Rules of the game

This page is merely a translation of the rules of the game. In the event of inconsistencies, reference is always made to the German version.

Current exceptions for the StrandVÖLKERball WM 2025, as of 15.05.2025:

Modification to rule 1:
The women:men ratio of 1:1 (or at least 3 women and 3 men on the field at the same time) is relaxed. Only at least 2 women must be on the field at the same time.

Modification to rule 10:
The teams do not bring folk food.

Rules as of: 07.08.2021

1. The nations

Each nation has 6 players, one of them being the majesty (also king, queen, straw doll, goalkeeper, free spirit, …). This person is announced to the referee before the start of the game and can’t be changed during the game.

During the entire game, 3 female and 3 male members per nation must be on the court. The tournament management reserves the right to suspend this gender quota in special cases.

Substitutions during the game must be reported to the referee in advance and are possible for an unlimited number of times when in possession of the ball, but only with the referee’s consent. The majesty may only be substituted in particularly justified cases (e.g. injury). The referee may refuse substitutions.

A player may only play for one nation in the course of a world championship. The tournament management reserves the right to suspend this rule in special cases.

2. The playing field and the ball

The ball is made of foam and is about the size of a soccer ball.

The game is played barefoot on sand.

The shape and size of the court is similar to a beach volleyball court without a net.

The lines are part of the field. The center line is infinitely long.

5 players of one nation stand in their own square, the majesty at any point around the opposing nation’s square. The same applies to the other nation.

The opponent’s playing area must not be touched. Depending on the situation, a violation can be penalized by losing the ball, throwing someone out or repeating the last move.

The ball may be taken out of the opponent’s playing area, if this area is not touched.

3. Throwing off

Only players in their own field can be thrown off.

A throw-off means that the ball first touches the player’s body and then the ground after being thrown by the opponent. Several players can be thrown off with one throw.

For a throw-off, the ball must not have been kicked, headed, hit, pushed, hit with aids, etc., but only thrown by the opponent.

If the ball touches an opposing player before it reaches the ground after the opponent has thrown it, but the opposing player does not catch it, this is still considered a throw-off for the own team.

If the ball is caught in the air, the player is not considered to have been thrown off, even if a player from the opposing team catches it.

If the ball can only be caught by a player leaving his own field or touching the opposing team’s field, the action is considered a throw-off.

If a player is thrown off, he must leave his own field and stand anywhere around the opponent’s field.

The player who is thrown off receives the ball, unless the majesty is substituted.

A player returns to his own square by throwing off an opponent. Throws from your own field have no meaning for the thrower, but the player hit is still considered to have been thrown off.

4. The majesty

If the last player of a nation is thrown off, the majesty is substituted into his own playing field and receives the ball. He has three lives at the start and loses one as soon as he is thrown off. After losing a life, the majesty receives the ball. Lost lives cannot be regained for the duration of a game.

As soon as a player of a nation with a substituted majesty hits a throw-off, the majesty must leave the playing field and return to any position on the outside of the opponent’s field.

5. The duration of the game

A game lasts 15 minutes. The tournament management reserves the right to shorten/extend the duration of a game before a match.
The match time is measured continuously with a game clock. The playing time can be paused by the referee due to injuries or delays.

The game is considered won as soon as the opponent’s majesty has lost its last life, i.e. has been thrown off three times.
If, at the end of the regular playing time, the game has not been won prematurely by any nation, the number of lives of each majesty decides. Whoever has more, wins.

In the event of a tie, the game is briefly interrupted by the referee and then extended indefinitely. The team in possession of the ball at this moment keeps the ball and all players remain in the positions they were in at the end of the regular playing time. From now on, the “Golden King Throw” (GKA in German) applies: the team whose majesty loses a life first has lost the game. It is no longer possible to return to the field by throwing off an opposing player during overtime.

6. Unsportsmanship

Unsportsmanlike behavior is playing for time, excessive aggression or harshness,
deliberately touching the opponent or referee, or accepting injuries to players/referees.

It is at the discretion of the referee to decide how to penalize unsportsmanlike behavior
(e.g. loss of the ball, throw-off, throw-off with simultaneous loss of the ball, temporary disqualification of the player,
complete disqualification of the player, etc.). If a player is disqualified, the referee decides whether or not another player may replace the disqualified player.

As soon as the ball flies into the spectator ranks or bounces off them, it belongs to the outside team. The spectators are encouraged to throw the ball to the team to which it belongs. If the ball is thrown by spectators (intentionally or unintentionally) to the other team, the referee can penalize this by loss of the ball.

If a player is hit directly and hard in the face by a ball so that he has no opportunity to avoid the ball, this is considered unsportsmanlike behavior. The player receives the ball.

7. Face hits

A face hit does not count as a throw-off, but results in the throwing team losing the ball.
If a player is hit by a throw in the enclosed, imaginary area between the eyebrows, ears and chin (face), the hit counts as a face hit as long as the player hit:

• has not moved clearly to the left or right after the ball has left the thrower’s hand,
• has not moved clearly up or down after the ball has left the thrower’s hand, and
• the ball has not hit the face as a “rebound”.

In the case of movements only forwards, only backwards or only a turning of the head, the hit counts as a face hit.
If a player turns towards the ball in such a way that he is hit in the face without having seen the throw coming, this counts as a face hit.
The strength of the throw is not a criterion.

If the intention of the thrower to hit the player in the face is recognizable, this counts as unsportsmanlike behavior.

8. Crossing over

Crossing over is stepping onto the playing line or crossing the playing line into the area of the opposing team.
If a player steps under the line of play, this only counts as a crossover if the line is clearly moved.

1. Crossing by players of a nation in possession of the ball:
   1. If a player crosses over, this is penalized with the loss of the ball. It is irrelevant whether the player himself is holding the ball in his hands. This also applies to the majesty.
2. Crossing by players of a nation without possession of the ball:
   1. If a player crosses over while the ball is being thrown at him, this is considered a throw-off of the player.
      This also applies to the majesty while he is standing in the playing area.
   2. “FISHING“: If a player crosses the boundary of the court and has ball contact (fishing) while attempting to catch a ball from the opposing team, this is considered a throw-off.
      If other players in the field of play have been hit beforehand, they are also thrown off.
      If the ball is thrown by a player who is unable to get back to the inner field and the regular playing time has not yet expired (i.e. before the GKA), the team of the player who has fished also loses possession of the ball.
      In the GKA, on the other hand, fishing is generally only penalized with a single throw-off – without loss of possession.

9. Game mode

The following applies in the preliminary rounds and in the group phase on the final day:

• A win earns three points.
• If a team loses but makes it to the GKA, the team receives one point.

A table is calculated at the end of all games. The team with the most points is the winner of the evening.

In the event of a tie, the points from the direct matches are decisive. If it is not possible to determine a clear position in the table, the life of the majesty ratio of all games decides. After that, the lower average playing time of all games won is decisive. After that, the draw decides.

With three preliminary round match days, the evening winners and second-placed teams from the preliminary round match days play against each other in two groups on the final day. The composition of the groups is determined by drawing lots, whereby the procedure avoids all evening winners ending up in the same final group.
If there are two preliminary round match days, the evening winners, second-placed teams and third-placed teams from the preliminary round match days play against each other in two groups on the final day, whereby the two evening winners are divided into different groups and play against the respective second-placed team from the other preliminary round match day. The third-placed teams from the preliminary round match days are drawn into the two groups. The winners of these two final groups each play a semi-final match against the second-placed team from the other final group. The winners of these two semi-finals will compete in the final. The winner is the StrandVÖLKERball World Champion.

The tournament management reserves the right to change this game mode. This will be announced before the first match on the first match day.

10. The scenery

During the games, the nations will offer their folk dishes and a DJ will encourage them to give their best with their “folk anthems”. For his support, all nations are requested to send mp3s to the tournament organizers in advance.

11. The final fundamental

The referee’s decisions are incontestable and must be complied with immediately. In case of ambiguity, the tournament manager or his representative decides, otherwise the referee decides.