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