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Basic Beach Volleyball Rules New Sand Volleyball Players Need To Know

Here are some basic beach volleyball rules for setting, defense, passing, serving and more that will get you started on your beach volleyball education.

Learn the most basic beach volleyball rules adopted by the AVP that will get you started on your beach volleyball playing career. (Ralph Aversen)

Check out these basic beach rules before you go out to play in the sand.

Beach Volleyball Scoring

Beach Volleyball Rules: A side change will occur every seven (7) points in the first two sets and every five (5) points in the third set. (Ralph Aversen)

The first two sets are played to 21 points.

The third set is played to 15 points.

Teams must have a two-point advantage to win a set and there will be no caps used.

A side change will occur every seven (7) points in the first two sets and every five (5) points in the third set. So, for example if the score is 5 - 2, 4 - 3, 6 -1 or 7 - 0 at each multiple of seven the teams switch courts.

Beach Volleyball Timeouts

Beach Volleyball Rules: There are two (2) timeouts per set with a duration of 30 seconds each. Only one (1) injury timeout per player per match is allowed.(Ralph Aversen)

There are two (2) timeouts per set with a duration of 30 seconds each.

Only one (1) injury timeout per player per match is allowed.

Beach Volleyball Court Size and Court Lines

Beach Volleyball Rules: The beach volleyball court dimensions are 26 feet 3 inches by 26 feet 3 inches. In other words, each half court is 8 meters by 8 meters. (Ralph Aversen)

The beach volleyball court dimensions are 26 feet 3 inches by 26 feet 3 inches. In other words, each half court is 8 meters by 8 meters.

Of course when playing on a sand court, there's no centerline like there is on the indoor court.

I'm talking about that line that is parallel and underneath the net which separates the two courts of the teams that are playing against each other.

That's not the only thing missing on a sand court.

Unlike an indoor court, there are no attack lines on an outdoor court.

So, if you find yourself looking for a ten foot line, you won't find one.

To be clear, according to the official sand rules the only lines on a court are the boundary lines, which mark the outermost limits of the court.

These boundary lines should be anywhere from five (5) to (8) eight centimeters wide. That's anywhere from (2) two to (3)three and one-eighth inch wide.

That's why the boundary lines will look different depending on the tournament you play in.

You may see thin lines which are called "rope" lines used in some sand tournaments or you might see organizers use wider lines made of flexible soft material that's pliable if a player or the ball lands on it.

Regardless of the lines used on the court, they must be a contrasting color so they can be easily seen in the sand by the referee and by opposing players on the other side.

One of the official sand rules regarding the court states that there should be a minimum of twenty-three feet of open space above the court.

So no low hanging ceilings or basketball baskets or anything that can interfere with the ball while its in play that is lower than twenty three feet above the court.

This comes into play for indoor sand courts.

Beach Volleyball
Serving Rules

Beach Volleyball Rules: In 2001, the AVP introduced the "let serve" into official beach volleyball competition. (Ralph Aversen)

In 2001, the AVP introduced the "let serve" into official beach volleyball competition.

The "let serve" means if a beach player serves a ball that touches the net on its way over to the opponent's court, the ball remains in play and the opposing team is obligated to attempt to play it.

Beach Volleyball Setting Rules

Beach Volleyball Setting

In beach volleyball

a player is not allowed to contact the ball with an open hand "dink."

Any attempts at setting the volleyball over the net into the opposing team's court must be done with the player facing the direction that they are setting.

A player cannot re-direct a ball by facing one direction, then setting to another one.

There are stricter volleyball rules regarding double contacts for setting a ball on the beach.

Ball Contact - When contacting the ball with your hands if the ball doesn't cleanly come out of your hands with virtually no spin a foul will be called.

Back Set - like the front set your back set must travel within the plane of where you are facing. The back set ball must go straight back behind you ...you cannot side set or face one direction and back set the ball that goes in another direction.

Beach Volleyball Blocking Rules

Beach Volleyball Block

Unlike indoor volleyball, when a beach player blocks a ball,

that counts as the first of the three contacts a team is allowed to make, so they subsequently have only two more contacts to get the ball into the opponent's court.

In other words the block is considered the first of three contacts if the ball falls back into your court.

Beach Volleyball Defense

Basic Rules Of Volleyball On Beach Defense

There are stricter rules regarding lifting or holding the ball while playing defense on the beach.

Open hand digs are allowed on the beach as long as you don't hold the ball so it comes to a stop in your hands.

I've explained more beach volleyball rules in these series of articles below.

This has been an important message by your favorite volleyball coach! That's me!!

Thanks for visiting.

Be sure to check out more of my volleyball articles by clicking one of the links below! (April Chapple)

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From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Honored At UTK Champions Weekend

Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.

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Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee, Coach April Chapple is

the first First Round Draft Pick for the first American pro indoor women's league
named to the first First Team All-Pro team for Major League Volleyball in USA volleyball history
former USA National team member
one of the few American women players named as an Italian Pro League D-I Championship Finalist, Italian Cup Finalist and Cup of Cups Tournament Finalist

April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match

Coach April's 2025 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training

Pre-Registration now open for 2025 Private and Semiprivate Training Sessions with Coach April . Get prepared for club tryouts or train with me during club season!

Email now for information on semiprivate or private indoor skills, individual or small group training volleyball classes and my Breakfast Club for College Players training for 2025.

Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.

Email me right now to register or for more information.

info@improveyourvolley.com

Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.

Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2

There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with

the same toss height and same toss location
the same armswing speed
the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.

kamiminerpac12setteroftheyearformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

Tommi Stockham All Big West Conference sophomore former Coach April Chapple private client 3 years

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Dear Vegas Parent

Read my open letter to Las Vegas Jr high/high school volleyball parents about my predictions on individual and small group volleyball training trends for 2019/2021

Tennessee Athletics Honors April Chapple at Champions Weekend for Legendary Volleyball Achievements

From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Produces Powerful Passionate Players...is that you?

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Congratulations to my seven Boys-18s Vegas Volley club players who played in two state championship finals yesterday, the 3A and 5A State champinship finals at Sunrise Mountain High School.

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!

A-1 Vegas Volley VBC

In It To Win It Tournament

May 2 - 4, 2025 Tournament

Gold Medalists

18s Premier Division

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Making A-1 Vegas Volleyball history as the very first TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! In the In It To Win It Tournament, May 2-4, 2025 Tournament, A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club Gold Medalists, 18s Premier Division