According to many cast members, the hardest part of filming the dodgeball scenes was not flinching when they knew they were about to be hit by a ball.
Justin Long's eyebrow was actually cut open by the first wrench thrown at him. All the wrenches thrown were made of rubber, but the first was harder than all of the others.
The unrated DVD contains a fake commentary where Ben Stiller and two main actors do nothing but fight, as well as claim to hate each other, before storming out forty minutes in. The commentary is then replaced with the commentary for There's Something About Mary (1998). The real commentary is on the DVD as an Easter egg.
Many studios, including DreamWorks Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, passed on this movie. 20th Century Fox finally agreed when Ben Stiller reduced his salary to well under $1 million. As of March 2005, the movie has grossed over $124 million, when it only cost $23 million to make.
Adult dodgeball leagues began to spring up across the country around the time of the movie's release. Cast member Gary Cole was even invited to a tournament in Chicago, Illinois.
David Hasselhoff: cameo as coach of the German team was a last minute addition, after stunt coordinator Alex Daniel mentioned he knew Hasselhoff personally.
David Hasselhoff: His brief cameo as the German team coach is a reference to Hasselhoff's status as a million-selling pop star in Germany. His character throws down a framed promo photo of himself from Baywatch (1989).