Summer is a time of relaxation and entertainment on the water. When gathering in large companies, people come up with different ways to have fun. Who sings songs with a guitar by the fire, who plays football, and who just basks in the summer sun. But volleyball will be an undoubted attribute of a beach pastime for each of the groups, or rather beach volleyball, which for almost a century has been keeping coastal vacationers and not only them bored.
California - Homeland of Beach Sports
There are a lot of versions about where the ball game in the sand originated. However, they tend to California. But in Europe, this game was introduced by nudists from France. The officially recognized first match was held in 1927 in the state of California in State Beach under the auspices of the company Holzman.
1965 was marked by the creation of the first association, which came up and approved the rules of the game of beach volleyball. Albeit unofficial, but still the first world-wide competitions were held in the 76th year. And in July of the 83rd, they founded the Association of Professional Volleyball Players. In 1986, the World Volleyball Federation approved this sports game.
Although an indicative sport, the ball game in the sand in the 92nd was included in the Olympic program. And already in 97, the official world championship in a new sport was held. The most successful in the beach game consider teams from America and Brazil.
Classic and beach volleyball: similarities and differences
This sport arose as an active holiday, based on the classic game of volleyball. However, over time, undergoing changes, the rules of beach volleyball competitions began to differ significantly. For the players, such qualities as jumping ability, excellent reaction, serving power and a sense of play and ball remained important, but some other requirements were added. The game takes place in the sand, and this requires a certain level of physical fitness from athletes. Like many sports, volleyball is carried out, despite the weather, while the possibility of replacements during the game is not provided, respectively, considerable endurance is required from the players. And perhaps the most striking difference from classic volleyball is to call the required number of players. According to the rules of beach volleyball, there are only 2 players and therefore they must be universal.
Signals and gestures
Despite all the differences of this sport from other team games, it is distinguished by one interesting feature - it's signal gestures. According to unofficial rules of the game, members of one team agree on tactics for further actions on the playing field. One player sends such a signal behind his back to another, who is on the far side of the field. Each hand corresponds to a specific side of the attack. And the gestures themselves are:
- 1 finger (shock blocking directed in a line);
- 2 fingers (lock to the diagonal);
- fist (the player will not put a block);
- open hand (blocking the hit “into the ball”).
There is also a “blink” - alternately squeezing-unclenching a hand into a fist, which means the requirement of filing in the corresponding player.
Official rules
There is a whole volume of rules for playing in the sand created by the FIVB. Consider the most basic of them.
Following the rules of beach volleyball for professionals, there are two players in each team, and there are no replacements. The site is in the sand, where the name comes from. The dimensions for each team are 8 by 8 meters, and it is divided by a stretched mesh. The height of the net for men and for women is different (2.43 and 2.24 meters, respectively). The main goal of the game is the desire of each team to ensure that the ball falls on the opponent’s court, while ensuring that this does not happen to you. It is allowed to hit the ball not only by hand.
The ball is allowed to serve due to the line of the court to the opposite part of it. An opposing team is allowed to touch the ball up to three times, and each player may hit the ball during his rally no more than once in a row. Exceptions are the first touch and the moment of blocking the blow.
The next serve is carried out by the team, which won the rally when the ball was served, but by another player. To do this, it is necessary for the ball to fall on the opposite court, go out of line or one of the teams made a mistake. The pair receives 1 point for each victory in the ball.
During the match, according to the rules of beach volleyball, two games are played, and in order to win, the team must win both. In the event of an equal score, a third, additional batch is held. Athletes must receive at least 21 points in order to earn a winner title, however, the difference in score should be more than 2 points. Otherwise, the game continues to the desired score. As for the additional game, it provides for the need to get 15 points under the same rules as during the main game.
It is worth noting that the rules of beach volleyball in 2014 have undergone some changes, which will be tested in July-August. Now the rule of three touches of a team does not apply to touching a block. Therefore, in addition to touching the block, athletes are entitled to 3 more touches before the ball returns to the opposite side.
Also, exceptions were removed regarding the extension of the time the fingers touched the ball when the upper first touch was made, which includes the reception of the pitch, contact after the blocks and contact from the enemy’s attack.
Prohibited Tricks
The rules of beach volleyball competitions also govern the incorrect behavior of players during the competition. This may be unsportsmanlike behavior: bullying, disputes, and the like; rude behavior, such as contempt; insults, including gestures; aggressive behavior and physical assault.
Between games or even before the game, any improper behavior also leads to the punishment that will be applied in the next game.
Interesting fact
- In 1948, the official organizer of the tournament was Pepsi.
- Unlike classic volleyball, according to the rules of beach volleyball, there are no temperature restrictions for games.
- The longest game and the match as a whole were held in 2005, then the additional game ended with a score of 33:35.
- Records for the speed of the ball: for men - 114 km per hour, for women - 86.5 km per hour.