Spikeball 3-Ball Original Roundnet Set

Spikeball shrinks volleyball down to a taut, hula-hoop-sized net sitting at ankle level. Two teams of two stand around it, and you smack a palm-sized ball down onto the net so it ricochets up at the other team. They get up to three hits between them, just like volleyball, to control it and send it back. When they miss, you score, and the first team to 21 wins.

This is the original roundnet set with three balls instead of one, plus a drawstring bag and a rulebook, which Spikeball cheerfully says is there if you’re into that sort of thing. It plays on grass, on sand or indoors, so it moves from the backyard to a beach trip to a gym without fuss. It was seen on Shark Tank, and Spikeball pitches it as cross-training for sports like lacrosse, tennis and ultimate frisbee.

It suits a teen who always has three friends around and nothing to do, or an athlete looking for something fast to play in the off-season. It sets up quickly, which helps at family and friend gatherings.

The catch: a real game needs four players and open space all around the net, and the ball doesn’t always ricochet where anyone planned. The spare balls in this set exist for a reason.