The modern game of dodgeball is generally credited to Dr. James H. Carlisle, a missionary who, during the 1800s, observed a brutal tribal game played in Africa involving throwing rocks aimed at incapacitating opponents. Carlisle was inspired by the agility and team-building aspects of this activity and transformed it into a safer, more inclusive game with soft balls, which he introduced at St. Mary’s College in Norfolk, England. Later, Philip Ferguson from Yale University is credited with popularizing the game in America around 1884, introducing the idea of playing within a set area with teams on either side. The first official rules of dodgeball were drawn up in 1905, formalizing the sport as it is known today.
So, while dodgeball’s origins trace back to a traditional African training game, Dr. James H. Carlisle is considered the key figure who invented the modern form of dodgeball, and Philip Ferguson helped bring and popularize it in the United States.
