How to Score Volleyball

Beach volleyball is a popular sport and great way to spend a day in the sun. You no longer need an actual beach, as sand courts are increasingly popular in city parks, and apartment and condiminium complexes. Knowing how the game is scored allows you to be a better beach volleyball player and compete in any game. Note that indoor volleyball rules differ slightly than these beach volleyball rules.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose teams. Beach volleyball is played with two teams of two players. If you have more players, organize tournament-style play in which additional teams compete against the winner of the first match. The next team up to play can then serve as referees on either side of the court.

2. Volley for serve. Serve or throw the ball up to the other team and hit it back and forth until one team "wins." This will not be scored, but will result in the winning team getting the first official serve. Alternately, use a coin toss or other method to determine first serve.

3. Serve. Player from the first team serves the ball and ball is volleyed between teams until it lands on the ground. Serve may touch the net, but must go over. Today's beach volleyball is played using a Rally Point system, which means that every play results in a point for one team or the other. If the ball lands in bounds on the side of the serving team, it is a point for the receiving team and vice versa. Whichever team wins the point also gets the next serve.

4. Avoid touching the net and opponents. If a player from any team touches the net during play (except with his hair or if the ball is hit into the net causing it to touch a player), his team loses the point. The opposing team wins the point and next serve. Also if a player touches an opponent or lands on the opponent's side of the net and interferes with opponents' play, the player's team loses the point.

5. Watch the boundary lines. If the ball lands out of bounds not touching any boundary line, the team that hit it out loses the point. Other team gets the point and the next serve. If any part of the ball touches a boundary line it is still considered in bounds. When hitting a ball over the net from out of bounds it must pass over the net within the field of play. If it does not, the ball is out.

6. Hit the ball no more than 3 times. Each team may hit the ball no more than 3 times before sending it over the net. If more hits occur, the other team wins the point.

7. Hit the ball cleanly everytime, without holding, lifting or carrying it. If one of these faults occur, the other team gets the point. The only exception is if the player is playing a ball spiked from an opponent. There is more leniency for holding the ball in this case.

8. Lose the point if the ball bounces off of two parts of a player's body (arms and chest); this is a double hit. If a player hits the ball more than once consecutively it is a double hit and his team loses the point.

9. Hit hard over the net. Setting over the net is not allowed and results in a point for the opposing team. A tip, an open-handed hit or spike in which the volleyball rolls off the finger tips, is another soft hit that results in a point for the opposing team.

10. Bump or hard hit the ball above your head when receiving the ball from an opposing serve; no setting or spiking off the serve is allowed.

11. Avoid illegal sets. Beach volleyball rules are particularly sensitive to illegal sets. If the ball is held too long during the set, or has too much spin coming off an overhand set, the other team gets the point and serve. Bump sets may be used to avoid these issues.

12. Alternate serving. Players on each team must alternate serving, but do not have to rotate position.

13. Continue play until the first team scores 21. However, the winning team must win by 2 points. Play will continue indefinitely until one team wins by 2 points.

Tips & Warnings

• Professional volleyball associations determine the winner of a match by the team that wins 2 out of 3 sets (games). If a third set is needed to break a 1 to1 tie, it is played to 15 instead of 21. This system is good for organized, competitive events, however, more recreational games may use different methods. If you don't wish to use the 2-set system, you may simply choose to play game by game or play a "best of" series using a designated odd number (best of 5, best of 7).
• These are the official rules, but for more relaxed, friendly games designate rules ahead of time. Game play can be more fun if some of the more technical rules are ignored, particularly if there's no refs for the game. The most important thing is that everyone is playing with the same rules in mind.
• Sideout is another scoring system in volleyball in which only the serving team gets a point. If the receiving team wins the volley, they receive the serve but no point. Sideout games are played until 15 and also must be won by 2 points. This used to be the standard scoring system, but was subsequently replaced by rally scoring.
• If you have a lot of players, you can play with more than 2 per team, but rules should reflect indoor volleyball rules, with rotation of servers and use of position players (setter, attacker).

Resources

• FIVB Official Beach Volleyball Rule Book

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