Beach Volleyball - How it works

TECHNICAL AREA How it works How to score points and win matches Handy to know Hand signals in beach volleyball, also known as block signals, were first created by beach volleyball legend Randy Stoklos during the 1980s. They are usually made behind the back by the partner of the serving player o indicate what type of block should be used against an attack from the opponents. The signals help the partners communicate while concealing their plans from the other team. s in indoor volleyball, points are awarded to The first team to played to 15 points with a minimum two- reach 21 wins a set and two sets wins the match. In the case of a Teams switch sides point lead required. the winner of the rally, 20-20 tie, the game which is the exchange of plays ending when team is two points a team grounds the ball in their opponents wins one set then a court or makes a fault. deciding set will be twice in each set - will continue until one every seven points for sets one or two and every five for set three - to make up for weather conditions. ahead. If each team The ball The net A guide to the basic rules, roles and jargon involved in beach volleyball The bal in beach voleybal is bigger and has a lower air pressure than the kind used in the indoor version. It is also made of materials that won't The 8.5m-long net is set at 2.43m for men and 2.24m for women, with mesh of 10cm squared so it can easily be seen through. absorb water if it rains. Blocker The designated blocker slands close to the net so she can intercepl shots, but will somelimes drop back to help the defender. Defender The defender stands further back from the net to stop shots that are 'deep' or made towards the back of the court. Footwear Professional COURT players play barefoot unless Size is important otherwise auhorized by the referee One finger The blocker will block the opponent's line attack - a hit made perpendicularly from the net, parallel to the sideline. A beach volleyball court is a rectangle measuring slightly smaller than an indoor court at 16 x Bm. It is marked by two sidelines and two end lines. The entire court must be completely level and surrounded by a 3m wide border of 'free zone'. The sand The sand in a regulation court must be at least 400mm deep, plus flat and levelled. It cannot be too fine or it will blow too easily in the wind or harden if wet. The grains must be relatively round and not too large or the coarseness of the sand will be hard on bare feet. It also Server This is the shot used to put the ball into play at the beginning of each rally - the ball is tossed in the air and hit with one hand 2 Two fingers The blocker plans to block the opponent's angle attack - a hit made diagonally over the net. Two players Two teams of two to launch it aver the net. The winner of the raly wins (or retains) the serve. players try to score points by grounding the ball on the 3Open hand The blocker will decide how to block based on its location, the opponent's approach and arm swing. The partner must then defend around the block. PLAYING COURT opponents' side of the net, within the court's playing boundaries cannot be too while or the glare of the sun off a may interfere with players' vision. 56m 8m FREE ZONE 26-28m 20 Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball Internalional Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International 21 TECHNICAL AREA Kong A one-handed block, usually because the Handy to know Cobra blocker is late The ball is poked with the tips of shiff, extended fingers Spike Dig Using the forearms lo pass the ball. Making a sturdy platform, the player passes the ball from close to An over-arm action Usually following the 'set' (see foot of page) when the ball is hit over the net. Service order Players must alternate serving. They number themselves One or the ground. Two and decide who serves first. Cut shot RULES Side out A shot from the Beach volleyball: Dos and Don'ts Roof Should the team that receives the service win the hitter's strong side that is sliced The result of a successful block, which sends the ball straight to the opponent's feet. rally, they have scored a side out and they right to serve. at a sharp angle across the net. the Beach volleyball rules are very similar to those seen in the indoor version of the sport. The official rules are governed by FIVB and on court there is a podium at one end of the net for the referee. JARGON BUSTER Digs, shanks and spikes rules is called a fault, it wng any of these I lead to a penalty and possibly a point going to the other team. 4 Clenched fist The blocker will not be making a block, but rather dropping back to play defence with the partner. 5 Pointing/hand shaking The player is indicating to the serving teammate which opponent to serve to. A guide to some of the terminology used in beach volleyball I The ball may touch any part of the body, but not more than once in succession - this fault is calleda double contact. Sizzling the pits A spike that sneaks by the Shank Skyball Missile Loop A high 'looping' shot heading over the top of the defender, I The ball may only be hit and cannot be caught or thrown. An extremely high serve that is difficult to blocker's armpits. pass because of the wind When a failed pass or dig sends the ball spinning up into the crowd rather than towards your Slang for a spike or serve hit out of bounds. Ace I The ball can touch more than one body part in one hit, as long as it happens simultaneously. TECHNOLOGY When a serve makes it to the ground without the opponent touching it. landing deep Net notes and sun. Sprawl A iype of dig where a player places his/her hands on the ground and pushes his or her body forward and down as if diving. On top of either end of the net, you will see antennae stretching 80cm above. These antennae, made from fibreglass or a towards the back of the court. partner. IA team can hit the ball a maximum of three times before returning it. A block counts as one of the three hits. Block similar flexible material, emit a beeping sound when a serve or player hits the net, letting referees know that a serve needs to be played again or if a player has touched the net during the course of a point. I Each consecutive hit must be made by the alternate player. When a player jumps near the net to intercept an opponent's spike, trying to force the ball back at Pancake A dig where a player extends his or her hand palm down on the floor, letting the ball bounce off the back of the hand. Flipper I The ball may not be blocked during A reaching hit made with the outstretched back of the hand them or down to IA player may not use another player, the net or other structure to assist him/her to reach the ball. the ground. in a flipping motion. Set A pass or shot used to 'set' your partner up for a spike or hit. This is typically a volley or a dig. The person most skilled at this move is IA player cannot touch the ball or the opponent in the opponent's space during an attacking hit by that player. IA service may not be received open-handed. known as a selter. 22 Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International 23 TECHNICAL AREA REFEREES Meet the men on the podiums Injury and prevention Just because this form of Great Britain's leading volleyball is played on a beach, it doesn't mean it's a laid-back affair. It's strain that the sport takes a full-blooded, muscle- wrenching affair. Denise Johns is one of beach volleyball players. She talks about the on the body and what measures can be taken to prevent injury. Shoulder "The shoulder is obviously an area which takes a real pounding during both training and compelition, so we work hard on a lot of strengthening and pre hab exercises. The theraband is a piece of stretchy elastic which is used to loosen up the shoulders. Before every session we'd probably go through abcut ten minutes of exercises." Dink or 'pokey Played using the fingertips or knuckles, the ball can be gently pushed just over the net so it lands close to the border, or hit deep to land at the back of the court. Husband & wife This is when a serve is directed straight down the middle between two players in the hope that failure to communicate causes both players to leave it, letting it hit the ground. Referees Damien Searle and Greg Thompson on watching the game TACTICS Tricky tạctics and fechniques Back Many people might think you have the best job there is, travelling the world to watch beach volleyball. GT We certainly get to visit wonderful countries and cities, but when we're there, it's to do a job. An international tournament usually lasts one week, and during that time we only have one or two evenings and Sunday morning to sightsee. The rest of the time we're at the venue or our hotel recovering from a long day at the 'office' "As most players are tall, back problems are very common, parlicularly in the upper back around the shoulders. Preventative measures should always be taken to strengthen this area and I would suggest benchpulls and bench- presses are helpful, although always make sure you pull down slowly " Tips and tricks to beat the competition Finger "Finger in pinky [litle finger], which is one of the most annoying injuries. I would stub my pinky about once every wo montha, often on m hand, because I'm righthanded. Your fingers are most vulnerable when going for a block Once I broke my pinky during a tournament in Thailand. We were playing Canada and I blocked the ball. I completed the game completely oblivious to the nature of my injury (Denise and her teammate Lucy Boulton lost inm three setsl. It was only the next day I realised I'd done something quile serious. I's hard to prevent injuries to the finger but most people altach tape to their fingers to strengthen them, and ohers use volleyball finger supports." Pulling are common particularly to my When a blocker 'pulls' back into court to play defence. Usually this happens when the opposition is not in a good position to spike the ball successfully. What is the most important rule in beach volleyball? DS Many men would say the uniform size for the women's bikinis is their y right favourite rule, but for me it is The ball cannot be caught or thrown" This really defines what the sport of volleybal (beach and indoor) is all about and helps keep the ball flying What situation in beach volleyball is the most difficult to call fairly? DS The shot where the player uses their fingers to put the ball in the air for their partner to spike is known as setting. This can be difficult to judge as there are subtle differences in the techniques that the players use; some illegal, some borderline, and some ok. As referees we need to make judgement calls on each set. Being consistent with these between different players and teams can be difficult GT I agree. At the moment FIVB is putting a lot of emphasis on reducing Knees Faking When the backcourt player (defence player) tricks the opposition into thinking they are moving a certain way, but actually go the other. This is done in hopes that the opposition will play a hit directly at the faking player. "Knee problems are more commonplace in indoor volleyball because of the jumping up and down on hard courts. landing on sand for Beach Volleyball is more forgiving but you still have to be wary of this part of the body. When lifting heavy weights during squats I'd always make sure the leg is in proper alignment and the knees come forward." the time the ball is in contact with the hands during setting, so as referees we need to be extra vigilant. 24 Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International 25