How do you play sepak takraw?
B · Beginner · The game · 1 of 4Two sides of three players face each other across a net and send a woven ball over it without using their hands or arms. They may use the feet, knees, chest, shoulders and head. Each side has up to three touches to return the ball. A side that makes a fault gives the other side a point.
How it works
- Three a side: each side is called a regu.
- No hands or arms: the ball touching a player's arm is a fault.
- Three touches: a side may play the ball no more than three times in succession.
- One player may take all three: the limit is on the side, not on each player.
- Over the net: the ball must cross the net and land inside the opponents' court.
- Service: one player, the tekong, kicks the ball into play from a circle at the back, after a teammate throws it to them.
- Point for every fault: whichever side served.
- Sets: a set is won at 15 points, and a match is the best of three sets.
The glossary has the regu, the tekong, the no-hands rule, the three touches rule, the fault and the serve.
Tricky cases
Can one player touch the ball twice in a row?
Yes. The rule limits a side to three touches in succession. It does not stop one player from taking two or all three of them.
Can a player use a shoulder?
It depends on where the ball lands. The law makes the ball touching "the player's arm" a fault. The shoulder is not named, and the rule on a rolling ball treats any part of the body below the neck as playable. In practice the line is drawn at the top of the arm.
Does a side have to use all three touches?
No. The ball may be sent back on the first or second touch.
Is it a point only when the serving side wins the rally?
No. A point is awarded to the opponent whenever either side commits a fault.
Why the rule exists
The game grew out of a circle game in which players kept a rattan ball in the air with their feet. Adding a net and a court turned it into a contest, and the ban on hands kept what made it special. With only three touches and a low net, attacks have to be launched from overhead kicks.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sepak takraw | Feet, knees, chest and head; three touches; any player may take them in a row | ISTAF Law 11.3.3; 11.3.4 |
| Volleyball | Hands; three touches; no player twice in a row | C |
| Regu event | Three players a side | ISTAF Law 5.1 |
| Doubles and quad events | Two and four a side, under their own laws | Not saved |
From the rule book
International Sepaktakraw Federation, Law of the Game 2024 (regu event, 1 January 2024), Laws 5, 10, 11 and 12. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Law of the Game (regu).