“Our kids are absolutely gaga for Gaga Ball,” reported Dean Vaccaro, our Lead Coordinator at Roton Middle School and a certified teacher during the day. “Very happy we have it in the RAMS afterschool program. “It is very competitive, a great cardio workout, and loads of fun.”

Gaga is a fast-paced, high-energy sport played in an octagonal pit. Dubbed a kinder, gentler version of dodgeball, the game is played with a soft foam ball, and combines the skills of dodging, striking, running, and jumping while trying to hit opponents with a ball below the knees. Players need to keep moving to avoid getting hit by the ball. Fun and easy, and as Mr. Vaccaro reported above, everyone gets a serious workout.

All players start with one hand touching a wall of the pit.

• The game begins with a referee throwing the ball into the center of the pit.

• When the ball enters the pit, the players scream 'GA' for the first two bounces, and 'GO' on the third bounce, after which the ball is in action.

• Once the ball is in play, any player can hit the ball with an open or closed hand.

• If a ball touches a player below the knee (even if the player hits himself or herself) he or she is out and leaves the pit. If a player is hit above the knees, the play continues.

• If a ball is caught on a fly, the player who hit the ball is out.

• Players cannot hold the ball.

• If needed, a second ball can be thrown in the pit to expedite the end of the game. The last player standing is the winner of that round.

The origins of gaga have remained largely a mystery since its first appearance in the mid-20th century. However, the predominant theory is that it was invented in Israel and exported to other countries worldwide, usually as a game played by children at summer camps.

In any event, Gaga ball is a dodgeball variant that has been sweeping through school districts in the past several years.

The game is thought to have started in Israel — gaga means "touch touch" in Hebrew — and was played in Jewish summer camps beginning in the 1970s, according to a 2012 article in The New York Times.