The Rules of Spikeball

Introduction

Spikeball, originally known as roundnet, was invented by a toymaker named Jeff Knurek in 1989. Roundnet enjoyed a short moment of popularity between 1989 and 1995, after which it quickly faded due to outdated equipment and a lack of standardized rules. 

A decade later, Chris Ruder, the CEO of Spikeball Inc., bought the trademark for roundnet and rebranded it as spikeball. The company also started manufacturing official equipment for it, which further solidified its status as a standalone sport. The game has since been featured in Shark Tank, Dude Perfect, and The Today Show, which helped Spikeball become known as both an easy-going recreational activity as well as a competitive sport.

Nowadays, spikeball has revitalized its status as one of the fastest-growing new sports with a healthy following of over 4 million players worldwide. Its biggest events include The SRA Tour and the World Championships.

The object of the game

The object of spikeball is relatively simple; your team has three touches to return the ball into the roundnet in a way that the opposing team is unable to return it. Naturally, your opponent has the same goal and they try to prevent you from returning the ball to the net. A rally ends when either team is unable to return the ball to the net in three touches, hits the rim or when the ball bounces twice on the net.  

Spikeball is also played without rackets or bats, making it somewhat related to volleyball and foursquare.

Scoring in Spikeball

A spikeball match consists of the three games. To win a game, a team must reach the designated number of points (usually 15 or 21) with at least a two-point lead. 

Spikeball also follows a similar point-a-rally system (PAR) as tennis, badminton, padel and table tennis. This means that the winner of a rally scores a point regardless of who serves. 

Serving rules in spikeball

The basic rules of spikeball state that at the winner of a coin flip or a game of rock, paper, scissors, gets to choose which team serves first. Each player has two attempts at a successful serve, and they may continue serving until their team loses a point. The serving team also switches positions after every point won, while the receiving team remains in the same positions. Once the receiving team wins a rally, the player on the left side will start serving for their team. This means that the service order alternates between teammates after every change of service possession and continues for the whole duration of the match. 

During service, a player must have both feet on the ground and stand at least 1.8m (6ft) away from the net. Both soft and hard serves are allowed as long as the ball travels a minimum of 10cm (4in) and hits the net cleanly without touching the rim. Additionally, if the serve hits the pocket close to the rim without touching it and rapidly changes direction, it is not considered a legal serve. The only exception to this is when the ball hits the closest pocket to the server (near net) and changes direction. 

While the receiving team may stand anywhere, only the defensive player opposite of the server is allowed to receive the serve. The serve also may not be higher than the receiver’s straight-up extended hand. 

Gameplay

Spikeball can be played in either doubles (2 vs 2) or mixed doubles formats. After a successful serve, a rally begins and continues until a team is unable to return the ball to the roundnet. The rally will also stop if the ball hits the rim, bounces twice on the net or lands on the ground. However, if the ball hits the pocket without touching the rim and changes direction, it is considered in. Similarly, striking the ball fully into the netting where it rolls and touches the rim (roll-up) is also considered legal. 

During gameplay, teammates must alternate between touches and return the ball to the net in three touches. Players can also use any body part to strike the ball as long as the ball is not caught or thrown, or played by the same player twice in a row. This also means that volleyball-style two-handed passes are not allowed. 

Players must also make every effort to stay out of the offensive player’s way and give them enough room to hit the ball. If the defensive player interferes, the offensive player may call a hinder and the point will be replayed. 

Spikeball follows the spirit of the game principle – meaning that while it does have one to four observers, the responsibility of fair play and sportsmanship remains on the players. The only active calls done by the observer are illegal net and ball contacts, player misconduct, rotation and serving violations, as well as maintaining correct timing and score. In unclear situations, the players may call the observer for a decision and explain their perspective. 

Game intervals

In spikeball, players are allowed a 3-minute break between every game. Teams also get a 60s-timeout once per game, and can only be called between points. In addition to switching positions after every point won, teams also rotate one position counter-clockwise after every 5 points. 

If a player gets injured during gameplay, they have 5 minutes to treat it and resume play. However, this can only be used once per match. If the player is injured again, they must return to play within 60s. Any further injury lasting for over 15s between points will result in a forfeit.