Section 6: Scoring
Elimination Victory
The primary win condition in dodgeball is elimination: the last team with one or more players remaining on the court wins the game. A team wins the round the moment all opposing players have been eliminated.
Timed Games
- In organized and tournament play, games may have a time limit (commonly 5 to 10 minutes per round)
- If time expires before one team is fully eliminated, the team with more active players remaining on the court wins that round
- If both teams have the same number of active players when time expires, the round is declared a draw (or a sudden-death overtime ball is used)
Match Format
- Best-of series: Matches are typically played as a best-of-3, best-of-5, or best-of-7 series of rounds
- Point-based: Some leagues award 1 point per round won. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins
- Swiss or bracket: In tournaments, teams advance through Swiss-system pairings or single/double-elimination brackets
Tiebreakers
- If a match is tied after all rounds, a sudden-death round is played with fewer balls and a shorter time limit
- Some leagues use "last ball" tiebreakers: one ball, one player per team, winner takes the match