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Spikeball

Event Type: Team
Age Categories: Boys or Girls  Under 14 / Over 11
Panel Details:  Minimum Panel Size 5 - Panel of 7 (4 Players + 3 Substitute) All panel members present at National Festival should participate.

1. Spike Ball will be played according to the VAI Spike Ball competition rules except where amended by Community Games Rules.
2. A panel may consist of a maximum of 7. A team must consist of a minimum of 5 players, 4 players on court and substitutes. The team list numbered 1 to 7 must be submitted before the commencement of a match. Team must commence game with 5 players minimum. Failure to field 5 players will lead to disqualification.
3. A team must rotate one position clockwise when;
   • Team wins back the right to serve.
   • After three consecutive serves by the same player.
4. Automatic substitutions occur each time a team rotates.
   • The player in the front right position goes off and the substitute goes on to serve from the back right position.
   • Substitutes are made automatically without any signal required from coach or referee.
5. Player injury: - if an injured player cannot play on, the team may continue that match with 4 players.
6. For any subsequent match an injured player can be replaced by a member from the panel.
7. A match will consist of the best of 3 sets.
8. Match playing time will be 10 minutes per set.
9. Each team is permitted 1 x 30 seconds Time Out per set.
10. Court Dimensions:-

The court is 6.1 metres wide by 6.7metres in length, the length is divided by a net into two half’s. A doubles badminton court may be used, the outside lines being the boundary lines.Net height will be 2.10 metres. A volleyball or badminton net set to the appropriate height may be used.
   11. In event of a drawn game 3 minutes per half extra time will be played. If still level at this stage sudden death will apply.

​To get involved in Aldi Community Games Spikeball, find your local Area by clicking here

So just what is Spikeball?  We had a chat with Conor Flood from Volleyball Ireland.  Conor is more than happy to help any Community Games Area get Spikeball ready - you can email him by clicking here
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"In a little over a decade from the emergence of SpikeBall we have seen schools, clubs and community groups taking to the sport with ease. It has always been our mandate that SpikeBall is FUN! SpikeBall is our introduction to volleyball game. It incorporates many of the skills that we see in volleyball but cleverly adapts the rules to make the game more inclusive, easier and FUN for all new and experienced participants.

The idea was brought back from Canada and immediately had an instant following at primary level. This was largely due to the simplicity of the sport and the fact that more students that generally shied away from sporting activities were taking part. Without a doubt the number one feedback year after year from school teachers is that they love how INCLUSIVE it is and that all their students can get involved no matter what their sporting levels.

There is of course the more advanced technical side to the sport and we can clearly see that at our annual All Ireland finals we host each year for primary in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and for post primary first and second years only in UCD Sports Centre. This year we saw another increase. A total of 634 teams competed in the 11-14 years old category that Community Games have set. Our champions were spread out from all different counties ensuring that SpikeBall is alive and healthy around the country.  The silver boy winners in that category went on to enter the same team into Community Games and are now the Aldi Community Games Connaught Champions and will be going for gold at the Community Games National Festival on 6th May in Abbotstown.  We feel that's a very valuable link for us to have - that there is crossover between our school events and Community Games.

Our aim is to see SpikeBall grow not only in the schools but in Aldi Community Games and the VAI is always eager to help out in any way we can to make this happen. Our goal of children having fun with SpikeBall and progressing then to volleyball and potential playing on the Irish squads would be a simple but special goal for our NGB and we are eager to support that pathway for children in any way we can."

Connaught Champs, Aldi Community Games 2017