(FORTUNE Magazine) – The yoga backlash has officially begun. It seems that trendsetting sports aficionados have taken to a significantly more violent pastime: dodgeball. The sport started gaining popularity in Los Angeles last year and hasn't changed much from the fourth-grade version (which has been banned from some elementary schools). Teams of around 20 attempt to blast opponents, with as many as eight red rubber balls flying at once. Membership at the Los Angeles Dodgeball Society has grown from eight to 200 players in less than a year; the co-ed matches take place at a rec center twice a week with hip-hop music blasting in the background. Even celebrities like Ben Affleck have been spotted playing in L.A. Other burgeoning dodgeball organizations have more stringent standards, however. Mississippi's International Dodgeball Federation mandates the use of an official nine-inch fabric-covered ball and publishes a 30-page rule book players must follow. "It's the ultimate at releasing stress," says Michael Costanza, a production assistant on hiatus and founder of the Los Angeles Dodgeball Society. "It's also quite a workout. We've seen one guy drop about 30 pounds."

The rest of the country may soon be unable to avoid the sport: This summer Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn take out their aggression in 20th Century Fox's yet-to-be-named dodgeball comedy, and in the current NBC reality dating series Average Joe: Hawaii, the hunks challenge the geeks to a dodgeball game. Hmmm. Seems as if life is imitating fourth grade in more ways than one. --Julie Schlosser