Beach volleyball has its own set of rules that are similar to indoor volleyball in some ways but significantly different in others. If you have played indoor volleyball, water volleyball, or just watched beach volleyball on TV and want to try it yourself, understanding the rules is the first step.
This guide covers everything a beginner needs to know – from basic scoring and court dimensions to the more nuanced rules around setting, blocking, and hand signals that trip up new players.
The Basics
Beach volleyball is played 2 vs 2 on a sand court with a raised net. Each team tries to ground the ball on the opponent’s side of the court or force the opponent into an error. The game is played in sets, and a match is typically best of three sets.
The sport is governed internationally by the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball), though recreational play often uses relaxed versions of the official rules. For some interesting background on the sport, see our collection of volleyball facts and statistics.
Court Dimensions
A regulation beach volleyball court is 16 meters long by 8 meters wide (roughly 52.5 feet by 26 feet). The court is divided in half by the net, giving each team an 8-by-8 meter square. There are no attack lines or zones like in indoor volleyball – the entire half-court is available for both players on a team.
The court is surrounded by a free zone of at least 3 meters on all sides (5 meters at the ends for FIVB-sanctioned events). The sand should be at least 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) deep and free of rocks, shells, and other debris.
For recreational play, these dimensions are flexible. Many public beach courts and backyard sand courts are smaller, and that is perfectly fine. Just agree on boundaries before the game starts.
Net Height
The net height varies by division:
Men’s regulation: 2.43 meters (7 feet 11 5/8 inches) – the same as indoor volleyball.
Women’s regulation: 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 1/8 inches) – also the same as indoor.
Co-ed recreational play: typically set at women’s height or slightly lower. Many public beach courts have fixed nets set at men’s height.
The net is 8.5 meters wide (about 28 feet) for official competition, which is slightly wider than the court itself. The extra width allows the antennas (vertical markers on each end of the net) to clearly delineate in-bounds from out-of-bounds on net plays.
This is quite a bit higher than a water volleyball net, which typically sits 4 to 5 feet above the water.
Scoring
Beach volleyball uses rally scoring, which means a point is awarded on every rally regardless of which team served. This is the same system used in modern indoor volleyball and water volleyball.
A standard match is best of three sets. The first two sets are played to 21 points, and a team must win by at least 2 points. If a third set is needed (a tiebreaker), it is played to 15 points, again with a minimum 2-point lead required.
There is no cap on the score. If the game is tied 20-20, play continues until one team leads by 2 (22-20, 23-21, etc.). The same applies in a third set tied at 14-14.
For recreational games, people often play to 15 points per set or even play a single set to 21 to keep games shorter.
Serving
The serve starts every rally. The server stands behind the end line (the back boundary of the court) and hits the ball over the net to the opposing team. A few key rules:
The server must serve from behind the end line and may serve from anywhere along its full width. Unlike indoor volleyball, there is no designated service zone or rotation order between positions (since there are only two players).
The ball must be hit with one hand or arm. You can use an open hand, a fist, or any part of the arm. Overhand serves, underhand serves, jump serves, and float serves are all legal.
The ball must pass over the net between the antennas. A serve that hits the net but still goes over and lands in bounds is a legal serve (called a “let serve”). This rule was changed in 2001 – before that, a net serve was a fault.
Each server continues to serve until their team loses a rally (a side-out). After a side-out, the serve passes to the other team.
The service order alternates between the two players on each team. If Player A serves first, after the next side-out and the serve returns to that team, Player B serves. This alternation continues throughout the set.
Each team gets a maximum of three contacts to return the ball over the net. The three contacts are typically a pass (or dig), a set, and an attack (spike or hit). A block touch does NOT count as one of the three contacts – so after a block, the team still gets three touches.
The Setting Rule (This Is the Big One)
This is the rule that confuses beginners the most and the one that differs most from indoor and water volleyball.
In beach volleyball, overhead sets (using two hands to push the ball up with your fingertips) are legal, but they are judged much more strictly than in indoor volleyball. The ball must come out of your hands cleanly – it cannot visibly spin or rotate after an overhead set. If the referee sees the ball spinning excessively, it is called a “double contact” or “lift” and the opposing team wins the rally.
In practice, this means that most beach volleyball players use a bump (forearm pass) for the second contact rather than an overhead set, especially when the ball is coming from a difficult angle. Clean overhead setting requires a lot of practice in sand, and even experienced players get called for doubles sometimes.
The exception: you can set the ball over the net using an overhead set, but only if your shoulders are square (perpendicular) to the direction the ball travels. Setting the ball over the net at an angle using your fingertips is a fault. This rule prevents players from disguising a deceptive attack as a set.
Open-Hand Tips and Dinks
You cannot use an open-hand tip (gently pushing the ball over the net with your fingertips) in beach volleyball. Any attack played with the fingertips must be a clean, hard-driven contact. To play a soft shot over or around the block, players use a “cobra” (hitting with stiff, closed fingers) or a roll shot (contacting the ball with an open palm and rolling it over the block).
This rule is another major difference from indoor volleyball, where tips and dinks are common and legal.
Other Contact Rules
A player cannot hit the ball twice in a row (consecutive contacts), except after making a block.
The ball can contact any part of the body, including the feet and legs. This is the same as modern indoor rules.
The ball must be hit, not caught or thrown. Any prolonged contact where the ball visibly rests in the player’s hands is a “lift” or “carry” fault.
Switching Sides
Teams switch sides of the court frequently in beach volleyball. In a set played to 21 points, teams switch sides every 7 points (when the combined score reaches 7, 14, 21, etc.). In a third set played to 15, teams switch every 5 points.
The purpose is fairness. Sun, wind, and court surface can vary between sides, and switching frequently ensures neither team has a persistent advantage from environmental conditions.
During recreational play, people often switch sides less frequently or not at all if conditions are similar on both sides.
Blocking
Both players on a team are eligible to block at the net. A block touch does not count as one of the team’s three contacts, so after a block, the team still has three touches to return the ball. The blocker can also make the first contact after their own block.
A block is defined as an attempt to intercept the ball at or near the net with hands above the net. Reaching over the net to block is legal as long as you do not interfere with the opponent’s play before they contact the ball.
Timeouts and Technical Timeouts
In official competition, each team gets one 30-second timeout per set. There are also two technical timeouts per set that occur automatically when the combined score reaches 21 and 42 in sets played to 21 points (at 10 in the third set). Technical timeouts last 30 seconds.
During recreational play, take breaks whenever you need them. Playing in sand and sun is physically demanding, and hydration breaks are important.
Key Differences from Indoor Volleyball
If you are coming from indoor volleyball, these are the rules that will trip you up most often on the beach:
Teams are 2 players instead of 6. There are no substitutions – both players play the entire match.
Setting is judged much more strictly. What would be a clean set indoors may get called as a double on the beach.
Open-hand tips are not allowed. Use a cobra or roll shot instead.
There are no positional faults. Since there are only 2 players and no rotation order to maintain, both players can be anywhere on their side of the court at any time.
The court is smaller (8 by 8 meters per side vs. 9 by 9 in indoor).
There is no libero or defensive specialist – both players play front and back.
Coaching during the match is generally not allowed in official competition (though this rule has been relaxed in some recent FIVB events).
Key Differences from Water Volleyball
If you are more familiar with water volleyball, the differences from beach volleyball include:
Playing surface. Sand vs. water changes everything about movement, jumping, and ball control.
Net height. Beach volleyball nets are much higher (7+ feet) than water volleyball nets (4-5 feet above water).
Team size. Beach volleyball is strictly 2 vs 2. Water volleyball is typically 4 vs 4 or 6 vs 6.
Contact rules. Beach volleyball has much stricter rules about overhead setting and tipping. Water volleyball tends to be more lenient.
Physical demands. Beach volleyball requires explosive jumping, diving, and sprinting in sand. Water volleyball requires treading water and swimming. Both are excellent workouts, just very different ones.
Hand Signals
In official beach volleyball, players use hand signals behind their back before each serve to communicate blocking strategy to their partner. The server’s partner holds up fingers behind their back to indicate what they plan to do:
One finger: block the line (the area closest to the antenna on the blocker’s side).
Two fingers: block the angle (the cross-court shot).
Closed fist: no block (the partner will drop back and play defense instead).
An open hand or wiggling fingers can indicate a switch or a fake block.
These signals are a fun aspect of beach volleyball that beginners can start using once they are comfortable with the basic game. They add a layer of strategy that makes the 2-person format surprisingly tactical.
Getting Started
The easiest way to start playing beach volleyball is to find a local public court. Many beaches, parks, and recreation centers have sand volleyball courts that are free to use. Bring a volleyball and at least one other person and you can start playing.
For equipment, all you really need is a volleyball (a dedicated beach volleyball has a slightly larger circumference and softer touch than an indoor ball), comfortable athletic clothing, sunscreen, and water. Playing barefoot is standard and expected.
If you prefer playing in the pool instead, our guide on how to play water volleyball covers everything you need to get started. If you want to play more competitively, look for local leagues and tournaments. Many cities have recreational beach volleyball leagues that welcome beginners. These are a great way to learn the game, meet other players, and get regular playing time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players are on a beach volleyball team?
Official beach volleyball is played 2 vs 2. This is standard at all competitive levels, from recreational leagues to the Olympics. Some casual games are played with more players (3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4), but this is not standard and changes the dynamics of the game significantly. If you are looking for ways to include larger groups or mixed skill levels, our guide to adapting water volleyball for all ages has some great ideas.
Can you set the ball in beach volleyball?
Yes, overhead setting is legal in beach volleyball, but it is judged much more strictly than in indoor volleyball. The ball must come out of your hands cleanly without excessive spin. Many players prefer to bump set (using forearms) to avoid being called for a double contact. Setting the ball over the net is allowed only if your shoulders are square to the direction the ball travels.
What happens when the ball hits the line in beach volleyball?
A ball that lands on the boundary line is IN. The lines are part of the court. This is the same as indoor volleyball. In recreational play without line judges, close calls should be decided generously – if you are not sure, the ball is in.
Can you touch the net in beach volleyball?
No. Touching the net during play is a fault, and the opposing team wins the rally. This includes touching the net with any part of your body or clothing while making a play on the ball. Incidental contact with the net that does not affect play may be allowed at the referee’s discretion in some recreational settings, but in official competition, any net touch during a play is a fault.
Is beach volleyball harder than indoor volleyball?
They are different kinds of hard. Beach volleyball is more physically demanding per player because you cover the entire court with just two people and you are running and jumping in sand, which requires significantly more energy than a hard court. Indoor volleyball involves more complex team coordination with six players, specialized positions, and faster-paced rallies. Most players who try both find beach volleyball more exhausting and indoor volleyball more tactically complex.