Summer is the time to relax and have fun on the water. 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 rays of the summer sun. But the undoubted attribute of beach pastime for each of the groups will be volleyball, more precisely Beach volleyball, which for almost a century has not let coastal vacationers and not only them get bored.

California is the birthplace of beach sports

There are a lot of versions about where the ball game on the sand originated. However, they lean towards California. But in Europe this game was introduced by nudists from France. The officially recognized first match was held in 1927 in State Beach, California, under the auspices of Holzman.

1965 was marked by the creation of the first association, which came up with and approved the rules for playing beach volleyball. Albeit unofficial, but still the first world-scale competitions were held in the 76th year. And in July 1983, the Association of Professional Volleyball Players was founded. In 1986 world federation volleyball approved this sport game.

Albeit as a demonstration sport, but still on the sand in the 92nd entered Olympic program. And already in the 97th, the official world championship was held for the most successful in beach game consider teams from America and Brazil.

Classic and beach volleyball: similarities and differences

This sport originated as leisure 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, power of delivery and feeling of the game and the ball remained important, but some other requirements were added. The game takes place on the sand, and this requires a certain level physical training from athletes. Like many sports, volleyball is played regardless of the weather, while the possibility of substitutions during the game is not provided, respectively, considerable endurance is required from the players. And perhaps the most striking difference from classic volleyball is 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 - these are signal gestures. According to the unofficial rules of the game, members of one team agree on tactics for carrying out further actions on the playing field. One player gives such a signal behind his back to another, who is standing in the far half of the field. Each hand corresponds to a certain side of the attack. And the gestures themselves are:

• 1 finger (strike block directed in line);
• 2 fingers (diagonal lock);
• fist (player will not block);
• open palm (blocking the strike "into the ball").

There is also “flashing” - alternately clenching and unclenching the hand into a fist, which means the requirement to serve to the corresponding player.

official rules

There is a whole volume of sand rules created by the FIVB. Let's consider the most basic of them.

Following the rules of beach volleyball for professionals, each team has two players, and there are no substitutions. The site is located on the sand, hence the name. The size of the area for each team is 8 by 8 meters, and it is divided by a stretched net. The height of the net for men and women is different (respectively, 2.43 and 2.24 meters). The main goal of the game is to strive for each team to ensure that the ball falls into the opponent's court, while you need to make sure that this does not happen to you. It is allowed to hit the ball not only with the hand.

The ball is allowed to serve from behind the court line to the opposite part of it. The opposing team is allowed to touch the ball up to three times, while each of the players can hit the ball during its draw no more than once in a row. The exceptions are the first touch and the moment of blocking the blow.

The next serve is carried out by the team that won the rally when the ball was served, but by another player. To do this, it is necessary that the ball fell to the opposite court, went over the line, or one of the teams made a mistake. The couple receives 1 point for each win in the rally.

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 a tie, a third, additional set is played. Athletes must receive at least 21 points in order to earn the title of winner, however, the difference in the score must be more than 2 points. Otherwise, the game continues until 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 2014 have undergone some changes, which will be tested in July-August. Block taps no longer apply to the team's three-touch rule. Therefore, in addition to touching the block, athletes are entitled to 3 more touches before the ball returns to the opposite side.

Exceptions have also been removed regarding prolonging finger contact time on an overhead first touch, which includes receiving a serve, contact after blocks, and contact from an opponent's attack.

Forbidden tricks

The beach volleyball competition rules also govern the players during the competition. It can be intimidation, arguments, and the like; rude behavior, such as a contemptuous attitude; insults, including gestures; and physical attack.

Between sets or even before a game, any misbehavior also results in a penalty that will be applied in the next game.

1. In 1948, Pepsi became the official organizer of the tournament.
2. Unlike classic volleyball, according to the rules of beach volleyball, there are no temperature restrictions during games.
3. The longest game and the match as a whole took place in 2005, when the additional game ended with a score of 33:35.
4. Records for the speed of the ball: for men - 114 km per hour, for women - 86.5 km per hour.

The main aspects of the rules of beach volleyball appeared in 1930, and have changed little since then. 4 players play two-on-two on a sand court. The players' clothing is light: shorts, T-shirts, swimming trunks, bathing suits. Court size: 16 × 8. The court is covered with sand at least 40 cm deep. For beach volleyball, a bright colored ball is used a little more than usual: a volume of 66-68 cm.

Short story

The game of volleyball appeared in 1895 and was invented by William J. Morgan. William Morgan mixed elements of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball.

The first volleyball net was borrowed from tennis and was 197 cm (6’6″) high. A basketball chamber was used as a ball. Later, at the YMCA conference of young Christians, the game was given the name "volleyball", and in 1897 the first official rules appeared. In 1949, the first men's world championship was held, in which the USSR team took first place.

General rules

25 points are required to win. One point is awarded:

• When the ball touches the ground in the opponent's half of the court.
• In case of unsuccessful submission of the opponent (into the net, out of bounds).
• When an opposing player touches the net.
• When an opponent player steps into your half of the court.
• When stepping over the front line in the serve.
• When the ball is touched for the fourth time or more by the opposing team, or when the ball is touched twice by the same player.

In the official rules, the game is played in 2 games. Each game lasts up to 21 points. If both teams have 20 points each, the game continues until one of the teams has a 2-point advantage. For example, such a score could be 30:28 or 26:24. The third, decisive game lasts up to 15 points.

The game has a transition system. It works according to the following principle:

• Team 1 serves Team 2 the ball and the rally wins a point.
• The next submission is in progress. And so on until team 2 scores a point for team 1.
• The right to serve passes to team 2.
• Team 2 serves until team 1 scores.
• In this case, team 1 makes a transition: a pair of players change places.

Important nuance: the first time any command is given, no transition occurs!

Technical aspects

• Net height for men: 2.43 m. For women: 2.24 m.
• Site perimeter: 16 x 8 meters.
• The circumference of the volleyball is 66-68 cm, and the weight of the ball is 250-280 g.

Elements

Volleyball consists of the following elements: serve, receive, pass, strike, block.

Innings

Produced from behind the front line. In no case should you step over the front line until the ball is tossed! The serve is lower, upper, twisted, gliding and power in the jump. Lightest: bottom. Suitable for beginners. The ball in this case is beaten from below with the back of the hand. It turns out a kind of "candle". The most difficult: power in the jump. Is an element of an attacking strike, practiced by professionals or very good players. A good power supply can only be received from below.

Separately, there is a planning feed. Such a ball does not fly in a straight line, but along a sinusoid, slipping out of the hands when received. Served from the spot or from a small jump. Straight blow with outstretched palm to the center of the ball.

The serve must be in the opponent's field and as difficult as possible to take.

Reception

The ball can only be received by the lower reception. In beach volleyball, there is a very reverent attitude towards the overhead pass: it is allowed only with minimal rotation of the ball. Therefore, players always try to receive and pass with the bottom gear.

Pass

Having received the ball, the second player hangs a pass for a shot.

Forward kick

The attack is similar to the rules of classic volleyball. But with the difference that only one person participates in it, and there is no possibility of a discount. If there is a discount, then it should be a short pointy fist movement or a slap on the ball with the palm of your hand.

Block

Likewise with the classics. However, the so-called just often happens in the beach - when both players hold the ball over the net, trying to throw it to the opponent's side. If the ball rolls behind the antenna after the just, the serve is replayed.

Gestures

One of interesting features beach volleyball is to use signals to tell the partner what tactics of the game will be chosen. The signal is given behind the back by a player who is closer to the net during the service or just before blocking. Hands correspond to the sides of the attack - left hand for the attacker on the left, and the right one for the attacker on the right. Typically, one finger means line block, two fingers diagonal block, a fist means the player will not block, and an open hand means ball block. When serving, "blinking" the hand, i.e. alternating between clenching the hand into a fist and unclenching it, means that the blocker wants his or her partner to serve at the player on the corresponding side of the court.

In addition to hand signals, beach volleyball also uses voice prompts. The player remaining in defense can use them both for hinting to the partner and for informing the partner about his position. As a rule, these are line and diagonal signals, meaning blocking of the corresponding direction of impact. In addition, players can agree among themselves on other conditional signals.

Video for the lazy

Beach volleyball - olympic look sports, sports team game with a ball on a sandy area divided high mesh, the purpose of which is to direct the ball towards the opponent in such a way that it lands in the opponent's half or to cause an error on the part of a player of the opposing team.

International Volleyball Federation (from French Fédération Internationale de Volleyball, abbr. FIVB) - international federation, which unites 220 national federations. The headquarters is located in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

The history of the emergence and development of beach volleyball

Beach volleyball originated in the early 1920s on the beaches of California (USA). In 1927, beach volleyball was introduced to Europe, first in France and then in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Latvia.

First official tournament beach volleyball was held in the United States in 1947, after which the game began to gain popularity and almost equaled surfing.

The California Beach Volleyball Association was formed in 1965 and developed the first beach volleyball rules. In 1983, the Association of Professional Volleyball Players (AVP) was formed.

In 1986, beach volleyball received the status international type sports, and in 1987 in Rio de Janeiro the first, not yet official, world championship was held. The first official championship was held only in 1997 in Los Angeles.

In 1996, beach volleyball made its debut at the Olympic Games in Atlanta (USA).

Beach volleyball rules (briefly)

Consider briefly the rules of the game of beach volleyball. Immediately make a reservation that the rules in beach volleyball are the same for men and women. Teams in beach volleyball consist of two people, if one of the players is injured and cannot continue the game, then this team is considered defeated.

Teams play the serve in turn, with the first team serving until they forfeit the right to serve due to a loss of a point or an error. After the team plays the serve again, another player serves, etc.

A beach volleyball match consists of two games, the score of which goes up to 21 points. If the game reaches the third set, then the score is kept up to 15 points. To win in each of the games, a score difference of at least two points is required. Teams switch sides more often than in normal volleyball. Sides are changed after every seven points in the first two sets, and every five points in the third.

Rules for receiving the ball: in beach volleyball, the ball can be hit with any part of the body, but players of the same team can touch the ball no more than three times, after which they must return it to the side of the enemy.

Players receive warnings for rule violations or inappropriate behavior ( yellow card), remarks (red card), removal (red and yellow card at the same time, means defeat in the game) or disqualification (red and yellow card at the same time in different hands, means defeat in the match).

Beach volleyball court

The beach volleyball court measures 16 meters long and 8 meters wide. The site is covered with sand to a depth of at least 40 cm and is divided into two equal parts by a grid. The net in the men's beach volleyball is at a height of 2.43 meters, and in the women's at a height of 2.24 meters.

The marking of the volleyball court is carried out using 5 cm tapes, which are fastened with metal pegs or special wooden discs.

Outfit and equipment for beach volleyball

The beach volleyball is slightly larger than its classic counterpart (66-68 cm), and the pressure in it, on the contrary, is less. The ball must be brightly colored.

Beach volleyball equipment consists of shorts or bathing suits, without any shoes on the feet.

Refereeing

Refereeing in beach volleyball is carried out with the help of two main referees, one of whom (the first) ensures that technique during the game were performed in accordance with the rules. He can also correct the decisions of the second referee.

The second referee watches the play at the net and at middle line, as well as the behavior of coaches and substitutes, provides comprehensive assistance to the first referee. In addition to the main judges, there are line judges on the field.

Do you want to become a beach volleyball guru? Follow the advice of Vyacheslav Krasilnikov.

1. Tell me, how long ago did you set yourself this goal - performance at the Olympic Games?

I got into volleyball at the age of 7. My grandfather was a coach, my father was a professional in this sport, my grandmother was a gymnastics coach. From a very young age, I disappeared in training, I always had a ball with me, and, quite expectedly, I also started playing volleyball. I played for the school, at the age of 16 I was noticed by the coach of the Krasnodar club of the Main Department of Internal Affairs-Dynamo, where I played for several years classic volleyball. In the summer, on vacation, I got acquainted with beach volleyball, which subsequently decided my fate.

In 2008 there was the Beijing Olympics. I watched it from beginning to end, unable to tear my eyes away. Most of all, I was struck by the emotions experienced by the players during the final matches. What was the intensity of passions and how much happiness and jubilation I saw in the performance of athletes who became Olympic champions! And then, sitting in front of the TV screen and watching the victories and losses of others, I realized that I also want to experience these emotions and win Olympic gold. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I could. I wanted to fight for the victory and honor of the country, to leave a mark on sports history. I decided to fully concentrate on beach volleyball and began my journey to Rio 2016.

2. How long did it take to prepare for the Olympic Games? How intensively did you train? What have you incorporated into your workouts that you haven't practiced before?

To get to the Olympics, you need to score a certain number of points and get into the ranking of the 16 best couples in the world. A year before the Olympic Games, we became the 9th pair, which provided us with a ticket to Brazil. Then there was training at the base in Anapa, where my partner Konstantin Semenov and I had very serious functional training and prepared the body for further stages. After that, we went to Spain (Alicante), to the beach volleyball base, where we worked out the technical part and got used to changing time zones. Training took place at night and under artificial lighting, as in the Olympics. There we honed various elements and tried to bring them to perfection. Then all these doping scandals began, which put a lot of pressure on us morally. We had to suffer because of unscrupulous athletes. We were waiting for the verdict from the doping commission 3 weeks before the Olympics. Fortunately, everything worked out, and we received access to participate in the tournament.

Right before the Olympics, we flew to Austria, to a major Major tournament, to get in shape after the break. There the task was to take 9th place, since we did not have time to carry out further stages. As a result, after three days of competition, we finished our participation, achieved our goals and went to the Olympic Games in a good fighting mood.

The preparation was very intensive, otherwise it is impossible to count on Olympic medals. The work was not only physical, but also mental: we calculated game strategies, tried new elements and honed already familiar tricks, came up with various tricks to surprise opponents.

3. Are there special tricks in the game in your sport, chips that you value, do not tell everyone in a row? Can you tell me more about these methods?

Sport is not only physical competition, but also a constant struggle with emotions. You must be collected not only externally, but also internally. A lot depends on the mood and psychological state.

I have several tricks for working on my internal state before the games:

• I am actively social media. People there sincerely support me, get sick, constantly share their emotions from the games and wish me good luck. Fan support helps a lot to believe in yourself;
• I don't watch competitors' matches before games, as it takes away a lot of emotions;
• between games I try to have a good rest, get enough sleep and read developing literature. It helps to distract from experienced emotions and overcome stress;
• I study the tactics of my opponents in slow motion, analyze each draw;
• I have things-talismans in which I play the whole tournament.

In addition, I will give one simple, but helpful advice, which can be used directly during the game: if I do not know what to do during the attack, then I hit between the players in the sixth zone. A win-win method.

4. What advice would you give to athletes who would like to make it to the Olympics one day?

The day after tomorrow, the dreams of playing on the famous Copacabana Beach will come true for the 127 men's and women's teams from 36 countries who have entered the Grand Slam in Rio, the first Grand Slam taking place as part of the 2015-2016 WorldTour season.

For 15 men's couples in 5 months, another dream will come true - to play on Olympic Games 2016. In order to get into the tournament, which takes place every four years, they need to get into the "List of 15". The qualification process is carried out with the help of the FIVB World Tour, which started in January 2015 and will end in mid-June with the Grand Slam in Hamburg.

Selection for the Olympics

Starting in April 2015, the Rio Grand Slam will be the 20th of 30 FIVB World Tour qualifying tournaments for men's teams and the 19th of 28 for women's. minus brazilian teams, the top 15 international couples will qualify for the Olympic Games, which will be held at the same venue as next week's tournament. Since the start of the selection process for the Olympics, teams from 58 countries have taken part in the FIVB World Tour.

In order to qualify for the Olympic qualification, a team must have competed in at least 12 World Tour events and/or Continental Championships from January 2015 to June 13, 2016 with no lineup changes. No more than two teams from each country will be able to take part in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Five men's and five women's pairs will be selected for the Olympics with the help of continental cups - each confederation donates one ticket to the Summer Olympics 2016. The last qualifying tournament will be held July 6-10 in Russia: the last Continental Cup will pass in Sochi. Two best couples in each grid will receive the last two tickets to the Olympic grid of 24 teams.

Brazil is the host country

Two men and women's teams Brazil has already qualified for the Olympics. Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oskar Schmidt and Agata Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas became the winners of the Beach Volleyball World Championship 2015, held last July in Holland. Two more teams, Evandro Gonçalves/Pedro Solberg and Talita Antunes/Larisa Franca, received their places in the Brazilian Olympic team as representatives of the host country.

In addition to all of the above, the following is short review all major candidates for their place in the "List of 15" World Tour of the countries. As mentioned earlier, Brazil has already received all four possible tickets (for two women's and two men's teams) to the Rio 2016 Olympics, so representatives of this country do not participate in the qualification. Accordingly, Brazilian couples are not considered in the list.

Austria
Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst already participated in the 2016 London Olympics, having qualified through the continental qualification system. Now they occupy the 8th line of the rating (4220 points) with 10 played tournaments. By participating in the Grand Slam Rio, they will receive at least 160 more points to their ranking, and they will have one more tournament to play to meet the requirements for participation.

Venezuela
Jackson Hendrickes and Jesus Villafan take 19th place (3296 points) and meet the qualification requirements. They need to finish 17th and above at the Rio Grand Slam.

Germany
After seven completions of the Opens among the top nine teams, the Germans Markus Markus Böckermann and Lars Vlügen ranked 10th in the preliminary list (4150 points). Otherwise, they already meet the qualification requirements. Boeckerman and Fluegen need to finish 17th or higher at the Rio Grand Slam to improve their position. Jonathan Erdmann and Kai Matysik finished ninth at the 2012 London Olympics. Now he is 18th on the list (3300 points, 9 tournaments). At the Rio Grand Slam, they will receive at least 160 points from above. In order to meet the qualification requirements, Erdmann and Matysik need to take part in at least two more tournaments.

Holland
Teams Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meuvsen(5,340 points) and Rinder Nummerdor/Christian Warenhost(4,920) occupy the first and second positions in the preliminary list. Brouwer and Meuvsen are the 2013 FIVB World Champions. At the Rio Grand Slam, they need to finish 17th or higher to move up the list. Nummerdor and Warenhost took second place at the 2015 World Championships in The Hague (Netherlands). After the Rio Grand Slam they will qualify. In this tournament, they will earn at least 160 points. Nummerdor has already placed fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games (Beijing) and fourth in 2012 (London) paired with Richard Schuille.

Spain
Adriana Gavira and Pablo Herrera ranked fifth on the preliminary list (4,360 points). The Spaniards need to finish fifth or higher at the Rio Grand Slam to change their position. Gavira and Herrera finished ninth in the Summer Olympics in London in 2012. Games in London became the third Olympic performance for Herrera, who had already won silver in Athens in 2004 and placed ninth in Beijing in 2008 with Raul Meza.

Italy
Couples Alex Rangieri/Adrian Carambula(4130 points) and Daniel Lupo/Paolo Nicolai(3960) ranked 12th and 14th in the preliminary Olympic list. Rangieri and Karambula already meet the qualification requirements. At the Rio Grand Slam they will receive at least 80 points minus the worst result at the Grand Slam in Norway. Lupo and Nicolai, who finished fifth at the London Olympics, will meet the qualifying requirements after participating in the Rio Grand Slam and will also add at least 160 points to their rankings.

Canada
Chaim Shock and Ben Saxton have already played 12 tournaments, so they can participate in the qualification. In the preliminary list, they occupy the sixth line (4320 points). Shock and Saxton will receive at least 40 points after participating in the Grand Slam Rio. Thus, they will block their worst result on the Open in Switzerland. Canadians John Binstock and Sam Schachter on the this moment occupy a place below the 15th, but may well enter the "List of 15". Now they are in 16th place with 3480 points and 11 played tournaments. After the Rio Grand Slam, they will meet the qualifying conditions and receive a minimum of 160 points.

Latvia
Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins ranked third in the preliminary list (4660 points). At the Rio Grand Slam, they will receive at least 160 more. They already meet the qualification requirements. Janis Smedins finished third at the 2012 London Olympics with Martins Plavins. Aleksandrs Samoilovs took ninth place at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing (partner - Martins Plavins) and 2012 - in London (partner - Ruslans Sorokins). Samoilovs and Smedins are the reigning champions of the European Continental Cup.

Mexico
Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros, who meet the qualification requirements, take 15th place in the preliminary ranking (3930 points). The Mexicans need to move past ninth at the Rio Grand Slam to improve their position.

Poland
Teams Grzegorz Fialek/Mariusz Prudel(4160 points) and Piotr Kantor/Bartos Losyak(4,060) are ninth and 13th in the preliminary selection list. Kantor and Losyak need to advance to the main draw of the Rio Grand Slam. The couple needs to finish ninth or higher in next week's tournament. Fialek and Prudel, who finished fifth at the London 2012 Olympic Games, will qualify for qualification after the Rio competition, where they will receive at least 160 points towards their ranking.

Russia
Konstantin Semyonov and Vyacheslav Krasilnikov occupy the 11th line in the preliminary list (4150 points) and already qualify for the qualification. The Russians need to take 17th place or higher at the Rio Grand Slam. As well as the Austrian couple, Konstantin Semyonov qualified for the 2012 Olympics through the Continental Cup paired with Sergei Prokopiev. On the Summer Games 2012 they finished in ninth place.

USA
Couples Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson(4620 points) and Tri Bourne/John Hayden(4240) are fourth and seventh in the preliminary ranking. Gibb has already placed fifth at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics with Sean Rosenthal. Together with Casey Patterson, they already meet the qualification requirements. The Rio Grand Slam will add 160 points to their ranking. Bourne and Hayden should be 17th or better at the Rio Grand Slam. Phil Dahlhauser and Nick Lucena not far behind the Bourne / Hayden pair, having 4100 points and 8 played tournaments. Rio Grand Slam will bring this couple a minimum of 160 points. To meet the Olympic qualification requirements, they need to play three more tournaments.

Turkey
Murat Giginoglu and Volkan Ogtepe currently occupy the 20th line of the preliminary rating (3180 points) and already meet the requirements of the Olympic selection. They need to finish 17th and above at the Rio Grand Slam.

France
Yusuf Kru and Eduard Rowlanson occupy the 21st line in the list (3170 points, 11 tournaments). Rio Grand Slam will bring them at least 40 points. The French need to qualify for the main draw and are currently seeded #1 in the preliminary round. Crewe and Rowlandson will fully meet the qualifying requirements after hitting the Copacabana sand on Tuesday.

Chile
Cousins Esteban and Marco Grimalt ranked 17th in the preliminary list (3370 points, 12 tournaments). They need to take a place above 17th at the Rio Grand Slam to correct their position. Grimalts have the upper hand after winning the 2015 South American Championship.