Matkot

[3] Early documentation of the game includes a 1932 Tel Aviv beach scene by Israeli artist Nahum Gutman showing two young men holding rounded paddles and hitting a ball back and forth on the beach.

[4] The goal of the game is to hit a small rubber ball with a wooden racket as many times as possible without dropping it.

[7] The racquets are traditionally made of wood, although sometimes the handles are reinforced with a plastic covering.

The game has developed a moderate level of popularity outside of Israel as a participatory sport, particularly where there is either a strong beach culture (e.g. Brazil, where it is also highly popular, but more commonly known as frescoball or frescobol), or a significant number of Israelis living abroad (e.g.

[9] The first Israeli matkot competition was held in 2000, capped by a national championship in Tel Aviv.