Dodgeball

Dodgeball is a top-down gym-class dodgeball game for one player: you and four CPU teammates take on a team of five across the center line. Rush for the foam balls, charge your throws, side-step shots and time your catches to bring teammates back in. You can play this dodgeball game online free in your browser with no download, on a keyboard, a mouse or a phone’s touch screen.

How to play

Each round starts with both teams at their back walls and six foam balls on the red center line. At the whistle, everyone rushes in.

• Move: use the arrow keys or WASD. On a phone or tablet, drag anywhere on the court like a joystick. You are the player with the yellow ring, and you can’t cross the line.
• Pick up: run over a ball to grab it. You can carry one at a time.
• Throw: hold Space, the mouse button or the Throw button, and a white ring fills around you. Let go to throw; a longer charge throws faster and farther. With a mouse, the ball goes toward your pointer; otherwise it goes at the opponent with the yellow target.
• Catch: with empty hands, press C, Space or the Catch button just before a ball reaches you. Your hands are out for about a quarter of a second, so press too early and you miss, then have to wait a moment to try again.
• Dodge: press Shift, X or the Dodge button for a quick side-step in the direction you are moving, or sideways away from the nearest throw if you are standing still.

Get hit by a live throw and you are out: you walk to the sideline bench while your teammates play on. If a teammate catches a ball, the player who has been out the longest comes back in, and that can be you. A throw is dead once it drops to the floor or bounces off a wall, so a rolling ball does nothing.

Knock out all five players on the other team to win the round. If both teams still have players after 90 seconds, the team with more players left wins the round. First to two round wins takes the match. After five rounds without a winner, the match is a draw.

Game modes

• Quick Match: a best-of-three match against one team on Easy, Normal or Hard. Harder teams react faster, aim better, throw harder and catch more.
• School League: your Northfield Hornets play five rival schools, from the Maple Ridge Owls up to the Summit Valley Yaks, one match each. The other schools play each other too, with 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. Finish on top to win the league. Your season is saved.
• Survival: just you against a team of throwers that never runs out. You start with three lives, every catch gives you one back (up to five), and a new thrower joins every 20 seconds. See how many seconds you can last.

Real dodgeball rules

Gym-class dodgeball is played by two teams on either side of a center line. Players throw soft balls to hit opponents below the shoulders, and a player who is hit is out and leaves the court. If someone catches a thrown ball before it touches the floor, the thrower is out instead and one of the catcher’s teammates comes back in. Players have to stay on their own side of the center line, and the last team with players left wins. Rules vary by school: some don’t count head hits, and some let you block a throw with a ball you are holding. This game uses the core rules above and counts any hit from a live throw, and the CPU players aim at the body.

Tips

• Watch the charge rings. A CPU player about to throw has a white ring filling around them: get ready to dodge or catch.
• Catch slow throws. Soft throws give you more time to press Catch, and every catch brings a teammate back.
• Don’t camp on the line. Close-range throws are very hard to react to, so grab a ball and back up a step.

FAQ

Is this dodgeball game free?

Yes, with no account and nothing to install. Your wins, catches, league season and best Survival time are saved in your browser.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a phone, drag on the court to move and use the buttons under it; the page won’t scroll while you play. On a Chromebook or laptop, use the keyboard and mouse.

Can I pause the game?

Press P or Esc, or use the pause button. It also pauses if you switch tabs.

Does anyone get hurt?

No. The balls are soft foam, and a player who is hit just walks to the sideline.

Like playground games? Try Snowball Fight for arcing throws from behind a snow fort, or Tag Game for a chase with platforms and power-ups.