Volleyball variations
Volleyball variations
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Volleyball variations

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Volleyball variations

Several sports related to volleyball have become popular. Indoor volleyball and beach volleyball are both events at the Olympics, and sitting volleyball is an event at the Paralympics. Other varieties are localized, or are played at an amateur or informal level.

Biribol was the first aquatic variant of volleyball. It was invented in the '60s in Birigui, Brazil, and has moderate popularity in the country.

Aquatic volleyball is a team sport similar to volleyball but adapted for competition in a deep swimming pool. It is also referred to as "pool volleyball", and sometimes as "aqua polo", not to be confused with water polo. Players must change sides after each round for it to be fair. Each round is up to 15 points, however, you need to win by two points. If the ball hits the edge of the pool but bounces back in, that is fair. If the ball hits the edge of the pool and bounces out, that is not fair.

Beach aquatic volleyball is an individual or team sport similar to aquatic volleyball adapted for play in the shallow water of a beach.

A variation of the game rivaling the original sport of volleyball in popularity, beach volleyball evolved from the recreational games of volleyball played on many beaches around the world. It became an official Olympic sport in 1996. This version, rather than being played on indoor hard courts, is played on sand courts which may either be formed naturally or built specifically for the purpose. Instead of a team of six, each team consists of only two players. There are some instances where more than 2 can play together. The rules are almost identical with some exceptions including:

This is a newer variation of beach volleyball. As beach volleyball took volleyball outdoors, indoor sand volleyball takes beach volleyball indoors. In the United States, a growing number of colleges are now considering switching from hard court indoor volleyball to sand court indoor volleyball. The biggest reason for the possible change is the reduced rate of injury of players. Secondary reasons are: 1) bad weather doesn't cancel play, something that commonly happens with beach volleyball; 2) it is thought to make the game more appealing to spectators since sand courts do not require players to wear knee pads or shoes.

Indoor sand volleyball teams vary from two to six members, college teams having six. Normally, rather than using a purpose-built hall, an indoor basketball court is converted. A protective tarpaulin covers the floor of the basketball court and "soft" sand is laid a foot deep over it. The boundaries are commonly marked off with lines in the sand. However, a recent innovation uses colored lasers that illuminate the lines in the sand.

In some venues, there exist sand courts that are used as usual during the spring, summer, and fall months, but during the winter months, a large tent (usually dome-shaped) is erected over the courts.

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