Take your game to the next level: The Rules

Today we're dropping knowledge on how to take your game from the learning stages to the bright lights of the fiercest competition in all the Spikeball land. If you've never played before you should click below for the basics:

 

If you've played before then that means you’ve found the beautiful game we call Spikeball.  You’re excited. You’ve become addicted and all you can tell your friends about it is how much they’re going to love it.  To your delight, a buddy of yours already knows Spikeball from his summer camp.  Your girlfriend ALSO knows about Spikeball from her summer in Nantucket.  Could this be more perfect?  You all head out to the beach to play when you realize that little arguments seem to be popping up because you’ve all been playing by different rules.  You’re still having epic rallies but it’d be nice to know whether or not your friend Craig is mistaken about a rule or not.  Is it gentleman’s serve or can you serve it as hard as you want?  Do you get a fault?  What is a pocket?  Do you play through them? 

While we at Spikeball Inc. support any and all ways that our community creates to play this beautiful game, if you’re looking for the current rule standards to take your game to the next level, check out the info below.  Playing like this will appease arguments and (most importantly), get you ready to play in your first USA Spikeball event with all of the pros!

The Serve:

One of the most important things to standardize is the serve.  When you are first learning you might play with what you would call a “Gentlemen Serve”, where in the server hits it with good height to the opposing team, with the goal of getting the point successfully started.  As your skills grow, you might begin to feel that you’ve reached a plateau and that the receiving team has too much of an advantage.  Here’s what you need to know to play with real serving:

•The server must stand 6 feet back from the Spikeball set.

•Only the returning player opposite the server can return the serve, his/her partner cannot.

•If you outright miss the net, hit the rim, or the Spikeball bounces twice on the set, you lose the point and the other team serves.

•If you hit the ball higher than the outstretched hand of the returner, that is a redo (READ: fault).

•If you hit a “pocket” on the serve, that is also considered a redo/fault.

•In both of the prior instances if the returner feels as though the high serve or the pocket is something that they want to play, they can, and the point officially starts when their partner engages on the 2nd hit.  Before that 2nd hit, either player can shut the point down.

•If you are serving and you win the point you and your partner switch positions and the defense stays in the same place.  You ONLY switch if your team is serving and you win a point.  (i.e. If the returning team wins the point, they now serve starting from the same positions for all four players as the previous point.)

Game Play:

You all know you get up to 3 hits to get it back off the net and that each “on” or Spike must get off the net in one bounce or you lose the point.  That is the foundation for Spikeball.  Follow these other simple rules when playing to understand it all:

•Unlike on the serve, all “Pockets” are live.  Yes, sometimes it can be hard to tell in the heat of the action whether it is a pocket or a true rim.  If there are disagreements, redo it!

•Call a hinder if the defense is impeding on your ability to get the ball.  And then, redo the point.

•If you Spike it and the ball hits your partner or yourself, you lose the point.

 

Easy enough? Pick up a Spikeball Pro Set to take your game to the next level:

 

Spike On,

The Spikeball Crew