Net and wall games

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Net and wall games are court games where either a net separates the opponents or a wall serves to reflect the ball to the opponent. The object of these games is to hit or throw the ball or bird over the net (direct style) or against the wall (indirect style) back to the opponent. Play typically begins with one side serving the ball/bird by initially tossing or releasing it and then hitting/throwing it over the net or to the wall. This then starts a rally, in which the sides alternate hitting/throwing the ball/bird. Players then score points whenever the opponent fails to return the ball/bird back. The criteria on what is considered a valid return varies between each sport (such as the number of times the ball may be touched or bounced on a player's side before it must go back).[1] Games in this category are non contact sports.

Examples

[edit]

Sports like Real tennis, Padel and Wallyball use both net and walls. On the contrary, some sports like Four square, Ballon au poing, Tamburello and Crossminton have the same logic of wall and net games, even they do not use any of them.

The Los Angeles Daily Times reports: "Net sports are unique in that the equipment is light, portable and affordable, and partners and opponents are easy to find. The sports are easy to learn, and the social aspect of the game[s] appeals to those who find the health club to be an isolationist palace of mirrors."[2]

Net and wall games usually include:[2][3][4]

The three most popular net and wall games (tennis, badminton, and volleyball) usually involve arching of the back when serving or spiking/smashing the ball or bird.[4]

Although basketball, hockey, water polo, Football and other sports have netting around the goal area designed to more clearly indicate when goals are scored, they are not considered "net games", since the net is not used to separate the teams involved. Similarly, lacrosse sticks have a loose netting that is used to catch and fling the ball, but again lacrosse is not considered a "net game".

Comparison

[edit]
Sport Image Country of origin Governing Body Number of players[5] Type of ball Style What it is allowed to play with Allowed form for returning the ball What divides turns Allowed service form Number of touches before return Maximum number of bounces allowed before return Scoring
Body Equipment
Volleyball Indoor United States FIVB[6][7][8] 6 Inflatable Direct Any part - Hitting Net Overarm, underarm Up to three (excluding touch by failing block), not successively by the same player None Points, sets
Snow Austria 3
Beach United States 2 Up to three, not successively by the same player
Sepak takraw Southeast Asia ISTAF[9] 3 Hollow woven Direct Except upper limbs - Hitting Net Volley kick Up to three (maximum of 2 successive by same player) None Points, sets
Fistball Italy IFA[10] 5 Inflatable Direct Upper limbs - Hitting Elevated rope Overarm, underarm Up to three, by different players Up to 1 before each player touch Points, sets
Throwball India International Throwball Federation[11] 7 Inflatable Direct Hand - Throwing Net Overarm 1 None Points, sets
Teqball Hungary FITEQ[12]
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Inflatable Direct Except upper limbs - Hitting Net On flight Up to three 1 on table (no volley allowed) Points, sets
Tchoukball Switzerland International Tchoukball Federation[13] 7 Inflatable Indirect Except below knee - Throwing Rebounder Up to three passes None on floor Points
Tennis Lawn England ITF[14][15]
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Filled with air, non inflatable Direct - Racquet Hitting Net Overarm, underarm 1 1 Points, games, sets
Beach Italy None
Badminton England BWF[16]
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Shuttle Direct - Racquet Hitting Net Racquet pointing downward 1 None Points, games
Pickleball[17][18] United States
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Hollow Direct - Racquet Hitting Net Ball must bounce past opponent no volley zone 1 1 Points, games
Table tennis England ITTF[19]
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Filled with air, non inflatable Direct - Racquet Hitting Net Two mandatory bounces (first on own court and the other on the opponent one) 1 1 on table (no volley allowed) Points, games
Squash England World Squash[20][21]
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Filled with air, non inflatable Indirect - Racquet Hitting Wall 1 1 on floor Points, games
Crossminton Germany International Crossminton Organisation[22]
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Shuttle Direct - Racquet Hitting Lines on floor 1 None Points, sets
One wall Compromise rules among folk games CIJB[23][24][25][26]
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 Indirect Hand - Hitting Wall 1 1 on floor Points, sets
International
  • Men: 5
  • Women: 4
 Filled with air, non inflatable Direct - Line on floor Points, games
Valencian pilota Llargues Spain 5 Solid
  • Upper limbs for returning
  • Any part for blocking
 -
  • Line on floor
  • Imaginary movable line on floor (rattles)
 On flight
  • None after rest line
  • 1 if bounces between fault and rest lines
  • Unlimited if first bounce is before fault line
Frontó 2 Indirect Upper limbs Wall 1 on floor Points
Basque pelota Frontball Spain FIPV[27][28] 1 Filled with air, non inflatable Indirect Hand - Hitting Wall 1 1 on floor Points, games
Frontenis
  • Singles: 1
  • Doubles: 2
 - Racquet
Jai alai Solid Xistera Throwing
Xare 2 Xare
Padbol Argentina International Federation of Padbol Associates[29] 2 Inflatable Direct and indirect Except upper limbs - Hitting Net and wall Kick after bounce Minimum 2, maximum 3 (not successively by the same player) 1 on floor Points, games, sets
Padel Mexico FIP[30] 2 Filled with air, non inflatable Direct and indirect - Racquet Hitting Net and wall Underarm 1 1 on floor (no volley allowed) Points, games, sets

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Best Pickleball Paddles". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b Los Angeles Daily News (October 20, 1995). "More people rushing the nets: Badminton, volleyball, tennis offer muscle-building workouts". The Spokesman-Review. p. C6. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  3. ^ Mohnsen, Bonnie S. (2008). "Unit 4: Team Net Sports". Teaching middle school physical education: a standards-based approach for grades 5-8. Human Kinetics. p. 495. ISBN 9780736068499. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  4. ^ a b Hall, Hamilton (1994). The New Back Doctor. Random House of Canada. p. 229. ISBN 9780770426194. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  5. ^ The minimum (or typical, if there is one) number of players per team on the field is shown.
  6. ^ "OFFICIAL VOLLEYBALL RULES, 2025-2028" (PDF).
  7. ^ "OFFICIAL BEACH VOLLEYBALL RULES, 2025-2028" (PDF).
  8. ^ "OFFICIAL SNOW VOLLEYBALL RULES, 2021-2024" (PDF).
  9. ^ "ISTAF Law 0f The Game, 2024" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Fistball - Rules of the Game" (PDF).
  11. ^ INTERNATIONAL THROWBALL FEDERATION (2025-05-11). How to Play Throwball Throwball Rules and playing methods. Retrieved 2025-07-11 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "The Official Rules and Regulations of Teqball".
  13. ^ "Regulations". fitb.org. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  14. ^ "ITF RULES OF TENNIS" (PDF).
  15. ^ "RULES OF BEACH TENNIS, 2025" (PDF).
  16. ^ "BWF Statutes, Section 4.1: LAWS OF BADMINTON" (PDF).
  17. ^ "WPF Rule Book - World Pickleball Federation". 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  18. ^ "Rulebook". theipf.org. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  19. ^ "The International Table Tennis Federation, Statutes 2025 (effective 1st January 2025)" (PDF).
  20. ^ "WORLD SQUASH SINGLES RULES, 2025" (PDF).
  21. ^ "WORLD SQUASH DOUBLES RULES, 2022" (PDF).
  22. ^ "Rules of Crossminton" (PDF).
  23. ^ "WALLBALL RULES" (PDF).
  24. ^ "INTERNATIONAL GAME RULES" (PDF).
  25. ^ "RULES OF LLARGUES" (PDF).
  26. ^ "VALENCIAN FRONT RULES OF THE GAME" (PDF).
  27. ^ "SPORTING REGULATIONS OF THE MODALITY OF FRONTBALL FIPV" (PDF).
  28. ^ "REGLAMENTO GENERAL DE JUEGO DE LA PELOTA VASCA (Enero 2023)" (PDF).
  29. ^ "Padbol Rules full". Padbol. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  30. ^ "REGULATIONS OF THE PADEL GAME, FEDERACIÓN INTERNACIONAL PÁDEL F.I.P." (PDF).