Dodgeball means any game in which players try to hit other players with balls and avoid being hit. There are many such games; see List of dodgeball variations. This article is about a well-known form, also called battleball: a team sport with codified rules that is often played in physical education classes and has been featured in a movie, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. It is typically played in elementary school, but has emerged as a popular middle school, high school and college sport as well. It is also popular in informal settings and is often played on a playground, in a gym, or in organized recreational leagues. There are many variations of the game, but generally the main objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls, catching a ball thrown by a member of the opposing team, or forcing them to move outside the court boundaries when a ball is thrown at them.

Four to 15 players start on each team's side of the court, though six players per side is most common. Rules dictate both a minimum number of players needed to start the game and a maximum number of players allowed on the court at any one time. The maximum number of players per side is typically the same as the number starting the game.