What is Spikeball?
It’s a team game played with a ball and a round net parallel to the ground, in which players bounce the ball following the rules that we will explain below.
“Roundnet Serve” by Mgalant1027 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
¿Spikeball or Roundnet?
Roundnet is the generic name of the game, while Spikeball is a registered trademark that manufactures and markets Roundnet games.
Why does almost everyone call the game Spikeball instead of Roundnet? For the same reason that everyone uses Frisbee instead of “flying disc”. Because they were the first ones to manufacture and market it, they are market leaders, and as it has happened many times in the industry, people associate the brand name with the product.
We have decided to use Spikeball, Roundnet, and even Spikeball Roundnet interchangeably. But hey, who’s counting? They all work just fine!
How to play Roundnet
Set up
Players
In official competitions, 4 players play, two against two, but if you’re playing for fun with friends or family, you can play with 2 to 6 players.
Position of players
Players are distributed around the net leaving the same space between them. Players on the same team stand together.
Duration of a Spikeball game
As in tennis, volleyball and many other competitive games, a match does not have a predetermined time duration but is divided into games in which players compete for a certain number of points.
MATCH > GAMES > POINTS
Agree on games and points
Before a match begins, it must be agreed how many games a team must score to win the match -usually 2 games- and how many points each game will have -usually 15 or 21 points-.
This is how a Roundnet point is disputed
Here is a summarized version of how a point is played in Spikeball Roundnet. Later on, we’ll go into more detail on each section and list the official rules of the game.
1 – DRAW
The serving team puts the ball in play by hitting it with one hand towards the net so that it bounces off it.
2 – RETURN
The receiving team can make three hits —as in volleyball— before returning the ball to the net.
3 – CHANGES OF POSSESSION
The game continues with an exchange of ball possession between teams.
4 – END OF POINT
The point ends when one of the teams fails to make the ball bounce on the net or when a foul is committed.
Now, surely you have a lot of questions about who and how to serve, how to hit the ball, what happens if it hits the rim… We answer all these questions below.
“spike ball” by pablopunk is marked with CC0 1.0.
Roundnet rules: development of a match
Serving rules
1 – Who serves you?
Nope, not just anyone can serve whenever they feel like it!
- The first team to serve is decided by one game of Rock, Paper, Scissors The winning team can choose between serving or choosing their position around the Roundnet.
- If team A served first in the first game, team B will serve first in the second game, and if there is a third game, team A will serve first again.
- For the rest of the game: the team that won the previous point serves.
- The player who has the serve will continue serving until their team loses a point.
- When the receiving team wins a point and regains the serve, the player serving cannot be the same as the last time. Players must rotate.
2 – Fair play
No, you can’t catch your opponent off guard…
Before serving, the player who has the service must say out loud the score situation and wait for the OK from the opposing team confirming that the score is correct and that they are ready to receive the serve.
3 – Position of the server and receiver
Nope, ninja-style flying serves are off the table…
- At the time of the serve, all players must be away from the net. In official competitions, a circumference —the serving line— is drawn 6 feet from the edge of the net. If you’re playing on the beach, you can trace that line in the sand. In the absence of an official line, it is sufficient to make some marks at the serving positions.
- You are not allowed to jump or change position while performing a serve. The serving player must establish their position and from that moment on, they must keep one of their feet fixed on the ground as a pivot, and they can only move the other foot.
- Official rules establish that in case of playing two versus two, the player who receives the serve must be the one directly in front of the one who is serving, and it cannot be done by their teammate. Any player may receive the serve in games with a different number of players or more casual games. It’s up to you.
4 – Valid serves. Or not at all…
No, it’s not that easy to make a winning serve….
- To serve, the ball is thrown with one hand and hit towards the net with either hand when the ball is at least 10 cm away from the release point. Serves must be hit. The ball may not be caught, carried or thrown. The ball can be hit with any force, up or down, but after bouncing on the net it cannot exceed the height of the opponent with the outstretched arm, in other words, if the receiver has to jump to touch the ball then the serve is not valid.
- For the serve to be valid, the ball must bounce once in the net and leave it. Serve is not valid if the ball bounces twice on the net or lands on the net and rolls, even if the ball then leaves the net.
- If the server throws the ball with one hand and then does not hit it, it counts as an invalid serve.
- The serve is not valid if the ball hits directly the rim or the legs of the Roundnet.
- If the server commits a service foul any player on the receiving team may chant -Foul!- until the ball is hit a second time or there is a change of possession.
- Receiving team is not obliged to say anything in case of a foul by the serving team and may choose to continue playing.
- Second serve: in case of an invalid serve, a second chance will be given. After a second invalid serve, the receiving team wins the point and recovers the serve.
“20.Upper.MeridianPark.WDC.15October2017” by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Rules when ball is in play
After a valid serve, hitting and exchange of possession of the ball begins.
Maximum 3 hits
No, it’s not necessary to return the ball on the first touch…
- Like in volleyball, a team can pass the ball before making their next shot to the net, but only a maximum of 3 hits are allowed
- If after the third touch the ball does not go to the net, the opposing team wins the point
- The same player cannot hit the ball twice in a row.
- If two teammates touch the ball at the same time, it will count as two hits. Either of them could make the next touch if they have not yet reached the maximum of three.
Valid hits
Yep, even a cheeky butt hit is totally allowed!
- You can hit the ball with any part of your body.
- The ball must be hit, you can not catch it, accompany it, lift it…
- On the first stroke of the possession you can touch the ball with two parts of the body simultaneously, counting as a single stroke. Only on the first stroke of possession.
- In the first stroke of a possession the ball can touch several parts of the body of the same player consecutively as long as the contacts occur during a single action. or example, it is valid that the ball bounces on the head -to say something- of a player and then the same player hits it with his hand. What is not allowed is to hit twice in a row with the same hand.
- You cannot hit with both hands at the same time.
- In case of an invalid hit, the other team must report the infraction and will win the disputed point.
Valid bounces
No, not all rebounds on the net are valid…
The team that throws to the net loses the point if…
- If the ball hits the rim or legs of the Roundnet.
- If the ball touches the ground at any time before going to the net.
- If the ball bounces twice on the net or after bouncing on the net touches the rim or a leg.
- In the case of an invalid net hit, the opposing team must notify the infraction and wins the disputed point.
On the other hand, it is allowed:
- Throw the ball in such a way that it changes its trajectory due to its proximity to the rim as long as it does not touch it. It is not allowed in a serve, but it is allowed in any other hit.
- A strong hit that makes the ball fall on the net, roll towards the rim, and then bounce out of the net —roll-up—. It is not allowed in a serve, but it is allowed in any other hit.
It is forbidden to touch the Roundnet
If a player touches the net, the legs or the hoop of the Roundnet with any part of his body during a point, his/her team loses the point in dispute.
Change of possession
Possession changes once the ball leaves the net. No team may touch the ball while it is in contact with the net.
“Spikeball on the beach. Anchorage, Alaska ” by Paxson Woelber is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Movement and hinder rules
Movements
Players may move as they wish during a point as long as they do not physically impede the opponent’s play.
Blockages
They are obliged to move if they are in the trajectory of movement of the opposing players or the ball. In case of an avoidable hinder, the infringing team loses the point. If the obstruction is unavoidable, the point must be repeated.
Game winning team
Game over
A game ends when a team reaches the number of points agreed upon at the beginning of the game, 15 or 21 points.
+2
Games must be won by a two-point difference unless otherwise specified. In the event of a tie at 14-14 or 20-20, play will continue until one of the teams obtains a 2-point advantage.
Maximum limit
Nor can the game be played forever: a maximum limit of points must be established, which may be 19 points for a 15-point game or 25 points for a 21-point game.
End of match. Who wins?
And the winner is…
The first team to win the number of games agreed upon before the start of the match wins the match. If two games have been agreed upon, the match will end in two games if one team wins 2-0 or in three games if one team wins 2-1.
Inspiring videos
We have searched and selected a couple of videos to make a point in action.
The first one shows some friends playing probably one of their first Spikeball games.
The second one shows that there is a higher level.
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