Rules

Beach volleyball is governed by the official rules of the FIVB. This guide organizes the FIVB Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 (in force from 1 January 2025) by topic.

Team

2 players (no subs)

Court

16m × 8m

Net

M 2.43m · W 2.24m

Ball

66–68cm · 260–280g

Set

21 (15 in set 3), win by 2

Court change

every 7 pts (5 in set 3)

Contents

Beach volleyball is played by two teams on a sand court divided by a net.

A team has three hits to return the ball, including the block touch.

It uses the rally-point system: the team that wins a rally scores. When the receiving team wins, it gains the point and the serve, and the serving player alternates.

The court is a 16m × 8m rectangle; all lines are 5cm wide. Unlike indoor volleyball there is no centre line and no attack line.

A free zone of at least 3m surrounds the court, with at least 7m of free playing space overhead. (FIVB events: 5–6m free zone, 12.5m+ overhead.)

An 8m-wide service zone runs behind the end line to the edge of the free zone.

The surface must be levelled sand, free of rocks, shells or anything that could cause injury.

For FIVB events the sand must be at least 40cm deep and sifted to fine, loosely compacted grains.

The net is set at 2.43m (men) and 2.24m (women), measured at the centre. (Age groups: U16 2.24m, U14 2.12m, U12 2.00m.)

The net is 8.5m long, 1m deep, with 10cm square mesh and 7–10cm bands top and bottom.

Posts stand 0.70–1.00m outside the sidelines (1m at FIVB events), are 2.55m high and padded.

Two 5cm × 1m side bands sit directly above the sidelines and are part of the net.

Antennae are 1.8m fibreglass rods (10mm diameter) extending 80cm above the net; they laterally bound the crossing space.

Circumference 66–68cm, weight 260–280g, pressure 0.175–0.225 kg/cm² (171–221 mbar) — lower than indoor, with a water-resistant cover.

All match balls must be identical; FIVB events use a four-ball system (four balls, six retrievers).

A team is exactly two players with no substitutes; only the two on the score sheet may play.

One of the two is designated team captain.

At FIVB events, external coaching or assistance during a match is not allowed (with some age-group/Continental Cup exceptions).

Players wear shorts or a bathing suit; a shirt/tank top is optional (or required by tournament rules). Caps are allowed.

Players compete barefoot; socks/shoes may be allowed with the referee's permission. Jerseys are numbered 1 and 2.

Objects that may cause injury or give an artificial advantage are forbidden; glasses or lenses may be worn at the player's own risk.

Before the match the captain signs the score sheet and represents the team in the toss.

During play, only the captain may address the referees while the ball is out of play — to ask for a rules explanation, check equipment, or request a time-out.

A team scores by landing the ball in the opponent's court, when the opponent faults, or when the opponent is penalized.

If faults occur successively only the first counts; simultaneous faults are a double fault and the rally is replayed.

Sets 1 and 2 are played to 21 and the deciding set to 15, each won by two points (deuce at 20-20).

The match is best of three sets — first to two sets wins.

A team that refuses to play defaults (0-2, 0-21 each set); a team unable to continue is declared incomplete and loses.

The first referee conducts the toss; the winner chooses either to serve/receive or which side of the court.

The official warm-up at the net is 3 minutes (if a separate court was available) or 5 minutes if not.

Both players must always be in play; there are no positions or positional faults, but service order must be kept through the set.

The ball is in play from the authorized service hit and out of play at the moment of a fault or the referee's whistle.

The ball is 'in' if it touches the court including the lines, and 'out' if it lands beyond them or touches the antennae or outside objects.

A team may contact the ball three times (a fourth is 'four hits'); the block contact counts as one of these.

A player may not contact the ball twice in a row (exceptions: blocking, and simultaneous contacts on the first hit).

If two teammates touch simultaneously it counts as two hits (except on a block); merely colliding is not a fault.

The ball may be touched with any part of the body but must not be caught or thrown (a 'catch' fault).

On the first hit when defending a hard-driven ball, a momentary double or extended contact is allowed (not via an overhand finger pass).

Common faults: four hits, catch (lift/throw), double contact, and an assisted hit (taking support to play the ball).

The ball must cross to the opponent's court through the crossing space between the antennae; it stays in play if it touches the net.

A ball driven into the net may be recovered within the three team hits.

Touching the net between the antennae during the action of playing the ball is a fault; touching posts or ropes outside the antennae is not, if it does not interfere.

Entering the opponent's space or court is allowed as long as it does not interfere with their play.

The serve is hit with one hand or arm after a single toss, from within the service zone, within 5 seconds of the referee's whistle.

At the hit (or take-off for a jump serve) the server must not touch the court — including the end line — or the ground outside the service zone.

If the tossed ball drops untouched it counts as a serve; no second attempt is permitted.

If the serving team wins, the same player serves again; if the receiving team wins, the player who did not serve last takes the serve.

Screening — waving arms, jumping or moving sideways to hide the serve and the ball's path — is prohibited.

Every action sending the ball to the opponent except serve and block is an attack hit, made within the player's own space.

An open-hand tip (pushing the ball with the fingertips) is a fault.

Attacking the opponent's serve when the ball is entirely above the net is a fault.

Completing an attack with an overhand pass whose path is not perpendicular to the shoulders is a fault (unless setting to a teammate).

Blocking intercepts the opponent's ball near the net, reaching above it; part of the body must be higher than the net at contact.

A block counts as the team's first contact, leaving two more hits; the blocker may take the next contact.

Blocking the serve is forbidden, and a blocker may not touch the ball beyond the net before the opponent completes the attack.

Each team has one 30-second time-out per set, requested only by the captain.

At FIVB events, in sets 1 and 2 a 30-second technical time-out applies automatically when the teams' combined score reaches 21 (not in the deciding set).

Up to 12 seconds is allowed between the end of a rally and the whistle for the next serve.

Delays are sanctioned first with a 'delay warning', then a 'delay penalty' (a point and serve to the opponent).

On a serious accident play stops immediately for medical help and the rally is replayed; an injured player gets up to 5 minutes recovery time.

External interference means a replay; interruptions totalling under 4 hours resume with the score, over 4 hours the whole match is replayed.

The interval between sets is one minute; a fresh toss is taken before the deciding set.

Teams change ends every 7 combined points in sets 1 and 2, and every 5 in the deciding set, without delay.

Players must know the rules and accept officials' decisions in a sporting manner; questions go only through the captain.

Participants must behave respectfully toward officials, opponents, teammates and spectators in the spirit of fair play.

Minor misconduct is handled by a verbal warning (stage 1) then a yellow card (stage 2); the yellow card itself carries no penalty.

Rude conduct draws a penalty (red card: a point and serve), offensive conduct an expulsion, and aggression a disqualification.

Cards: yellow = warning, red = penalty, both together = expulsion, separately = disqualification.

The corps comprises the 1st and 2nd referees, (where applicable) a challenge and reserve referee, a scorer, and two to four line judges.

The first referee directs the match from the stand and has the final say; the second referee manages time-outs and court changes and oversees the scorer.

When the Video Challenge System (VCS) is in use at FIVB events, a challenge referee is appointed.

Referees indicate the nature of each fault with official hand signals, and line judges use flag signals.

This guide is a plain-language summary for reference; the authoritative text is the official FIVB rulebook.