Celebrity Dodgeball

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Coordinate group passing and positioning to bypass a moving defender in real time.

Use it when: Use in an active workshop break, youth session, or physical team energizer where a large open space is available.

Skip it when: Skip when the space has breakable items, when participants prefer seated activities, or when fast-moving objects are not suitable.

Group arrangement: Whole group in a circle with 2 players in the center

Timing: Playworks lists 15 to 20 minutes; 15 minutes provides setup, multiple rounds, and a brief review.

Materials and tools

• 1 soft foam dodgeball
• 8 to 12 floor cones or vinyl floor markers to outline a 15 to 20 foot diameter circle

Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open indoor or outdoor area of trip hazards and fragile objects.
2. Lay out cones or markers to form a circle boundary roughly 15 to 20 feet across.
3. Place the soft foam ball inside the circle.

Say this to open

We are playing Celebrity Dodgeball. The goal of the outside circle is to work together and tag our celebrity from the shoulders down. Two volunteers will start in the center: one celebrity and one bodyguard. The bodyguard uses their body, except their head, to block the ball. Circle players can pass to each other or throw at the celebrity, but everyone stays behind the cones. Let us review safety and begin.

How to run it

1. Explain rules and safety 3 minutes

   Assemble the group outside the boundary cones. State the safety rules clearly: throws must remain below the shoulders, and the bodyguard cannot block using their head. Introduce the roles: the Celebrity avoids getting hit; the Bodyguard moves to intercept or deflect the ball; Circle Players remain behind the boundary markers and may pass or throw at the celebrity. Ask for two initial volunteers to enter the middle.

2. Run initial rounds 5 minutes

   Hand the foam ball to a player on the perimeter. Start play. Outside players pass around the perimeter to find clear angles, then throw at the celebrity. If the ball touches the celebrity below the shoulders, the round ends immediately. If the bodyguard blocks it, the ball remains live; outside players retrieve it while staying outside the cones. Limit each round to 90 seconds. If time expires before a hit, pause the round.

3. Rotate roles and introduce variations 5 minutes

   Rotate roles for new rounds. The previous bodyguard becomes the celebrity, the player who made the successful tag becomes the bodyguard, and the former celebrity returns to the circle. If time expired, invite two fresh volunteers. To increase teamwork, add a rule: perimeter players must complete at least 3 passes before taking a shot at the celebrity.

4. Debrief and close 2 minutes

   Gather the group at the boundary line. Ask two quick questions about coordination and defense. Take two or three brief responses from the group to conclude.

Debrief questions

• What passing tactics helped the circle find an opening past the bodyguard?
• As the bodyguard, what helped you track both the ball and the celebrity?

Finished output: Completion of several active rounds where participants test passing strategies against a moving blocker.

Remote

This physical game cannot run online without changing its fundamental physical mechanic. For a remote team energizer focusing on quick passing, run an online Word Catch game instead: participants call another person's name and toss an imaginary object across webcams, with the receiver acknowledging and passing to someone new within 3 seconds.

Hybrid

Hybrid play is not practical for active ball games. If some participants are remote, run a separate camera-based passing or word-relay exercise where both remote and in-room participants take turns calling out names in a shared sequence.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may choose roles that match their comfort, including perimeter passer, ball retriever, or timekeeper.
• Any participant can pass on entering the center ring without explanation.

If the session gets stuck

A throw accidentally hits a center player in the head or neck.

Pause play immediately to check on the player. Reiterate that only throws below the shoulders count, and restart with a perimeter pass.

One player on the perimeter dominates the ball and never passes.

Enforce a mandatory three-pass rule before any throw can be made toward the celebrity.

Terms used here

• Celebrity: The center player who avoids being hit by the foam ball.
• Bodyguard: The center defender who blocks or deflects throws to protect the celebrity.