Beach volleyball

Beach volleyball: rules, roles and hand signals

Two players, no substitutes, and a handful of rules that work differently from indoor volleyball. Plus how a pair splits blocking and defence, and what the signals behind the back mean.

Indoor vs beach
Official beach rules (PDF)

The beach rules in 16 points

What changes on sand

In our own words, with the number from the FIVB beach rulebook 2025–2028. The court above is drawn to scale.

  1. The court

    A beach court is 16 × 8 m, with a free zone of at least 3 m around it. Only the outer lines are marked: there is no centre line and no attack line.

    Beach rules 1.1.1, 1.3.2

  2. The net

    Same height as indoors: 2.43 m for men, 2.24 m for women. The net is 8.5 m long.

    Beach rules 2.1.1, 2.2

  3. The ball

    A beach ball is a little bigger (66–68 cm around), weighs the same 260–280 g and is pumped to a much lower pressure: 0.175–0.225 kg/cm², against 0.30–0.325 indoors.

    Beach rule 3.1

  4. Two players

    A team is exactly two players, and there are no substitutions. Players play barefoot unless the referee allows otherwise.

    Beach rules 4.1.1, 15.2.2, 4.3.2

  5. Points and sets

    A set goes to 21 points with a two-point lead, and two won sets win the match. A deciding third set goes to 15.

    Beach rules 6.2, 6.3.1, 6.3.2

  6. No fixed positions

    There are no fixed positions and no positional faults. Only the serving order counts, and it stays the same for the whole set.

    Beach rules 7.4.1, 7.5.1, 7.6.1

  7. Three hits, block included

    Three hits per side, and here the block counts as one of them: after a block touch, the team has two more.

    Beach rules 9.1, 14.4.1

  8. Five seconds to serve

    The server has 5 seconds after the whistle, three fewer than indoors.

    Beach rule 12.4.4

  9. Shots with the fingers

    An open-handed tip is a fault: a shot with the fingers must be made with rigid fingers held together. An overhand pass that goes over the net must travel perpendicular to the line of the shoulders, unless the player was setting the partner. Attacking the serve while the ball is entirely above the net is a fault.

    Beach rules 13.2.3, 13.2.4, 13.2.5

  10. Time-outs

    One 30-second time-out per team and set. In FIVB, world and official competitions, sets 1 and 2 also have a 30-second technical time-out when the score adds up to 21; the third set has none.

    Beach rules 15.1, 15.4.1, 15.4.2, 15.4.3

  11. Switching sides

    Teams switch sides every 7 points in sets 1 and 2 and every 5 points in set 3, so sun and wind are shared fairly.

    Beach rule 18.2.1

  12. Serving from the sand

    The server may move freely in the service zone but must not touch the end line or put a foot under it. If the tossed ball drops to the sand untouched, it counts as the serve, and there is no second attempt.

    Beach rules 12.4.3, 12.4.6, 12.4.7

  13. Fingers on the first hit

    On the team's first hit, several consecutive contacts are allowed only if the ball is not played overhand with the fingers. When digging a hard-driven ball, the contact may be slightly extended even with an overhand finger action.

    Beach rules 9.2.2.2, 9.2.2.4

  14. Into the other court

    With no centre line, players may enter the opponents' court, space and free zone as long as they don't interfere with the opponents' play. They may even run into the opponents' court to reach a ball before it passes outside the antennae or completely under the net.

    Beach rules 10.1.4, 11.2.1

  15. No coaching during the match

    At FIVB, world and official competitions players may not receive outside help or coaching during a match; regulations for age-group events can allow exceptions. Time-outs are requested by the captain.

    Beach rules 4.1.4, 15.3

  16. Short breaks

    Breaks on the beach are short: one minute between sets, and normally no more than 12 seconds from the end of a rally to the next whistle for service. An injured player gets at most five minutes to recover.

    Beach rules 16.1.3, 17.1.2, 18.1.1

Court, sand and weather

Where you play, and with what

A beach court is smaller than an indoor court, has no centre line and no attack line, and lies in the open air. That is why the beach rulebook also covers sand, weather and clothing.

  • A free zone of at least 3 m surrounds the court; at FIVB, world and official competitions it is 5 to 6 m, with at least 12.5 m of free space above the sand. Beach rules 1.1.1, 1.1.2
  • The sand must be level and free of stones and shells; at those top events it is at least 40 cm deep. Beach rules 1.2.1, 1.2.2
  • The lines are 5 cm ribbons in a colour that stands out from the sand, and they count as part of the court. Beach rules 1.3.1, 1.3.2
  • The ball is made of a material that does not soak up water, because matches can go on in the rain. Beach rule 3.1
  • Players wear shorts or a swimsuit, a top is optional unless the tournament prescribes it, and a hat is allowed. They play barefoot unless the first referee allows socks or shoes. Beach rules 4.3, 4.3.2

The ball

Bigger and softer

A beach ball measures 66 to 68 cm around and weighs the same 260 to 280 g as an indoor ball, but it is pumped to a much lower 0.175 to 0.225 kg/cm² Beach rule 3.1. FIVB events are played with four balls Beach rule 3.3.

Two players

Block and defence: how a pair splits the work

There are no fixed positions, but there is a clear split: one player takes away part of the court with the block, the other defends the rest. With only two players on court there is always open space, so an attack doesn't always have to be hard2.

B

Blocker

Plays at the net. Shows the block plan behind the back before the serve and takes away either the line or the angle with the block; the attacker on the other side tries to see where the block stands just before the hit.2

  • Any player may block: there are no back-row restrictions on the beach. Beach rule 14.1.1
  • The block touch counts as one of the three hits, so after it the team has two left. Beach rule 14.4.1
D

Defender

Stays back and covers what the block leaves open. In one CEV defence pattern against a line block, the defender starts on the diagonal, defends the hard angle first, runs for the line shot second and gives up the short cut shot.2

  • No fixed positions: blocker and defender may swap at any time. Beach rules 7.4.1, 7.5.1
  • The players serve in turn; the order stays the same for the whole set. Beach rules 7.6.1, 12.2.2.2

What the attacker sees

The beach coaching script of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) teaches attacking in three steps: vision, decision, execution. Just before the hit the attacker sees where the blocker and the defender stand, then picks one of four basic attacks: the power diagonal, the power line, the soft line shot and the short, sharp “cut” shot2.

The defence answers by covering two of three zones and giving up the third. Against a line block, for example, the defender starts on the diagonal, defends the power angle first, runs for the line shot second and leaves the cut shot open. Moving early in one direction, a fake, can also steer the attacker's choice2.

Behind the back

Beach hand signals

Before the serve, the player at the net shows a signal behind the back so the partner knows the block plan. The two coaching sources we checked agree on one and two fingers; the fist is used differently by different teams.

SignalThe blocker meansThe partner
One finger“I block the line”: the shot along the side line.Defends the angle, the cross-court shot.34
Two fingers“I block the angle”: the cross-court shot.Defends the line.34
FistDepends on the team: often “no block, I pull off and defend”, for some a block on the ball.Agree it before the match.34

Not in the rulebook. Signals are a team agreement, not a rule. Before the serve some teams also signal where to serve; agree your own code with your partner.

Sources

  1. FIVB: Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 (PDF)
  2. CEV: Beach Volleyball Masterclass Script, attack and defence (PDF, 2019)
  3. Better At Volleyball: How to read beach volleyball finger signals (Jeff Lacroix)
  4. Wilson: Understanding beach volleyball hand signals

Checked on 21 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@courtandsand.com.

For players, parents and coaches

The rotations cheat sheet

All six rotations of the 5-1 system on one printable page: who stands where at the serve, where everyone switches after it, and the position rule with its rule numbers.

  • Six rotations at the serve and after it
  • The position rule in four lines
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