2008 Red, White & Blue Co-Ed DODGE BALL

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Common strategies

Note: These strategies are only guaranteed to apply to the NADA and NCDA ruleset:

• THE FIVE D's od DODGE BALL:According to the movie Dodge Ball the 5 D's of dodgeball are DODGE, DIP, DUCK, DIVE, and DODGE.

• Bait-ball: One team member lobs a ball up in the air to distract the other team, while a second team member throws a ball at normal speed in hopes of getting someone out. The name refers to the first ball's status as bait to lure the team's focus away from the second ball. One player can try to throw both the bait and kill balls, but this is less effective.

• Suicide throw: In some rulesets, individuals can cross the center line while jumping. They are only out when their feet hit the floor. Suiciders take advantage of this by attempting to jump across the center line and throw the ball before their feet hit the ground. This is to get closer to an opposing team member in hopes of increasing the likelihood of getting that person out.

• Intimidation Push: A team or members of a team move close to the line carrying balls. Opponents, with or without balls on hand, will usually be intimidated into moving away from the line, putting them on the defensive. If opponents stay near the line to throw, they become easy targets for the other members of your team near the line.

• Covering Fire In this strategy, the team will save as many balls as possible until the order covering fire is called and the team throws all their balls at targets while the commando crosses and wrecks havoc.

• Suicide Run / Kamikaze: Similar to the Suicide Throw, but instead of jumping across the center line, the player runs parallel to the line while throwing the ball. This tactic is a good way to trick the opposing team into throwing their balls to the other side, however, it will usually lead to the runner being eliminated.

• Peek-a-boo: The name here comes from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The tactic is very similar to how it is portrayed in the movie. One team member comes up in the shadow of another team member who is currently throwing in order to go unnoticed by the other team. The first team member then goes out from behind the shadow and quickly throws the ball in hopes of surprising the other team.

• Psych-out: For this strategy a player feints having a ball behind his back, and at an opportunistic time will pretend to throw the "ball." While what this accomplishes is often debated, a well timed/executed psych-out will generally cause an opposing player to hesitate or cancel a throw, as well as serve as a distraction.

• Trick throws: Long wind-ups produce strong throws, but allow the other team to notice that the person is throwing and begin their dodges. To combat this, some dodgeball players develop trick throws that are less powerful but involve a much quicker throwing motion. Examples of these include balls flipped from an underhand or backhand position.

• Spinning Throw: Spinning throws are accomplished by rotating one's body 360 degrees before throwing. This produces a long wind-up but a ball that's usually thrown more powerfully than from a normal throwing motion. However, this move is not as accurate, more expected, and the player performing the spinning throw will not be able dodge balls effectively.

• Tip Flick: This requires three to four players. One player, the setter, holds two 5" balls. Two players stand behind the setter. The setter then throws the balls in the air as the two behind run up, grab the balls in the air and throw them at the opposing side. A fourth player can be added to block for the setter.

• Suicide Assist: This is essentially a combination of the Suicide Throw and the Tip Flick. It only requires two players, and it is played out much like an assist in basketball. One player acquires a ball, and the second player runs in for the kill, no ball in hand. The first player tosses the ball to the second player, while simultaneously, the second player dives over the center line, catches the ball, and throws it at an opponent, thus gaining an easy out.

• Fake Doctor: This tactic can be used in Dr. Dodgeball. First, a selected teammate pretends to be 'out'. Of course, they really are not. Second, another teammate pretends to be the doctor and touches the teammate, bringing them back 'in'. The opposing team then thinks that the second person is the doctor, even though he is not. The entire team then aims for the second person, thus sparing the real doctor.

• Fake 'Out' : A player sits down on the ground. Teammates of the other side assume that the player is 'out' and run past him. As soon as the targeted opposer runs past him, the trickster sits back up and hits him with their ball, catching them completely off guard.

• Big Man Little Man : This technique is used in Dr. Dodgeball/Medic dodgeball, where the smallest (and often quickest) player on a team is the Doctor, and the tallest/widest player provides a bodyguard for the Doctor, closely shadowing them. The benefit of this is twofold: 1. The doctor is protected from almost any ball-throwing, as the larger player blocks any thrown balls. 2. If the "Big Man" should be struck out (very likely), the Doctor can easily get them back in, as they are directly behind them.

• Fake Referee Chat : A Player from your team stays inside the line and is holding a ball while having a fake chat with the referee, whilst the opponent is busy Dodging/throwing the ball the player spies and when the opponent is off guard the player does a Power-throw. (Throw the ball with speed and power).