Gameplay¶

Match Structure¶

A typical Dodgeball match follows a straightforward structure designed for fast-paced action.

Objective¶

The goal is simple: be the last team standing by eliminating all opponents. A player is eliminated when they fail to deflect an incoming rocket.

Round Flow¶

flowchart TD
    A[Round Start] --> B[Rocket Spawns]
    B --> C[Rocket Targets Random Player]
    C --> D{Player Airblasts?}
    D -->|Yes| E[Rocket Retargets Enemy]
    E --> F[Rocket Accelerates]
    F --> D
    D -->|No| G[Player Eliminated]
    G --> H{Team Eliminated?}
    H -->|No| C
    H -->|Yes| I[Round Ends]
    I --> J[Next Round Begins]

Phase Breakdown¶

Spawn Phase: Players spawn in their designated areas
Rocket Launch: A rocket spawns and targets a random player
Rally Phase: Players reflect rockets back and forth
Elimination: Players who fail to reflect are eliminated
Round End: Last team standing wins the round

Common Server Rules¶

Rocket Behavior¶

Starting Speed: TBD (varies by server configuration)
Speed Increase: Each reflect increases rocket speed
Maximum Speed: TBD (server-dependent)
Turn Rate: How sharply rockets can curve toward targets

Player Rules¶

Rule	Description
No Stealing	Don't reflect a rocket meant for a teammate
No Delaying	Don't intentionally prolong rounds
No Exploits	Don't abuse map geometry or bugs

Game Modes¶

Standard Dodgeball¶

The classic format with two opposing teams.

Teams take turns reflecting rockets
Elimination-based rounds
Most common format

Free For All (FFA)¶

Every player for themselves.

Rockets can target anyone
Last player standing wins
Popular on casual servers

NER (Never Ending Rounds)¶

Team based, but when there are two players left and lasting die everyone respawns to continue the round.

Players switches team to keep round active if all players in one team dies

Maps¶

Dodgeball has a variety of community-made maps designed specifically for the game mode.

All maps are prefixed tfdb_ and there hundreds of various dodgeball maps to pick between.

Map Design

Good Dodgeball maps feature open sightlines, clear boundaries, no objects, and balanced spawn positions.

Tips for New Players¶

Beginner Advice

Watch the rocket - Keep your crosshair on it at all times
Don't panic - Calm reactions beat frantic button mashing
Learn timing - Practice the airblast delay
Learn to orbit - Orbiting helps you to time
Observe veterans - Watch how experienced players move

Next Steps¶

Now that you understand the gameplay basics, it's time to learn the techniques that separate beginners from experts. Start with Airblasting to master the fundamental skill.