History Main / DodgeballIsHell

* Exclusive to the anime in ''Franchise/OnePiece'', the first round that the straw hats play against the foxy pirates in the second davy back fight is a game of dodgeball[[note]]called hit and dead ball here[[/note]]. Not only do the ball have clear spikes on them, but a ball launcher is also allowed to be used to make the blows more brutal. The game also has many rules such as a rule where blows to the face don't result in elimination, and [[ExtremeOmnivore eating the ball]] does.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/11/26 this comic]] transitions out of a Spaceman Spiff escaping-the-alien-starfighters sequence into... dodgeball day in gym class.

* In ''Franchise/LapisReLights'', the students of Flora Girls' Academy play a magical version called bumpball. The rules are largely the same except each player can cast one spell from one type of spell and the only limit is how creatively you can use it. The "Hell" part comes from it being perfectly legal for students to throw the ball so hard it can break noses, send people flying from impact, and even knock them unconscious, leaving them in dire need of magical medical attention.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', a dodgeball game occurs very early on in the series between class 2-A and a class of older girls. Notably, the numbers game provides no advantage, especially since most of the girls involved are not the class {{Action Girl}}s. Class 2-A eventually wins but the toughest participant, Asuna, does suffer some bruises after a member of the other team hits her repeatedly even after she's been knocked out.

* In ''Manga/TomoChanIsAGirl'' the intramural dodgeball tournament rapidly degenerates into this. Tomo [[DoesNotKnowHerOwnStrength overdoes things from the outset]] during tryouts to the point where the other girls beg the coach to intervene, but when faced with [[NiceGuy a fundamentally sweet kid's]] earnest refusal to [[SpiritedCompetitor insult her opponents or the person who trained them]] [[SkewedPriorities by not taking a contest seriously]] she could only resort to having her compete with the boys... who fair only marginally better (if at all).

* ''Comicstrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/11/26 this comic]] transitions out of a Spaceman Spiff escaping-the-alien-starfighters sequence into... dodgeball day in gym class.

%%* The second episode of ''FanFic/CalvinAtCamp'' is all about this.

* This is as good a reason as any for why Gym in ''Videogame/{{Bully}}'' focus on dodgeball and wrestling as part of its classes, coached by [[SadistTeacher Mr. Burton]]. While it isn't possible to lose in the wrestling matches (which are solely present to help unlock new melee attacks), you're teamed up with the {{nerd}}s in every dodgeball game and anybody hit by the ball gets slammed rather violently to the hardwood floor.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* One of ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland'''s challenges is a dodgeball match in which several characters are knocked off their feet and even struck unconscious by thrown balls, all PlayedForLaughs.

* In the 1981 horror film ''Fear No Evil'', the teenage Antichrist actually killed a fellow student in a game of dodgeball.

* In both the original film and musical adaptation of ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', Tracey gets knocked out by a dodgeball. In the new movie, it's a throwaway gag, but in the original, it's a major plot point: Link asks her out after it, and Penney and Seaweed bond when they rush over to help her.

* This is as good a reason as any for why gym in ''Videogame/{{Bully}}'' focuses on dodgeball and wrestling. (Well, that and game mechanics--winning a wrestling match improves your melee attacks while helping the nerds beat the jocks at dodgeball improves your ranged attacks.)

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': One episode begins with a new PE teacher who didn't even bother to let the kids play dodgeball, he just spent the entirety of every class throwing dodgeballs at them himself, which he calls "Bombardment" ("Bombardment! Bombardment!"). For Christmas, they're doing "Double Bombardment!" The same teacher seems to like throwing things at people in general because he's shown later throwing rolls at Groundskeeper Willie after Willie got a job in a fancy restaurant (making Willie into a gentleman being the main plot of that episode).

* Of course it's averted and downplayed in ''WesternAnimation/Hilda'' because, come on, it's Hilda. To complete the initiation of a new recruit, the Sparrow Scouts love playing a game of dodgeball. Anyone who got hit, didn't suffer any injuries. The game is a way of showing the new recruit they love to have fun and make new friends. Hilda is friends with David and Frida as a result.

''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode [[Recap/TheAmazingWorldOfGumballS1E26TheMustache The Mustache]] is where Tina's gym team challenged Gumball and Darwin with these and they buff up to challenge her back.

* One of ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama Island'''s challenges is a dodgeball match in which several characters are knocked off their feet and even struck unconscious by thrown balls, all PlayedForLaughs.

* One episode of Series/EvenStevens focused on this

* In ''WelcomeFreshmen'', Coach Roach announces that they'll play dodgeball with a bowling ball. The students talk him into something less dangerous, but still far from fun.

* One episode of Even Stevens focused on this

* The episode "Ed in a Half-Shell" of ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' plays with this trope. Eddy has the gang play dodgeball while babysitting Jimmy, and Double D's reaction plays this trope completely straight, to the point where he undergoes a HeroicBSOD after having [[NoodlesIncident gym class flashbacks]] (said incident is theorized to have inflicted a head injury so horrendous, he covers it up being wearing his trademark hat 24/7) and collapses into a fetal position.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'', Coach Oop says that the board has forbidden schools from playing Dodgeball, but [[LoopholeAbuse they didn't forbid his original sport]] [[CalvinBall Hitball]]. Similar to dodgeball, but with a lot of balls at the same time and the inclusion of the [[Literature/HarryPotter Golden Switch]] which causes a hit student to [[EnemyExchangeProgram switch sides]] instead of getting eliminated. The entire trope is exaggerated while the students play hitball as the arc gets increasingly complicated. Jeff is [[spoiler:possessed by hijack]], causing him to become violent and dangerously strong as [[spoiler:Hijack]] tries to get him to cause the minimum required damage to get sent to the office. Suzy blackmails Max, the student council attempts to sacrifice the bullies to take out Jeff, Jeff tries to frame Isabel, the vice-principal makes a fake student who gets killed in front of everyone, Cody proves to be an obstacle in taking down Jeff and most of the students retreat the bleachers to avoid certain doom. And just in case it wasn't clear, it all takes place during a seventh-grade gym period.

* In ''Manga/TomoChanIsAGirl'' the intramural dodgeball tournament rapidly degenerates into this. Tomo [[DoesNotKnowHerOwnStrength overdoes things from the outset]] during tryouts to the point where the other girls beg the coach to intervene, but when faced with [[NiceGuy her]] [[SkewedPriorities earnest refusal]] to [[SpiritedCompetitor insult her opponents or the person who trained them]] by not taking a contest seriously she could only resort to having her compete with the boys... who fair only marginally better (if at all).

* In ''Manga/TomoChanIsAGirl'' the intramural dodgeball tournament rapidly degenerates into this. Tomo [[DoesNotKnowHerOwnStrength overdoes things from the outset]] during tryouts to the point where the other girls beg the coach to intervene, but when faced with[[NiceGuy her]] [[SkewedPriorities earnest refusal]] to [[SpiritedCompetitor insult her opponents or the person who trained them]] by not taking a contest seriously she could only resort to having her compete with the boys... who fair only marginally better.
-->"Feel my wrath and sorrow...."\\
"What was that throw?!" "I dunno, just ''[[DontAskJustRun run]]''!!"\\
"Running away?! ''You call yourselves '''men?!'''''"[[/folder]]

* In ''Manga/TomoChanIsAGirl'' the intramural dodgeball tournament rapidly degenerates into this. Tomo [[DoesNotKnowHerOwnStrength overdoes things from the outset]] during tryouts to the point where the other girls beg the coach to intervene, but when faced with [[SkewedPriorities her earnest refusal]] to [[SpiritedCompetitor insult her opponents or the person who trained them]] by not taking a contest seriously could only resort to having her compete with the boys... who fair only marginally better.

[[/folder]]

* ''Comicstrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' transitions out of a Spaceman Spiff escaping-the-alien-starfighters sequence into... dodgeball day in gym class.

* This happens in ''Disney/ChickenLittle''. They even divide the teams into "popular" and "not popular".

* The episode "Ed in a Half-Shell" of ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' plays with this trope. Eddy has the gang play dodgeball while babysitting Jimmy, and Double D's reaction plays this trope completely straight, to the point where he undergoes a HeroicBSOD after having gym class flashbacks and collapses into a fetal position.

[[folder:ProfessionalWrestling]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* There was a dodgeball game in ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' v4 [[DevelopingDoomedCharacters pre-game]]. [[GentleGiant Craig Hoyle]] naturally had difficulty, [[EmoTeen Meredith Hemmings]] managed to injure herself due to wearing goth boots with heels instead of something more practical, and Cisco Vasquez... is [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Cisco]].

* In ''{{WebComic/Paranatural}}'', Coach Oop says that the board has forbidden schools from playing Dodgeball, but [[LoopholeAbuse they didn't forbid his original sport]] [[CalvinBall Hitball]]. Similar to dodgeball, but with a lot of balls at the same time and the inclusion of the [[Literature/HarryPotter Golden Switch]] which causes a hit student to [[EnemyExchangeProgram switch sides]] instead of getting eliminated.
** The entire trope is exaggerated while the students play hitball as the arc gets increasingly complicated. Jeff is [[spoiler:possessed by hijack]], causing him to become violent and dangerously strong as [[spoiler:Hijack]] tries to get him to cause the minimum required damage to get sent to the office. Suzy blackmails Max, the student council attempts to sacrifice the bullies to take out Jeff, Jeff tries to frame Isabel, the vice-principal makes a fake student who gets killed in front of everyone, Cody proves to be an obstacle in taking down Jeff and most of the students retreat the bleachers to avoid certain doom. And just in case it wasn't clear, it all takes place during a seventh-grade gym period.