Sports Like Volleyball: Net and Ball Options

Footvolley, sepak takraw, roundnet and teqball keep volleyball's three-touch limit; beach tennis shares the beach volleyball court footprint; tchoukball and kin-ball change the team format. Each section below gives the court, net, ball and scoring from its rulebook. At Wildcard Sport, we research these rules from governing body rulebooks and official specifications.

Indoor Volleyball as the Baseline

The FIVB volleyball rules set the indoor court at 59.1 ft by 29.5 ft (18 m by 9 m), an area of about 1,744 sq ft (162 m²) by derivation. Each team has six players in play and a roster of up to 12, plus two Liberos (specialist defensive players), with only one Libero on court at a time. A team may hit the ball up to three times, plus blocking, and a fourth hit is a fault. The net top is 7 ft 11.7 in (2.43 m) for men and 7 ft 4.2 in (2.24 m) for women, and the ball weighs 9.2 to 9.9 oz (260 to 280 g). A set goes to 25 points by a two-point margin, the deciding fifth set goes to 15, and the match goes to the team that wins three sets.

Under the FIVB beach rules, the court is 52.5 ft by 26.2 ft (16 m by 8 m), a team is exactly two players, the net is the same height as the indoor net, and a set is won at 21 points by two. Under the World Para Volleyball rules 2025 to 2028, the sitting court is 32.8 ft by 19.7 ft (10 m by 6 m), with six players in play and a net of 3.8 ft (1.15 m) for men and 3.4 ft (1.05 m) for women.

Footvolley Keeps the Net and Three Touches

Best for: readers who want the net and three-touch rules on a court the size of a beach volleyball court.

The European Footvolley League rules 2025 set the court at 52.5 ft by 26.2 ft (16 m by 8 m), with a free zone of at least 9.8 ft (3 m). That is about 1,376 sq ft (128 m²) by derivation, roughly 79 percent of the 1,744 sq ft (162 m²) indoor volleyball court under the FIVB rules.

The men's net is 7.22 ft (2.20 m) and the women's is 6.89 ft (2.10 m) (European Footvolley League rules, Rule 2.1.1). The FIVB men's net is 7 ft 11.7 in (2.43 m), so the footvolley men's net sits about 9.1 in (0.23 m) lower by derivation. Each team has two players on court and gets three touches. A fourth touch is a "four hits" foul (Rules 4.1 and 9.1). Players may use any part of the body except hands, arms and forearms (Rule 9.2.1).

The ball weighs 14.5 to 15.5 oz (410 to 440 g) under the same rules, heavier than the FIVB volleyball ball at 9.2 to 9.9 oz (260 to 280 g). A set, except the decisive third, is won at 18 points by a margin of two, and the decisive third is played to 15. The European Footvolley League history credits Octavio de Moraes with creating footvolley in 1965 at Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, and notes that not everybody agrees.

More on the sport is in the footvolley guide.

Sepak Takraw Uses Three Contacts Over a Net

Best for: readers who want three players a side and a lower net.

The ISTAF Law of the Game 2024 requires a court of 44 ft by 20 ft (13.4 m by 6.1 m) free of obstacles. A regu, the team, has three players per side: the tekong serves, and two inside players play the ball. Sepak takraw's own rules summary says players use feet, legs, torso, shoulders and head, and teams may contact the ball up to three times before sending it over the net.

The ISTAF net sits at 4 ft 11.8 in (1.52 m) at the center for men and 4 ft 7.9 in (1.42 m) for women. The FIVB men's volleyball net is 2.43 m, so the sepak takraw men's center sits about 2 ft 11.9 in (0.91 m) lower by derivation. The men's ball is 16.1 to 16.9 in (0.41 to 0.43 m) in circumference and weighs 6.0 to 6.3 oz (170 to 180 g). The women's ball weighs 5.3 to 5.6 oz (150 to 160 g). Each set goes to 15 points, moving to 17 at 14-14, and a match is best of three sets.

The sport debuted at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing. At the 20th Asian Games, Thailand beat Malaysia 2-0 (15-9, 15-8) in the men's team final on 29 September 2026, as Khaosod English reported.

The sepak takraw basics page covers the sport on its own terms.

Roundnet Plays Two a Side With Three Hits

Best for: readers who want two players a side, three hits and a small set.

Roundnet is two against two, and teams get up to three alternating hits to return the ball onto the net, according to Spikeball's rules. The International Roundnet Federation rules, adopted in October 2021, describe the set as 36 in (91.4 cm) across and 8 in (20.3 cm) high.

The IRF recommends at least 33 ft by 33 ft (10 m by 10 m) per court, with no out-of-bounds lines (Rule 1.2.2). That is a square, while the FIVB volleyball court is a 59.1 ft by 29.5 ft (18 m by 9 m) rectangle. The ball is about 12 in (30 cm) in circumference and inflated to 0.3 to 0.5 psi (Rule 1.1.4). The ball must travel at least 4 in (10 cm) from the release point before the server strikes it. The service line is 7 ft (2.13 m) from the rim (Rule 1.2.3).

Tournament games are typically to 15 or 21 points, won by two (Rule 3.4). Spikeball's consumer rules say games typically run to 11, 15 or 21. Rally scoring applies, and two consecutive service faults give the point to the receiving team. USA Roundnet describes itself as the National Governing Body in the United States.

The roundnet guide and the roundnet and Spikeball comparison cover the two names in more detail.

Beach Tennis Shares the Beach Volleyball Court

Best for: readers who want a doubles game on a beach volleyball footprint.

The ITF Rules of Beach Tennis 2023 set the doubles court at 52.5 ft by 26.2 ft (16 m by 8 m), the same footprint as the FIVB beach volleyball court. The net is 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) for women, mixed and junior play, and 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) for men's BT100+ events (ITF). The FIVB women's net is 7 ft 4.2 in (2.24 m), so the beach tennis women's net sits about 21.2 in (0.54 m) lower by derivation.

Players get one serve per point, with no second service (ITF Rule 18). Games are No-Ad, and the ball is an ITF Stage 2 low-compression ball. ANOC's beach tennis history records that beach tennis emerged in Italy in the early 1970s using existing volleyball nets.

Teqball Swaps the Court for a Table

Best for: readers who want a table game with singles, doubles or mixed doubles.

The FITEQ Official Rules describe a table 9.84 ft (3,000 mm) long and 4.92 ft (1,500 mm) wide, with a net 5.51 in (140 mm) high. The table surface stands between 22.24 and 29.92 in (565 and 760 mm) above the ground. A maximum of three touches is allowed per side (Rule 9.1.2), and the server has 5 seconds to undertake service.

Matches are best of three sets in singles, doubles or mixed doubles. Each set runs until one side reaches 12 points, and 12-11 can be a final score. The match ball weighs 13.05 to 14.11 oz (370 to 400 g). FITEQ was established in Budapest in March 2017, and the United States National Teqball Federation was formed in July 2020.

Teqball was a medal sport at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya in September 2026, with five categories and ten bronze medals in total, according to FITEQ's news item.

The three-touch limit matches volleyball's three hits. The teqball guide and the teqball and sepak takraw comparison cover the sport in more detail.

Tchoukball Has Seven Players per Side

Best for: readers who want a seven-a-side team game.

The FITB rules set the playing area at 85.3 to 95.1 ft (26 to 29 m) long and 49.2 to 55.8 ft (15 to 17 m) wide (Rule 1.1). The forbidden zone is a semicircle with a 9.8 ft (3 m) radius (Rule 1.3). A team has seven players in the seven-a-side game.

A player may take at most 3 steps and a team at most 3 passes before shooting (Rule 7). A player may not hold the ball for more than 3 seconds. Touching the ball with a part of the body below the knee is a fault (Rule 7.1.1). A match is three periods of 15 minutes, with intervals of at most 5 minutes (Rule 6.1).

The men's ball is 22.8 to 23.6 in (58 to 60 cm) in circumference and weighs 15.0 to 16.8 oz (425 to 475 g). The women's ball weighs 11.5 to 14.1 oz (325 to 400 g) (Rule 3). Dr. Hermann Brandt invented tchoukball, and the International Tchoukball Federation was founded on June 5, 1971, with Switzerland and France as first members.

The tchoukball guide covers the sport in more detail.

Kin-Ball Puts Three Teams on One Court

Best for: readers who want three teams of four on one court.

Three teams of four play at once, so twelve players are on court, according to the IKBF rulebook 2016. Each court needs two official 1.2 m (48 in) balls, and the court may not exceed 20 m by 20 m (about 66 ft by 66 ft). The ball weighs about 2.2 lb (1 kg), per kin-ball.com.

The hit must clear a distance of at least 6 ft (1.8 m). After a defense, the team has ten seconds to hit the ball. Hitting or pushing the ball with any part of the body below the hips is a fault. A fault gives one point to each of the other two teams.

The International Kin-Ball Federation was created in 2000 and is based in Levis, Quebec. The first World Cup was held in Canada in 2001 (kin-ball.com).

The kin-ball guide covers the sport in more detail.

Side-by-Side Rules Summary

Sport	Players per side	Net or set height	Contacts per side	Ball weight	Scoring	Governing source
Indoor volleyball (baseline)	6 in play	7 ft 11.7 in (2.43 m) men; 7 ft 4.2 in (2.24 m) women	Up to 3 hits plus blocking	9.2 to 9.9 oz (260 to 280 g)	Sets to 25 by 2; match to 3 sets	FIVB Volleyball Rules 2025 to 2028
Beach volleyball (baseline)	2	Same as indoor	Up to 3 hits	9.2 to 9.9 oz (260 to 280 g)	Sets to 21 by 2; match to 2 sets	FIVB Beach Volleyball Rules 2025 to 2028
Footvolley	2	7.22 ft (2.20 m) men; 6.89 ft (2.10 m) women	3 touches	14.5 to 15.5 oz (410 to 440 g)	Sets to 18 by 2; decisive third to 15	European Footvolley League rules 2025
Sepak takraw	3	4 ft 11.8 in (1.52 m) men; 4 ft 7.9 in (1.42 m) women, at center	Up to 3 contacts	6.0 to 6.3 oz (170 to 180 g) men; 5.3 to 5.6 oz (150 to 160 g) women	Sets to 15; 17 at 14-14; best of three	ISTAF Law of the Game 2024
Roundnet	2	Set 8 in (20.3 cm) high	Up to 3 alternating hits	About 12 in (30 cm) circumference, inflated to 0.3 to 0.5 psi	Typically 15 or 21, won by two	International Roundnet Federation rules
Beach tennis	2 (doubles court)	5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) women, mixed, junior; 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) men's BT100+	One serve per point, no second service (Rule 18)	ITF Stage 2 low-compression ball	No-Ad games	ITF Rules of Beach Tennis 2023
Teqball	1 or 2 (singles or doubles)	5.51 in (140 mm)	Maximum 3 touches per side	13.05 to 14.11 oz (370 to 400 g)	Sets to 12; 12-11 can end a set; best of three	FITEQ Official Rules
Tchoukball	7	Forbidden zone: 9.8 ft (3 m) radius semicircle	At most 3 passes before shooting	15.0 to 16.8 oz (425 to 475 g) men; 11.5 to 14.1 oz (325 to 400 g) women	Three 15-minute periods	FITB Official Rules
Kin-ball	4 per team; 3 teams on court	—	—	About 2.2 lb (1 kg)	A fault gives one point to each of the other two teams	IKBF rulebook 2016

How to Choose

Pick footvolley if you want a net, three touches and a court the size of the beach volleyball court, and you accept a ball of 14.5 to 15.5 oz (410 to 440 g) under the European Footvolley League rules, against 9.2 to 9.9 oz (260 to 280 g) in the FIVB volleyball rules.
Pick sepak takraw if you want three players a side and a net about 2 ft 11.9 in (0.91 m) lower than the men's volleyball net, per the ISTAF Law of the Game 2024 and the FIVB volleyball rules.
Pick roundnet if you want two players a side, up to three alternating hits, per the International Roundnet Federation rules.
Pick beach tennis if you want a doubles game on a 52.5 ft by 26.2 ft (16 m by 8 m) court, with one serve per point and No-Ad games (ITF Rules of Beach Tennis).
Pick teqball if you want a table game with singles, doubles or mixed doubles and a 5.51 in (140 mm) net, per the FITEQ Official Rules.
Pick tchoukball if you want seven players a side on a playing area of 85.3 to 95.1 ft (26 to 29 m) long, per the FITB Official Rules.
Pick kin-ball if you want three teams of four on one court, where a fault gives one point to each of the other two teams, per the IKBF rulebook 2016.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Sports Use Three Touches per Side?

Footvolley, sepak takraw, roundnet and teqball all use three touches per side or per team. Footvolley gives each team three touches, and a fourth is a 'four hits' foul (European Footvolley League rules, Rules 4.1 and 9.1). Sepak takraw teams may contact the ball up to three times (sepak takraw summary). Roundnet teams get up to three alternating hits (Spikeball rules). Teqball allows a maximum of three touches per side (Rule 9.1.2, FITEQ rules). Indoor volleyball allows up to three hits plus blocking (FIVB rules).

Is Footvolley Volleyball Played With the Feet?

Not exactly. The European Footvolley League rules allow any part of the body except hands, arms and forearms (Rule 9.2.1). Footvolley still uses a net and three touches, as volleyball does.

Is Beach Tennis a Kind of Volleyball?

No. Beach tennis follows the ITF Rules of Beach Tennis, not the FIVB volleyball rules. The ITF doubles court is 52.5 ft by 26.2 ft (16 m by 8 m), the same as the FIVB beach volleyball court. The ANOC history of beach tennis says beach tennis emerged in Italy in the early 1970s using existing volleyball nets.

Which Sports Use a Lighter Ball Than Volleyball?

Among the sports with a listed weight, sepak takraw does: the men's ball weighs 6.0 to 6.3 oz (170 to 180 g) and the women's 5.3 to 5.6 oz (150 to 160 g) under the ISTAF Law of the Game 2024, against 9.2 to 9.9 oz (260 to 280 g) for an FIVB volleyball. Footvolley (14.5 to 15.5 oz), teqball (13.05 to 14.11 oz), tchoukball (11.5 to 16.8 oz) and kin-ball (about 2.2 lb) use heavier balls.

How Do Net Heights Compare Across These Sports?

Indoor volleyball sets the net at 7 ft 11.7 in (2.43 m) for men and 7 ft 4.2 in (2.24 m) for women under the FIVB rules. Footvolley is 7.22 ft (2.20 m) for men and 6.89 ft (2.10 m) for women. Sepak takraw is 4 ft 11.8 in (1.52 m) at the center for men. Beach tennis is 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) for women, mixed and junior play. Teqball uses a 5.51 in (140 mm) net on a table.