History

Beach volleyball was first played in Hawaii in 1915, when the Outrigger Beach and Canoe Club set up a court on Waikiki Beach . Many people believe that it began in Santa Monica , California , in the 1920s, about 25 years after the indoor version of the game was invented on the other side of the USA in Massachusetts .

The sport began as a form of family fun at the beach and its wide appeal and low-cost meant it soon spread around the world. By the 1930's it was being played in some very unique places including Latvia , Bulgaria and the Czech Republic (known then as Czechoslovakia ).

The sport was given a boost during the Great Depression. Cash strapped Americans in their 100's flocked to the beaches to play in what was virtually a no-cost pastime and a free source of entertainment. By the 1950s, competitions were being held in California . Included on the program were beauty contests and other forms of entertainment. As the sport continued to grow it wasn't long before sponsors came forward to take advantage of beach volleyball's popularity, and by the 1970's a fully-fledged pro beach volleyball tour was organized.

In 1986, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) recognised the sport. Since then, beach volleyball's World Tour has spread from the United States into Asia, South America and Europe and is now one of the most popular sports in the Summer Olympic Games.

Game Rules

Please note these are a basic version of the rules based on the international rulebook. Rules may vary between competitions.
The Court and Equipment

• Beach Volleyball is played on a court, which is slightly smaller than an indoor court and measures 16m x 8m and it is divided into two equal halves by a net.
• Two sidelines and two end lines mark the playing court. There is NO centre line.
• As in tennis, the boundary lines are counted as part of the court, that is, on the line is in.
• The top of the net is set at the heights of 2.43m for men and 2.24m for women.
• Antennae attached to the net and set directly above the sideline mark the area which, the ball must pass between when sent over the net.
• The ball is made of leather with a bladder inside, and has a circumference of between 65cm and 67cm and weighs 260-280 grams.

Participants and Playing Format

• A Beach Volleyball team consists of two players. NO substitutions can be made. (However, in social competitions 2 to 6 players may participate).
• Players on each team aim to hit the ball over the net with their hands, although it is permissible for any part of the body to be used to hit the ball.
• Unlike indoor volleyball, the players do not have fixed positions and can attack from any position on the court.
• Rally Point scoring is used, where the winner of each rally irrespective of which team served, scores a point.
• Serves can be made from anywhere behind the end line and may be struck under or over arm with any part of the hand, fist or arm.
• Service order must be maintained throughout the set.
• A serve cannot touch a player from the same team and players cannot obscure the opposition's view of a serve.
• The server continues to serve until the serving team loses a point.
• A team may hit the ball three times to return it, but no player can hit the ball twice in a row including if it hits one part of their body and then rebounds to another part.
• A team scores a point if it hits the ball and it lands in the opposition's court.
• Rallies can be lost by hitting the ball out of play or into the net, or if a player touches the net with any part of his or her body while playing the ball.
• Shots may be blocked before they cross the net, as long as the blocker does not touch the net.
• The ball can be directed anywhere into the opponent's court.
• The ball can be played off the net during a rally.
• Because weather affects play, teams swap ends every seven points during the first 2 sets and every five points during the 3 set.
• Each match is played over the best of three sets. To win a set, a team must have a 2 point break over the opposition. The match continues indefinitely until this is the case. The first two sets are played to 21 points while the third, if required, is played to 15 points.
• Each team is allowed one 30 second time-out per set.
• There is a technical time out when the score adds to 21 in the first 2 sets.
• No coaching is permitted during the match.

.