The World Dodgeball Federation is pleased to announce the official release of its updated international rules framework.

The updated rules have been developed through extensive consultation with athletes, referees, continental confederations, national federations, and technical leaders from across the international dodgeball community. The revisions are intended to improve consistency, clarity, athlete experience, and event operations while supporting the long-term development of dodgeball worldwide.

As the sport continues to expand rapidly across all six continents, the WDBF remains committed to creating a modern, accessible, and internationally aligned rules system that can support grassroots participation, high-performance competition, youth development, and future multi-sport opportunities.

Among the key objectives of the updated framework are:

• Improved consistency in officiating and gameplay interpretation;
• Enhanced athlete safety and match flow;
• Greater alignment between international events and continental competitions;
• Clearer technical guidance for referees, coaches, and national federations;
• Continued support for both Foam and Cloth disciplines.

The release follows a period of significant growth for the WDBF and the international dodgeball community. Recent milestones include the successful 2024 World Championships in Graz, Austria, which welcomed more than 1,400 athletes and officials from 36 countries, as well as the continued expansion of continental championships and youth programming around the world.

The updated rules will be implemented across upcoming WDBF-sanctioned events and will help guide preparations toward the 2026 World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

In addition to the publication of the rules, the WDBF will continue supporting member federations through educational resources, referee development initiatives, technical workshops, and ongoing consultation processes to ensure successful implementation at all levels of the sport.

The WDBF would like to thank all athletes, officials, technical committees, and member federations who contributed feedback and expertise throughout the review process. Their collaboration continues to strengthen dodgeball as a truly global and inclusive sport.

Further information, supporting documents, and implementation guidance will be shared with member federations and published through official WDBF communication channels in the coming weeks.