Beach Korfball is a new and exciting discipline of Korfball played 4×4 on a beach-volleyball sized court. Basketball players will enjoy playing this version during their spring/summer offseason.
Court and Equipment
- The court is 20m x 10m on sand (slightly larger than a beach volleyball court)
- The hoops are 3.5m (11.5 ft) high with no backboard, positioned 4m from the baseline
- The ball size and weight is in between a volleyball and a men’s basketball
- Shots are worth 1 point, except for shots taken beyond half court (6m from the hoop, similar to a HS basketball three-point line) and from the baseline corners – both of which are worth 2 points
- Penalty shots (like free-throws) are taken from the penalty line 3m from the hoop
Game Structure
- 4×4 mixed gender (two males and two females on a team); you can only defend your own gender
- Substitutions on the fly (substituting player must be completely out)
- Time is two 6-minute halves (12 minutes total; very quick games like 3×3 basketball)
- 15 second shot clock
Game Play
- No dribbling
- Number of steps: At a basic level, like basketball you get a pivot foot and ~1.5 steps. However, a “step-through” is not allowed from a stationary position; meaning once you’ve established stationary position, you cannot lift your pivot foot to shoot or pass. You are allowed a “step-through” (or lifting your pivot foot) while catching the ball on the run and immediately passing or shooting.
- Minimal contact. No screens. No arm-bars.
- No direct handoffs. A handoff or pass must always have “air” on it.
- No hitting the ball out of hands.
- No double teams.
- Shooting form: In the US we use a standard “basketball-style” shooting technique, though most international Korfballers use a specific two-hand technique (in order to shoot quicker and from a longer distance)
- Closely guarded rule: the offensive player cannot shoot if the defender is a) within arm’s length, b) is between the offensive player and the hoop, c) is actively trying to block the shot. This is the trickiest rule! It is used to prevent very tall/big players from having an advantage.
- Loose balls/rebounds go to the person who first puts their hand on the ball. This is considered “having possession”. It is an infraction if a player has their hand on the ball and you hit the ball from their hand.
Have a basic sense of Beach Korfball?
