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How It's Officially Played

  • The Court & Net

    Played on a rectangular court split by a net — 2.43m high for men's play, 2.24m for women's and youth (12 and under). Court size depends on the format: singles is played on a 15m x 5.5m court, while doubles gets a wider 15m x 7.5m court. Games are typically 1-on-1 (singles) or 2-on-2 (doubles).

  • The Basics

    Players hit the peteca with an open hand — no rackets, no double-hits. Each side gets exactly one touch before it has to cross back over the net. The rally continues until the peteca touches the ground; whoever's side it lands on gives up the point.

  • Scoring

    Matches are best-of-three sets. Each set goes to 12 points, or a 20-minute time limit — whichever comes first. Sides switch when a team hits 6 points or 10 minutes of play, whichever comes first.

  • Serving

    A coin toss decides who serves first and picks a side. In the second set, teams stay on the same sides they started on, with serve going to whoever didn't serve first. If a third set is needed, it's another coin toss.

Or, Just Play

Most people who own a peteca aren't running official matches — and that's the point. In the backyard, at the beach, or in the park, the only real rule that matters is: don't let it touch the ground. No net required, no scoresheet needed. Two players, a few feet apart, keeping it in the air as long as they can.

Want a little structure without going full competitive? Try keeping it up as a group and counting hits out loud, seeing how high you can get before it drops — 21 is a good target to play for. And unlike an official match, capped at doubles, keep-up isn't limited to four players — gather the whole backyard or beach crowd into the circle and see how long you can keep it alive together.

Ready to Play?

However you play it — backyard rally or full-court match — it starts with a peteca built to hold up to it. Shop the Peteca Clássica