• Sollbol’s unique court boundary lines are measured from the outer edge of one ribbon, across the gap, to the outer edge of the other.

• Landing the ball on a boundary line means anywhere from the outer edge of one ribbon, across the gap, to the outer edge of the other.

• Whether the ball lands on a ribbon or in the gap, it counts. The court has five lines: 2 sidelines, 2 baselines, and a mid-court line that extends from the outer edge of one sideline to the outer edge of the other.

• Twisted boundary lines? See "Setup Playbook" section below.

• The server may stand anywhere on their side of the court when serving.

• The server hits the ball directly to the opponent to start the serve.

• The opponent returns it directly back to the server.

• The ball is officially in play once the server makes the third touch of the rally.

• The winner of each point serves next.

• The ball must always be hit with an upward arc, even if minimal.

• Players must swing upward to keep the ball on a rising path.
  

• Players’ paddles may cross the mid-court line when hitting or returning, but touching the line with the paddle during or after the hit results in an automatic point for the opponent.

• No spiking allowed! Striking the ball downward or sideways undermines the spirit of the game.

• Spiking or hitting the ball downward results in a strike, causing the point to be replayed.
  - 1st strike: The player/team receives a warning.
  - 2nd strike and beyond: The opponent/team earns a point for each subsequent strike.

• If a hit’s legality is unclear, replay the point and keep the game moving.

Sollbol is built around flow, strategy, and long rallies — when in doubt, replay the point and keep it fun.

• Rally Scoring: Points are awarded on every rally, no matter who serves.

• Players/teams earn 1 point for landing the ball inbounds.

• If a player/team hits the ball out-of-bounds or onto the mid-court line, their opponent is awarded 1 point.

• Players/teams earn 2 points for landing the ball anywhere on their opponent’s sidelines or baseline.

• Landing the ball on a boundary line means anywhere from the outer edge of one ribbon, across the gap, to the outer edge of the other. Whether the ball lands on a ribbon or in the gap, it counts.

• Games are played to 11, 15, or 21 points and must be won by at least two.

• A game point serve is awarded to the player/team that is trailing.

• Play in an open area free of obstacles or hazards.
• Ensure players have adequate space when swinging paddles.
• Maintain safe distance between players and spectators.
• Inspect the playing surface and remove hazards before play.
• Younger players should play under appropriate supervision.

• Recreational sports activities involve inherent risks of injury. By choosing to participate, players acknowledge and accept these risks.

1. Hook Line #1's two loops onto the axle hooks, then wind it in with the knob.
2. Hook Line #2 onto Line #1's open loops and reel in — repeat through Line #5.
3. Load stakes into the reel compartments or pouch (up to 8 per compartment).
4. Drop the balls in the pouch.
5. Reel and pouch into the drawstring bag; paddles into the labeled side pouches.

• Keep one end of each boundary line staked in the ground when winding or unwinding.
• In soft or deep sand, clear and flatten the surface before inserting stakes for a more secure hold.

On windy days:

• Keep the reel low to the ground when winding or unwinding to prevent boundary lines from twisting or blowing in the wind.
• Toss small amounts of sand over the black ribbons to keep lines in place.

Totally normal — and a quick fix. If a line won't lie flat, one end has slipped back through the gap between the two yellow ribbons. Just feed that end back through to undo it. Think needle and thread.

1. Stake one end down, leave the other loose.
2. Hold both ribbons flat and run them through your fingers until you hit the twist.
3. Feed the loose end back through the gap to clear it — repeat down the line until it's flat.

Flat lines make boundary hits easy to spot — and with line shots worth 2 points, you'll want to see every one.