Here at NetBet, we’ve got a whole load of great markets for sports betting, and we offer some of the best Beach Volleyball odds around. We don’t just take bets on individual matches, we offer online betting on plenty of deeper markets on our UK betting site. If you want to place any sport bet, here’s a quick guide on how exactly you should go about it.
What is Beach Volleyball?
Beach volleyball is an evolution of volleyball played on a sand court between teams with two players or more. The objective of the game is to return the ball over the net with the hands and attempt to ground the ball on the opposition’s side of the court. Each team has a maximum of three touches to return the ball back over the net, and no player can touch the ball twice consecutively.
The game is a popular recreational activity played around the world – particularly on beaches – allowing for exciting rallies in which players can often be seen diving around to retrieve the ball. Although it is enjoyed recreationally, beach volleyball is also played competitively around the world, and has been included in the Summer Olympics every year since 1996.
The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) is the international governing body for the sport, responsible for changes in rules and regulations, as well as organising major competitions such as the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.
Brazil has largely been the dominant force in international beach volleyball competitions over the decades. They have claimed seven of the 13 men’s World Championships gold medals, as well as six of 13 in the women’s competition. Brazilians have also historically enjoyed the most success on the World Tour – Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos have the most men’s titles with five, whilst Rego also has 10 individual titles. The story is much the same on the women’s World Tour – Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva have seven team titles, as well as each having eight individual titles.
However, the rise in popularity of beach volleyball since the turn of the millennium has paved the way for other nations to challenge Brazil’s superiority. When it comes to Olympic gold medals, it is the USA that has been the most successful. Although Brazil have won the most overall medals (13 to USA’s 11), USA have won seven golds, four more than the next best Brazil. So whilst the Brazilians are notorious for their ability on the sand, there is still plenty of competition as participation in the game continues to grow across the globe.
History of Beach Volleyball
The exact date of the first game of beach volleyball remains a little obscure, but historians tend to agree that the sport was established around two decades after indoor volleyball was first played in 1895. Waikiki Beach in Hawaii is thought to be the location of the first ever beach volleyball match in 1915, after a net was put up at the Outrigger Canoe Club. Just five years later, American beach volleyball emerged on the beaches of Santa Monica, California, and permanent nets began to appear at beach clubs in the area.
The first inter-club competition was held in 1924, but early matches saw teams of six face off against one another. It wasn’t until 1930 when the recognisable two-man teams were established by Paul Johnson, after he was left waiting for the rest of the players to turn up. Beach volleyball doubles began to emerge as a popular variation of the sport following this event and it is now the only form contested on the world stage.
Beach volleyball began to spread across the world in the 1930s, but popularity hardly skyrocketed. The first prize tournament was held in 1948 in Los Angeles, and the first professional beach volleyball league was formed in the 1960s – but it quickly failed and folded. However, 1960 did see the creation of the Manhattan Beach Open, a tournament which became incredibly prestigious in the sport in the years to come.
The 1970s and 80s were pivotal in increasing the popularity of the sport, as the first World Championships and World Tours attracted new eyes to the game. This was especially important in paving the way for the Latin American dominance that would ensue. The first international beach volleyball tournament was held on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro in 1987. Less than a decade later, beach volleyball made its debut at the 1996 USA Summer Olympics, and it has been included at every competition since.
How do I bet on Beach Volleyball?
Here at NetBet, we have a wide variety of markets available for major tournament matches, including the World Tour, World Championships and Olympics. Here are some of the markets you can choose from on our site.
These are:-
- Competition winner – Place a bet on who you think will win a major tournament such as the Olympics.
- Match winner – Bet on who will win a specific match.
- To medal – At major tournaments, bet on a duo to finish with a bronze, silver or gold medal.
- Winning nationality – Place a bet on which nation you think the gold medallist will be from at the Olympics.
However, there aren’t just these to choose from. Occasionally, we might choose to Boost a price which you can find at our Promotions page.
When you choose NetBet Sport, you can enjoy a whole range of top quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.