Beach Volleyball

Nature of sport
Beach Volleyball is a dynamic and fast-paced sport played on sand courts, typically
outdoors. It shares many similarities with indoor volleyball but also has distinct
characteristics due to the unique playing surface and environmental conditions.
History and Origin
It is noted that beach volleyball began in Hawaii around 1915. Although the original
game was played in Hawaii, most credit Santa Monica in the mid 1920s for the creation
of the current beach volleyball competition outline Beach volleyball grew in popularity
due to the ease of access to public beaches and inexpensive equipment. As the
recreational game grew, formal competition formed and the game was played on a
global scale. The first introduction to the world was in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but
was officially announced as an Olympic game for the 1996 Olympics.
Important Details
 The out door setting
 Sand surface
 Versatility
 Physical Demand
First Players
There was no specific player to be found that was said to be the very first player of
Beach Volleyball but there are notable groups and persons who helped in cultivating
Beach Volleyball as it is now.
 Santa Monica Beach : Often cited as the birthplace of the sport. in the 1920s,
informal games of beach volleyball began to emerge on the sandy shores of
Santa Monica
 The Santa Monica Athletic Club : Became one of the first organized BV clubs.
Even hosting tournaments at Santa Monica Beach.
 Gregory N. Sloop : often credited as one of the early pioneers of beach
volleyball. In the 1930s, Sloop organized and promoted beach volleyball events
in California, helping to raise awareness of the sport and attract participants.
 State Beach Volleyball Championships : The State Beach Volleyball
Championships, held in California starting in the late 1940s, helped to formalize
beach volleyball as a competitive sport. These tournaments drew top players
from around the region and contributed to the sport's growth and popularity.

Rules
 Court Dimensions
Playing Area + Free Zone 52'6" X 26'3" plus the sorrounding free zone, a
minimum of 9'10" wide.
 Net Height
o Mens : Height of the net is 7'11 5/8"
o Womens : Height of the net is 7'4 1/8"
 Overhand touches and tips
o open-hand dinks are illegal
o A block at the net counts as one of the three allowed touches in the beach
game, but not in the indoor game
o Double hitting is called tighter but lifts are more lenient
 Scoring
o To win a match a team must score more than its opponent in either a 1
game or in 2 out of 3 games.
o he ball may touch any part of the body. The ball must not be caught or
thrown, but can rebound in any direction
 Playing Rules
o 1 set match:
 First to 21 pts
 Must win by 2
 No cap
 When playing a game to 21, a teams switch sides of the
court after 7 pts.
o Best 2 out of 3
 First to 21 pts. If a third game is needed it is played first to 15 pts.
 Must win by 2
 No cap
 When playing to 21, a team switch sides of the court after 7 pts. In
game to 15 teams swtich after 5 pts.
 To win rally
o A rally is a number of hits back and forth between teams. A team scores a
point:
 By successfully landing the ball on the opponent’s court or one of
the opponent's sidelines or baseline
 When the opposing team commits a fault (examples: double
contact, caught or thrown, net fault).
 When the opposing team receives a penalty (red card).
 Faults
o The ball lands inside the court boundaries or touches one of the court
lines
 o The ball lands completely outside the court lines (without touching them)
 Ball at net
o The ball may contact the net while crossing the net, including during a
serve.
 Ball crossing the net
o A ball hit into the net is playable and may be recovered by the receiving
team as long as it's done within the allotted three team contacts.
 Reaching beyond the net
o Touching the ball beyond the net while blocking is allowed.
o Players can't interfere with opponents movements.
o Ok for hand(s) to pass beyond the net after an attack-hit, as long as the
contact was made within the team's playing space.
 Entering into opponents playing area
o As long as it doesn’t interfere with the opponent’s play on the ball, players
may partially or completely step into the opponent's court during a rally.
o If a player interferes with an opponent’s legal play on the ball, a fault
should be called. Interference can occur with our without contact with an
opposing player or the opponent’s court. Contact between opponents is
not always a fault.