Roundnet: the sport that turns heads in Grenoble

Once unknown to the general public a few years ago, Roundnet – often called Spikeball – is now attracting more and more practitioners in France, especially in Isère. In Grenoble, the discipline is organizing, structuring, and starting to shine on the international stage.

A small circular net placed on the ground, four players, a ball, and no fixed field. Roundnet, easy to explain, hard to master – and impossible to watch without smiling. Coming straight from the United States, this sport inspired by volleyball is based on a clear principle: bounce the ball on the net so that the opposing team cannot return it. Each team has a maximum of three touches to achieve this, and once the serve is launched, players can move 360° around the net. The result: fast, acrobatic, unpredictable exchanges. Roundnet is condensed sport.

Accessible, inexpensive, playable on any surface – grass, sand, hardwood – Roundnet exploded in the US before surging across Europe. In France, the French roundnet federation was established in 2021 to structure and develop the discipline.

Simple, intense, and rapidly growing in France

While still in a phase of structuring, Roundnet is experiencing rapid growth in France: creation of clubs, organization of regional and national tournaments, and the rise of the French teams. The French teams are making significant progress on the international scene. In the recent world championships, the French achieved very good results, confirming their place among the top European nations, just behind Germany and Italy. The United States and Canada still dominate the discipline at a global level.

Grenoble, a leading club – and strong female presence!

In Grenoble, Alpes Roundnet club embodies this collective ambition. The women’s section is particularly developed, with a remarkable pool of high-level players. Two of them have earned their place in the French team – a recognition of the work done locally and the quality of the Grenoble structure.

A Grenoble Champion of France and national reference

Individually, a Grenoble figure has emerged as a national reference: Louis Mareschal. Champion of France in 2024, now licensed in Toulouse, he was also named best French player of the season. A meteoric trajectory that illustrates the fertile ground that Grenoble represents for French roundnet.

The French team prepares in Grenoble for the World Championships

A few days ago, the campus of the Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) hosted a training camp for the French team. A rare event, bringing together 16 women and 16 men for the upcoming Roundnet World Championships scheduled from 3 to 6 September in Paris This high-level meeting illustrates the growing importance of the discipline in the territory and the central role that Grenoble can play in its development.

The French teams arrive with solid ambitions. The women’s team particularly is very promising this season and could target the world podium. Against the dominant nations of the United States and Canada, France aims to confirm its progress and continue to establish itself as an essential nation in Europe.