Kick the Ball (over the net)

The game is so simple that it’s hard to believe that it’s not already a thing. The basic premise, as the name suggests, is that you kick The ball over the net. It’s basically volleyball with your feet and it’s a lot more fun than it first seems. This article is to set out the rules for kick the ball.

Background: in Southeast Asia they play a game called Takrao which is also played with the feet and involves kicking the ball over the net, but it’s slightly different. Firstly, they use a wicker ball which doesn’t bounce very well and secondly, possibly because of this, in Takrao you’re not allowed to let the ball bounce. That makes it more difficult and you need more players. Kick the Ball only needs one on each side (doubles can also be played) and it’s much easier than Takrao.

The rules:

1. Again, the basic idea is that you kick the ball over the net and it has to land on the other side. If it lands outside of the playing area it is “out”.
2. The ball is served from the back of the court. The server should start with at least one foot on the back line but she may step forward as (s)he serves.
3. The ball may bounce twice before you hit it back , but it may only bounce once consecutively (I.E. the player has to touch it before the second bounce). The player can touch the ball as many times as they with any part of the body except the arms (like football).
4. All obstacles around the court are considered part of the game. The ball may touch walls, trees, or anything else, and play continues as if the obstacle was not there. If the ball hits a tree and goes in, for example, play continues but if it hits a tree and goes out (on the first bounce), then it is out. The exception to this is that if the ball has already been touched by a player then successive bounces may in fact bounce out of the play area and play can continue.
5. The ball may not bounce after it has been kicked by a player but before going over the net. It may however bounce off walls or trees and then pass over the net and be considered legal.
6. The ball is considered out if more than half of the ball is outside of the court line. If the centre of the ball is smack bang in the centre of the court line then it is in but if the centre of the ball is just outside the centre of the court line then it is out.

Tips

1. Kick the ball is best played with a semi-deflated ball, because if it’s too bouncy it’s too difficult to get to the ball
2. It’s also possible to play the 1 bounce variant where the ball can only bounce once on each side. It’s more technical but, in my opinion, less fun because it’s more difficult and plays are shorter.