Rules to Gaga Ball – Standard and Variations By Cari | Published on December 5, 2022February 16, 2024 Gaga, the safer alternative to Dodgeball, is fast-paced fun for everyone. Perfect for schools, churches, and playgrounds, kids (and adults) of all abilities and skill levels go gaga for this popular game. Since everyone participates, everyone can win! Easily install your own or head to a nearby Gaga pit. Learn the rules to Gaga Ball then get out there and play! Rules to Gaga Ball Starting a Game To begin, each player must have at least one hand touching the Gaga Pit wall One player throws the ball in the air, then let the ball bounce three times Everyone yells “Ga” on each of the three bounces – “Ga, Ga, Ga” signals the start of the game On the third bounce, the ball is in play Objective Just like Dodgeball, the last one standing wins. However, contrary to Dodgeball, the rules to Gaga Ball carefully consider safety. Let’s go over what’s allowed and not allowed: Do Use open hands to hit the ball Hit opponents with the ball below the waist (or knee in some versions) to eliminate them The first eliminated player now opens and closes the gate for other eliminated players for the remainder of the game (if the pit includes a gate) After touching the ball, the player must wait until the ball hits another player or wall to touch it again Keep the ball in bounds (in the pit) When one player has eliminated all other players, they win Don’t If a player does any of the following actions, they are eliminated and must exit the ball pit: Pick up the ball and throw it at a player Hit the ball with a closed fist Touch the ball two (or more) times in a row – known as a double touch, triple touch, etc. Hit the ball out of the Gaga pit without hitting another player first Kick the ball Variations The rules above are the standard rules to Gaga Ball; however, there are some existing variations. Feel free to play with any (or all) of the following rules or create your own changes with your players: The ball must hit below the knee (versus the waist) Double and/or triple touches are allowed Once there are only two or three players left, another ball is tossed into play – the same rules apply and any player touched by either ball is out Implement a 20-second countdown when play is too slow View our entire collection of Gaga Ball products and kits. Contact Us with questions or to get started on your next project.
Jaso ramsey October 12, 2023 at 8:19 am Do you have rules or an adapted game for kids in wheelchairs? Reply
tony October 12, 2023 at 10:18 am Jason, this is a great question. I’ll reach out to our supplier to see if they have any leads. If they do, I’ll post them here. In the meantime, if your group comes up with any fun variations for kids in wheelchairs, please share them here. I’m sure there are other groups that would benefit from this knowledge as well. Reply
Nancy Martin February 29, 2024 at 10:09 am How many children should be in the pit as the game begins? The max number?? Thanks, Nancy Martin Reply
tony March 1, 2024 at 9:02 am Hey Nancy, great question. There are no official rules to how many players can be in the octagon at the start of the game. If you’ve got too many players, you might need to have heats. Then whoever finishes at the top of heat one can face off against the top finishers of heat two. Another idea if you have too many players, and we may be a little biased here, would be to purchase another gaga ball pit:) It sounds to us like it would be a pretty good investment! Reply
