Update May 8th, 2020:

We’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the World Championship until September of 2021. We know that many people were looking forward to the event this year (just as we were) and that it represents a milestone in the development of our sport. However, the risks of running an event of this nature on the heels of a global pandemic are just too high.

We know that the current global situation would have restricted participation for some and forced others to make a very difficult decision. At any point, travel could be restricted, regulations could prohibit play, or vendors could be unable to provide essential services. Even if we could technically run the tournament, we wouldn’t be running the tournament that we envisioned.

We see the World Championships as being just as much about the community as it is about the competition. And it’s with the community in mind that we made this decision. Our partners at Roundnet Belgium and Park Molenheide have already put in tons of effort to prepare for the occasion. To leverage that great work, and because of an overwhelmingly positive response by the community, Belgium will remain the World Championship destination in 2021.

We will be fully refunding registration and merchandise purchases. If you made reservations at Park Molenheide, those reservations will automatically be moved to the 2021 event date. If you prefer to get a full refund, reach out to Park Molenheide here.

Please email tournaments@spikeball.com with any questions.

Be part of history.

Be part of history

The first-ever Roundnet World Championship brings together teams from across the globe to compete for the pride of their countries and the ultimate title of world champions. It's more than a tournament. It's history in the making.

September 9 - 12 | Belgium

More than a tournament

A glimpse at the future of our sport.

The world championship will provide opportunities to play, collaborate, and celebrate all that is roundnet with the global community. The event will kickoff on Thursday when teams begin to arrive at Park Molenheide, transformed into Spikeball Village. While the focus is on the competition, crowning a champion isn't the only objective of the weekend. We see this event as an opportunity to connect, share ideas, and create powerful relationships that drive the sport forward. Throughout the weekend there will be forums, focus groups, and fun activities meant to give you a taste of Belgium and bring you closer to competitors from near and far.

An event for everyone.

This tournament isn't just for the ultra elite. There are divisions for all types of players. Whether you've got a double reverse cut or simply try not to double fault, the only prerequisite is a love of the game. The weekend will be structured so that no matter where you're from or how good you are there will be opportunities to watch, play, and learn on and off the field.

How it works

1. Find a partner

The only requirement is that you and your partner both represent the same country. Figure out your travel plans and make sure you've got a valid passport.

2. Register

Choose the division that best suits your skill level and sign up. Sign up early to save on registration. If you make a national team you'll be automatically moved into that division.

3. Book your stay

For players and spectators! Reserve your spot at Park Molenheide's 5-star bungalows. The park will be a mini Olympic Village. You'll be able to walk to the fields and be part of the all the action. One person should book for an entire group.

Once you get to Park Molenheide everything is taken care of. We've worked out a special package that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. The bungalows come with free wifi, full kitchens, sheets, towels, and everything you'll need to have a great stay. The facility also has pools, mini golf, and plenty of activities to keep you busy in your down time (if there is any).

Roundnet Belgium

This event would not be possible without the dedicated crew from Roundnet Belgium who is handling the overall operations and production of the World Championship. Their team is the epitome of what is great about the roundnet community.

Structure and Schedule

National Team Tournaments

These tournaments are for all teams representing their country on the National Team. National Team members will be selected by that country’s Recognized Roundnet Organization (RRO). RROs will have the ability to send a men's and women’s squad. A squad consists of the top 5 men’s teams from that country and top 3 women's teams. Squads to be submitted by August 1st.

Part One: Team Championship

If you've made your country's National Team then you will be competing in a Men's or Women's division with all other players from National Teams in this competition to crown a World Championship Team. This tournament will be like a normal event with pool play followed by bracket play. It's every team for themselves, so you may face off against a team from the same country as you.

Part Two: Squad Championship

The National Squad Championship has the best teams for each country compete together and face off against other nations to crown a World Championship Country.

How it works:

The results of the Team Championship is used to seed the Squad Competition (starts in bracket play).
Countries face off against each other. Teams are paired by their results from the individual tournament. For example, if France and Belgium were playing each other, the top finishing team from France would play the top finishing team from Belgium, the second finishing team from France would play the second finishing team from Belgium, and so on.
In order to move on to the next round, a country must win the majority of their matchups.

Other considerations:

In order to participate all countries must have

A Recognized Roundnet Organization
Matching national jerseys (including country name and colors)
Enough teams to win a majority of the matchups (ie you could compete in the open squad competition with only 3 teams, but you could not compete if you had only two teams)
All teams play in the Team Championship (if they are going to compete in the Squad portion)

Further details about specific seeding and structures will be released at a later date.

Individual Tournament (Open to Anyone)

This tournament is for teams that are not a part of their countries National Team. This tournament will be like a normal event with pool play followed by bracket play. We will have a variety of divisions for teams of all ages and skill levels. If necessary, caps will be put on the number of teams in each division and/or the number of teams/country in each division to ensure a smooth and safe event and guarantee opportunities for worldwide representation. If you want to lock in your spot, sign up right away. Note - if you're trying to play on your National Team, register for any division and if you make it you will automatically be moved into the National Team tournament.

Divisions:

Advanced (Open and Women's) - This division is for for anyone who wants to face off against great competitors from around the world.
Intermediate (Open and Women's) - This division is for for anyone who wants competition but is still developing their game and not quite ready for Advanced.
Beginner (Open) - This division is for anyone who wants to play against other teams who are still learning the sport. It will be the only division with a "gentleman's serve" rule and the vibe will be a relaxed, fun environment.
Youth - (Open and Women's) - This division will help determine the best young rising stars in roundnet. There will be age categories for under 19 and under 15. You must be under the specified age at the date of the tournament.
Masters (Open) - This division is for players 35 and older at the date of the tournament.

Hat Tournament

Sunday will feature a hat tournament where random team assignments will give you the chance to compete with a partner from another country. This relaxed competition will be a great way to close out the event and hopefully get to know someone new!

Schedule

Below is a high level schedule of the competition (a more detailed schedule will be released as we get closer to the event), but keep in mind that there will also be lots of activities to discuss different aspects of sport development as well as stuff that is purely social to get to know fellow ballers and celebrate the occasion.

Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Check-in Welcome Party	Individual & National Team Pool Play Start of Bracket Play	Individual & National Team Championships Start of National Squad Bracket	Championship of National Squad Bracket Hat tournament mixing nations

Transportation

Transportation is pretty much the only thing you'll need to figure out on your own. Don't worry, we're going to try to make it easy as possible for everyone to get to Molenheide. Here are some options:

Flights

If you're flying in the two closest options are:

Brussels Airport (Zaventem) - Belgium
Eindhoven Airport - The Netherlands

Car & Ride Share

Each bungalow at the Spikeball Village will have its own parking space(s) where you can park your car, so coming by car is very convenient. You might want to hitch a ride with another international player. It’s the perfect (and cheap) way to get there and get to know you fellow ballers along the way! Post in the Facebook event if you’re looking for a ride or if you’ve got a place to spare in your car! We’ll also have discount codes for a car rental service so you can rent a car at a reduced price.

Shuttle Bus

Some free shuttles will be provided on Thursday September 3rd from the airport to the venue. The number of busses departing each airport and what time will be determined by the number of people flying to each airport. This will be communicated later, along with the ability to claim a seat on one of those busses.

Taxi

We will provide discount codes to take a taxi from either airport to the venue. These taxis can be called at any time during the weekend. The driver will know where to go and the discount code will allow you to pay a reduced price for the ride. We suggest you split the taxi with as many people as possible to cut the costs.

Venue Address

Molenheidestraat 7, 3530 Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium

Venue Surface

Grass

Parking Information

4 person bungalows = 1 parking spot

5+ person bungalows = 2 parking spots

Merchandise

You can pre-order your merch here (or through the event registration process). All items must be picked up at the event. Pre-orders end May 15th.

FAQs

Can anyone participate?

Yes! We're looking to bring players of all skills and backgrounds together. For the individual team tournament, the only requirement is that teammates must both have citizenship within the same country. In the national team tournament, countries must be part of the Recognized Roundnet Organization. The National RRO will be responsible for selecting their own team.

What is a Recognized Roundnet Organization?

A Recognized Roundnet Organization (RRO) is a group that develops the growth of the sport through promoting participation, coordinating events, developing players, and facilitating rankings in a distinct area. For the World Championship we are looking for national RROs to develop and select players to represent their country.

How do you become an RRO?

Becoming an RRO starts with an application. If the application shows you're the right fit it will be followed up with a video interview. We are looking for groups that are dedicated, inclusive, and have a track record of bringing people together to growing the sport.

What are the National Team eligibility requirements?

In order to represent the country you wish to play for on the National Team, one must fulfill a minimum of one of the following requirements" :

1. Be a citizen of the country.

2. Be a permanent resident of the country.

3. Hold a valid immigrant visa for the country.

4. Have lived in the country before the start of 2020.

*Permanent Residency (PR) is defined as: a person’s resident status in a country of which they are not citizens. PR is given by the government of a country to a person who is allowed to stay in the country indefinitely.

**Immigrant visa is a blanket term which refers to visa's which are long term, or visa's that are apart of the process to becoming a citizen

How do you register for the National Team division?

Register for the advanced division and your Recognized Roundnet Organization will submit a list of qualified teams for your country. You will automatically be moved to the National Team division once this list has been submitted.

What if I don't know if I'll make the National team?

If you’re planning on playing at worlds whether you make your national team or not, then just sign up for the advanced division. If you make the team you’ll be moved to the correct division and if not, you’ll play in advanced. If playing at worlds is dependent on making the nationals team then you can wait to sign up. Keep in mind that waiting until the last minute can be risky and pricey to plan your trip.

Can I play in multiple divisions?

Due to the format of the tournament, you may only play in one division per day.

What are the rules?

This tournament will follow the official SRA rules which can be found here.

What if I need to change partners?

If any adjustments need to be made to a team, please contact tournaments@spikeball.com.

What is the refund policy?

Baller membership fees are non-refundable. Event registration fees can be refunded as long as requests are made by August 1st. After that time, event registration fees will not be refunded for any circumstance. To request a refund, contact tournaments@spikeball.com.

Why is the event over multiple days?

We want to make sure there is time to get to know each other, share some laughs, dig in deep with conversations around the future of the sport, and, of course, highlight the great matches that will take places throughout the tournament.

Who can play in the open divisions?

In the open divisions any combination of genders can register. The women's division is the only division with any gender restrictions. Even in the National Squad Championship any combinations of genders is allowed in the open division, however, a player that plays open cannot also play in the Women's squad due to scheduling.

Can I order World's merchandise if I'm not playing?

Yes! Anyone can pre-order World's gear here to make sure you don't miss out. All orders must be picked up at the event and the last day to place a pre-order is May 15th.

Contact Us

Interested in working at a Spikeball tournament? Have questions? Just wanna chat?

We're here for you. Reach us at tournaments@spikeball.com.