Dodge Ball in the 1960s

Dodge Ball in the 1960s -

Does anyone remember playing dodge ball at physical training during the school day?
It seems to me we played this game of ouch daily and got numerous red spots and bruises from being hit by those little red rubber balls you could hold in your hand, large but small at the same time. Not sure why we were allowed to throw air filled rubber balls at each other but we were.

Rules of the game as found online -

At the beginning of a dodgeball game, the balls are lined up on the central dividing line (in some versions of the game, the balls are thrown in the air for the players to catch or divided evenly to both the teams pre-match). The players then rush towards the center line simultaneously and try to grab one of the dodge balls and throw or roll it backwards to their teammates (they cannot pick up a ball and throw it instantly). This is known as the opening rush. Once the game has commenced, players throw balls at members of the opposing team in an attempt to eliminate the players.

When a player has been hit by a dodge ball "on the full" (i.e., without hitting the roof, the floor, any of the walls, or an outside object and rebounding off) and no one catches it before it becomes dead, that player has been eliminated and must move to his team's designated bench area (players are still out if the ball rebounds off another dodge ball and/or player and hits them on the full). The same rule applies if any number of people try to catch the ball but drop it. Depending on the rules and variation, "headshots" (balls thrown in dodge ball that hit an opposing player in the head) may either result in the thrower being out, or the person being hit being out.

If a player catches a ball thrown by the opposing team on the full, then the player who threw the ball is eliminated, and the team that caught the ball can reinstate the player that has been out the longest (or depending on the rules, the player(s) whom the thrower eliminated, or even the whole team). Some variations change the reinstatement limit. As long as the ball has been caught in any way and is held for two seconds, the thrower is out (i.e., even if the ball is caught between the legs, the thrower is still out). If a dodge ball hits an opposing player but gets caught by one of the hit player's teammates, the thrower is out, a player gets reinstated, and the player who got hit stays in.

A variation if the dodge ball game is played on a basketball court is that if a player throws the ball and it goes into the opposing basket and/or it hits the basketball backboard on the full, the whole team gets resurrected. The ball is still counted to have hit the backboard or scored a basket on the full if it rebounded off another dodge ball or it was deflected into the backboard by an opposing player. If the ball hits the backboard supports and/or the ring but fails to hit the backboard or go into the hoop, there is no effect. Players cannot be caught out if the ball hits the backboard, backboard supports, and/or the ring.

Players can pick up dead balls and throw them back at the other team. Players are allowed to leave the confines of the court to gather balls that have rolled out of bounds, but cannot throw the ball until they are back inside the court. A ball thrown from outside the court cannot eliminate an opponent who is hit. It only succeeds in getting the thrower automatically eliminated. If that ball however is caught on the full, the opposition can reinstate the player that has been out the longest from their team.

A player who moves completely out of bounds when a ball is thrown at them and does not catch that ball is also eliminated. If a player moves into the opponent's zone or picks up a ball from inside the opponent's zone without it fully rolling inside their zone, that player is out. Players can also get eliminated if their throw hits an opponent on the head (Directly on purpose), displays bad sportsmanship, or cheats. Kicking the balls is prohibited.

Depending on the rules of a particular game, a ball in the possession of a player can be used to block incoming balls thrown by the opposing team. Once all players on either teams are eliminated, the game is over.

Another alternate rule is ‘No Lines’ or open court. This rule is used at a point in the game when there are few players left and it was too easy to dodge the ball with all the extra room. When ‘No Lines’ is declared, all boundary lines no longer count and the players can go anywhere to get a better shot at their opponent.

My memories of dodge ball are from my time at North Junior High School in Waco, Texas. Seems like in those days I was good at recovering balls thrown at me and hitting others on the other team while avoiding being hit myself.

Am guessing being 6 foot tall and weighing in at 160 pounds in junior high was what saved me in the dear old game of dodge ball. What do you remeber about dodge ball?