Often seen in schools as just a rainy-day playtime activity, dodgeball’s popularity has soared recently to the point it may overtake football as the activity of choice in schools.
If you were to ask someone whether they know about dodgeball, they are probably likely to bring up Ben Stiller and Hollywood before they do competitive sport.
What they are unaware of is just how popular the sport of dodgeball has become in Britain in recent years and how accessible the sport is to play.
For those wondering how to play, the aim is for players to eliminate all opposing team’s players by throwing balls and hitting them, catching their throws, or forcing them out of bounds, all while avoiding being hit themselves. Whichever team has the most players remaining when the time runs out wins the set or match.
Played in teams of men, women or mixed genders, dodgeball’s inclusivity is designed to mix power, agility and coordination together with deception to create a fast-paced, entertaining spectacle.
This is what led Emily Leddy from picking up the sport at university to eventually play at an international level for England.
““I wanted to make new friends, do something new, and join a society,” said Leddy.
“I went to my first session and caught a guy out, and he came up to me and congratulated me. I stuck with it because it was just a really fun way to socialise.”
“The sport is more energetic than other sports. You play three-minute sets, so everything happens in short, sharp bursts. It’s more about teamwork than I would say football is”
Leddy made her debut for England Lions at the Western European Championships in Ghent, Belgium. The tournament, held in March, was the largest ever held, featuring eight nations: England, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Wales, with more than 38 teams competing.
Speaking on the experience, Leddy said:
“It was amazing. I’ve been around the international scene for three years, so I went in 2023 to spectate and support my friends and my partner, so it was really good to have that reversed.
“In the first game of the tournament we played Wales, and I got MVP which was fantastic. Playing so many games was tiring and draining, but overall, it was a really fun experience.”
Despite the success that Dodgeball is having in the UK and overseas, many still dismiss dodgeball as a legitimate sport due to its school association and chaotic nature. Leddy said most people have only heard of it due to Ben Stiller’s 2004 comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.
“The sport is slightly niche, I guess, a lot of people only know it just because of the film, but honestly, I think it’s just a fun film, it gets people into the sport, and some of the rules in it are actually correct.
“People try to demean dodgeball because of the film, but without the film, I probably would not have picked up the sport.”
“It’s a very technical sport that requires a lot of decision-making. Discipline is a massive part of it; the tournaments are three days long, sometimes five games in a day, people don’t realise how tiring it can be.”
British Dodgeball, the sport’s National Governing body, states that leagues are growing in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Where the sport has mainly been played in universities, the organisation has said that the sport has become the second most participated sport in schools in the UK, leading to more demand for tournaments and leagues to compete in.
James Robinson, British Dodgeball’s south-west regional co-ordinator, spoke about the growth of the sport:
“The sport has usually been used as a wet weather lesson, but the growth is certainly on the up in every age group and every area.
“With our school championships pathway, the competition level just grows and grows.”
This season, there have been over 40 mixed events for primary schools; four mixed regional finals leading up to a national final. The average number of teams per event is eight, with each team averaging eight players.
The secondary school Y9/10 boys’ and girls’ national finals took place last week, where 17 teams played, and in the Y7/Y8 age bracket, 24 teams will line up to compete in July.
“The demand from children in particular is very high, whenever they are surveyed it seems to be within the top three to five sports that they want to play whether that be primary or secondary school.”
I asked James why he thought there had been a bigger demand for dodgeball in the country.
“You don’t need to have any specialist equipment to play like you may need in other sports, so with the cost of living coming up every day, it’s an extremely accessible sport and it is great exercise for you mentally and physically.”
“Ultimately, I think bigger picture that it can be a serious sport that can develop lots of core skills.”
Dodgeball only received its international sporting recognition by the Global Association of International Sports Federations in 2017, so it is safe to say the sport has a long way to go to match the juggernauts of football and cricket.
Sussex-based dodgeball coach Tom Sikora spoke about the issues facing the sport.
“There needs to be more of a push for more teams, said Sikora.
“At the end of the day, you fall in love with the sport when you play it young; there needs to be more competitive teams down south because now the closest one is in London.
“There needs to be more funding for teams and coaches because it is something that could definitely work.”
However, dodgeball may have a bright future ahead. The first professional team has been set up in America, and the International governing bodies have identified the Los Angeles and Brisbane Olympic Games as the path forward to gain more exposure and opportunities for funding, pending the International Olympic Committee’s verdict
“It is really fast paced, and it is not difficult to follow, it is a really good spectator sport,” said Leddy
“Yes 100% I definitely think it should be in the Olympics.”