What made you decide to play dodgeball?

Well my friend Melanie’s boyfriend was playing dodgeball with another company and she wanted to give it a go as well, and thought she would asked me to join in. I thought it would be a good idea as being a French lady in London, it would be a cool way to meet other Londoners, broaden my horizons, be social and play some sport too. I also watched the movie dodgeball before I signed up.

So tell us the story about how you met your fiancé Ciaran playing dodgeball?

When Melanie and I paid for our first GO Mammoth dodgeball league in Chelsea, we received an email from you guys with details of our team-mates. I was single at the time, so Melanie and I decided to look down the list of our team mates to find out more about the details of them. I saw Ciaran’s name on the list and wasn’t too familiar with Irish names so didn’t know whether we was a guy or a girl!

But during the first game things clicked between us and after the game, our team headed straight to the pub, we sat next to each other and chatted throughout the evening. The next week, however, I was a little annoyed, as he had to miss the game due to a late work meeting.

But our third dodgeball game fell on Valentine’s Day and Ciaran was back. We played our game, went to the pub again, chatted for ages and organised our first date for the following week!

So all it took was two dodgeball games for us to hook up!

You should have seen our priest’s face (who’s marrying them) when he asked us how we met. When we said dodgeball brought us together, you should have seen his face. Our wedding won’t be dodgeball themed though.

How many dodgeball leagues have you played for and in which areas have you played in?

We’ve played in Chelsea Academy in Fulham – I remember there was a great pub on the corner, then we went and played in an outdoor league in Putney and now we’re playing close to Ciaran’s office in Kings Cross. We’ve played 5 or 6 seasons in total now.

My current team is made up of Ciaran’s charity worker colleagues (Ciaran works for charity Action Aid) and they call me the “Business Girl” as i run a jewellery company. Also my last name is Jamet, so my nickname in my team is Jamet Dodger (like the biscuit)!

Aside from Ciaran, what’s the best thing about playing dodgeball with GO Mammoth?

I love meeting new people and playing dodgeball with GO Mammoth I met people from completely diverse backgrounds – they have different experiences and stories. I kinda like that. I also like the game. It’s a lot of fun!

Do you recommend playing dodgeball if you’re single?

Yeah! I think it’s good for your energy – it lifts you up. You might not find ‘the one’ at your game, but because it’s such a feel-good game, you’ll have a great time whether you meet anyone or not.

Do you have any top tips/tactics/advice for playing dodgeball?

Don’t worry if you’re throw isn’t the best – just improve your catching technique! If you can catch you’ll be an amazing asset for your team.

Also make sure you’re team gets custom t-shirts designed for your games. It will make you even tighter as a team.

And finally…what would you say to anyone that is one the fence about playing dodgeball with GO Mammoth?

It’s fun! There isn’t many fun things you can do during your weekdays. It’s as good as watching a good movie in the cinema. Just give it a go.

Ready to play dodgeball with us. Select your London league:

Aldgate East
Angel
Barbican
Clapham Common
Hammersmith
Kings Cross
London Bridge
Marylebone
Shoreditch

Read more dodgeball content from GO Mammoth:

Watch Twitter take on Google at dodgeball
Dodgeball personality quiz: What kind of player are you?
The 10 best GO Mammoth dodgeball team names ever

1) Dodgeball is the ultimate icebreaker – say goodbye to those awkward silences!

Okay so there are now plenty of social apps out there designed to help people make new friends, but one thing they can’t help you with is breaking the ice when you’re meeting people for the first time.

The first time you step into one of our dodgeball venues, you’ll immediately be greeted and welcomed by one of our friendly dodgeball league reps, before stepping out onto the court with your new team mates for several sets of a fun social sport!

Diving GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

Simply put, your first GO Mammoth dodgeball game will minimise the awkward silences of meeting people for the first time and maximise your fun!

2) When you hit our partner bar for the first time after you’ll all have a shared experience to talk about!

We’ve all been there – when speaking to new people for the first time, you immediately try to find your common interests, which can mean that initial conversations can become  stilted, awkward and slightly stressful!

This doesn’t happen at GO Mammoth dodgeball, because after each game, the majority of our members head to our league’s partner bar (where you you’ll get a great discounts on drinks) and you’ll immediately have something in common to talk about – your first dodgeball game!

Awkward GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

Your team will be sharing stories of their awesome throws, catches, and of course, dodges, before the conversation moves onto tactics for next week’s game. Ice…broken!

3) You’re new friend network will extend beyond just your team!

Ever noticed that one of the weird quirks of Facebook is sometimes (if you haven’t messed around with your settings) you’ll spot posts from the friends of your friends (aka people you don’t know!) pop up in your news feed.

But when playing dodgeball with GO Mammoth, the people you don’t know from week 1 (ie. players from other teams) you will know by the end of your season! When our dodgeball players hit our partner bars, their opponents on the dodgeball court soon become their friends in the bar!

Tv GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

Simply put…forget using apps to meet people. Playing dodgeball will give you a great new social network.

Why not give it a go?

Ready to play dodgeball with us. Select your London league:

Aldgate East
Angel
Barbican
Clapham Common
Hammersmith
Kings Cross
London Bridge
Marylebone
Shoreditch

Read more dodgeball content from GO Mammoth:

Watch Twitter take on Google at dodgeball
Dodgeball personality quiz: What kind of player are you?
The 10 best GO Mammoth dodgeball team names ever

Find out what went down when Twitter’s T-Birds took on Google’s Dodgy Nads in a GO Mammoth dodgeball league game in Kings Cross and discover why both teams love playing this sport!

GO Mammoth Dodgeball – Twitter vs Google

Ready to play Dodgeball? Find a league below:

 

Play Dodgeball in Angel | Play Dodgeball In Barbican
Play Dodgeball in Clapham Common |
Play Dodgeball in Clapham High Street |
Play Dodgeball in Kings Cross |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge: Marlborough Sports Garden |
Play Dodgeball In Marleybone | Play Dodgeball In Putney |

If you look up dodgeball in the dictionary, it will tell you it’s a game in which players, in teams, form a circle and try to hit opponents with a large ball. Thing is, in reality, it’s much more than that – playing dodgeball will transform your working week for the better. Read on to find out more:

What is dodgeball?

Dodgeball London

Dodgeball is a team-based fast-paced sport that requires quick reflexes, agility, speed and hand-eye coordination. If you can dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge, this is the game for you.

Did you know that it used to be played with rocks?

Yep this is true! Dodgeball was originally played in Africa over a couple of centuries ago, but back then it was a pretty violent game! It was played was large rocks. Each competitor would attempt to hit their opponent with their rock to hurt them!

Now it’s played with rubber balls and you can’t hit people in the face!

At the beginning of the game, six rubber balls are placed in the middle of the court. Two teams of eight will rush towards the middle to collect the balls, before attempting to eliminating their opponents by hitting them with the ball below the shoulder. If they’re hit, they’re out. However if they catch the ball, the person who threw the ball is out. It’s frantic, furious fun. Check out the full rules.

This sport has the best team names of all time

Artful Dodgers, Muthaduckas, Reservoir Dodge and No Hit Sherlock! are just a few of the teams that play dodgeball with Go Mammoth. Check out our dodgeball leagues’ other awesome team names.

Go Mammoth’s Dodgeball league has a fancy dress night once a season

Dodgeball is arguably the most social sport that we run here at Go Mammoth. Everyone who plays does so to have a good time and get some exercise at the same time. On the middle match of every season we have all of our league teams wear wage dodgeball war in fancy dress.

The post-game socials after Go Mammoth dodgeball matches are legendary

Each week, after the last dodgeball has been thrown, our teams head to the bar for one of our legendary Go Mammoth socials.Better yet, we have a series of sponsor bars closed to our venues which offer food and drink discounts to our members.

And it won’t be a pain to get home!

We run our leagues in locations across London that are close to major train/tube stations. So when you’re on your dodgeball social and realise that it’s half 11, you won’t have to panic call a cab.

Want to find out more?

Hit that live chat box at the bottom of the screen and chat to one of our awesome team who can share more info with you about our dodgeball leagues. Or if you’re ready to play, check out our dodgeball venue list below:

Play Dodgeball in Angel | Play Dodgeball In Barbican
Play Dodgeball in Clapham Common |
Play Dodgeball in Clapham High Street |
Play Dodgeball in Kings Cross |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge: Marlborough Sports Garden |
Play Dodgeball In Marleybone | Play Dodgeball In Putney |

There are a handful of sports whose first five seconds of play are incredibly exciting. Think Usain Bolt sprinting down the 100 metre track milliseconds after the starting gun has been fired or Lewis Hamilton zipping off the Formula 1 start grid to overtake a couple of cars on the first corner of the track. When the referee’s whistle is blown in dodgeball, the first five seconds are always an exciting blur!

At the start of a dodgeball game, your brain has to work with your body in tandem to achieve success. As you’re pelting towards the middle of court, you have to make a split decision on which ball to grab – one mistake could mean elimination.

It’s an epic game, but if you haven’t yet tried it, here are five (5 second) dodgeball GIFs that will compel you to play the game:

Amazing dodge!

Skills GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

This is how to catch

Dodgeball GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

This is how not to catch!

Movie GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

Incredible instinctive dodge from the guy in the middle!

 

This kid clearly gets the dodge part of dodgeball – Create, Discover and Share GIFs on Gfycat

 This is how not to throw!

 

Create, Discover and Share GIFs on Gfycat

Watch this GIF on Gfycat. Discover more supersaiyangifs GIFs, videos GIFs on Gfycat.

Have these GIF’s inspired you to play dodgeball with Go Mammoth? Select your region below:

Play Dodgeball in Angel | Play Dodgeball In Barbican
Play Dodgeball in Clapham Common |
Play Dodgeball in Clapham High Street |
Play Dodgeball in Kings Cross |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge: Marlborough Sports Garden |
Play Dodgeball In Marleybone | Play Dodgeball In Putney |

Once you come up with the perfect name, magic begins to happen: the banter between your members will increase, someone will volunteer to get bespoke team t-shirts designed and your communication between your whole team on court will skyrocket.

See we told you, it’s a massively important decision right? Well, to get your creative juices flowing, here are our top ten favourite Go Mammoth dodgeball team names of all time:

1) The Artful Dodgers

Quite a few teams in the past have called themselves The Artful Dodgers, either after the character from Oliver Twist or the 90’s 2-step garage band. If you’re thinking of naming your team ‘The Artful Dodgers, don’t bother, just ‘re-rewind, as you’re ‘movin’ too fast’.

2) Salad Dodgers

As Homer Simpson once said, ‘you don’t win friends with salad’ – this team lived and breathed by this motto. They were great at dodging salad, but even better at dodging balls.

3) Motherduckers

Yep, you can see what this team did here! Thing is, be careful about deliberately ducking if a ball is thrown at you. If you duck below shoulder height and the ball hits your head, you my friend could be eliminated!

4) Resevoir Dodge

These guys proudly wear the classic silhouette poster art from the classic Tarantino movie Resevoir Dogs on their team t-shirts. Always remember the 5 D’s if you come up against this legendary Go Mammoth dodgeball team:  dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge!

5) Rocky Mountain Oysters

At first it’s quite difficult to spot the connection between this team name and dodgeball, but let us explain; Rocky Mountain Oysters aren’t a delicacy from the sea – in fact, they are seasoned, deep-fried bison and pig “balls” (geddit?), which can be enjoyed in restaurants within American mid-west. Nuts right?

6) Not In The Face

We can understand why team doesn’t want to take one in the mush: it hurts and is against the rules of dodgeball. This team will always remind their opposition – by their name alone – that no-one wants to take a ball to the face.

7) No Hit Sherlock!

Take a popular phrase, remove one of its letters to make it inoffensive and you are left with one incredible dodgeball name. There’s only one thing that could make this team name better – we wish we had a dodgeball referee called Sherlock…

8) Guns N’ Throwses

Bet you’ve always wondered what would happen if you fused an 80’s hard rock band with a dodgeball-based pub. Well now you know. You get the awesome dodgeball team name Guns N’ Throwses.

9) Jammy Dodgers

Biscuit-based brilliance!

10) Game of Throws

A team name that both succinctly explains the game of dodgeball and is also pun on one of the biggest TV shows of all time. Genius.

Got your team name sorted? Ready to start dodging some balls? Yeah you are! Select your league below:

Play Dodgeball in Angel | Play Dodgeball In Barbican
Play Dodgeball in Clapham Common |
Play Dodgeball in Clapham High Street |
Play Dodgeball in Kings Cross |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge |
Play Dodgeball in London Bridge: Marlborough Sports Garden |
Play Dodgeball In Marleybone | Play Dodgeball In Putney |

TEAM SIZE

In a standard dodgeball game, each team will line up on court with eight players a side. There must be no more than 16 players in total on the court at any one time. In a mixed dodgeball game, there must be a minimum of three women a side.

Teams can only make substitutions after a game has been completed. All substitutes must remain in a designated, out of bounds area.

If a team is short on players, they are permitted to play a mixed dodgeball game with 7-a-side (minimum of 2 women on each team), 6-a-side (minimum of 2 women on each team) or a minimum of 5-a-side (minimum of 1 woman on each team).

AIM OF GAME

At the start of the game, there will be six balls, three per team, placed at the middle of the court. The object is to eliminate all of the other team’s players to win the round.

GAME, SET AND MATCH STRUCTURE

The object of each game is to eliminate all of the other team’s players, Details about how players can be eliminated below. Once all opposing players are eliminated the game is won.

Each game last three minutes. If teams have an equal number of players at the end of the three minute round, the game will enter sudden death with the players that remain, and whichever team scores the next hit will win. If no players are eliminated during the sudden-death period, the team with the most players remaining will win the game.

Each match consists of three sets. Each set is decided in a series of “best of 5” series of games.

The team that wins 2 out of 3 sets wins the match.

BEGINNING OF THE GAME AND PLAY FORMAT

The game will begin with the referee placing six balls along the centre line of the court.

Teams will line up along the back wall and on the whistle rush into the middle to collect any ball they can (without crossing the centre line). Players must bring the ball back to behind the attack line before they can throw any balls.

Players must not cross the centre of the court for any reason including attacking or retrieving balls. Crossing the centre line results in immediate elimination.

The referee will keep track of the time and update teams as time is expiring. If both teams have the same number of players remaining at the end of the regulation, an additional one minute of sudden death overtime will be instituted. The first team to make any elimination during this period will win the game.

REFEREES

Each week there will be a referee on hand to get the games started and to referee the games. The referee will also rely on people using the honour system when they have been eliminated because with so many balls flying around it is difficult to see everything.

The referee’s decision is final; any player that argues with the referee or shows poor sportsmanship may be removed from the match, and in exceptional circumstances, removed from the league.

FORFEITS

A team needs a minimum of 5 regular players in order to avoid a forfeit.  If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office so as to help us schedule your opponent a game.

Teams with fewer than the legal number of players may still play a “legal” game but only with the opposing team’s consent.

All teams consenting to play a legal game with less than the allowed minimum waive their right to a forfeit win. A team with 4 players or less can be forced to forfeit at the choice of their opposition. A team with 5 players is permitted to pick up additional players during group stages of the season in order to avoid a forfeit and play a competitive game.

Any questions regarding policies, rules, or eligibility must be addressed before the start of the match.

ELIMINATION OF PLAYERS

When a player is eliminated they must stand in the out-of-bands designated area, in the order that they were eliminated. They may throw out of bounds balls back to their teammates, but not at the opposing team. They must not re-enter the court for any reason, including attempting to interfere with balls on the court.

You are eliminated when…

• A ball hits you on any part of the body or clothing before it has touched the ground, wall, ceiling or another ball.
• An opposing player catches a ball you have thrown. When this occurs, the opposing team can also bring in one of their eliminated players back to the game.
• You go to block a ball with a ball you are holding and drop your ball.
• You fumble a catch.
• You deliberately step over the centre line.
• You hit someone in the head with the ball, unless their head is below shoulder height.
• You kick or attempt to kick a ball towards the opposing team.
• You consistently hold the ball for longer than 10 seconds.
• You consistently throw or dodge from an out-of-bounds position.
• One or more of your eliminated teammates consistently re-enter the court to interfere with the balls.
• You show unsportsmanlike behaviour towards the opposing team or the referee. The referee’s decision is final. Once the decision has been made, it cannot be rescinded.

The ball is dead as soon as it hits the floor, walls, ceiling, another ball, or the referee. If a ball deflects off a player and hits a second player the ball immediately becomes dead and the first player hit is out. It doesn’t matter if the second player catches the ball – the first player will still be eliminated.

Teams are not allowed to stall with the ball. All balls need to be thrown within 10 seconds. If a team consistently ignores this rule, the player that is stalling will be removed.

If a player catches a ball, one eliminated team-mate can re-enter the game. Players must follow a “first off, first on” logic. This means that the first player to be eliminated should be the first player to re-enter the game if a ball is caught. Players that consistently ignore this rule will be eliminated.

If a player crosses the centre line whilst throwing, or throws or catches a ball from an out-of-bounds position, no player on the other team can be eliminated as a result. However, an out-of-bounds player can still be eliminated by a catch or by getting hit by an opposing player.

If a player is hit in the head, and their head is below shoulder height (e.g. they are attempting to duck or dodge away from the ball), they are eliminated. If a player is hit in the head, and their head is not below shoulder height, the player that threw the ball is deemed to have thrown it unacceptably high, and is eliminated. If a player intentionally moves their head towards the ball, they are eliminated. The referee’s decision is final.

PLAYOFFS

Playoffs (including finals) will begin immediately following the end of the regular season and will typically last between 1-2 weeks. Teams will be seeded according to their records. It is the responsibility of all players to check the playoff brackets at the venue or online at gomammoth.co.uk to find when they are playing. In playoffs it is not uncommon (and in some cases will be necessary) for teams to have more than one match in a given night.

1. Meet new people and have a good time!

   Playing in one of our mixed dodgeball leagues is a great way to meet new people in London and have fun doing so at the same time.

2.  No experience necessary!

   Beginners are always welcome. We don’t expect you to have played before, just have a read up on our Dodgeball rules and our venue reps and referees will help you with the rest.

3. We run the biggest and the best leagues in London

   Whether you’re looking to test yourself against London’s champion dodgeballers or just looking to have some fun and meet some like-minded people, Go Mammoth has a league that’s perfect for you.

4. Conveniently accessed courts across London

   Our dodgeball venues across all four corners of the capital are easily-accessible – you won’t have to travel far to get to your dodgeball game. Check out our dodgeball list below:

   Play Dodgeball in Angel | Play Dodgeball In Barbican
   Play Dodgeball in Clapham Common |
   Play Dodgeball in Clapham High Street |
   Play Dodgeball in Kings Cross |
   Play Dodgeball in London Bridge |
   Play Dodgeball in London Bridge: Marlborough Sports Garden |
   Play Dodgeball In Marleybone | Play Dodgeball In Putney

5. Keep fit and have fun doing it too

   Playing dodgeball in a Go Mammoth league after work is an enjoyable way to break up your repetitive weekly cardio sessions at the gym.

6. No equipment needed

   We provide the balls! Just turn up, warm-up and be prepared to dodge them!

7. Don’t have a team? Don’t worry! All individuals are welcome.

   Simply sign up as an individual to the venue and night of your choice and we’ll find you a team!

8. Fancy dress nights!

   To add to the light-hearted nature of our dodgeball leagues, we encourage all league teams to come to the middle game of the season wearing fancy dress.

9. Prizes up for grabs

   If your team wins one of the league, you’ll win an awesome prize! Another reason to challenge for that top spot.

10.  Our dodgeball leagues take socials to a new level!

    Our teams play hard on the court and when they hit our Go Mammoth partner bar after each game, they play even harder. Our sponsor bars all offer special deals on certain drinks, which is perfect when you want to celebrate that win or discuss the highlights from the match with your team.