How to Play Spikeball for Beginners (Official Rules) - wikiHow

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If you’ve got a group of 4 friends, a Spikeball net and ball, and a lot of space, you’ve got the perfect setup for Spikeball. This fun, athletic game will have you running all over your yard to set, spike, and bump the ball back onto the net. Familiarize yourself with the rules and gameplay of Spikeball before you start for hours of endless enjoyment.

1

Explain the rules of Spikeball to all of the players.

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  1. 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! [1]
    • Spikeball is kind of similar to volleyball, except the goal is to hit the net, not get the ball over it.
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2

Split into 2 teams of 2.

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  1. Grab 2 other people to play opposite you and set up your stuff in a gym or a large field with plenty of space. [2]
    • If you have a large group of friends, try switching out teammates after each game so everyone gets a turn.
3

Put together the rim and the net.

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  1. 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. [3]
    • 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.
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4

Set up your net in the middle of the players.

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  1. 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. [4]
    • You don’t have to measure exactly 6 ft (1.8 m)—just use your best judgement.
5

Stand closer to the net if you’re the receiver.

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  1. 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. [5]
    • You have to stay on your side of the net, but you can get much closer than your other teammate.
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6

Serve the ball down onto the net.

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  1. 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. [6]
    • 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.
7

Move around the net as the game continues.

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  1. 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. [7]
    • 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.
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8

Return the ball to the net in 3 moves.

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  1. 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. [8]
    • 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!
9

Focus on swatting the ball across the net.

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  1. 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. [9]
    • 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.
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10

Try not to step in front of other players.

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  1. 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. [10]
    • Safety is the number one goal here!
11

Score points when the other team can’t return the ball.

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  1. 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. [11]
    • 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.
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12

Win the game when you reach 21 points.

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  1. 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! [12]
    • Either team can score a point at any time, even if they don’t have the ball in play.

Play Volleyball Like a Pro with this Expert Series

Volleyball is an incredibly fun sport, and it's great exercise too. But there are some essential skills you need to master in order to become an effective player. Learn them all with this expert series!
1
Play Volleyball
2
How to Score Points in Volleybvall
3
Set a Volleyball
4
Hit a Volleyball
5
Serve a Volleyball
6
Spike a Volleyball

References

  1. ↑ https://anderson.edu/uploads/campus-life/spikeball.pdf
  2. ↑ https://www.uwyo.edu/rec/intramural-sports/_files/docs/rules/spikeball.pdf
  3. ↑ https://www.uwyo.edu/rec/intramural-sports/_files/docs/rules/spikeball.pdf
  4. ↑ https://urec.uark.edu/intramural-sports/Spikeball.pdf
  5. ↑ https://urec.uark.edu/intramural-sports/Spikeball.pdf
  6. ↑ https://urec.uark.edu/intramural-sports/Spikeball.pdf
  7. ↑ https://www.siue.edu/campus-recreation/pdf/SpikeballRules.pdf
  8. ↑ https://www.siue.edu/campus-recreation/pdf/SpikeballRules.pdf
  9. ↑ https://intramurals.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Yale%20IM%20Spikeball%20Rules%20(1).pdf
  1. ↑ https://intramurals.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Yale%20IM%20Spikeball%20Rules%20(1).pdf
  2. ↑ https://intramurals.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Yale%20IM%20Spikeball%20Rules%20(1).pdf
  3. ↑ https://recwellness.uccs.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/2023-24%20Spikeball%20Rules.pdf

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  • Question
    Is Spikeball easy to learn?
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    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
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    Spikeball is fairly simple and easy to learn, but can be difficult to master. Serious Spikeball players may eventually develop more elaborate strategies and nuanced skills that allow them to take the game to the next level.
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    What age is Spikeball for?
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    Spikeball is suitable for all ages, but is most popular among people between the ages of 10 and 30.
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    Can you play Spikeball with 2 players?
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    Spikeball is typically played with 2 teams of 2 players, but you can play modified versions with just 2 players (such as Pepper, 1v1, or Jail).
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      • After the first serve, stay in constant motion to be ready for the ball whenever it comes to you.
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      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Spikeball is a fun game to play with 4 friends where you hit a ball back and forth using the Spikeball net and try to score the most points for your team. To play, first break into 2 teams of 2 and stand in a loose circle around the net, with Team A on one side and Team B on the other. Choose one team to serve first. The serving team picks one player to serve, and the non-serving team picks one player to receive. The receiver is the only player who can field the serve, and they can stand as close to the net as they want. To serve the ball, the server throws it into the air and spikes it down onto the net so it bounces toward the other team. If the ball bounces back at the server, it’s a faulty serve. Servers have two chances to get it right before the serve passes to the other team. After the serve, the receiving team has up to 3 alternating touches to get the ball back to the net. Players can move and hit the ball in any direction around the net after the serve. If a team isn’t able to get the ball back to the net in 3 touches, the other team scores 1 point. If the ball hits the ground or rim of the net, or if it bounces on the net more than once, the other team gets 1 point. The serving team continues to serve until the receiving team scores a point, at which point the serve passes to the other team. Whichever team scores 21 points first wins!

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