Dodgeball: Can it be Healthy without being Hazardous?

Dodgeball can be an exciting game and also a extreemly physically active.  Many students enjoy playing this because it is a way to release stress, and agression; but what they don't know is that it can also be good for the body as well.  Unfortunatly, dodgeball has taken a bad wrap in the public eye and has actually been banned in many school districts.  As a physical educator it is important for me to both keep my classes interested in the things that we are doing, but also keep them safe at the same time.  What if my students wanted to play doedgeball? How can I maintain the excitement of the game while keeping my sutdents safe?  The first thing that I would do would be to use the Gator balls instead of the old-school rubber balls.  Doing this would make it less likely for a students to get hurt by actually getting hit by a ball.  Second I would have the students play in a small room like the wrestling room, and have mats down.  Having the mats down would decrease chances of a student falling and hurting themselves on the hardwood of a gym floor.  Another thing that I would do in the game is try to introduce a different aspect to the game.  Maybe try to have three bowling pins set up behind the teams and when all the pins are knocked over the game is over!  This way instead of just having one person left and everyone going for the one person, the people on the other team are now also try to get the bowling pins knocked over.  These minor alterations will help keep the students safe while adding a new, exciting twist to a classic game they already love.