A yard dog in Florida? Did you then move north to Georgia. Yeah, I’m ready for football season to start. Dodge ball was easy. A person could stay at the back of the group and not be a target. Or A person could chose to get hit such as to go sit down and not bother to participate. Plus, what is so bad about getting hit by a soccerball or a volleyball? The skills: throw or catch or move quickly or stay way far back, or stay away from the thrower. It is an easy game to play.
Easy? Says the jock!
Actually dodge- as basically all playground games - was played with those pliable thin rubber generic balls. Soccer balls are pretty nasty hard.