The aQuolley universe

Every element of the game — court sides, net height, ball — is perfectly tailored to the number of participants, their skill level and the conditions on site.

In the cooling water, the physical gaps that can feel so oppressive on land fade away. Instead of raw power, speed and unstoppable spikes, it's about technique and finesse — and in return, wildly exciting rallies.

A game where you live the atmosphere of the biggest finals together with your partner.

Every element of the game — from the resizable court to the net adjustable up to 1.6–1.9 m — serves the pure joy of flight.

You can play fast-paced matches in singles or doubles, while the water's resistance completely rewrites how you move, jump and land. A game where soft springiness replaces the heaviness of dry land, so maximum tempo is guaranteed — without the needless joint strain.

The system can be matched to your tempo in seconds, whether it's the size of the court or the height of the net.

Played in singles or doubles, where the water's resistance on every step turns a fast duel into a full-body workout.

A game all about reflexes and rhythm — where a real, fast-paced, genuine beach tennis experience awaits on both sides of the net.

The court lines can divide the space into thirds in line with the official rules, but the system can be reset in seconds for a loose, free-flowing game too.

Played in small, mixed teams, where the water helps smooth out the physical differences.

A true multigenerational water adventure, where every age group attacks and defends together.

The basic rule is dead simple: you can only build an attack and score with your head. The optional center line, supplied as part of the court, can cleanly stop field players from blocking the opponent's attack with their hands in front of the goal.

The game is at its best in teams of 1–4. This thoroughly summery sport really does promise a one-of-a-kind experience, and the dry-land version doesn't come close to the thrills available in the water. Spectacular flying dives and incredibly acrobatic saves follow one another in front of the goal. Alongside raw athleticism, it takes cheeky tricks and pinpoint technique for attackers to outwit a wily keeper using nothing but their heads.

The secret is in the special ball, which bounces cleanly even off the water's surface, keeping the fast-paced rallies alive. The net should be set low, at 1.1 m, if local conditions allow.

The format works in singles, doubles or even triples teams. Here too it's ball control and positioning, rather than raw power, that decide things.

Feel free to throw yourself around, dive onto your back and bicycle-kick among the waves if that's the only way to reach the ball.

Player count: The number of team members actively in play on the court (in the water) at one time.

Quota: The mandatory minimum number of women within the player count in the mixed disciplines.

Squad: The team's full registered roster, including both active players and substitutes.

Event: The category defined by player count (Singles, Doubles, Triples, Team).

Discipline: The specific combination of player count, gender split and quota (e.g. Mixed Doubles).

Age group: The entry category defined by the players' age.

Division: The competition class defined by the players' sporting background and skill.

Entry status: The team's organizational background (Open, Club, Corporate, Community).

Player advantage: A special, non-cumulative equalizing rule that allows one extra active player on the court in the men's disciplines for teams made up entirely of women, youth or senior members.

Net serve: A serve that touches the net but lands legally on the opponent's side of the court.

Forced pass: A rule that applies only at the moment of the serve reception. The ball coming off the serve must not be returned directly on the first touch; the receiving team is required to make at least one internal pass between teammates.

Illegal contact: A faulty play of the ball, meaning a clear double contact (the same player touches it twice in a row) or catching, holding, lifting (a carried ball) or throwing it.

Net touch: Any contact of a player's body or clothing with the net during a rally, which always counts as a fault and gives the opponent a point.

Joint contact: When two teammates touch the ball at exactly the same moment. This is a legal play, counts as two touches, and either of them may then play the ball again.

Block touch: A touch of the ball while trying to fend off the opponent's attack at the net, which does not count toward the team's three allowed touches, and the blocking player may immediately play the ball again afterward.

Ball out: When the ball lands in the water without touching the court lines or the corner clips. If any small part of the ball reaches the line or the clip, it is in, even if most of it is already out. With no referee present, the call belongs to the team whose side the ball landed closer to.

Competition types (formats): The extent to which the competition guidelines require the official rules to be applied.

Standard: A competition type where play follows the official rules without modifications.

Regional: A competition type where play follows a local modification of the normal rules (for example because of environmental conditions).

Drawn: A competition type where team compositions are set by a draw at the start of the event.

Competition director: The tournament's top leader and decision-maker, who is entitled to modify the rules in exceptional circumstances and rules on official protests.

Every entering team and player must meet all three of the following conditions for the entry to be valid.

The net height is measured from the bottom, at the center of the net, and set according to the current water depth and the given discipline.

Core principle: aQuolley's rules follow the rules of volleyball, with the exceptions below.

The aim of the rally: Landing the ball on the water within the opponent's court, or forcing the opponent into a fault.

Team touches: A maximum of 3 touches per team is allowed (the block doesn't count).

Serve position: The serving player may move no more than 0.5 m back from the baseline and must stay within the court. Pulling the baseline back with the body or shifting it in any way is forbidden.

Net serve: If the serve touches the net and lands in the legal area, the serve must be replayed.

Forced pass: After the serve reception, the receiving team must make at least one more touch (an internal pass) before sending the ball over to the opponent's side. In open play this requirement no longer applies.

Types of contact: Touching the ball with any part of the body and in any manner is allowed, except for a clear double contact or a throw (catching or holding the ball). Because moving in water is so demanding, cupped-hand receives and sets are allowed, as are fingertip touches on soft drops.

Scoring and sets: Matches are best of two sets, with sets played to 15 points. After 14–14, play continues until one team has a two-point lead.

Timeouts: In every discipline, teams may take two timeouts per set.

Rotation: In doubles and triples, switching positions is optional, but the server must alternate: at every new serve, a different player on the team serves. In teams of four or more, alongside the change of server — just as in the rules of volleyball — a full rotation is also mandatory. Each time the team wins back the right to serve, the players must move one position clockwise.

Substitution rules: There are no substitutions in singles. In the other disciplines, up to two substitutions are allowed per set. In the triples and team disciplines, double substitutions are also permitted.

With a large number of entries, the competition director may decide to drop the third set in the group stage. On top of that, the two-point margin isn't strictly required in the second set, and sets may be played to 11 points instead of 15. Since the weather, water temperature and wind conditions can greatly affect whether events can run, the competition director is entitled to adjust the planned start, resumption and finish times.

The aQuolley experience platform puts a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere first, where fun and friendship come before chasing competition results at any cost. That's why organizers only spot-check the eligibility details of competing players (gender, age, competitive status or family ties).

If a complaint — a protest — is raised against someone over an eligibility breach, the competition director will ask the team concerned for proof of the disputed details. If the evidence received is deemed valid, the protest is rejected. Otherwise, the team named in the protest is disqualified. Teams are responsible for the accuracy of each player's details.

Protests must be submitted at least 180 minutes before the event begins.

Sidelined by knee and hip injuries from professional football tennis, a determined father went looking for a new water sport at Lake Balaton that he could safely play with his young daughters. Within a week they had set up the first net and floating court lines on the water, and the idea was an instant hit with local friends and holidaymakers alike.

With an engineer friend joining in, the project stepped up a level: the first water court adjustable in three dimensions was built and patented and trademarked under the name aQuolley. At the same time, the aquolley.com site went live.

aQuolley courts made their debut at more test venues. Videos of the matches sparked lively interest on YouTube, and the feedback from real-world settings proved crucial to what came next.

The pilot period surfaced countless design flaws and material weaknesses, but guided by that experience the technical fine-tuning came to a successful close. The design elements fell into place, so the open-water and pool versions are now ready for regular, intensive use.