2015 Rulebook

Attention All: Sorry about the extreme delay on this year’s rulebook release, we really went through everything and fine-tuned the format, grammar, and some of the rules that might have been difficult to interpret. Most of this year’s rule changes don’t actually alter the game, other than [4.3.6.2 & 4.3.6.3] which is primarily to blame for our delay in publishing.

The changes this year primarily focused on making the rules more easily understood for those who are new and interested in playing by the NCDA’s ruleset, as well as those who have been playing for years. We invite every member of the NCDA to read through the rulebook and offer some sort of suggestion for future changes. Again, we apologize for this year’s delay, but hope everyone will take the time to become familiar with the changes before this year’s Nationals at Western Kentucky University April 11-12.

At the Annual Captain’s Meeting on the evening of April 11th we will vote on any changes the league would like to see added or retracted from the 2015/2016 rulebook which will be published by September 1, 2015. Please post any rule change suggestions to the forum for further discussion. If you have any questions, please comment below and a member of the NCDA Executive Board will be happy to answer

2014-2015 NCDA Rulebook, Officiating Manual, and Casebook

The Satirical Opinion of Felix Perrone

What if Other Sports Were Like Dodgeball?:

Familiar Quotes, Constantly.

Having played dodgeball competitively for over a decade, I can attest to the following phrases being some of the most overused and over-associated with the sport I love: “Oh like the movie?”, “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.”, “So you hang o Continue reading “The Satirical Opinion of Felix Perrone”

2015 Michigan Dodgeball Cup Recap

The temperature was in the negatives in East Lansing, Michigan on February 14th, but inside IM West, the competition was heated as four of the top teams in the nation squared off in the Michigan Dodgeball Cup.  The 2015 MDC was expect to be a classic, and while only one of the matches was decided by a one point margin, the MDC still was an entertaining tournament. Continue reading “2015 Michigan Dodgeball Cup Recap”

“Don’t Forget About the Little Guy”

The following was written by Adam Hynes of Bowling Green State University:

As being a member of the NCDA for a few years now I would like to say that I love this league and the memories it has given me.  I love how competitive each game is and how well diverse the league is.  However there comes a time where teams are sometimes forgotten due to them not having a big name in the league.  Usually if your name doesn’t start with Grand Valley, Central Michigan, James Madison, etc, the league can either forget you or just not know much about you since the bigger names are out there.  When I say forgotten I don’t mean it as the team doesn’t matter or doesn’t exist.  In this article I thought I would share some insight on my beloved team, Bowling Green State University. Continue reading ““Don’t Forget About the Little Guy””

How I Would Beat a Michigan Team

From Aleks Bomis [MSU Alum]

A team from Michigan has claimed the title of NCDA National Champion eight years in a row.  That is an impressive and undeniable fact.  Unfortunately, my treasured Spartans have no bearing on that; I, at 29 years of age, was on the squad that achieved Michigan State’s sole Michigan Dodgeball Cup victory, a game played against a community college in a church recreation room.  I can still hear the dodgeballs carom off the radiators to the dismay of the building’s staff.  Delta College was kind enough to have purchased the MDC Trophy, and in (I think) 2023 an additional base will be attached to the Trophy.  The MDC is now regarded as a preview of the NCDA Final Four, much to the dismay of the rest of the league.

I am not so arrogant as to call Michigan the heartland of college dodgeball; teams existed in Illinois and Ohio long before anyone of the Great Lakes State showed up to play, and their names are etched in the NCDA Trophy, as is mine. [Ed: The Nationals Trophy -zm] Still, Michigan’s historic performance is remarkable.  Having said that, it’s time someone beat these guys and took home the hardware.  If I were captaining a dodgeball team 10 years younger, here’s how I would go about busting up the established order:  Continue reading “How I Would Beat a Michigan Team”

BOTM: 2015 January

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Tyrell Smith (BGSU)

After a strong performance at the Kentucky Invitational, your January Baller of the Month is Tyrell Smith of Bowling Green State University.  Here is an interview I had with Tyrell after the tournament at UK:

 

Kevin Bailey – First off, congratulations on winning NCDA Baller of the Month.  You have been a standout player for Bowling Green State for a few years now.  What do you think is the reason for your individual success on the dodgeball court? Continue reading “BOTM: 2015 January”

Preparing for February 14th

This coming Saturday, two National Collegiate Dodgeball Association tournaments will take place.  The 11th annual Michigan Dodgeball Cup will be held at Michigan State University, while James Madison University will host their 4th Big East Appalachian Super Tournament (BEAST IV).

It’s safe to say that this will be the biggest weekend of dodgeball for the NCDA this season outside of Nationals.  Seven of the top nine teams in the current NCDA (Champ/NHL) standings will be competing this weekend.  It’s easy to see that the results of this weekend will have a huge impact on the NCDA.  Here are a few storylines to follow as we prepare for a fantastic weekend of dodgeball: Continue reading “Preparing for February 14th”

Jacob Leski’s MDC Preview with Predictions

MDC TrophyAt the beginning of each season, every Michigan team has two goals in mind, one is obviously to win Nationals, but the other is to win the Michigan Dodgeball Cup, considered by many to be the most competitive tournament all season long. If you are looking for heated competition all day long, then I highly recommend you attend this tournament on good ole Valentine’s Day.
Continue reading “Jacob Leski’s MDC Preview with Predictions”

BEAST IV Preview

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This Valentine’s Day marks the fourth installment of arguable the most important tournament on the East Coast every year. The Big East-Appalachian Super Tournament, commonly known as the BEAST, has played host to some of the best lineups in its previous three installments. This year, due to the Michigan Dodgeball Cup happening at the same time, there will not be another “top-tier” team (usually considered the four main Michigan schools and JMU) joining JMU’s home tournament this weekend. What the tournament does have though, are the three biggest teams on the East Coast, which has been gaining a lot of traction in a lot of people’s minds, in JMU, UMD and Towson, Ohio power Kent State, and NCDA newcomer Akron.

This tournament will give each team attending a great opportunity to learn a lot of things they have going for them, and what they need to improve on in preparation for Nationals in April. Going on that, here is a game-by-game preview and prediction of how I think things will go. Continue reading “BEAST IV Preview”

Colin O’Brien’s MDC Preview with Prop Bets

MDC Trophy

The Michigan Dodgeball Cup is the premier annual tournament of the Michigan region. Hosted every February by Michigan State, these matches are often previews of the semi-finals and final matches of Nationals. MSU and SVSU have played great matches at each of the last two Nationals, with each winner going on to lose to GVSU in the championship. This year, the MDC is the most competitive and wide open that it has been in my three years in the league. Even with an undefeated Grand Valley State team, each team has the talent and potential to take home the cup.

Continue reading “Colin O’Brien’s MDC Preview with Prop Bets”

2015 Michigan Dodgeball Cup Preview

MDC TrophyOn Feb. 14th, Michigan State University will host the annual Michigan Dodgeball Cup (MDC).  This event has historically been the toughest regular season tournament of the year.  The 2015 version of the MDC has the makings of an absolute classic tournament with #1 Grand Valley State, #2 Central Michigan, #3 Michigan State, and #11 Saginaw Valley State all set to compete.  I don’t remember a year where the top four Michigan region schools were as close competitively as they are this year. Continue reading “2015 Michigan Dodgeball Cup Preview”

SVSU Never Forgets

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I don’t know about you, but the minute I joined Central Michigan’s Club Dodgeball team a few years back, I discovered not only a great group of friends, but a family. Anytime one loses a member of their family, it tears their world apart. Death has a tendency to come out of nowhere and take us by surprise, thus making the loss of someone we love even more difficult. The real challenge is overcoming that loss and honoring their memory. Continue reading “SVSU Never Forgets”

Colin O’Brien’s “Overtime Six”

The following was written by Michigan State’s captain: Colin O’Brien:

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has thought highly enough of me to included me on his overtime roster. It is a great honor to have your peers want you on their team, but it sure is harder to not be the subject of team throws now. With that said, I thought I would offer up my opinions on who I would choose for my overtime roster. (And I apologize to the East Coast schools; I have only had a few opportunities to see them in action)

All of the players on my overtime roster impress me every time I watch them play. My support for these players is more anecdotal in nature rather than a rigid analysis of their skillset. Nonetheless, I am fully confident that an overtime roster comprised of these players would have no trouble winning the point. These are six complete players, each can throw and catch with the best of them. Continue reading “Colin O’Brien’s “Overtime Six””