Set Up
- 4 tables, 4 players, and 1 ball. It's all you need to play!
- Tables are spaced equally in all directions. Recommended spacing is 3' for Beginners, 4' for Advanced, 5' for Pro.
Serving
- This is very similar to a serve in ping-pong. In a proper serve, the ball must first hit the server's hand, hit off the serving table, and then into the other team's possession. The ball may be served to either defending table. Once the ball has hit the server's table, it is in play.
Hits
- Each player is allowed a maximum of two body hits per possession. Each team is allowed 1 hit on each table per possession. So, in one possession, teams of 2 players can hit the ball 4 times (twice each) the ball is allowed to bounce 2 times (once per table).
- The contact between the player and the ball is best described as a hit, strike, or slap. Use the mindset that you are the paddle; hands, head, feet and all.
- The ball cannot be touched for longer than a hit, strike, or slap. It cannot be cupped, grabbed or stopped in play.
- When 2 hands together hit the ball it counts as 2 hits.
- What makes Hantis unique is that you can use any part of your body to strike the ball. If the player's clothing deflects the ball it can be counted as one hit. If the clothing catches the ball, it is counted as a roll, which is an out.
Change of Possession
- The Dribble Rule encourages the fast-paced strategy that's common in Hantis. Anytime the ball is hit onto the opposing team's tables, the possession changes, so the ball can be hit again to bounce it out of the opponents' reach. The players are only allowed 2 touches on the ball and their tables can only be hit once each, but their hit count returns when the ball changes possession by touching an opposing team's table or opposing player. Essentially, the ball can be dribbled indefinitely on an opposing team's tables because it is changing possession after every bounce and hit. Players who are being dribbled on can attempt to intercept the dribble at any time.
- The Edge Rule determines whether or not the ball hitting a table's edge counts as a hit. If the ball is hit over the tabletop, then hits an edge, it counts as a tabletop hit. If the ball hits the table's edge directly, the ball must bounce up to count as a tabletop hit. If the ball bounces down after hitting a table's edge directly, the last player or player's table that touched the ball would be at fault.
- Any surface besides the players, the four tabletops, and the ground are called X-Factors and are completely neutral. X-Factors may include walls, ceilings, other furniture, or whatever else is in the surrounding playing arena. During the serve and for the remainder of the volley, the ball may bounce off these surfaces with no penalty to hit count for either team. If the ball stops moving or gets stuck on an X-Factor it is deemed 'Out of Play'.
Outs/Points
- The ball is served, a player touches it, and then it hits the ground. The last person to touch the ball before it hits the ground is out (freestyle); the other team gets a point (competitive).
- The ball is served, it bounces off a table, and then it hits the ground. The last player's table to be hit by the ball before it hits the ground is out (freestyle); the other team gets a point (competitive).
- The ball is live and it hits a table twice consecutively. The player's table that was hit twice is out (freestyle); the other team receives a point (competitive).
- During one team possession; a player touches the ball for a third time. This can occur if the player hit the ball three times simultaneously or back and forth with his teammate. If the team kept possession of the ball and a player touches it three times, he/she is out (freestyle); the other team receives a point (competitive).
- A double out happens when one team gets both opposing players out in one play (freestyle) or win two points in one play (competitive). It can only happen when the ball hits both players' tables consecutively then hits the ground. If the ball hits the same player's table twice before hitting their teammate's table, this is a single out, not a double out. If the ball hits a player after consecutively touching both tables, it would not be a double point because the player who hit it last would be at fault.
- The ball is live, hits a player, and then goes out of play. When the ball goes out of play, the player who hit the ball last is out; the other team receives a point. The ball is live, bounces off a table, and then goes out of play. Since the ball hit a table last, the player's table that was hit last would be out (freestyle); the other team receives a point (competitive)