History of Bdoteball

First created and played in the fall of 2018, exact date unknown.  The first houses were square with an oddly big keep area: shown in the pictures below as the purple lines, the house area with green lines.  The blocks were initially set just behind the gray court lines.  Same width of 2 feet in between blocks.  After some beta testing that fall, creator, Grayson Pangburn, reworked the houses into looking like actual houses with smaller keeps.  This adjustment allowed for smoother gameplay between fellow keepers and the offense attempting to score.  Returning from fall break, the first set of rules was established on 1/6/2019. 

The first game with the official rule set was played on 1/8/2019 at Bdote Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The game was played at Bdote Learning Center with four main differences to the current rules: 1) The “knees” rules did not exist, 2) Double Flag pulling was allowed, 3) The stall count dropped to 1 if both flags were pulled off, meaning the thrower had to immediately go into the act of throwing, 4) There was no radius rule, but a general rule that you were supposed to stop as soon as possible.  

After Kobe Bryant passed away on 1/26/2020, Grayson changed the game to be played to 24 points in homage to Kobe’s gift to sports.  Now, the game is always winnable within two shots because it is possible to score 12 points in one shot––you are never out of the game.  The change was effective immediately on 1/27/2020.

In March of 2020, Covid-19 hit the country and games stopped until April 2021.

November 17, 2022 First sketch of the Official Logo created.

December 18, 2022 First two club teams established: Zuya (Warriors) and Makoons (Cubs). Jerseys designed by Grayson Pangburn and Joe Simonelli, printed by Miskwa Mukwa, who generously sold them only for cost of production.A donation from Grayson’s cousin, Kylie Bestul, covered this cost, providing the jerseys free of charge to the students.

February 15, 2023 Refined sketch of Official Logo created.

February 28, 2023 Students received club team jerseys.

March 8, 2023 Official Logo created.  The Red area of the ball is based from a 38 degree angle: a silent nod to the Dakota 38 who were hung in Mankato square, two of which were mistakenly executed.  The White Y-area of the ball is based on the word “Bdote” meaning the confluence of a river “where two waters come together”, symbolizing the journey of life until you come together to play on the sacred field of sport.  Much like the rushing of the waters combining together is the gameplay of Bdoteball: sometimes chaotic and unpredictable.  The more we play Bdoteball, the better we can control the flow and embody Bruce Lee’s saying: “be like water”: malleable and fluid in each situation to demonstrate adaptability and collaboration in sport.  The addition of each White stripe adds 19 degrees to the angle of the Red area as a silent nod to the first year Bdoteball was played: 2019.  The Yellow and Black represent the ups and downs of gameplay and life.  The ball was made for unique tracking as it flies through the air.  When you first play Bdoteball at your school, YMCA, park, et cetera, you should sign the ball on each side of the Y.  You then sign the date in the combined White stripe, signaling when Bdoteball started for your group.

April 16, 2023 Official kit created for Hawks (Black and Yellow) vs Eagles (Red and White).

June 7, 2023 First Club Championship Game played and recorded: Makoons (25) to Zuya (16). Very proud of the group of students in the 6th-8th grade class.  They were the very talented original players of Bdoteball.  Their passion, love, and respect for the game uplifted the sport and will never be forgotten. 

September 6, 2023 Prodeo Academy starts playing Bdoteball.

February 2024 “Knees Rule” added.

September 2024 “Double flag pull” no longer allowed.

October 2024 “Radius Rule” added.

March 24, 2025 Youtube Release of Rules.

Click here to watch rules video

March 25, 2025 First public gameplay reveal.

Click here to watch gameplay

11/15/2025 First Organized 4 vs 4, ½ court Adult Play (Youth House)

11/22/2025 First Organized Full Court 7 vs 7 (Youth House)

12/13/2025 First Organized Full Court 5 vs 5 (Adult House)

Watch first 5v5 Adult Match here

1/3/2026 First Organized Full Court 6 vs 6 (Adult House)