Mar 31 2009
Beach Volleyball Rules
Beach volleyball has a different set of rules than indoor volleyball. So before you jump on the sand to play some 2 on 2 you need to be aware of these critical rule differences.
1. The serve has a new rule. If you throw the ball up to serve and end up not hitting it, you lose that point.
2. You might wonder why players are always switching sides during a game when playing beach volleyball. These side switches occur every 7 points if you go to 21 and every 5 if going to 15. This happens because one side is always better than the other.
3. You can actually go on the opposing side to chase down a ball when playing beach volleyball. You obviously can’t touch the opposing players though.
4. A beach volleyball is not an indoor volleyball. Beach volleyballs are much softer because the psi is always below 4 psi.
5. If someone hits the ball at you and it’s coming so fast that you can’t react to pass it with your arms, then you can double it with your hands. Indoor volleyball has a no doubling rule with hard driven balls.
6. Beach volleyball does not allow you to take the serve with your hands. You can not double the serve.
7. Chances are if you learned volleyball by playing indoors you will get every set called by the ref. An outdoor set is much cleaner than indoor and shouldn’t spin.
8. You must be perpendicular to the ball if you set the ball over the net. The only exception is if you set your partner and the wind takes it over the net.
9. If you touch the ball on a block you only have 2 more hits to get it back over the net. This means that you don’t get an extra hit like you do in indoor volleyball.
