Roundnet federation builds global structure ahead of 2026 Worlds

The International Roundnet Federation has put a date and a structure on roundnet’s next global showcase, scheduling the 2026 World Championship for Sept. 2-6 at Parc du Tremblay in Paris. That event sits on top of a rules system the federation says is built for international play, with shared standards, rankings and national governing bodies rather than the loose, local setup that once defined Spikeball.

The IRF describes itself as an independent, non-profit organization powered by volunteers and built around the Olympic model. Its job is straightforward and ambitious at the same time: standardize the rules, set the terms for international competition, sanction Worlds and other major events, and help countries build federations that can carry the sport beyond backyard play. The federation’s rules book has already moved through three checkpoints, first adopted on Oct. 21, 2021, then updated on Aug. 10, 2022, and again on June 12, 2024.

That 2024 update matters because it was approved by a vote of the national governing bodies after an open proposal process led by Ben Dantowitz of the United States and Manuel Abalos of Chile. In other words, the sport’s rulemaking is no longer a one-off exercise from a single organizer. It is becoming a federation-driven process, with national bodies weighing in and codifying the version of roundnet that will be played at the top level.

The clearest proof came at the first official World Championship in Belgium in September 2022. The event was scheduled for Sept. 8-11 at Park Molenheide and drew 33 countries and more than 200 teams. National squads were built around five men’s teams, three women’s teams and one mixed-gender team, while Spikeball Inc. served as the official equipment provider and title sponsor. That blend of governance and commercial backing gave the sport something it had never had before: a championship with a real international footprint and a format that could be repeated.

The structure has since held up. British Roundnet said the 2024 World Championships drew 32 countries to Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, giving the event a second edition and a broader base of national participation. Across the Atlantic, USA Roundnet said the national governing bodies in Canada, Mexico and the United States ratified North American Roundnet Rules for sanctioned play and general practice, a move meant to unify players and conserve volunteer and organizational resources. It also pointed toward the 2025 Pan American Roundnet Championship as the next test of cross-border cooperation.

Roundnet’s roots go back to 1989, when Jeff Knurek invented the game. Spikeball Inc. started investing in better equipment in 2008, and the IRF was created in 2020 to push the sport toward Olympic inclusion. The growth now depends less on how many people can find a net in a park and more on whether the federation model can keep turning that impulse into stable, repeatable international competition.