How many times can a side touch the ball, and with what?
B · Beginner · The service and the rally · 4 of 4A side may play the ball up to three times before it must cross the net, and one player may take more than one of those touches. The ball may be played with the feet, legs, chest and head. It is a fault if the ball touches a player's arm, or if a player stops or holds it.
How it works
- Three touches: playing the ball more than three times in succession is a fault.
- Any player: the same player may play it twice or three times running.
- No arms: the ball touching a player's arm is a fault.
- No holding: stopping or holding the ball under the arm, between the legs or against the body is a fault.
- Rolling ball: a ball that rolls unintentionally from one permitted part of the body to another counts as one touch.
- No props: a player may not use any outside object as support to make a kick.
- Hands as support: on the serving side, using a hand or arm to support a kick is a fault even if the hand touches the floor or another surface and not the ball.
- Kit counts: a player's whole attire is treated as part of the body.
The glossary has the three touches rule, the no-hands rule, the rolling ball, the faults during play, the header and the chest trap.
Tricky cases
The ball runs from a player's chest down to the thigh in one movement. One touch or two?
One. An unintentional roll from one permitted part of the body to another is counted as a single touch.
A player traps the ball between the knees and then flicks it up. Is that allowed?
No. Stopping or holding the ball between the legs is a fault.
A falling player puts a hand on the floor for balance while kicking. Is that a fault?
It depends. The law names this as a fault for the serving side during service. For open play it bans support from an "external object" and does not say whether the floor is one. This page does not settle it.
The ball hits a player's wristband. Is that a fault?
Yes. The whole of a player's attire is regarded as part of the body, so a wristband on the arm counts as the arm.
Why the rule exists
Three touches are enough for a receive, a set and a spike, and no more, so every rally has to build quickly. The ban on arms is the heart of the sport. The rule against holding stops a player from trapping the ball dead and taking time to place it.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Touches | Three in succession, by any of the players | ISTAF Law 11.3.3 |
| Arms | Any touch is a fault | ISTAF Law 11.3.4 |
| Holding | Fault | ISTAF Law 11.3.5 |
| Rolling ball | One touch, if unintentional | ISTAF Law 10.4 |
| Volleyball | The same player may not play the ball twice running | C |
From the rule book
International Sepaktakraw Federation, Law of the Game 2024 (regu event, 1 January 2024), Laws 6.4, 10.4, 11.1.9 and 11.3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Law of the Game (regu).