Beach Volleyball

Beach volleyball is one of the most popular sports played in the summer. People all over the world play it, and love to watch it. I have the please of meeting Kari Welch and other magnificent AVP players. I’ve played indoor volleyball for 4 years. And I’ve practiced and went to volleyball clinics. I absolutely love playing for fun. In college during dorm wars volleyball on sand is one of the events my dorm takes first place in!! Let me share some rules and guidelines to help you get active this summer!!

First let’s start with a playing area. The playing area consists of a rectangular playing court measuring 59′ x 29’6″. It’s a good idea that the playing area’s surface be as flat and uniform as possible, free of rocks, sprinkler heads and any other objects which may cause injury. AVP players play on sand courts. These consist of fine grained sand and should be at least 12″ deep. Some people play on the grass in the summer and if so they consist of maintained grass surfaces free of holes, puddles and uneven ground. Any hazardous areas should be designated as out of play.

Another good idea to be establish (before you play) is the in and out boundary on the court. A ton of people fight about in and outs during a game so this is very important. The LINES ON THE COURT consist of two sidelines and two end lines which mark the playing court. They are made of 1/4-3/8″ rope or 2-3 1/8″ wide flat bands or tape. The center line divides the playing court into two square team courts but is not marked. It is the players’ responsibility to assure that all lines are in their proper location prior to the start of each play. Lines moved during play do not cause the rally to stop. If it cannot be determined whether a ball lands in bounds or out of bounds, it is a replay. When in doubt replay it out!

The beach volleyball nets are pretty high. I’m 5’7 and I don’t have a high vertical on sand, but it’s always fun just to try. The height of the net is 7’115/8″ for men and 7’41/8″ for women, always measured at the center.

On the beach everyone is welcome to play I’ve seen team with up to 10 players!! When I played in high school strictly 6 players on a team. In AVP leagues it’s ideal for a two player team. But the list of competitors range from 2 players on the court per team, to 6 players on the court per team. The ideal number and a key to a successful volleyball game is no more than 6 players( gets too crowded.)

Ok so we have the location, and the court and teams all set up. Now the important part the volleyball is the SCORING SYSTEM. Matches may either consist of a single game, or best 2 out of 3 games. A team wins a match by winning one or two games, respectively. To will the game team must win by 2. The way to keep score is by rally. That’s whenever a team fails to serve or return the ball, or commits any other fault; the opposing team wins the rally. If the serving team wins a rally, it scores a point and continues to serve. If the receiving team wins a rally, it gains the right to serve, but does not score a point (side-out).

Now that you know the rules and have some guidelines go play! – why are you still reading- play I tell you!!