Beach volleyball is a popular sport in which two teams, positioned on either side of a net, hit a ball back and forth over the net, usually using the hands or arms. Beach volleyball evolved from indoor volleyball, and the two sports remain very similar. The most important differences between them are that rather than being played on indoor hard courts, beach volleyball is played on sand courts, and instead of teams of six, beach volleyball teams consist of only two players. There are many minor differences as well, including:
Brave the Unknown - Beach Volley
- Each half of the court measures 8 by 8 meters, not 9 by 9 as in indoor volleyball (this rule was instituted in 2002).
- Overhand finger passes are called very tightly when receiving or attacking. Unless executed very cleanly and square to the shoulders, they are ruled illegal. The exception is receiving a hard smash.
- When using overhand finger passes and hand sets, the standard for double hits is much stricter than in indoor volleyball, and the standard for lifts is less strict.
- The block counts as the first contact.
- Open-hand dinks, where a player uses his or her finger tips to redirect the ball into the opponent's court, are illegal.
- It is legal to cross under the net as long as doing so does not interfere with the opponents' attempt to play the ball.
- Players are not required to rotate positions; they must alternate service, but there are no 'rotation errors'.
- Most players, either by choice or by requirement of the rules, play the game barefoot.
- The ball is softer (lower internal pressure) and very slightly bigger than an indoor volleyball.
Complete rules for both games can be downloaded from the FIVB pages.
www.beachvolleyball.co.uk
www.wessexvolleyball.com
www.beachvolleyball.org.uk
