle of dodgeball, a national association (with a logo similar to that of the NBA) and governing agencies at some state and local levels.

The National Amateur Dodgeball Association even has a stately little trophy called the Bexley Cup, presented to any team that captures the indoor and outdoor national championships in the same year.

Amateur clubs are popping up in communities and on college campuses. Twentieth Century Fox is even producing a movie in which dodgeball is used as a means to settle disputes between grown men.

This despite the efforts of schools around the country working to eliminate the game from P.E. curriculums in favor of more cooperative -- not competitive -- activities.

To them, I say don't let the ball hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Did someone hear a whistle?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Todd Ceisner is a sports writer for the Centre Daily Times. He can be reached at 231-4629 or at tceisner@centredaily.com.

[zook]

File under "what good coaches know"

[So Cal Rocket]

Ah, yes... brings back memories...

And when Big Ricky Loveless threw the ball, you better not get hit, because he threw it so hard that it really STUNG when it hit you!

[11th Earl of Mar]

I remember when it was called "Smear the Queer."

I guess the name is not timeless.

[ElectricStrawberry]

I'm surprised there's still a school out there that hasn't banned this fun game.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Nothing was as statisfying as hitting Wendell Blackabee with a half-inflated volleyball.

ouch!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I loved dodgeball.

[So Cal Rocket]

OK... these lines have me confused:

The next ball hurled is caught by a member of the shorthanded team.

"You're back in," howls a teammate toward the sideline.

I thought the rule was that if someone catches the ball, the THROWER is out... This makes it sound like the catching team gets to put someone back in the game. Comments? Where's the Official Dodgeball Rulebook??

[kb2614]

Where I grew up, we called it artillery.

[rudy45]

I agree with you. I remember playing the game the way you played it, ie. that if I throw a ball and it's caught in the air by the other side, that I would be banished. Or, maybe BOTH things happen? I could see where reinstating a player makes things more fun and keeps people involved.

[zook]

Ah, Ricky Loveless. We called him "Steve Solack." He'd send you to the nurse.

[zook]

"Smear the Queer." That sounds about 1982.

[John H K]

Embarassingly the only bone I've ever broken is my pinky, catching a dodgeball in 7th grade, thrown by a....girl...ech.

Oddly, I was born with a deformed pinky on my OTHER hand, so it's the one that looks like it was broken.

[zook]

In many schools, they won't even consider allowing it to be played with Nerf balls. The wusstifer adults figure that the very act of hurling a missile at a child is soooo offensive!

[John H K]

"Smear the Queer." That sounds about 1982

Yeah, but the Smear the Queer game I remember had nothing to do with dodgeball, it was mass tackling of one kid for some reason.

Anybody here remember 4-square? Played with a dodgeball ball but it wasn't dodgeball, 4 squares you rotated through.

[jmcclain19]

I love it.

I saw last week that the World Kickball Association was looking to form leagues in Phoenix.

Now this.

Nothing quite like reliving my childhood

[Colonel_Flagg]

Thanks for bringing back some memories. We played a variation of this game that used bowling pins and the lines on the gym floor.

Each team set up one pin at the middle of its free throw on its side of the floor, with the other two going at the corners of the free throw lane at the baseline, in a triangle shape. Once a team knocked down the opposition's front pin, it was allowed to advance beyond the centerline to a predetermined point. A team could win either by knocking out all opposing players or by knocking down all three of their opponents' pins.

Each team had "guarders" who would kneel down in front of that all-important lead pin at the start of the game and let me tell you, we took some pretty hard shots. Keeping your front pin up was very important.

The game was played with four playground balls and after each team had lost its front pin, it got pretty cool since players could then be put out by someone who was legally standing behind them. We called it "Pin Guard" and it was a freaking blast. :)

[1Old Pro]

I could have played this everyday in Gym class, what a game.

[BSunday]

I remember when it was called "Smear the Queer."

No, Smear the Queer was a game based on Football.

[jmcclain19]

When I was in Grade School - mid 80's - Smear the Queer was essentially rugby/football. Give a guy a ball, and then kick the crap out of him until he fumbled it.

4 Square was the best.

[BSunday]

"Smear the Queer." That sounds about 1982.

No, me and my friends used to play it in the mid 70's, so I'm sure it has been around since the 60's in some for or another.