Beach Volleyball Rules & Basics

Beach volleyball is played by two players per team on a 16 × 8 m sand court, with no substitutions and no fixed rotation — players may stand anywhere. Sets are played to 21 (best of three; a deciding set to 15), teams switch ends regularly, and — unlike indoor — the block counts as one of the team's three touches.

Players

2 per team (no subs)

Court

16 m × 8 m (sand)

Scoring

Sets to 21, best of 3 (3rd to 15)

Block

Counts as a touch

How beach differs from indoor

• Team size: two players per team with no substitutions, versus six players and substitutions indoors.
• No rotation: players may stand anywhere and specialize freely, though they must still serve in turn: each time your team wins the serve back, the other player serves. Indoors, players rotate one zone clockwise on winning the serve.
• Court: 16 × 8 m with no attack line — any player may attack from anywhere — versus the indoor 18 × 9 m court with a 3 m attack line.
• Scoring: sets to 21, best of three, with a deciding set to 15, win by two. Indoor sets are to 25, best of five, with a deciding fifth set to 15.
• Switching ends: teams change sides every 7 points (every 5 in the deciding set) so neither team is stuck facing the sun or wind.
• The block counts: on the beach, touching the ball on the block uses up one of the three contacts, leaving only two to set and attack — one of the biggest tactical differences, and it shapes beach defense. Indoors the block does not count.
• Stricter hands: open-hand tips ("dinks") are not allowed, and hand sets are judged strictly for clean contact. If you set the ball over the net on purpose, it must travel straight forward or backward relative to your shoulders. Instead of an open-hand tip, players use a hard spike, a sharp "cut" shot, a knuckle "poke", or a "cobra" (a shot played with the fingertips held rigid and together, which the rules allow).

The ball and conditions

Beach uses a slightly larger, softer, lower-pressure ball that travels well in open air, and the game is played outdoors in sand and in the elements. The net height is the same as indoor: 2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women. For choosing a beach ball, see beach volleyballs; for what to bring, see the beach checklist.

Deep dive: what the differences change

Two players cover everything

With only two players and no subs, each must serve, pass, set, attack, block and dig — there is no libero or middle blocker (see positions). Most pairs still specialize: one player is the designated blocker and the other the defender, although some teams split blocking duties, and recreational pairs often switch. Before the serve, the blocker often uses behind-the-back hand signals to tell the partner which shot the block will take away.

Reading wind and sand

Sun, wind and an unstable sand surface put a premium on ball control and shot selection over raw power. It is a different test of the same core skills — for the indoor version of the rules, see the volleyball rules. For the pro tours, college beach volleyball and the world championships, see volleyball leagues and organizations.

Frequently asked questions