Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the court.

The players serve in the same sequence throughout the match, changing server each time a rally is won by the receiving team.

According to a 1978 interview with an Outrigger Canoe Club member, George David "Dad" Center put a net up there, and the first recorded game of beach volleyball took place.

The concept of the modern two-man beach volleyball game is credited to Paul "Pablo" Johnson of the Santa Monica Athletic Club.

[13] In the meantime, beach volleyball gained popularity: in the 1960s The Beatles tried playing in Los Angeles and US president John F. Kennedy was seen attending a match.

Fred Zuelich teamed with Dennis Hare to defeat Ron Von Hagen and Matt Gage in the championship match, Winston Cigarettes was the sponsor.

At the end of the year, however, Event Concepts was forced out of the sport by a players' strike at the World Championship and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was founded.

[16] At the professional level, the sport remained fairly obscure until the 1980s when beach volleyball experienced a surge in popularity with high-profile players such as Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, and Karch Kiraly.

[7] In 1989, the first FIVB-sanctioned international circuit, called the World Series, was organized with men's tournaments in Brazil, Italy and Japan.

[7] The FIVB and its continental confederations began organizing worldwide professional tournaments and laid the groundwork for the sport's Olympic debut in 1996.

The antennae are considered part of the net and extend 80 cm (31.5 in) above it, forming the lateral boundaries within which the ball is allowed to cross.

[21] FIVB regulations state that the ball must be spherical and made of water resistant, flexible material, such that it is appropriate for outdoor conditions.

[22] The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) adopted the FIVB's rule changes that same year, which upset many of the sport's purists at the time.

The main differences in the rules of beach and indoor volleyball for international competitions governed by the FIVB include:[26] The teams start on opposite sides of the net.

[40] The ball may touch any part of the body (except during the serve, when only the hand or arm may make contact), but must be hit, not caught or thrown.

There are several basic skills competitive players need to master: serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking, and digging.

Serving is the act of putting the ball into play by striking it with the hand or arm from behind the rear court boundary.

[45] As beach volleyball is usually played outdoors, the direction and speed of the wind and the position of the sun are considered when choosing which serve to use.

Digging is a similar skill to passing, but the term is not used to describe receiving the serve or a free ball, but rather refers to an attempt to prevent an opponent's attack hit from touching the court.

After completing the contact, the setter typically turns their attention to the defense and communicates to their partner whether a blocker is up and which area of the court is open.

A spike involves hitting the ball hard with one open hand on a downward trajectory from above the top of the net.

[45] At the competitive level, blockers will often reach across the net and "penetrate" the opposing team's side as much as possible to take away more hitting angles.

[48] Players often decide against blocking (if the opposing team's pass and set are not in a good position to produce a spike attack) and instead opt to retreat and play defense.

The inaugural tour was held in 1997, replacing the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Series that began in 1989 for men and 1992 for women.

[76] According to current FIVB rules, female beach volleyball players have the option of playing in shorts or a one-piece swimsuit.

[79] British Olympian Denise Johns claimed that the regulation uniform is intended to be "sexy" and to draw attention.

At the 2006 Asian Games, only one Muslim country fielded a team in the women's competition, amid concerns the uniform was inappropriate.

In early 2012, the FIVB announced it would allow shorts (maximum length 3 cm (1.2 in) above the knee) and sleeved tops at the London 2012 Olympics.

Professional beach volleyball matches often have a "party atmosphere", with loud music, announcers and dancers in between points and during time-outs.

In December 2018, the FIVB approved new rules for snow volleyball which changed the scoring system to a best of 3 sets played to 15 points, and the number of players to three starters and one substitute in a team.