Beach volleyball was created on the beaches of Santa Monica, California in the 1920's. At the same time the first players started playing at Brazilian beaches as well. From the 1930's, people on European beaches were also playing beach volleyball.

Beach volleyball is similar to indoor volleyball but with some major differences. Every team has only two players instead of six. The court is 8×8 meters compared to 9×9 meters with indoor volleyball. Net height is 2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women. The goal is to hit the ball back and forth over a net and try to make it land inside the court on the opponent’s side. In beach volleyball, one can also cross under the net to hit a ball as long as one does not interfere with the opposition attempting to hit the ball. In beach volleyball, the block counts as the first contact of the ball. Players do not need to rotate or change positions during play. Matches are usually best-of-three games. The first two sets are to 21 points, the third set to 15 points with at least two points difference.

Since beach volleyball is played outdoor, beach volleyball clothing is very different from indoor volleyball. Generally, beach volleyball is played in bathing suits, shorts, tank tops or other common beach clothing. In beach volleyball, players don't wear shoes, they generally play barefoot. Since the sand can get very hot in the sun, some players opt for beach volleyball socks. These are nylon booties designed to be worn on the sand.

Additionally, experienced players play with beach volleyball sunglasses. Usually it makes good sense to invest in a quality pair of beach volleyball sunglasses that fit well and have UV protection. Finally, the typical beach volleyball ball is softer and slightly larger than an indoor volleyball. They are also lighter which allows them to float more in the air.

Beach volleyball is a fun sport that is played outdoor in the sun. So get your beach volleyball apparel ready, make sure your beach volleyball ball has enough air and get into the sun!