Beach volleyball is a very popular sport across the US from coast to coast. Primarily known for being a west coast and california sport, beach volleyball has grown exponentially in the past 10-15 years due in large part to the rise of the AVP and national media coverage. Currently, there are beach volleyball leagues and tournaments across the country at local beaches, sand courts, and indoor beach volleyball facilities.
Beach volleyball rules vary from indoor volleyball including:
- Volleyball court measures 8 by 8 meters (27 x 27 feet)
- Overhand passes are called very tightly when receiving a serve or all non hard driven attacks.
- The block always counts as the first contact.
- Open hand dinks are illegal.
- You can cross under the net as long it does not interfere with the opponents' attempt to play the ball.
- Players are not required to rotate positions; they must alternate serve.
- The volleyball is lighter and larger than traditional indoor volleyballs.
The most popular beach volleyball is the Wilson "yellow & white" official AVP game ball but some people play with the traditional all leather white volleyball.
The FIVB, IOC, and International volleyball players use the Mikasa beach game ball as their official volleyball.
Building a sand volleyball court can be completed in a few days.
Playing beach volleyball is much different than its indoor counterpart and here are a few tips for players trying to transition to the beach game.
- Take a shorter approach when attacking the ball
- Hit smart shots and spread the ball around the court when attacking
- Communicate with your teammate
- Block for a purpose, be aggressive and create a big block
- You cant cover every inch of the court, pick an area and play defense
- Never give up on a ball on defense, tell yourself you can get to every ball
- Pick a player that complements you
- Use the wind as your friend, choose the side of the court to utilize the wind to your advantage.
- Watch your hitter, read his shoulders and hitting arm
Find a place to play beach volleyball
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