Players must dodge or catch balls thrown by the opposition whilst attempting to strike their opponents in the same way.

Two teams start on opposing sides of a court. Three or five dodgeballs (depending on age) are lined up on the centre line and players from each team race to retrieve them at the start of the game.

A game then proceeds with both sets of players trying to take the opposition's players out of the game, either by striking them with a ball they have thrown before it bounces, or by catching a ball thrown by an opponent – a successful catch also allows the defending team to regain a player that has previously been taken out of the game.

A game lasts for a maximum of 3 minutes and a team can win a game by eliminating all the opposition players within the 3 minute time period or having more players remaining on their side of the court at the end of 3 minutes.