Earlier this week, one of ThePhysicalEducator.com's followers on Twitter shared that he was going to be playing Dodgeball the following day with his #physed classes. I love it when people share what is going on in their gym, so I gave him a retweet.

Almost immediately, negative opinion responses of using dodgeball as an activity in #physed. People were referring to it as a "stone age" activity and were "shaking their heads" in disapproval.

Although Dodgeball is often included in #physed's "Hall of Shame", I think the bigger problem is the bad pedagogy associated to it rather than the game itself.

What makes Dodgeball such a terrible game? How can we improve it? Does it have a role in today's #physed curriculum?

Let's discuss this.

First off, let's discuss what makes Dodgeball a game that fits into the #physed "Hall of Shame".

1. The game involves human targets.
2. Players who get "hit" are out of the game.
3. Some (arguably all) players are afraid of getting "hit".
4. Weaker players are sometimes targeted (may be a form of bullying).

I keep writing and rewriting this post and it is very difficult to lay points out in favor of playing dodgeball in PE. With that being said I am in favor of the game in PE class, in which I find myself in the minority. It is easy to play the "bullying" card but I feel strongly that with the proper pedagogy that angle can easily be taken out of the equation. I don't feel I am being naive and as a professional it is my job to eliminate the "bullying factor" from every game and activity we play in PE. With that out of the equation the development of so many gross and fine motor skills are very evident. To teach the game through the TGFU model and to teach it as a strategic game, "bullying" is never a focus nor should it ever be.

As #physed teachers more often than not our first instinct when doing any game/activity with our kids is to quickly sum up the dangers/hazards and modify the activity accordingly to make sure all are safe. Sometimes this comes at the expense of the authenticity of a game, but so be it. We have a responsibility to our kids to make sure they are safe. #physed classes are by nature the most dangerous environment a child will encounter in their school day due to their dynamic nature. If we notice a dangerous aspect in a game of basketball, then we would change to rules to make sure the game runs in a safer way, so why not with Dodgeball? Soft balls, hits only on the legs, large space, underhand throwing are all modifications which make it safer

I loved dodgeball as a child. I remember that we always picked on this one girl who was an easy out. Now, as an educator, I often wonder what the first out person feels like as they watch helplessly from the sideline. My classes play a dodgeball variant. The only time a child is on the sideline is if he/she breaks a rule and it is only a one minute time out. We work on form and I challenge the more aggressive students with challenges and targets. We work on a variety of skills. My kids are more engaged in this game than any other. I let my older students play "dodgeball" and not a single student chose to play it again. In my amall gym, there is a very "cooperative" and "fun" feel. I wonder if the gym were bigger if my style would change.

I guess one of the main issues with dodgeball is the old school type emphasis it puts on PE. In its original form the game certainly does encourage players to attack the weakest first - they then had to sit out for the rest of the round/ game. It just makes the social hierarchy of a class so much more transparent and reinforces and lot of negative thoughts and perceptions of individuals. I also think the old school style of letting kids pick teams/ having captains pick teams is another example that often runs alongside dodgeball type games. The weakest are left till last, and gender disparities become more evident. I

If our role as PE teachers includes developing teamwork, cooperation, respect, etc then playing game in a format that promotes the opposite is probably not a good thing.

Now on the flip side I played rugby for years and love the game! There I can legitimately run into people, throw them to the ground and of course I was, when possible, going to make contact with someone I felt I could either get through or make plenty of ground with while they hung on!!! Perhaps not so different from the dodgeball scenario in many respects!

I thoroughly disagreed with the HBO video on PE central though which said we are creating wimps by not playing games such as dodgeball, or by saying exercise should not be used as punishment.

As Donny said - what is the purpose of the game? If you have clear learning objectives and a structure to the lesson (TGfU) you will probably do a good job. However, I think many PE old school PE teachers simply roll out the ball and let it go with games like this and they are the ones our profession gets judged on unfortunately.

There are som many varieties of Dodgeball that can be played in a #physed class using the TGfU method, or any other method that encourages strategic play and more inquiry based learning.
I have never in my career had a Dodgeball game where a student once hit sits out of the game and is a non participant. There are so many variants you can play where once hit that student becomes a doctor/medic to save others, had 9 lives (like a cat), joins the other team once hit. All of these keep all students active and engaged.
In what ways have you #pegeeks modified Dodgeball to give it a more meaningful or TGfU approach?

I am pro-dodgeball for 3 reasons:

1. It involves many different motor skills.
2. It teaches teamwork and good sportsmanship.
3. Most students are excited and very active during the game.

Responses to objections:

1. Game rules can be changed to avoid "head-shots."
2. Bullying can be avoided by teacher involvement.
3. Teacher can pick teams and allow students to "come back in" when a teammate catches a ball.

I use dodgeball as a "free day" activity or reward for several weeks of good class behavior. Additionally, I use this game for "fun days" such as Halloween and other holidays that we are in school for.

Dodgeball can be a positive experience for pupils. Firstly dodegball adheres to the Fundamentals ABC's of movement, thus making it a great game for primary children to develop throwing and catching skills.

Secondly a positive way to teach dodgeball should be through adapted games of dodgeball which adopts an inclusive approach rather than pupils being out.

For example 'Jail Ball' whereby pupils stand at the back of the court when their out and to get back in they have to catch the ball. Or road runner whereby the pupils have to run through the deadzone to get back in the game. These games make dodgeball more inclusive and create high participation levels.

Personally from working in an EBD school, the youngsters love dodgeball. Its an opportunity to take their aggression out in a positive manner. Is our biggest game and its something that has given the kids an impetus to play sport regulary, which is great.

All valid justifications and suggestions which I support and use in my program. It's good to see that there are teachers out there changing the old stereotype of our subject which is where I think society's negative perception on dodgeball has come from.

I'm pretty sure the people voicing their complaints about dodgeball played it in a time and manner where as Joey suggested:

1. The game involves human targets.
2. Players who get "hit" are out of the game.
3. Some (arguably all) players are afraid of getting "hit".
4. Weaker players are sometimes targeted (may be a form of bullying).

Anyone read this position statement from NASPE on dodgeball: aahperd.org

I grew up playing the game as a kid in my apartment complex and it was fun.

Here's how we played:

1. The ball was a under pressured soccer ball, this took off speed while throwing and made the impact softer (we came up with this)

2. Hits to legs only, we were a mixed bunch of girls and boys (9-15 year olds) playing the game (a parent rule)

3. Once you are hit, you are out. The people who were out watched us play while playing a card game nearby or rode their bikes for a bit. A game typically lasted 15-20 mins.

4. We paired the younger people so if I pick a 13 year old, you get to pick two 9 year olds. And captains rotated every game, some captains preferred skill, some preferred numbers so the team change was always dynamic.

So here's what I've gathered from this Branch:

Dodgeball can be used as a positive learning tool, but all of that depends on the type of learning environment the teacher sets up around it.

Giving the game a purpose, creating student-friendly modifications, and using it appropriately (not just as a "I-don't-know-what-to-do-today" game) are all ways that we can keep this game alive (if we choose to).

Dodgeball is definitively associated to bad PE pedagogy, but it doesn't need to be. Always be sure to let students, administrators, and parents know why you are including it in your curriculum.

Final thought: Since people frown at the term "Dodgeball", why don't we just call our modifications of it "Ball Tag"?