Matkot

Israel's unofficial national beach sport — two players sustain the longest possible rally with wooden paddles and a rubber ball.

👥1 per team🌤outdoor

What is Matkot?

Matkot is Israel's unofficial national beach sport and the constant soundtrack of Tel Aviv's shoreline. Two players use flat wooden paddles and a small rubber ball to sustain the longest possible rally — traditionally there is no scoring, only the cooperative goal of never letting the ball drop. Competitive tournaments do exist, using tennis-style scoring.

Quick facts

Category

Racket & Paddle Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇮🇱 Israel

Estimated origin

1920s British Mandate Palestine / Tel Aviv beaches

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified