Beach Volleyball

Beach volleyball is, perhaps, one of the most exciting Olympic sports to watch. Fast-paced and full of drama, this relatively new sport draws teams from around the world to carefully created sand courts. Indoor beach volleyball is becoming popular as well, giving spectators and players the chance to play the game away from the elements. Women beach volleyball is perhaps the most popular branch of the sport, and fierce rivalries have developed between the world's best players.

History of Beach Volleyball

The history of beach volleyball likely dates back to 1915, when the first beach volleyball court was built at the Outrigger Beach's Canoe Club. However, most people attribute the start of the game to the 1920s in Santa Monica, California. Regardless, we know that beach volleyball did originate as a family beach sport. Because it costs so little to set up a court, provided you had a beach handy, beach volleyball as a pastime, not a professional sport, quickly spread around the world. In the Great Depression, families flocked to the beach to play beach volleyball when they had little money to do anything else. Indoor beach volleyball first showed up on the scene in Massachusetts in the 1950s.

It was also in the 1950s that the first beach volleyball competitions were held in California. As the sport continued to draw crowds, corporate sponsors came forward. The first professional beach volleyball tour hit the road in the 1970s. In 1986 the International Volleyball Federation recognized beach volleyball as an official sport. In 1992 men and women beach volleyball teams played as a demonstration sport in the Barcelona Olympic games. In 1996, the sport was officially included in the Atlanta Olympic games, leading to a huge surge in its popularity around the globe.

Beach Volleyball Rules

Beach volleyball is played in a court measuring 16 by 8 meters and filled with sand. Each team has just two players and no substitutes, but the players can play on any position on the court. Rally point scoring is used, which means any time the ball hits the sand or goes out of bounds, a point is given to the team not at fault, regardless of which team has the right to serve.

Beach volleyball players can block shots at the net as long as they do not touch it. Crossing the court under the net is a violation of the rules of the game. However, the ball can be played off of the net during the rally.

Weather in outdoor beach volleyball has a huge affect on the outcome of the game. As such, the teams will change sides every seven points in the first two sets, and every five points if a third set is needed to determine the winner. The first two sets are played to 21 points, but if each team wins one set, a third set is played to 15 points. The winning beach volleyball team must have two points over their opponents, so a game of 21 to 20 would continue until the winning team has at least two points on the losing team. No coaching occurs during the game, but the team members can call one thirty-second timeout per set.

Other than the number of players on the court, the smaller court size, and the lack of positions, beach volleyball rules have very few differences than traditional indoor volleyball rules. However, a game of beach volleyball is much more energetic than a typical indoor game, because the beach volleyball players must cover much more ground in the absence of other teammates on the court.

Indoor Beach Volleyball

While beach volleyball is traditionally thought of as an outdoor sport, indoor beach volleyball courts are showing up around the globe. Indoor beach volleyball allows players to enjoy the game even if weather is not ideal for play. Indoor beach volleyball is a popular pastime for non-professional players. It also provides professional players with a chance to practice when outdoor conditions do not allow them to practice on outdoor courts. Indoor beach volleyball courts and rules are the same as outdoor ones. Some non-professional leagues will not make teams switch sides during a set, since indoor beach volleyball is not affected by the weather.

Women Beach Volleyball Stars

Offsides is perhaps one of the most misunderstood of the basic soccer rules. In children's leagues, offsides may not be called, as children are still learning the other basic soccer rules. According to FIFA soccer rules, an offside position is called if the player is "nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent." With that definition, it is no wonder that this is the least understood of all basic soccer rules.

In general, a player is considered offsides if he is an attacking player and is ahead of the ball, involved in the play, and there is no defender between his position and the goalkeeper. The rule is designed to keep players from camping near the goal waiting for the ball.