British Dodgeball is excited to announce a major expansion of the Schools Championships for 2026, creating even more opportunities for young people across the country to get involved in our growing sport. With increased demand from teachers, students, and school programmes, this year’s calendar introduces two significant additions: Primary Girls-Only events and brand-new Year 9/10 National Finals for both Boys and Girls.
These developments reflect our commitment to supporting participation at every age and ensuring dodgeball remains inclusive, accessible, and inspiring for all pupils.
Introducing Primary Schools Girls Championship Pathway
For the first time ever, British Dodgeball will be delivering Primary Girls-Only Regional Events. This new pathway is designed to give girls more opportunities to play dodgeball in a supportive environment, free from the pressures that can sometimes arise in mixed competitions. With more schools than ever seeking girls-specific events, this addition aims to boost confidence, increase participation, and give young players a platform to develop and shine.
The Girls Primary Schools events will follow the same U11 Ruleset used across our primary competitions, ensuring consistency and familiarity for teachers and players alike.
2026 Primary Girls – Regional Rounds
- South East – 6th March 2026 at Barking & Dagenham College
- South West – 9th March 2026 at Weston College
- Midlands – 12th March 2026 at Wolverhampton College
- North – 12th March 2026 in Newcastle College
The top-performing teams from each regional round will progress to the inaugural Girls National Primary Schools Finals on 19th May 2026 at Kettering Arena Sport. This marks a historic milestone for girls’ dodgeball and a major step in expanding dedicated opportunities within our schools pathway.
📌 Enter a Girls Primary event:
https://britishdodgeball.org/Primary-Girls-Events
Launching Year 9/10 National Final Events
Also new for 2026 is the introduction of Year 9/10 National Finals for both Boys and Girls. As the Schools Championships have grown over recent years, we’ve seen huge demand from schools who already participate in our Primary and Year 7/8 pathways. Many of these students are now older, and schools have been eager for competitive opportunities that allow them to stay involved in dodgeball beyond the early secondary years.
The new Year 9/10 events give these students—who have often developed through our pathways, or may be new to Dodgeball —somewhere to continue competing, improving, and representing their school at a national level. Splitting the competition into Boys and Girls events also ensures a positive and enjoyable environment where all pupils can play with confidence.
These one-off National Finals will take place on 20th May 2026, also at Arena Sport Kettering, and will follow the U15 Ruleset.
📌 Enter the Year 9/10 Championships:
https://britishdodgeball.org/year-910-secondary-schools-championships-pathway/
A Growing Pathway for a Growing Sport
The additions of Primary Girls-Only events and Year 9/10 National Finals underline British Dodgeball’s dedication to expanding and strengthening the Schools Championships pathway. By providing more age-appropriate and inclusive opportunities, we aim to support every school, teacher, and player in accessing the sport in a way that best suits them.
We are excited to welcome new and returning schools to these expanded programmes and look forward to seeing even more young people discovering the energy, teamwork, and excitement that dodgeball offers.
Let’s make 2026 our biggest and most inclusive year yet.
