The Roundnet Revolution
Interview with Alli Rogers
Photos by USA Roundnet
With its deceiving simplicity and minimal equipment, roundnet has been popping up in parks, beaches, and gymnasiums across the world.
The sport was birthed in 1989 when Jeff Knurek invented a bouncy-ball game he hoped would catch on with young athletes. Yet it gained little notoriety until 2008, when Chris Ruder bought the rights to the game, founded his company, Spikeball, and began developing roundnet as an officially recognized sport with standardized and branded gear. (A 2015 stint on ABC’s Shark Tank helped generate even more excitement.)
Today the sport of roundnet—commonly referred to as Spikeball due to clever product branding—is a worldwide craze with over four million registered players. Devoted player Alli Rogers shares how she grew from a casual participant into an enthusiast, rose to fame among fans and players alike, and eventually became a world champion in this exhilarating yet challenging sport.

What is your experience with sports?
I’m the youngest of three kids who all enjoyed sports. My parents’ mentality was “You can do whatever you want to do. Just figure out what you want to do.” So I was always trying new things. I played basketball and soccer, and, at the start of my high school career, I moved over to field hockey just to have something new and fun to do.
How did you discover roundnet?
In the summer of 2013, I was at a fourday music festival. Spikeball employees were running roundnet tournaments every day on the festival grounds. Once I found out there was a new sport being played, I decided I’d rather do that than watch the musicians. I basically did nothing but eat, sleep, and play roundnet. I got addicted fast.
How does roundnet work?
It’s similar to beach volleyball in the sense that it’s a two-on-two game, you hit a ball back and forth, and you score when your opponents don’t return it. But a big difference is that change of possession (or whose “turn” it is) happens when the ball hits the net, not when it goes over the net. So your goal is to spike the ball onto what looks like a small trampoline, which then sends it back up for your opponents to pursue. Three touches are allowed before each change of possession—a bump, a set, and a spike—just like in volleyball.
The unique thing about roundnet is that the field of play spans 360 degrees around the net with zero boundaries. I can’t think of any other sport like this. You can cross paths with competitors, and there are no limits to how far from the net you can go. Essentially, you’re allowed to hit the ball anywhere you want, from anywhere you want, and when you’re playing defense, you’re responsible for covering the entire world.
What kind of ball is used?
The ball is about the size of a softball but made of rubber, so it’s bouncy but squishy. There’s also a pro version of it with little bumps, like a basketball has, for extra grip.
Where can one play roundnet?
Other sports like basketball require really bulky equipment, but you can take roundnet anywhere. All you need is a compact roundnet set, which is so small that you can take it on a flight or pack it in your bag to bring to the beach.

What advice do you have for beginner players?
Don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s a humbling process to get started, so be willing to be a goofball chasing the ball around. Even seasoned athletes are embarrassed when they fumble a play or take time to pick up the unique skills you need to master this game. If you’re passionate enough to work hard, that’s all you need to become good at it someday. With years of practice, you can learn advanced skills like reading minute movements from your opponents so you can predict when and where they’re going to hit the ball.
Speaking of advanced skills, your women’s national team won the first Roundnet World Championship in 2022. What was that experience like?
There are no words to describe it besides “amazing.” I had been playing roundnet for nine years, and Worlds was the culmination of all of that. There were more than sixty-two women’s teams from countries like Colombia, Germany, and Switzerland. Roundnet had spread across the world, and there we were playing together!
Where was the event held?
We competed in Ghent, Belgium. The venue was awesome. I have no idea how they found this place, but it felt like an Olympic village. There were dozens of cabins, a dining hall, a water park, pools, and massive open fields for playing roundnet—all within a huge forest.
It was so fun, even though I was dedicated to winning every match. We would be competing for most of the day, and then we would all go clean up. And once everyone took their jersey off, no one cared whose team you were on anymore. I hung out with people from all over the world. This sport is full of players seeking a community and wanting to make friends. That’s probably why I’ve stuck with it for so long.
What’s your favorite thing about roundnet?
Roundnet really brings like-minded people—those who enjoy sports and being active, are inclusive, and relish healthy competition—together to have fun. I’ve probably made hundreds of friends, at least a handful of which I know will last for life. I even met my husband through roundnet.
But I also got hooked because roundnet is something you have to understand mentally as much as do physically. It’s actually easy to compete in mixed-gender teams too. Roundnet all comes down to technique, not just sheer strength or speed. So I knew that if I worked hard, I could be one of the best. And it turns out you are. [Laughs] Exactly.
For more info, visit usaroundnet.org