Explain the rules of Spikeball to all of the players.
The aim of the game is to get as many points as possible. You and your teammate will stand opposite another team of 2 with the Spikeball net in the middle. One team serves the ball onto the net, and the other team has to bounce it back. If your team can’t get the ball back onto the net within 3 moves, the other team gets a point! Spikeball is kind of similar to volleyball, except the goal is to hit the net, not get the ball over it.
Split into 2 teams of 2.
Spikeball is always played with you and a partner. Grab 2 other people to play opposite you and set up your stuff in a gym or a large field with plenty of space. If you have a large group of friends, try switching out teammates after each game so everyone gets a turn.
Put together the rim and the net.
Empty the Spikeball bag and pull out your equipment. Insert the black rim segments into the yellow legs to make a circle. Then, stretch the mesh net over the rim until it’s completely taut without any slack. When your Spikeball is set up, you’ll have a small net standing on 4 legs that’s about 6 in (15 cm) off the ground. You’ll also have a yellow Spikeball. In tournaments, the ball needs to be inflated to exactly 12 in (30 cm) in circumference, but it doesn’t matter as much if you’re just playing casually.
Set up your net in the middle of the players.
Put the net down and have everyone stand 6 ft (1.8 m) away from it. Group around the net in a loose circle with Team A on one side and Team B on the other side. Once the game starts, you won’t have to stay on your designated sides anymore. You don’t have to measure exactly 6 ft (1.8 m)—just use your best judgement.
Stand closer to the net if you’re the receiver.
The team who isn’t serving the ball gets to pick a receiver. One person on the team can stand as close to or as far from the net as they’d like. If you’re the receiver, your job is to block the serve from the other team, so try to follow the server as best you can. You have to stay on your side of the net, but you can get much closer than your other teammate.
Serve the ball down onto the net.
Choose one person on the starting team to serve. When it’s your turn to serve, throw the ball into the air and spike it down onto the net. The goal is to ricochet the ball away from the other team so they can’t return it to the net. If the serve “fails” (if the ball bounces straight back at the server instead of out toward the other players), you get one more try. As the game continues, alternate which player on your team serves the ball.
Move around the net as the game continues.
Treat the net as the center and move around it in a circle. Try to stay close to the net, but feel free to move around in a circle for a better chance of hitting the ball. There are no “sides” once the game starts, so the serving team can spike the ball anywhere they’d like. If you’re on the receiving team (not the team who is serving), try to mirror the position of the serving players. That way, you’ll be ready when they spike the ball down onto the net.
Return the ball to the net in 3 moves.
If your team didn’t serve, try to get the ball back onto the net. You have 3 moves to do it: you can bump, set, and spike the ball using any body part you’d like. If you don’t get the ball back onto the net in 3 moves, the other team scores a point. Each player can only touch the ball once before passing it over. For example, if Person 1 bumps the ball, Person 2 has to rush in and set the ball, then Person 1 can come back in and spike the ball. You can only use 1 of your body parts to touch the ball at a time (yes, this includes your hands). You can’t catch, lift, or throw the ball—no prolonged contact!
Focus on swatting the ball across the net.
This strategy makes it harder for the other team to rush in and bump it. When you’re the receiving team, hit the ball toward the net and wait for it to get a little low. Then, smack the ball across the net away from the opposite team so they have to run and get it. If this is your first time playing Spikeball, you don’t have to worry about strategy as much. As you get better, you can think about different ways of hitting and bumping the ball.
Try not to step in front of other players.
Blocking other players isn’t allowed. As you move around the net in a circle, be cautious and try to move out of the other team’s way, especially if they’re receiving the ball. If you accidentally bump into another player, you can replay the game from the previous serve. Safety is the number one goal here!
Score points when the other team can’t return the ball.
If the other team drops the ball, your team gets a point! Your team also gets a point if the other team hits the ball onto the rim of the net, if the ball bounces back and hits the net or the rim, or the ball rolls across the net. It’s up to the players to score their own games, so keep a close eye on the other team. If you’re playing in a tournament, a ref will tell you when you’ve scored or not. If it’s really sunny or windy out, you can rotate your teams’ starting positions every 5 points. That way, everyone gets a fair chance.
Win the game when you reach 21 points.
Most games are played to 21 points, but you can also play to 11 or 15. In general, you have to win the game by 2 points, but you can decide with the other players if you’d like to follow that rule. Points rack up fairly quickly, so don’t be intimidated by the high numbers! Either team can score a point at any time, even if they don’t have the ball in play.
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