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Olympics Beach Volleyball Live Stream
Olympics Beach Volleyball Live Stream
Beach Volleyball came of age on the sun-soaked beaches of Santa Monica, California, during the 1920s. Over the last three decades, the sport has moved far beyond its roots and is now played all over the world. Teams of two will serve, bump and spike their way towards gold at the London 2012 Games competition held in the heart of the capital.
Competition dates
Saturday 28 July – Thursday 9 August
Competition venue
Horse Guards Parade
Number of medal events
One men’s and one women’s competition.
Number of competitors
48 men and 48 women.
Twenty-four teams compete in both the men’s and women’s competitions, with two athletes on each team. Each country is limited to one men’s and one women’s team.
Field of play
The Beach Volleyball court is 16m long and 8m wide and has a sandy surface. It is divided into two halves by a net that is 2.43m high for the men’s game, and 2.24m high for the women’s.
History of Beach Volleyball at the Olympic Games
Beach Volleyball made its Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996. Since then it has become one of the most popular spectator sports at the Games. The London 2012 competition will be held at a special temporary arena on Horse Guards Parade, just steps from Trafalgar Square. It will be covered in 3,000 tonnes of sand.
Find out more about Beach Volleyball at the Olympic Games on the International Olympic Committee website.
The basics
Beach Volleyball is similar to the indoor game but with two main differences. The court is covered in sand and situated outdoors, and the game is played by teams of two, instead of teams of six.
The sport is played with a ball weighing between 260g and 280g and made of synthetic leather. The object of the sport is to land the ball in the opposition’s half of the court. After the serve, each team is allowed three touches of the ball before it must cross over the net to the opposition.
