Like many sports, volleyball has its variations and diverse scenarios in which it can be played. In college sports, there is beach volleyball and indoor volleyball. The most common out of these three is definitely indoor volleyball but all are intense and competitive to play. Here are some of the differences between the two variations of one great sport.

Amount of players on each side of the court

Indoor volleyball is played on hardwood floors or rubber floors whereas beach volleyball is played on sand. Each team will have 7 starting players on either side of the net including their respective libero. It is very common to see players wear knee pads in this type of play given that they have to throw themselves on the floor. On the other hand, beach volleyball will only have two players on each side of the court and they have no substitutes whereas indoor does have options to sub players in and out. 

Court sizes

Given the difference of people on the court between indoor and beach volleyball, there is also a difference in the size of the court. The beach volleyball court is 2 meters shorter and 1 meter narrower than the indoor court. This helps the two people on court cover less ground, but there is also less room to score. 

Scoring differences

When it comes to scoring, there is also a difference (no surprise there!). Indoor is played best of 5, that is, first team to reach 3 sets. Each set is made up of 25 points each and has to be won by a difference of two points. On the flip side, beach volleyball is played up to 21 points and the match is won by the first team to win 2 sets in a best of three scenario.

Weather plays a big role

Another big difference that maybe doesn't cross many people's minds is the weather. When it comes to indoor volleyball no one worries about the weather–the AC will be set perfectly, the floors will be ready to go, and everything else is unaffected by what is happening outside the arena. However, beach volleyball depends on the quality of the sand. If it was well prepared beforehand to not have a bigger chance of injury, and mother nature really plays a role here in deciding whether a match is ready to be played or not. 

Ball difference

In addition, another factor that is a big difference between beach and indoor volleyball are the balls used to play. The indoor balls are heavier which allow for them to move faster and harder. Beach volleyballs are softer, lighter, and a little bigger to allow for a slower movement given there are only two players on each side. 

Technicalities 

Lastly, on sand, players are not allowed to tip the ball over the net. They either have to slightly tap it with the palm of their hands or with their knuckles. Indoor, however, does allow for tips of any sort. Moreover, double contact in beach volleyball is way stricter than that of indoor volleyball. Both types of volleyball fight and play for the ball to never touch the ground and win a point until the match is over. 

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* Originally published on May 4, 2022, by Lilia Farach