The Rules
Overview
- The ball is lightweight (100 g) and the size of a volleyball.
- The court and net dimensions are the same as pickleball.
- A player can hit the ball over the net with any part of their body.
Gameplay
- To start the match, a coin toss determines the side to serve first. The side to serve first alternates in
subsequent games.
- Switch sides of the court after every game.
- The side that wins the point serves the next ball.
- A player can let the ball bounce or hit it straight out of the air from anywhere on the court.
- A side scores a point if the other side hits the ball out, fails to return a ball, or commits a fault.
The Serve
- The server can stand anywhere on their side of the court to serve.
- The receiver can stand anywhere on their side of the court to receive the serve.
- After the server hits the serve, it must bounce on the server's court before going over the net.
- The receiver must let the serve bounce on their court before returning it.
Exception: If the receiver is standing behind the non-volley line (7 feet back from the net), they can volley the serve.
- The serve is the only time a player may hit the ball onto their own court before it goes over.
Scoring
- Games are played to 10 points; win by 2.
- Sets are played to 50 points. Each game counts for 10 (even if the final score is 11-9).
- Example: Side A has won 3 games; Side B was won 1 game. The set score is 30-10.
Faults
- Touching the net during gameplay with any part of the body is a fault.
- Impeding the arm swing or follow-through of a player at the net is a fault.
- Hitting the ball twice is a fault.
Exception: if the ball contacts the player's body multiple times within
the same overall motion, no fault is committed.
Special Situations
- A player may play the ball around the net post and back into the opponent's court.
- If the ball bounces on the opponent's court, then bounces backwards (by spin or by wind) back over the net,
the opponent must touch the ball for the return to count.
- Incidental contact: If the ball makes a minor contact with the player's body before the player hits the ball,
the return counts as long as the player did not intentionally use that body part to hit the ball.
For example, the ball bounces in front of the player, then bounces up and hits them in the chest, and then they hit it back over the net. This counts as a valid return.
However, if the ball rebounds off the player's body and flies away, they may not run to hit it back over the net. This is a double contact fault.