100 Fun Facts About Dodgeball

Which actor plays Peter LaFleur, the owner of the run-down Average Joe's gym?

He needs $50,000 in 30 days to stop the gym being turned into a parking structure for the members of the flashy gym across the street.

What is the name of Ben Stiller's villain, owner of Globo Gym?

Stiller has admitted the character was a copy of his Heavyweights camp director Tony Perkis, assuming nobody had seen that film. He learned too late it had a cult following.

How much money does Peter need to raise to save his gym?

Gordon suggests a Las Vegas dodgeball tournament with exactly that prize after Owen's car-wash idea flops.

In which city is the dodgeball tournament held?

Patches is killed the night before the final by a falling casino sign.

What is the name of Globo Gym's dodgeball team?

Goodman spied on Average Joe's through a hidden camera in a cardboard cutout of himself and skipped qualifying thanks to a friendship with the chancellor.

Who plays Patches O'Houlihan, the wheelchair-using dodgeball legend who coaches Average Joe's?

Hank Azaria plays the young Patches in the 1950s training film that Justin digs up. Torn's training regimen involves wrenches, oncoming cars and constant insults.

What does Patches throw at the team during training to teach them to dodge?

He also has them dodge traffic. The line 'if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball' became the film's most quoted.

Who beats Average Joe's at the sub-regional qualifier, only to be disqualified?

One of the scouts fails a drug test, so Average Joe's advances by default.

What is the profession of Kate Veatch, played by Christine Taylor, who eventually joins the team?

She is handling Goodman's account and rebuffs him citing conflict of interest, until he gets her fired and she joins Average Joe's out of spite.

Which Average Joe's member believes he is a pirate?

Steve 'The Pirate' Cowan quits after Peter mocks him, comes back looking normal, then reverts the moment the winnings are called 'buried treasure'.

Which real-life athlete gives Peter a pep talk that sends him back to the tournament?

Peter and Justin still arrive after Average Joe's has forfeited; only a judges' vote gets them reinstated.

Whose tie-breaking vote on the judging panel reinstates Average Joe's after their forfeit?

In the credits, a now-obese Goodman blames him for everything.

Which Baywatch star cameos as the coach of the German team Blitzkrieg?

He plays himself, alongside cameos from Lance Armstrong and Chuck Norris.

How does Peter win the sudden-death showdown against Goodman?

He is channelling Patches. It emerges he had already sold the gym to Goodman the night before for $100,000.

What did Peter do with the $100,000 Goodman paid him for the gym's deed?

The bet returns $5 million, enough to buy a controlling stake in the publicly traded Globo Gym and fire Goodman.

How did the original test-screening ending of Dodgeball differ from the released version?

Test audiences hated it, so the sudden-death win and Goodman's return to obesity were added.

Who wrote and directed Dodgeball, his feature debut?

He went on to make We're the Millers, Central Intelligence, Skyscraper and Red Notice.

What was Dodgeball's production budget, against a worldwide gross more than eight times as large?

It opened to more than $29 million in its first week and took $114 million domestically.

Which studio released Dodgeball on June 18, 2004?

Two screenwriters later sued Fox and Thurber, claiming their unproduced script Dodgeball: The Movie had been copied; the case settled out of court.

What fictional obscure-sports channel broadcasts the tournament, later a real ESPN annual stunt?

ESPN first aired a real day of trampoline dodgeball, kabaddi and roller derby under the name on August 8, 2017. By 2023 it was a permanent streaming channel.

Which award did Ben Stiller win at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards for Dodgeball?

He was also nominated for Best Comedic Performance, and picked up a Razzie nomination the same year for his five 2004 films combined.

Which Wall Street Journal critic refused to review Dodgeball, then apologised after seeing the DVD?

Roger Ebert gave it three stars, praising Fox for not spoiling all the best gags in the trailer.

Which Average Joe's player skips the final to help his crush Amber at a cheerleading competition?

He is played by Justin Long, and steps in after Amber's partner Derek is injured. It leaves the team short-handed and forfeited.

In the film's ending, Kate's friend Joyce arrives from where and kisses her, revealing Kate is bisexual?

Kate then kisses a stunned Peter just as passionately.

In which year did Fox first announce a Dodgeball sequel, apparently without telling Ben Stiller?

Stiller said he had no idea it was happening. The project was revived in 2023 with Vince Vaughn attached, and in 2025 Vaughn said he was 'open to it' but 'nothing is for sure'.

Which body has organised the sport's annual global championship since 2012?

It began as an open event; by 2021 the federation had 80 member nations and entry became qualification-based.

In dodgeball, what happens when a player catches a live ball thrown by an opponent?

Fumble the catch and drop it, though, and the would-be catcher is the one who is out.

When does a thrown dodgeball stop being 'live'?

Being hit by a dead ball does not count. Under WDBF rules a ball blocked with another ball stays live and can still get you out.

How long is a match under WDBF guidelines?

It is split into two 20-minute halves in which as many sets as possible are played.

Under WDBF rules for its World Championships, what is the ball count and team size?

The rival World Dodgeball Association uses five balls. Foam was the only ball type at early Worlds; a cloth category was added in 2022.

What is the WDBF regulation court size?

Elite Dodgeball uses a 50 by 25 foot court with a 10-foot neutral zone in the middle; the WDBF court has no neutral zone.

What is the scramble for balls lined up on the centre line at the start of a game called?

A ball grabbed at the line can never be thrown straight away; the player must retreat or pass it back first.

How long may a player hold a ball without doing anything before being penalised for stalling?

Kicking a ball, stepping on a boundary line and bad sportsmanship are the other violations, and each puts the offender out.

In the variant called 'jailball', where do eliminated players go?

They can get back in by capturing a dead ball or by hitting an opponent with one.

By legend, Mongol warriors played a dodgeball-like game after the 1241 Battle of Mohi using what?

Whatever the truth, the modern sport's ancestors are far tamer: schoolyard versions exist from Estonia's rahvastepall to Iran's vassati.

What is dodgeball called in Brazil, where the rules usually resemble jailball?

The name means 'burned'. Afrikaans-speaking South African schools play a tennis-ball version called brandbal, 'burning ball', for the same reason.

In Sweden's version, killerboll, how many steps may the player holding the ball take before throwing?

A player who is hit can rejoin the game if the person who knocked them out is later hit.

What does the Belgian and Dutch schoolyard name for dodgeball, 'Tussen Twee Vuren', mean?

Poland's version, Dwa Ognie, translates the same way: 'Two Fires'. The Dutch also call it trefbal, 'hit ball'.

In China's version, Diu Sha Bao, what is thrown instead of a ball?

On the Indian subcontinent the game goes by names including Maram Pitti and Sekan-tadi, slang for 'slamming the hip'.

What is the standard diameter of the classic rubber playground dodgeball?

Rubber or PVC versions are called utility balls; leagues also use 'no-sting' rubber, foam and cloth balls.

Which tactic do the sport's basic guidelines recommend for aiming a throw?

Low throws are harder to catch and avoid head shots, which in many rule sets put the thrower out.

Which city was chosen to host the eleventh Dodgeball World Championship in December 2026?

Since 2022 the Worlds have been contested in two ball categories, foam and cloth, across men's, women's and mixed divisions.

How long does Peter have to raise the money before Goodman forecloses on Average Joe's?

Goodman plans to demolish the gym and build an auxiliary parking structure for his Globo Gym members.

Ben Stiller's White Goodman was a deliberate copy of his character from which earlier film?

Stiller redid his Tony Perkis Jr. performance assuming nobody had seen the film, only to learn it had a large cult following.

How does Patches O'Houlihan die the night before the final?

His death demoralises Peter, who then drives Steve the Pirate out of the team by mocking his pirate behaviour.

What average grade did CinemaScore audiences give Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story?

Critics were warmer than that grade suggests: Rotten Tomatoes called it a worthy spiritual successor to the goofball comedies of the 1980s.

In which year did ESPN first stage a real day-long 'ESPN8: The Ocho' marathon?

The August 8 stunt on ESPNU featured trampoline dodgeball, darts, disc golf, kabaddi and roller derby, and by 2023 The Ocho was a permanent streaming channel.

Which organisation specifies a 50-by-25-foot court with a 10-foot neutral zone in the middle?

The World Dodgeball Federation's larger 60-by-30-foot court, by contrast, has no neutral zone at all.

Who composed the music for Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, winning a 2005 BMI Award?

It was the film's only outright win alongside Stiller's MTV Best Villain prize; it was also nominated for the ESPY for Best Sports Movie.

Which federal judge ordered a jury trial in the 2005 copyright suit brought against Dodgeball?

Two New York screenwriters claimed the film infringed their unproduced script Dodgeball: The Movie; the case was later settled out of court.

Which city hosted the first Dodgeball World Championship in 2012?

Malaysia has since become a power in the sport, winning three men's foam world titles and two women's.

In which year was the World Dodgeball Federation formed?

Its founding aim was to unite the separate continental bodies into one federation; a decade later it had 80 member nations.

The World Dodgeball Federation is an international member of which umbrella body?

TAFISA is The Association for International Sport for All, which promotes mass-participation sport rather than elite competition.

Which body granted the rival WDA observer status in April 2020?

The WDA counts 62 national federations and runs its own World Cup, ranking members on an eight-year results cycle.

Which team won the men's title at the inaugural 2012 Dodgeball World Championship?

It remains Hong Kong's only world title; Canada, Malaysia and the United States have since won three men's foam crowns each.

Which Austrian city hosted the tenth Dodgeball World Championship in 2024?

Canada retained the women’s foam title there for a record-equalling fourth win, while the United States took a third men’s crown.

Why was the dodgeball Worlds skipped in 2023?

The 2020 and 2021 editions were also lost, to COVID-19, so only two Worlds were played between 2019 and 2026.

The 2013 Dodgeball World Championship was staged in Queenstown, in which country?

Canada swept both the men’s and women’s foam titles there; the United States repeated the double on home soil two years later.

Which nation won the men's, women's and mixed cloth-ball titles at the 2024 Worlds?

Great Britain had won the first women's cloth title in 2022, but lost it to the Austrians two years later.

Which governing body hosts tournaments at trampoline parks?

The WDBF, by contrast, takes the game outdoors with beach dodgeball events.

In the schoolyard variant played on a round court, where do the throwers stand?

The players inside the circle evade the throws; anyone hit may swap places with the thrower or sit out until one survivor remains.

In gym-court games, what can a ball that drops through the basketball hoop do?

The rule counts even if the ball was deflected into the goal by a player or another ball.

What may be declared when so few players remain that dodging has become too easy?

Team zones vanish and players can roam the whole court to get a better angle on their remaining opponents.

How do basic dodgeball tactics suggest teammates pick a shared target?

Calling a number lets several throwers converge from different angles on one opponent, who cannot dodge everything.

In which language is dodgeball known as 'Eri Pantu'?

Gend Tadi and Maram Pitti are other South Asian names for the same playground game.

Claims that dodgeball resembles assault have led to calls to remove it from where?

Lawsuits over injuries have accompanied the debate; many leagues now play with foam or ‘no-sting’ balls.

At a WDBF opening rush, which centre-line balls may a team run for?

Collected balls must be carried back behind the attack line, about a third of the way from the back of court, before they can be thrown.

In which year was the National Dodgeball League, America's only pro league, founded?

It launched the same summer the hit dodgeball comedy reached cinemas, and it still runs amateur tour stops across the country.

How many professional teams did the National Dodgeball League field at its peak?

They were split into National and American Dodgeball Conferences, echoing the NFL’s two-conference structure.

What does the winner of the NDL's free-for-all 'Last Dodgeballer Standing' receive?

Their silhouette also goes on the next year's event logo. Each player gets two 'outs', marked on the hand in pen, before elimination.

What is unusual about the NDL professional league's regular season?

Each team plays three five-minute matches during the annual convention, with the playoffs and title game following the same day.

Which US channel aired all three seasons of Extreme Dodgeball?

It was made to ride the wave of the 2004 film, and the actor who played Patches O’Houlihan joined as league commissioner for season three.

On Extreme Dodgeball, what marked the 'Dead Man Walking' player?

In the first two seasons, losing the Dead Man Walking lost the whole match; in season three it simply cost two bonus points.

Which undefeated team of accountants won Extreme Dodgeball's first season?

Teammate Tobias ‘The Sniper’ McKinney invented the ‘Suicide Leap’: jump the centre line and hit your victim before landing.

Which Olympic beach volleyball champion captained season three’s winless Detroit Spoilers?

Despite ten straight defeats, she out-killed every other woman in the league and was named the commissioner's favourite female captain.

Which season-one Extreme Dodgeball team lost all six of its matches?

The sumo wrestlers' last defeat was a first-round playoff loss to the eventual champions. The Stallion Battalion were jockeys, the Mimes were mimes.

What season record did Michael 'Handsome' Constanza set for throwing speed?

He was also season one MVP for accuracy. In season three, K.J. Phelps led the league with 34 catches.

Which company made the 1987 arcade game Super Dodge Ball?

Its 1996 Neo Geo remake was the studio's final game before it went out of business, so only a handful of arcade boards were made.

In the arcade Super Dodge Ball, what happens to a player who is eliminated?

Each character usually takes three or four hits before ascending; the life bar tracks how many team members remain.

Who hands over the world cup after you beat Japan in arcade Super Dodge Ball?

In the original Japanese version the final opponents were the USA instead, and the trophy presenter was a thinly disguised Superman.

Which NES mode has Team USA’s six dodgeballers brawling in a schoolyard until one remains?

The six members of Team USA fight each other in a schoolyard that shifts from daytime to night as the difficulty rises.

Team England's stage music in NES Super Dodge Ball is based on songs by which band?

Team Japan gets 'Sakura Sakura' and Team USSR 'Katyusha'; the England match is played by Tower Bridge.

Which publisher released the dodgeball game Knockout City in May 2021?

Developer Velan Studios took over publishing itself a year later and made the game free-to-play before shutting the servers in June 2023.

In Knockout City, what can players hurl at opponents besides a ball?

The 'Ball-Up Brawl' mode is built entirely around it. Velan called the genre 'dodgebrawl' and drew 2 million players in week one.

The 2021 sports RPG Dodgeball Academia came from a studio based in which country?

Pocket Trap had previously made Ninjin: Clash of Carrots. Players guide a student named Otto through a school devoted to the sport.

The dodgeball manga Dodge Danpei ran from 1989 to 1995 in which magazine?

It spawned a 47-episode anime and eight video games, and a sequel about Danpei's daughter Danko got its own anime in 2026.

How does young Danpei discover the ball hidden by his late father in Dodge Danpei?

His father Danjuro was a famous player, and Danpei takes the ball as a gift before passing the dodgeball club's tough entrance exam.

Gaga, the walled-pit version of dodgeball, is usually said to have been invented where?

A Baltimore camp counsellor, Steve Steinberg, told Tablet magazine he actually invented it in 1975 after calling his campers 'a bunch of babies'.

In gaga, where must the ball strike a player to eliminate them?

Hitting yourself below the knee counts too, and the ball is slapped with open hands rather than thrown.

How many bounces must a gaga ball make before it is in play?

Players keep a hand on the wall and shout 'Ga' on each bounce; leaving the wall early gets you eliminated before play begins.

In gaga, what is the banned move of using the pit wall to boost a jump called?

Turtling is dropping to your knees to shield your legs; scooping is curling the fingers to flick the ball airborne. Both are also frowned on.

Who plays tournament announcer Cotton McKnight in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story?

Cole was already famous as Office Space’s boss Bill Lumbergh; here he anchors the ESPN8 broadcast of the tournament final.

Jason Bateman plays which dim-witted colour commentator in the film?

Blade, Lazer and Blazer are three of Globo Gym’s musclebound players; Jamal Duff plays Me’Shell Jones, Goodman’s ‘fitness consigliere’.

Globo Gym’s Fran Stalinovskovichdaviddivichski hails from which fictional country?

Missi Pyle plays her, and she ends up as the love interest of Average Joe's employee Owen Dittman.

Which Star Trek captain plays the Dodgeball Chancellor who oversees the tournament?

It is the chancellor's friendship with Goodman that lets Globo Gym skip the qualifying round.

The cast’s online reunion video for a charity contest raised money for whose foundation?

Titled ‘Play Dodgeball with Ben Stiller’, it was released in June 2017, four years after a sequel was first announced.

ESPN8 cameoed as a bowling broadcaster in which 2024 Paramount+ mini-series?

Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer played the commentators in the Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off.

The nickname 'The Ocho' was a play on which 1990s nickname for ESPN2?

The joke was the channel number: when the film came out ESPN had only four linear English-language channels in the US, and ESPNU arrived a year later.

In August 2020, ESPN8: The Ocho was simulcast on the Big Screen inside which video game?

The pandemic had wiped out live sport, so ESPN brought the block forward to May that year and ran it again in Party Royale in August.

Which Revenge of the Nerds actor plays Mr. Ralph, host of the sub-regional qualifiers?

Armstrong, ‘Booger’ in the Nerds films, presides over the match in which Average Joe’s advance only because their opponents are disqualified.