2-Ball Jailbreak Dodgeball

Gameplay

• 10+ Players 👥

• 5-8 Minutes ⏱️

What You’ll Need

• 2 soft balls (one for throwing, one for kicking)

• Jerseys or pinnies to distinguish teams

• Cones to mark four corner jails

• A basketball court (full court)

• Basketball hoop(s)

Setup

• Place a cone-marked “jail” in each corner of the court.

• Divide players into 4 teams and assign them to a jail corner.

• Hand out team jerseys or use colored wristbands to tell teams apart.

• Place the throwing ball (regular dodgeball) at center court.

• Place the kicking ball (larger if possible) at a different central location.

• Optional: Use side nets to keep balls in play.

How to Play

• Start the Game: Blow the whistle. All players leave their corner jails and race onto the court.

• Throwing Ball Rules:

  • Can only be thrown to hit opposing players (like dodgeball).

  • Cannot be carried or walked with—if so, you're out!

  • Hit players choose any jail to go into.

• Kicking Ball Rules:

  • Must only be kicked—if picked up or thrown by a player on the court, that player is out.

  • Also known as the Jailbreak Ball.

• Elimination:

  • Get hit by a legal throw or kick? You’re out and go to any corner jail.

  • Step into a jail by accident? You’re out.

• Jail Rules:

  • You can switch between jails at any time.

  • If a live throwing ball rolls into your jail, a jailed player may pick it up and try to tag an active player to rejoin the game.

  • If the kicking ball (now a Jailbreak Ball) rolls into a jail, any jailed player may pick it up and shoot it into the basketball hoop.

    • If the shot goes in, all players in that jail are freed!

• Friendly Fire:

  • No teammate eliminations. If you hit your own teammate, nothing happens.

  • Encouraged to pass between teammates strategically.

• Free a Jailed Player:

  • If an active player gets too close to a jail and is touched by someone inside, they swap places—the jailed player is freed, and the active one is now in jail.

• End Game:

  • Play continues until one team (or one player) is left. That team wins the round!

Say Something Like
"Alright teams, we’re playing 2-Ball Jailbreak Dodgeball! You’ll be dodging, throwing, kicking, and trying to jailbreak your teammates from the corners. Be smart, be quick, and don’t get caught holding the wrong ball the wrong way. Last team standing wins!”

Variations

• No-Jail Swap Rule: Players can’t switch jails once they’re in.

• Timed Rounds: Set a 5-minute timer and award points to the team with the most players left.

• Multi-Ball Mayhem: Add more throwing balls for chaos.

Discipleship Teaching Points

• Teaches teamwork, strategic thinking, and how every action affects others.

• Consider tying in a verse like Galatians 6:1 – “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one...” as a parallel to the jail-break/freedom concept.

Secular Teaching Points

• Reinforces communication, sportsmanship, and spatial awareness in a high-paced environment.

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Keywords: dodgeball, jail break, team elimination, youth group, gym game, large group, 2-ball game, high energy, camp game,

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