Beach volleyball game modes

First, let's look at the game mode surprise volleyball. Here the volleyball net is (partially) covered with towels or blankets to limit the view. This obstruction of visibility means that the players do not know at which point the ball crosses the net and therefore have to react faster. The rules and techniques are the same as for beach volleyball, except for the rules for blocking the view.

Standing volleyball used to be a paralympic discipline where it is not allowed to jump when attacking. In contrast to beach volleyball, a team usually consists of three players to cover as much of the court as possible. Apart from these exceptions, the same rules apply to standing volleyball as to beach volleyball. This mode is excellent for warming up the muscles. The reason why standing volleyball is no longer paralympic is that the FIVB decided that there should be only one type of volleyball at the Paralympics. Unfortunately, for their fans, standing volleyball lost to sitting volleyball.

The main feature that distinguishes sitting volleyball from regular beach volleyball is limited mobility, as the players sit on the court and cannot move from the spot. Apart from this restriction, the rules and techniques are identical to those of beach volleyball. In this mode, the most important thing is the precise passing of the ball, as this is the only way to create a game.

Another popular mode is King/Queen of the Court. You can play this mode even if you are playing with an odd number of people or if you have only one field with three teams.

In King/Queen of the Court, one half of the field is the king's side, and the other half is the challenger side. Both sides have unique characteristics, so you can only score points on the king's side, and the serve is always on the challenger side. The team that loses the rally has to leave the court, while the remaining one plays (continues) on the king's side. If it was already on the king's side, it also gets one point. The first team that reaches 15 points wins the game.

If you are an odd number of players, the players on the challenger side will rotate through. The team on the king's side remains unchanged as long as it is there. By the way, in this case, a single player can win if he/she reaches 15 points first.

To play a round of goal volleyball, you ideally need a goal, but can also use part of the net. In this mode, one player is the goalkeeper, while the other players play in a team. This aim is to take a "shot" at the goal. The goalkeeper must repel the attack and play the ball back. If the shot misses the goal or the net, the player who had the last ball contact becomes the new goalkeeper. As in regular beach volleyball, the field players have to take the shot after the third ball contact.

Last but not least, a mode that doesn't have much to do with volleyball anymore, since you can't use any of the known techniques. In towel volleyball, two players hold a towel to catch the ball and play it back. They can only touch the ball three times. Although this mode has hardly anything to do with volleyball anymore, it can be incorporated into training, for example, to improve coordination between the partners.