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Beach Volleyball



Okay, so we don't really have an ocean nearby, or even a small stream for that matter, but that doesn't mean you can't assemble a team and have a go at a rousing game of beach volleyball. Fact is, we've brought in our own sandy beach, right behind the aquatics center so there is really no excuse not to bat the ball around and have some fun.

There are rule differences between beach volleyball and it's indoor cousin, but the game is fundamentally the same: a team scores points by grounding the ball on the opponents' court, or when the opposing team commits a fault (error or illegal action); consecutive contacts must be made by different players (except after a block touch, when any player may legally contact the ball).

The major differences between beach and indoor volleyball are:

  • Playing surface—sand rather than hard court.
  • Bare feet are allowed for the players.
  • The dimensions of the court are 16 by 8 meters, compared to 18 by 9 meters in the indoor game.
  • The beach court has no "attack line", unlike the indoor court, which has such a line 3 meters from the net.
  • Team size—two rather than six, with no substitutions allowed.
  • Scoring system—best of 3 sets played to 21 (15 for a deciding set) rather than best of 5 to 25
  • Open hand touches, tips and dinks are illegal.
  • A block at the net counts as one of the three allowed touches in the beach game, but not in the indoor game.
  • There are no rotation errors on the beach—players may switch sides at will.
  • It is legal to cross under the net in beach volleyball as long as it does not interfere with opponents' play.
  • Teams switch ends of the court every seven points, rather than between sets
  • Individual, group lessons and lesson packages available

Or, make up your own rules, it's all about the fun isn't it?

ARFC?s new Sand Volleyball Court has been enclosed with netting so no more balls will end up going down the road. Join one of our pickup games or attend one of our social mixers. Check for flyers around the Club.