Official Rules of MGB

3 Touches • 2 Bounces

Watch a Point in Action

See how a typical MGB rally plays out with serves, touches, and bounces

TEAM ATEAM B
Server calls: 'MGB!'

Frame 1 / 18

2+

Players per team

3

Max touches

2

Max bounces

11

Points to win

1The Court & Equipment

  • •Court: Standard tennis court with both singles and doubles lines in play
  • •Net: Standard tennis net
  • •Rackets: Standard tennis rackets
  • •Ball: Standard tennis ball

2Teams & Players

  • •Teams can be any size, typically 2-4 players per side
  • •Players can move freely within their side of the court

3Starting the Game

Tradition: Before the first serve of the game, the initial server must announce the name of the game: "Miles Green Ball" or "MGB"

  • •The game starts with an underhand serve from behind the baseline
  • •The serve may land anywhere on the opponent's side of the court
  • •The receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning the serve
  • •The score must be announced clearly and audibly before each serve

4Gameplay

Touches & Bounces

  • •Each team is allowed a maximum of 3 touches and 2 bounces to return the ball
  • •No consecutive bounces — there must be a touch between bounces
  • •The same player cannot touch the ball twice in a row during their team's turn
  • •Consecutive touches by different players (without a bounce) are allowed
  • •The initial bounce on the serve counts as one of the two allowed bounces

Returning the Ball

  • •After the serve, the ball may be volleyed out of the air
  • •The ball is allowed to go back over the net off a bounce
  • •All bounces must occur within the court lines
  • •Players may hit around the net/pole

Net Play

  • •Players are not allowed to touch the net — doing so awards the point to the opponent
  • •Players may lean over the net and hit the ball
  • •Racket contact between players is permitted
  • •If the ball hits the net and bounces, it remains in play (if the team has touches/bounces remaining)
  • •If the serve hits the net and goes over, it is in play

Body Contact

  • •Ball contact with the body does not count as a touch
  • •Players may use their bodies, except for hands (intentional hand contact is a foul; incidental back-of-hand contact is allowed)
  • •Body contact between players is generally not allowed, but incidental contact may not be penalized

5Scoring

Side-out scoring: Points are only scored by the serving team

  • •Games are played to 11 points and must be won by a margin of 2 points
  • •There is no points cap — play continues until a team wins by 2
  • •If the serving team scores, the server rotates to the next player on the team
  • •If the serving team loses the rally, the serve goes to the other team (side-out)

6Special Conditions

Fences & Walls

  • •If the ball hits a fence or wall, it remains in play
  • •Players can hit the ball after it rebounds off a fence or wall, as long as it never touches the ground outside the court and the team has touches remaining

Quick Play (Hurry-Up Offense)

  • •The defense must be ready to play at the server's pace
  • •As long as the server uses the same ball from the last point and clearly announces the score, they may serve immediately — even if the defense is not "ready"

Timeouts

  • •Each team gets up to 1 minute of total timeout per game
  • •Timeouts can be used in full (60 seconds) or half (30 seconds) increments
  • •Maximum of 2 timeouts per team per game
  • •Timeouts are for strategic purposes only, not injury-related pauses

7Fouls & Violations

The following result in a point for the opposing team:

  • ✗Net foul: Touching the net during play
  • ✗Hand foul: Intentionally using hands to hit the ball
  • ✗Touch violation: More than 3 touches, or the same player touching twice in a row
  • ✗Bounce violation: More than 2 bounces, or consecutive bounces without a touch
  • ✗Serve volley: Volleying the serve out of the air without letting it bounce
  • ✗Out of bounds: Any bounce that occurs outside the court lines

8Disputes & Fair Play

  • •Disputes should be resolved by the designated official or referee when available
  • •In recreational play, the player closest to the ball at the time of dispute gets final say if they are certain

"Play hard, play fair, have fun."

These rules aim to provide a comprehensive and clear structure for playing Miles Green Ball, ensuring fair play and an enjoyable experience for all participants.