| Hosts | |
| Bil Dwyer & Zach Selwyn | |
| Sideline Reporters | |
| Jerri Manthey (Season 1) Mary Strong (Season 2) Michele Merkin (Season 3) | |
| Commissioner (Season 3 Only) | |
| Rip Torn | |
| Broadcast | |
 | |
| Packager | |
| Mindless Entertainment | |
Extreme Dodgeball was a sports game show based on the playground/gymnasium game Dodgeball that aired on GSN.
Standard rules[]
In the first two seasons, two teams of five competed in a match of three rounds in a best-of-three format. (This was altered significantly for Season 3; see "Other Rule Changes and Amendments" below.) A round ended when one of the two teams lost all five of its members. The first round was standard and was played with two dodgeballs. In the second round, often called the "Big Ball Round," a third ball (which was twice the diameter of the other two) was added into play. This ball was often used to deflect attacks. In the third round, "Dead Man Walking," the Big Ball was removed and in its place was an orange headband that was placed on one member of each team who was designated the "Dead Man Walking." In the first two seasons, if the Dead Man Walking was eliminated, the team he represented lost the game and consequently the match.
Elimination[]
In each of the three seasons, there were multiple ways for an athlete to be eliminated and sent to the sideline. Some variations in these regulations existed in the three seasons, but for the most part these rules remained the same. The following are ways in which a member of a team could be eliminated:
- Getting hit with a ball
- Throwing a ball which an opponent caught (in this case, a person previously eliminated could come back in, but the number of people in the playing arena couldn't exceed 5)
- Dropping a ball being used to deflect a ball thrown by an opposing player
- Crossing over the center line or (in the first two seasons) stepping outside the boundary
There were also two ways of returning to the game after being eliminated. The first, as previously mentioned, was if a player caught a ball. At this point, one of their teammates could come back onto the court, until five members were on the court. The second way was called a regeneration. In the first season, if all but one member of the team were eliminated, the last player had the opportunity to hit a target aptly named the "regeneration target" and, if this was accomplished before he/she was eliminated, all of his teammates returned to the court. In Season 2, the last player on the court only had to stay alive for 20 seconds, which would regenerate the entire team. In both cases, a team could only regenerate once per round. Lastly, in the third season, this rule was changed again. If the last player standing was able to not be eliminated for 30 seconds, only one of his teammates could return, but if the last player was eliminated, four team members returned to the game. However, this could be done an unlimited number of times.
Other rule changes and amendments[]
For the second season, there were two more main changes. Firstly, there was a 5-second delay of game warning. If a team held more than one ball for over 5 seconds, one of its players would be out.
The second rule stated that if a player, in the opinion of the referee, was impeding the flow of play of the game by stalling, refusing to throw the ball, or attempting to force a play on the opposing team, the referee(s) could give that player a "yellow card". Two yellow cards meant that the player in question was ejected. This second rule was introduced in the early stages of the second season and was called the "Benedetto Amendment" after player David Benedetto, when he deliberately placed two balls immediately on his opponents' side of the court, forcing the opponents - in compliance with the above-stated five-second-rule - to approach the balls, allowing Benedetto to hit them at point blank range, a tactic which was deemed unfair by the show's producers. Although Michael 'Handsome' Constanza originally used the tactics in Episode 1 of Season 1, there was no five second rule back then, so it was not as abusive.
In the third season, many significant changes were made to the rules. First, the teams would add two players each, increasing the number of players from five to seven. Still, however, only five members of the team would be allowed on the court at any given time. The players who came on the court rotated; if four of a team's five players were eliminated, and the final player regenerated a teammate, the sixth member came onto the court.
The main change in this season was the format of the matches. Instead of 3 rounds which ended when all of the players on one of the teams were eliminated, the matches would be divided to four six-minute quarters. The victor would not be decided by the fastest elimination of an entire team; rather, the team with the most points at the end of the 24 minutes. If a player eliminated any opponent in any way, his team gained one point. A bonus point was awarded for eliminating an entire team.
Other small changes were added. For example, if a player received a yellow card for yelling at the referee, holding a ball for too long, disobeying the instructions given, etc., he/she would have to stand in a small square while a player on the other team would be given a free shot at him/her. If the penalized player was hit, the opposing team scoreed a point; if the player left the square's boundaries, two points were awarded. Another small change was in the court itself. In previous seasons, the boundaries had been on the left, right, and front for each team. In this season, however, the left and right boundaries were removed and the court became similar to that of many indoor sports, such as indoor soccer or ice hockey.
In the second quarter, the Big Ball was put in play similar to the first two seasons. Since the big ball was used mainly for defending and was difficult to throw, two bonus points would be awarded for a kill through throwing.
In the third and fourth quarters, the teams were on the side opposite of that which they started. In the fourth quarter, the orange Dead Man Walking headband came into play. One person on each team had to wear the headband at all times. Any time a Dead Man Walking was eliminated, the other team gained two bonus points, but did not win the game. The headband was simply transferred to someone else. When two minutes remained in this quarter, there was a break in the game where the teams were allowed to switch the players on the court with ones on the bench (but each team retained the same number of players that had been on the floor). At the end of the fourth quarter, the team with the most points was declared the victor and was awarded $5,000.
If, after the fourth quarter, a tie was reached, the game would go into overtime, in which each team would choose three players to represent them on the court. There were no regenerations, and catching a ball didn't bring in a new player; once a player was out, they were out for good. The team that could last the longest was declared the winner of the match.
In the third season, referees were able to give players red cards, much like in soccer. If a player was given a red card, he would be out for the rest of the game. Players would get red cards if they behaved in a particularly improper manner too serious for a yellow card, such as physical contact with an opponent in a harsh manner. Red cards were uncommon, but were given multiple times. One player, Brian DeCato, was even suspended for the season due to repeated offenses.
Tournament format and prize structure[]
In Season 1, each team played five matches; afterwards, all eight competed in the playoffs with 1st facing 8th, 2nd facing 7th, etc. The winners of these playoffs won $10,000.
In Season 2, each team played ten matches, and the top two teams from each division faced each other in a playoff match for $5,000. Then the two winners would face off in the championship match for an additional $20,000 ($25,000 total).
In Season 3, the winners of each match received $5,000. Again, each team played ten matches, and the four teams with the best records advanced to the semi-finals, where the winners won another $5,000. The grand champions added an additional $10,000 to their total. Potentially a team could win up to $65,000.
Referees[]
- Jim Burns (Head referee)
- Declan Galvin
- Greg James
- Chris Pierce (Head Referee in Season 3 Playoffs and Championship)
- Jim Hazelton (Assistant Referee in Season 3 playoffs and championship and when Pierce was head Referee)
- Note: Pierce subbed for Burns in some of the Season 3 matches and was promoted to head referee for the season 3 playoffs and championship.
Teams[]
Each team in Extreme Dodgeball had a gimmick. This could reflect the fact that gimmick teams were featured heavily in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Usually, the members of a team shared a common profession, indicated in their name.
In the first season, the teams wore clothing linked to their gimmick, for example the CPAs wore sweater-vests and neckties, the Stallion Battalion wore racing silks, etc. In the second and third seasons, all teams wore uniforms similar to those worn in basketball, in team colors.
Season 1[]
- CPAs: Certified Public Assassins - Certified Public Accountants. CPAs were the Season 1 champions, and winners of the $10,000 grand prize. They were also undefeated, with a record of 8-0.
- Tobias "The Sniper" McKinney - Creator of the famous "Suicide Leap," where the thrower jumps over the center line, and hits the victim with the ball before he lands, therefore the kill is valid.
- Michael "Handsome" Constanza - Went on to be the MVP of the league. Had amazing throwing skills and clocked in with the most accuracy. Had an 82 MPH throwing speed.
- Mandy "Sunshine" Sommers - Known for catching almost any ball thrown at her.
- Steve Altes
- Gretchen Weiss
- Barbell Mafia - bodybuilders. Barbell Mafia won second place, being defeated by CPA in the final match.
- Tyrone "The Rush Factor" Rush - AKA Tyrone "Don't call him Geddy Lee" Rush
- Alan "Diesel" Grimes
- Jeramy "The Mountain" Freeman
- Amazon Beard
- Melissa "Coates Rack" Coates
- Armed Response - security guards.
- David "The Animal" Benedetto
- Clay "Chainsaw" Krueger
- Andrew "Barishnikov" Brawley
- Michelle "Manu" Manumaleuna
- Laura "Major" Farley
- Ink, Incorporated - tattoo artists. Known to hate the Mimes.
- Ben "Psycho/Evil Robot" Toth
- Shawn "The Hitman" Hauser
- Jessica Cabo "Wabo"
- Damion "The Omen" Troy
- Rebecca Pontius (sister of Mark Pontius of the Mimes and, later, the Reef Sharks)
- Curves of Steel - female bodybuilders, plus a male trainer.
- Kel Watrin
- Lillith "Fair" Fields
- Kimberly "The Kimminator" Estrada
- Maritza Franco
- Amelie McKendry
- Silent But Deadly Mimes.
- Mark "Pretty Boy" Pontius
- Lamonte Goode
- Laura Hight
- Stephen Sande
- "Angelina" Jolie Bailey
- Stallion Battalion - jockeys.
- Kenny "Dirty" Sanchez
- Mark "M&M" Munoz
- Michael Pipkin
- Christina "Shorty" Knizner
- Lissette Garcia
- Sumo Storm - Sumo wrestlers. This team never won a match. Their final record was 0-6, with the Certified Public Assassins beating them in the first playoff round.
- Billy Acquaviva
- "Captain" Americus Abesamus
- Dante Alighieri
- Jon Beardsley
- Crystal "Chainsaw" Cartwright
- Katasha Nelson - filled in two games for Cartwright when she was injured.
Season 2[]
In this season, the teams were divided in the Classic Division and the Expansion Division. The former consisted of the Top 4 teams from the previous season, and the latter consisted of entirely new teams.
Classic Division
- Certified Public Assassins
- Tobias McKinney, returning.
- Michael Constanza, returning.
- Mandy Sommers, returning.
- Art "Fly like a" Spiegel
- Natasha Pospich
- Barbell Mafia: This team suffered a long losing streak, being eliminated after the regular season. This was surprising, considering most of their players were the same.
- Tyrone Rush, returning.
- Melissa Coates, returning.
- Jeremy Freeman, returning.
- Vanessa Altman
- Alan Grimes, returning.
- Armed Response: Were the season 2 champions, winning the $25,000 grand prize.
- David Benedetto, returning
- David "Don't Call Me Condoleezza" Rice
- Kel Watrin, returning from Curves of Steel.
- Danno Kingman - filled in for Watrin when he was injured.
- Tanya Fenderbosch
- Nicole Zingale
- Ink, Incorporated
- Ben Toth, returning
- Kimberly Estrada, returning from Curves of Steel.
- Strati Hovartos
- "Scary" Kari Richardson
- Shawn Hauser, returning.
Expansion Division
- Bling - Urban/Hip-Hop theme.
- Alvina "Virginia Slim" Carroll
- Frank "The Tank", "The Big Pasta" Frisoli
- Portis "The Crazy Chinchilla" Hershey
- Mia "Pimpin'" Parler
- Adam "Malibu's Most Wanted" Ullberg
- Delta Force - military theme: came in 2nd place, losing to Armed Response in the championship match. won $5,000 for reaching the finals.
- Paul "Rambo" Green
- Lisa "The Beach Tiger" Marshall
- Geoff Mead
- Linda "I'm Crying" Overhue
- Bobby "Salmon" Roe
- Reef Sharks - surfers.
- Chris Bullis
- Mark "Big Nasty" Long (of Road Rules and Real World/Road Rules Challenge fame)
- Mark Pontius, returning from Silent But Deadly Mimes.
- Melanie Thomas
- Amy Wiseman
- MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction - scientists.
- Anna Bartsch
- Tarone Cathcart
- Gary "Spaz" Davis
- Marie Philman
- Marc Van Norden
Season 3[]
The teams in Season 3 were more city themes than personal themes. The teams each had seven players, including a celebrity team captain.
- Chicago Hitmen – Eliminated in semifinals; won $30,000
- Hal “Spiggedy” Sparks
- Rob “Astro” Clyde
- Erik "The Breadtruck" Tillmans
- Anna Bartsch, returning from MAD; led all women in catches this season.
- Karim “K.J.” Phelps; led the league in catches this season.
- Marie Philman, returning from MAD.
- Kenneth Hughes
- Denver Hurlers – Elimnated in semifinals; won $25,000
- Tara Dakides
- Bobby Roe, returning from Delta Force.
- Danno Kingman, returned from Season 2's Armed Response (he had been their substitute)
- Adrian "The Ghoul" Quihius
- Gary "Spaz" Davis, returning from MAD.
- Kelly “Orale” Lavato
- Linda “I’m Crying” Overhue, returning from Season 2's Delta Force while Lavato is injured.
- Micah "Lead Me to the Promised Land" Moses
- Philadelphia Benjamins – Runner-up finalists; won $40,000
- Jeremiah "The Axeman" Trotter ; led all captains in big ball in kills this season.
- Michael Lee, filling in for Trotter while Trotter is injured.
- Paul Gene, filling in for Trotter while Trotter is injured.
- Chris “Sweatting” Bullis, returning from Reef Sharks.
- Art “The Artful Dodger” Spigel, returning from CPAs; led the league in last man standing survivals this season.
- Mia “Pimpin” Parler, returning from Bling.
- Justin “Blueberry” Hill ; led the league in dead man walking kills and third in kills this season
- Lisa “The Beach Tiger” Marshall, returning from Season 2's Delta Force.
- Morgan “Needle In The” Hay ; fourth in kills and second in catches this season.
- Jeremiah "The Axeman" Trotter ; led all captains in big ball in kills this season.
- Los Angeles Armed Response – Eliminated before playoffs; won $20,000
- Mario Lopez
- Kel Watrin, returning.
- David “The Animal” Benedetto, returning.
- Damien “Mouth” Ward
- Tanya Fenderbosch, returning.
- Sebastian "Beam Me Up" Sciotti; led all rookies and second in the league in kills this season.
- Mandy “Sunshine” Sommers, returning from CPAs.
- Detroit Spoilers - Lost all ten of their games, winning nothing.
- Kerri Walsh
- David "Don't Call Me Condoleezza" Rice, returning from Season 2's Armed Response.
- Jason "The Boner" Caliz
- Strati Hovartez, returning from Ink, Inc.
- Adam “Malibu’s Most Wanted” Ullberg, returning from Bling.
- Kimberly “Slim Kim” Estrada, returning from Season 2's Ink, Inc and Season 1's Curves of Steel.
- Ben “Psycho” Toth, returning from Ink, Inc. Known for calling his throwing style “The Fist of the Unicorn”
- New York Bling - Season Champions; won $55,000.
- Mia St. John - her first kill of the season was made in the championship game.
- Tyrone “The Rush Factor” Rush, returning from Season 2's Barbell Mafia; led the league in kills this season.
- Wade Clark
- Tami "Goggles" Bahat; received the most verbal warnings for skipping the ball deliberately.
- Greg "The Dirty Hippy" Lang
- Brian DeCato; Thrown out of the league for violently shoving Strati Hovartez in Week 9
- Justin Leffler - filling in for DeCato while DeCato is suspended.
- Matt “Ryan Seacrest” Gibbons - filling in for Leffler while Leffler is injured.
- Justin Leffler - filling in for DeCato while DeCato is suspended.
- Portis “The Crazy Chinchilla” Hershey, returning; led the league in big ball kills this season.
Production Location[]
Los Angeles, CA
Trivia[]
The show was inspired by the 2004 sports comedy film Dodgeball: a True Underdog Story.
Inventor[]
Rich Cronin
Rating[]
YouTube Links[]
Detroit Spoilers vs. LA Armed Response