How Does Scoring Work In Beach Volleyball?

Beach volleyball games are a best-of-three set format where the first two sets are played to 21 points, and the third “tiebreaker” set is played to 15 points. Teams must win by a margin of two points to win each set. Rally scoring is used in beach volleyball, meaning a point is won on each service regardless of the team serving.

Beach volleyball scoring differs from indoor volleyball scoring in the number of sets played and the number of points needed to win each set.

How To Score

A match starts with one player “serving” the ball over the net to the other team. The other team has a maximum of three hits to return the ball over the net to the original team. If successful, the teams continue to “rally,” or hit the ball back and forth over the net.

In beach volleyball, a point is scored at the conclusion of each rally. The goal is to win more sets than the opposing team, which is done by scoring more points. There are a few different ways that a team can score points.

The main way to score in volleyball is to hit the ball onto the opposing team’s side of the court. This is known as a kill. If the ball touches the ground in bounds, you will be awarded one point, as long as the ball goes over the net between the antennas. 

Other ways to score include the opposing team hitting the ball out of bounds, the opposing team committing a violation, or by deflecting the ball off of the opponent and having it land out of bounds.

Sets 1 and 2

During a beach volleyball match, teams play a minimum of two sets. In each of the first two sets, teams switch sides every time seven points are scored. A set is won when one team scores 21 points with a two-point advantage over the opposing team.

If a team reaches 21 points but only has a one-point advantage (i.e. the score is 21-20), the game keeps going until one team has a two-point advantage. The first team that wins two sets wins the whole match. If one team wins the first set and the other team wins the second set, a third tiebreaker set must be played.

Tiebreaker Set 3

The third set, also known as a tiebreaker set, is different from the first two sets. Instead of every seven points, teams switch sides every five points. The third set is won by the first team to score 15 points. Like the first two sets, a team must have a two-point advantage to win the third set. The team that wins the third set wins the entire match.

Beach Volleyball Scoring Summary

• Beach volleyball is played in teams of two, and both players can score team points.
• Beach volleyball uses rally scoring, meaning a point is scored for one team on every rally, regardless of who serves.
• Points are mainly scored by hitting the ball onto your opponent’s side and having it hit the ground in bounds.
• Points can also be scored if your opponent hits the ball out of bounds or commits a violation.
• Beach volleyball is played in a best-of-three-sets format, where the first team to win two sets wins the match. A third set serves as a tiebreaker.
• Sets one and two are played to 21 points.
• The third set, if necessary, is played to 15 points.
• Sets are won in a win-by-two format, meaning a team can only win a set if they reach the necessary point total and have a lead of at least two points.
• Sets will continue over their target score until one team leads by two points.

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