In the article “Beach volleyball” we will tell you about volleyball in the sand. You will learn a brief history, differences from the classic sport, features of the sport.
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Beach volleyball first appeared in the early 20th century as a pastime on the beaches of Santa Monica, California, USA. Twenty years later the first tournaments were held, and by the 1950s, circle volleyball (playing in a circle with all opponents) appeared.
Beach Volleyball was first introduced at the 1992 Olympics as a demonstration sport, and four years later, official competitions were held at the Atlanta Olympics for men and women.
The undisputed leaders in beach volleyball are such countries as Brazil and the USA. Our team has no big victories so far, because the sport has been actively developing in Russia only since 1986, but we already have all the chances to win high places. The shining example is the 2020 Olympic Games, where our Krasilnikov/Stoyanovsky duo won the silver medal.
Beach volleyball, in fact, is a kind of classic volleyball. And in order to fully understand the rules of the game, you must first become familiar with the rules of the indoor game. They are described in our article “Rules of Volleyball“.
Nevertheless, beach volleyball has a number of differences from its big brother. First of all, it has to do with the peculiarities of the game, venue, number of players in the team, scoring rules, etc. Beach volleyball is played on natural sand that is 40 cm thick, it should be cleaned of debris and have a fraction of 0.1-1 mm.
Official court for the game is a rectangle of 16 by 8 meters (classic volleyball is 18 by 9 meters). Lines on the court are made of strips of fabric, which are held in place by anchors.
One of the most important rules in beach volleyball is that players are only allowed to touch the ball 3 times within their team before sending the ball back over the net. No one is allowed to touch the ball twice in a row, and players have 2 active actions after the block.
The ball in beach volleyball is 2 centimeters (66-68 cm) larger than the classic form, and the internal pressure is reduced by 40% to 0.175 kg/cm2. This allows it to stay in the air longer and the ball itself becomes softer. In addition, the “round” should also be waterproof.
A team must score 21 points to win a set. The match consists of 3 sets. Two won sets allows the team to win the match. If the score in a match is 1-1, a third set (tie-break) up to 15 points is played.
As in classical volleyball, the first team to score the required number of points with a 2-point advantage wins the set. To keep the teams on equal footing, the sides are changed every 7 points, in the third set (tie-break) every 5 points.
The first team serves until it loses a point or an error. Players on the same team also serve alternately. The competition is refereed by 4 people. The first referee supervises technical techniques, the second referee supervises play at the midline and net, and the line referees supervise action at the boundaries of the court.
Beach volleyball is a more difficult type of volleyball as jumping from the sand is more difficult. A team consists of only two players, i.e., each player is an all-rounder. There are no substitutions in the game, if a player is injured, the game ends early. The coach of the team is on the podium.
The outfit of the players differs significantly from the indoor look. First, the players mostly wear beach shorts or swimming trunks. Secondly, there are no shoes in this sport, and players play barefoot. Third, caps and goggles are allowed in beach volleyball.
The beach volleyball section accepts children as young as 3-4 years old. The first training sessions are with general physical exercises and work with the ball. The optimum age for lessons is 7-8 years.
Since beach volleyball section is not in all cities of our country, you can start in the section of the classic form. And then, if you are interested, you can move to a section with a sand court. Basically they are in the southern regions of the country, such as Krasnodar Territory, but they are also in the central part: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Izhevsk, etc.
The advantage of beach volleyball over classical volleyball is that you are constantly playing outdoors, and international competitions are held at the best resorts in the world. In beach volleyball, the load on the joints of the legs is reduced because the sand performs a shock-absorbing role.
Besides, as sportsmen note, psychological pressure in beach volleyball is reduced. When there are two players, it is easier to find a common language and come to an agreement. Beach volleyball is more entertaining and sexy because there is much to see and athletes have much to show for it 
About beach volleyball
FAQs
How many timeouts are there in beach volleyball?
There are three types of timeouts in beach volleyball: 30-second (one break per team per set); Technical (between sets, 1 minute); Medical (assistance, 5 minutes). Change of sides within a set is immediate; there are no breaks.
How much is the most expensive volleyball?
In 2021, a volleyball sold for $308,000 at the famous Prop Store auction of props from movies and TV shows. The spirited prop nicknamed "Mr. Wilson" from the movie Outcast became the most expensive volleyball in the world.
Why do volleyball players slap each other on the butt?
By patting her "bottom" female athletes want to cheer up their teammate. Sports studies show that the pat on the butt relieves the high tension an athlete gets from a high level of concentration.
