The game that this article is about follows pretty much one simple rule. This rule already shows itself when you have a look at the title. “Dodge” means to avoid something or someone by a sudden quick movement and, well, “ball” is self explanatory. And there you have it: “Avoid the ball”. This is more or less what the whole game is about, since the aim of the game is to eliminate the opposing team, while not getting hit yourself.

What do you need?
To start, you need at least four players. It doesn’t exactly matter how many in total but I would say that it only really starts being fun when you are at least 8-10 players, but the more the merrier (it is the most fun with around 20 players). As the name already gives away, a softball is also required. Depending on how difficult the game is supposed to be, the age of the players and on the number of players, more balls can be added. The next step is then to mark the playing field. Of course, the size of the playing field depends on the number of players as well but it should be big enough so that both teams each fit into one half of the playing field and have enough room to run around. For reference, it is usually around the size of a volleyball field but as just mentioned, the field can be chosen by whatever size fits the number of players and the area best.

How to play?
Once the field is marked, the two teams have to be selected and each go onto one half of the playing field. The two teams then each select a king or a queen, which go to the other side of the field and stand on the outside of the playing field, behind the line of the opposing team.
There are a few different ways on how the game can be started: A referee can either
throw the ball high up in the air straight over the middle line, while one player of each team is standing side by side on each side of the middle line, trying to tip the ball to their own team or, if the game is played with an even number of balls, they can just be split evenly and given to both teams. When the balls are in the game, the teams each have to try to hit the opponents with the ball, while trying to avoid getting hit with the ball themselves. A player is out, when he or she either got hit by a ball before it hit the ground or one of the opponents caught the player’s throw directly. When you are out, you go to the outside of the playing field, next to the players of the opposite team. The only way you can go back into the field of your team is by hitting one of the players of the opposite team with the ball. Once you hit a player, you can go back into your playing field. Of course, the ball(s) can be thrown back and forth between the “out”- players and the king or queen can throw the ball into the playing field of his or her team. But be careful, while throwing the ball, the other team can always try to catch it so make sure to throw it high enough and far enough. If all the players of one team are hit and standing on the outside of the field of the opposite team, the king/ queen becomes important. He or she has to go into the playing field of his or her team and has three lives in total. He or she gets all the balls that are in the game and then the game goes on like before, meaning the king or queen can either throw the balls to their teammates standing on the outside, or can try to hit the opposing players themselves. The difference now is that when the king or the queen gets hit, they lose a life and stay inside the playing field. Once all three lives are lost, the other team wins. The only way that the king or the queen can leave the playing field and go back to their original spot on the outside is when one of the players from his or her team manages to hit one of the opposing players with the ball. Then the player who just threw the ball goes back inside the playing field and the king or the queen goes back to the outside. The game is over when one of the kings or the queens has lost all three lives.

I hope you enjoy this game and have fun playing!