Beach Volleyball Rules: Scoring, Play, and Faults Explained

Beach Volleyball Rules: Scoring, Play, and Faults Explained

Beach Volleyball Rules: Scoring, Play, and Faults Explained

Scoring in Beach Volleyball:

To win a match, a team must score more points than its opponent. The match can be played as either a single set or a best-of-three sets format.

1 Set Match:

  • First to 21 points
  • Must win by 2 points
  • No point cap (no maximum score)
  • Teams switch sides after the first team reaches 7 points

Best 2 out of 3 Sets:

  • First set to 21 points, second set to 21 points.
  • If a third set is required, it's played to 15 points.
  • Must win by 2 points.
  • Teams switch sides after 7 points in the first two sets and after 5 points in the third set.

Winning a Rally: A rally consists of a sequence of hits back and forth between the two teams. A team scores a point when:

  • The ball lands inside the opponent’s court, sideline, or baseline.
  • The opposing team commits a fault (such as double contact, net fault, or a "caught" ball).
  • The opposing team receives a penalty (e.g., red card).

State of Play:

  • Ball in Play: The ball remains in play from the moment it's served until it either touches the sand (or another object), fails to cross the net within the team’s three contacts, or a fault is called.
  • Ball Out of Play: The ball is considered out when it lands outside the court lines or contacts an object outside the court (e.g., net post or umbrella).

Ball in Bounds: The ball is in bounds if it lands inside the court or touches any part of the court’s boundary lines.

Playing the Ball: Each team is allowed a maximum of 3 contacts to return the ball to the opposing team. The most common sequence is pass, set, and spike. Here are key guidelines:

  • Pass: Usually the first contact, used to receive a ball from the opponent.
  • Set: Typically the second contact, using fingertips to direct the ball upward for an attack.
  • Spike: The final contact, when the ball is hit forcefully toward the opponent.

Key Contact Rules:

  • A player cannot touch the ball twice in a row, except when blocking, which counts as one of the team’s three contacts.
  • After a block, any player can make the next contact.
  • Assisted Hit: Teammates cannot help each other reach the ball, but a teammate can stop or hold back a player from committing a fault.
  • Joust: When two opposing players contact the ball at the same time over the net. After a joust, the receiving team is entitled to three additional hits.

Contact Faults:

  • Catch or Throw: The ball must not be caught or thrown. It should rebound in any direction.
  • Double Contact: A player cannot contact the ball with both hands at different times. The ball must be contacted simultaneously with both hands.
  • Attack Hit Faults: A fault occurs if a player hits the ball within the opponent’s playing area or uses an open-handed finger action (e.g., a “tip”).

Ball at the Net:

  • The ball can contact the net during play, including during a serve.
  • Player at the Net: Players may reach beyond the net while blocking, but cannot interfere with an opponent’s movements.
  • It’s allowed for hands to pass beyond the net after an attack-hit, as long as the contact was made within the player’s court.

Entering Opponent's Court:

  • Players can partially or fully step into the opponent’s court during a rally, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their play. However, if a player interferes with an opponent’s play, a fault should be called. 

    Dimension of court and net height
    The official height of a beach volleyball net is 2.24m for women, 2.35m for juniors, and 2.43m for men. An official beach volleyball court consists of two halves, each measuring 8m x 8m.

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