Californians were the first to play beach volleyball in the 1920s. This game gradually gained popularity in various countries of the world. In the late 70s of the XX century, this sport was officially recognized. Rio de Janeiro was the site of the first Beach Volleyball World Championship. It was organized in 1987 by the International Volleyball Federation.
Beach volleyball was included in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
The competition is attended by 2 teams, consisting of 2 athletes. A sandy platform with a length of 18 m and a width of 9 m is used, in the center of which a net is stretched at a height of 2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women.
The score is based on points, which are awarded for each served serve. The game is played in 3 sets, each of which is played up to 15 points, and in the final 2 or 3 sets are played up to 12 points.
The game begins with a serve. It is allowed to hit the ball with any part of the body. Players must direct the ball so that it flies over the net and lands on the opponents' side.
In addition, athletes need to make sure that the ball does not fall on their court. For this, players have the right to touch the ball three times. At the same time, one volleyball player cannot hit the ball twice in a row. You can not touch the net and serve the ball so far that it flew out-of-bounds, out of bounds of the playing field.
The same player outside the back of the field continues to serve the ball from the bottom, top, forearm or palms until his team loses the service.
If the serving team wins, it scores 1 point. When the defending team wins the rally, the right to serve passes to that team.
The set lasts until one of the teams earns 15 points with a difference of 2 points with the opponent or 17 points with a difference of 1 point.
In decisive matches, the rules change. The game can consist of 2 sets. If there are 3 of them, then in the last set points are awarded to both the serving and the defending team. To win, you need to get a 2-point advantage.
The ball used to play beach volleyball is made from soft leather. He has a camera inside.
In the format of the Olympiad, games are played for elimination. At first, 12 women's and 12 men's teams participate in the competition. They play in pairs, against each other. Then a selection is made among the 12 worst teams. Of these, 4 teams of players will be eligible to compete alongside the 12 winning teams.
