Player positions.
Two teams of two begin beside their teammate, each lined up on a corresponding board mark. Once play begins, players can move wherever they need to make a play.
Official rulebook · v1.0
How to play baddleball.
2-on-2. Three touches a side. First to eleven, win by two. Played in waist-deep water around a free-floating board in any pool, lake, or resort shallow end.
From the founders
Why we wrote a rulebook.
The pool games we grew up with were never sports. They were toys with balls attached: pool basketball, pool volleyball, throw-and-catch. Fun for ten minutes, then over. The rules, when they existed at all, were made up on the spot and abandoned just as fast.
We wanted something different. A real water sport with real rules, real strategy, and real arguments worth having. Three years of testing in pools across Southern California gave us this rulebook: the first version of a sport we believe will outlive us.
Read this once before your first game. Keep it dry. Bring it back to the pool deck when a call is contested. The rulebook is the referee, and the rulebook is signed.
The game
Quick reference.
Format2-on-2. Two teams of two players.
FieldWaist-deep water. Free-floating board in the play area.
TouchesThree per side, alternating hits required.
WinFirst to 11 points. Win by two.
MovementAfter the serve, move anywhere around the board.
BallsTwo sizes ship in every box. Smaller ball means more skilled play.
Section 01
How the game works.
The field
The game is set in the shallow portion of the pool, usually waist-deep for the players. The inflatable baddleboard floats between the four players. There is no net, post, tether, or anchor hardware; players move freely around the board as the rally develops.
The object
Hit the ball onto the baddleboard so it ricochets up and lands in a place the opposing team cannot return from. The receiving team has up to three touches to send the ball back onto the board.
The length
Games are played to 11 points, with a two-point margin required to win. A typical match runs 15 to 25 minutes; closely contested games can run longer.
Section 02
The eight rules.
The serve is a courtesy.
The server must hit a generally easy shot to the opponent to start the point. If the receiving team believes the serve was too difficult, restart the point.
Three touches per side.
After the serve, each team has a maximum of three touches to return the ball to the board. The third touch must land on the board.
Alternating hits required.
Teammates must alternate hits. One player cannot hit the ball twice in a row on the same possession.
Two hands are allowed.
Players can use two hands at the same time when hitting the ball, but cannot catch and throw it. Contact must be a hit.
Out of bounds is the pool edge.
If the ball ricochets from the board and hits the pool edge, a handrail, or leaves the pool entirely, it is out of bounds.
360-degree play after the serve.
After the serve, there are no fixed sides. The water around the free-floating board is in play.
Win by two to eleven.
Games are played to 11 points, win by two. At 10-10, play continues until one team leads by two.
Section 03
Scoring.
A rally ends, and a point is awarded to the opposite team, when the ball hits the water, hits the out-of-bounds zone on the board, a team fails to return within three touches, or a team makes an illegal hit.
Calls on the out-of-bounds zone are often judgment calls. Use good sportsmanship. If the teams cannot agree, especially on critical points, replay the point or ask someone off the deck to act as line judge.
Section 04
Equipment.
01Inflatable baddleboard
Round, brightly marked target board with a contrasting out zone.
02Two regulation balls
Two sizes ship in every box; the smaller ball is for more skilled play.
03No-anchor setup
No net, posts, tether, or weighted bag required. Inflate the board and start the rally.
04Printed rulebook
Twelve pages, signed by Brady. Keep it dry and use it for contested calls.
05Carry-all bag
Holds the deflated board, balls, and rulebook.
Section 05
Tournament format.
Round-robin pool play
Teams are seeded into pools of four. Each team plays every other team in their pool once, in best-of-three matches. Pool winners and runners-up advance.
Double-elimination bracket
Advancing teams enter a double-elimination bracket. A team must lose twice to be eliminated. Bracket matches are best-of-three games to 11. The grand final is best-of-five.
Timing
A typical eight-team tournament runs four to five hours including warmup. Pool play takes around 90 minutes; elimination bracket runs two to three hours depending on close matches.