Beach volleyball and sand: what science tells us
Is playing beach volleyball good for your health?
Yes: beach volleyball is a physical activity that engages muscles, balance, and coordination. Sand makes movement demanding and changes the loads placed on the body. Studies document motor adaptations and, under specific conditions, lower peak forces during landings. Benefits depend on training and individual characteristics: sand does not eliminate the risk of injury. [1] [5] [7]
Playing on sand does not simply mean playing volleyball on a softer surface. Sand changes the way the body runs, jumps, lands, maintains balance and produces force.
In recent years, scientific research has examined these differences more closely, comparing activity on sand with activity on rigid surfaces and analyzing their effects on biomechanics, training, motor development and performance.
On this page we collect and explain, in accessible language, what scientific evidence currently tells us, distinguishing established findings from areas where research is still evolving.
Why sand changes movement
The difference starts under your feet.
A rigid sports floor quickly returns much of the force applied by the athlete. Sand, by contrast, deforms and shifts under load: some of the energy produced by movement is dissipated into the surface, and the body must continuously adapt to a less stable base of support.
This changes the way we produce and absorb force. Running, changing direction, jumping or simply maintaining a position on sand requires different movement strategies from those used on a rigid surface.[1][4][13]
The result may seem paradoxical: the surface can reduce some peaks in mechanical load while at the same time making movement more demanding in muscular, energetic and motor-control terms.
In simple terms
Sand gives way under the foot. The body receives a less rigid response from the ground, but has to work harder to produce movement and continuously control its support.
Jumps and landings: when the surface makes a difference
Jumping and landing are central actions in both beach volleyball and indoor volleyball. For that reason, they are among the areas where the comparison between sand and rigid surfaces has been studied most closely.
In a 2022 study of high-level beach volleyball players, researchers compared landing from a drop jump on sand with the same movement performed on a rigid surface.[1]
On sand, mean peak vertical ground reaction force was lower: about 2.14 kN compared with 2.48 kN on the rigid surface. Lower leg stiffness and a different absorption strategy, with greater knee flexion, were also observed.[1]
Other recent landing studies have also observed differences in parameters related to knee loading, strengthening the case for studying sand as a surface for training and physical preparation.[2][3]
In simple terms
When an athlete lands, the ground and the body have to manage the energy generated by the movement.
A rigid surface deforms very little. Sand, by contrast, shifts and absorbs part of that energy, changing both the peak and the way force is transmitted to the body.
This does not make jumping less demanding: it changes how that demand is produced and absorbed.
The data
2.14 kN — sand 2.48 kN — rigid surface[1]
Mean peak vertical ground reaction force in the drop jump in the study considered.
What the data shows
Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball share many technical actions, but they are played on different surfaces and have different game dynamics. Their injury profiles are therefore not identical.
One of the most interesting comparisons was published in 2021 on NCAA Division I athletes. Researchers analyzed 161 athletes and 974 injuries, comparing beach volleyball with indoor volleyball.[7]
The overall incidence observed was 1.8 injuries per 1,000 exposure hours in beach volleyball, compared with 5.3 per 1,000 hours indoors.[7]
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
1,8
injuries / 1,000 hours
INDOOR VOLLEYBALL
5,3
injuries / 1,000 hours
Data refer to the NCAA Division I population studied and do not represent a universal rate automatically applicable to every athlete, age or level.
It is not only the frequency that changes. The location of injuries changes too.
The same study found differences in injury distribution. In particular, knee injuries represented 7.6% of injuries in beach volleyball and 16.7% in indoor volleyball.[7]
By contrast, some abdominal and wrist problems were relatively more represented in beach volleyball. This is an important point: the two disciplines do not simply differ in having “more” or “fewer” injuries; they have different risk profiles.[7][8][9]
In simple terms
The surface matters, but it is not the only factor.
Sand, number of players, jump volume, movement patterns, the absence of contact with teammates near the net and the technical characteristics of the two disciplines all change the body's exposure to different types of load.
For this reason, the scientifically interesting question is not which sport is “good” or “bad”, but how the load on the body changes and what specific demands each discipline presents.
One finding worth examining: the knee
The epidemiological knee data become even more interesting when read alongside biomechanical landing studies: lower force peaks have been observed on sand and, in some recent studies, favorable differences have been found in parameters associated with joint loading.
Are epidemiology and biomechanics therefore telling two parts of the same story?
It is a scientifically interesting question, but to answer it we need to look more closely at the knee, ankle, foot and spine.
Knee: what happens when you land on sand
The knee is one of the most interesting areas in the comparison between sand and rigid surfaces.
Biomechanical landing studies show that the deformability of sand changes the way the lower limb absorbs load. In addition to the lower force peaks already observed, some research has found differences in parameters such as leg stiffness, knee flexion and forces associated with the landing phase.
More recent studies have also explored biomechanical parameters related to dynamic valgus and loading of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), finding results that make sand training particularly interesting in neuromuscular preparation and prevention work.[1][2][3]
In simple terms
The point is not that sand “automatically protects the knee”.
The interesting finding is that the body lands differently: the surface gives way, energy is managed differently and some of the biomechanical parameters that determine joint loading change.
Foot and ankle: a surface that demands adaptation
Every step on sand is slightly different from the previous one. The foot sinks, the surface shifts and the base of support has to be rebuilt continuously.
A Japanese study published in 2024 compared beach volleyball players with indoor volleyball players and observed favorable differences in the beach group in some measures of foot function, including plantar perception, dorsiflexion strength and toe-grip strength.[10]
The authors hypothesize that continued exposure to an unstable surface such as sand may help stimulate foot function and the muscles involved in stabilization.
The sample in this study was small: the results are interesting and consistent with the biomechanics of sand, but need confirmation in larger populations.
In simple terms
On sand, the foot does not meet an identical, stable surface every time. It must continuously sense, adapt and contribute to controlling support.
And the back?
The lower back is an important area in volleyball and beach volleyball, especially because of repeated jumping, extension, rotation and overhead movements.
At present, however, the evidence we selected does not allow us to state with the same confidence that playing on sand directly results in a lower incidence of back problems than indoor volleyball.[7][8][9]
It is plausible that the different management of impacts also changes force transmission along the kinetic chain, but turning this biomechanical hypothesis into a clinical claim requires specific data that we do not currently have in sufficient quantity.
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
KNEE Interesting biomechanical evidence + lower share of knee injuries in the NCAA comparison.
FOOT & ANKLE Sand requires continuous adaptation; some recent data on foot function are promising.
BACK Plausible biomechanical differences, but insufficient comparative evidence for strong conclusions.
Conceptual diagram
What we know by body area
Biomechanical + epidemiological evidence
Promising data; samples are still small
Insufficient comparative evidence for strong claims
A surface that never gives you the same support twice
On a rigid, uniform surface, the foot meets a relatively predictable base of support. On sand, by contrast, every step changes the surface: the foot sinks, the sand shifts and the body must constantly reorganize balance, posture and force production.
This increases the demand for neuromuscular control: the nervous system, muscles and joints must coordinate continuously to adapt movement to a deformable base of support.
Balance and proprioception
Proprioception is the nervous system's ability to receive and use information about the body's position and movement. It is essential for balance, coordination and joint control.
Research on proprioceptive training shows benefits for balance, postural stability, joint-position sense and muscle activation. Sand is a particularly interesting environment because it naturally introduces continuous variations in support.[11]
This does not mean that every finding from general research on proprioceptive training can automatically be attributed to beach volleyball. It does mean, however, that the mechanical characteristics of sand continuously create situations in which control of support has to be recalibrated.
Not just stability: producing force on a surface that gives way
On sand, the body does not only have to stabilize itself. It must also run, accelerate, decelerate, change direction and jump while part of the energy it produces is dissipated into the surface.
For this reason, moving on sand can require greater muscular and energetic effort while, under some conditions, producing lower impact peaks than a rigid surface.[4][6][13]
This is a particularly interesting combination from a training perspective: reduction of some impact components alongside an increased demand for adaptation and control.
In simple terms
The sand does not do the work for the athlete. It asks the athlete to work differently.
It absorbs part of the impact energy, while at the same time making it harder to produce force, maintain balance and control every step.
From control to performance
A 2026 meta-analysis of 14 studies comparing plyometric training on sand with rigid surfaces found particularly interesting effects on change-of-direction ability and horizontal jumping, while adaptations in other jump measures were broadly comparable.[5]
This is important because it shows that training on sand does not mean giving up performance development: it means producing adaptations through different mechanical and neuromuscular stimuli.
SAND =
DEFORMABLE SURFACE → less immediate energy return
VARIABLE SUPPORT → greater need for adaptation
CONTINUOUS CONTROL → balance and neuromuscular coordination
MORE DEMANDING MOVEMENT → greater effort to produce and control movement
Soft does not mean easy.
Conceptual diagram
Support that keeps changing
continuous recalibration
producing movement costs more
balance · neuromuscular coordination · muscular/energetic demand
Children: moving means learning
During childhood, movement is not only about developing strength, speed or endurance. Running, jumping, maintaining balance, orienting oneself in space and coordinating different actions all contribute to building the motor foundation that accompanies a child throughout development.
A variable, deformable surface such as sand makes many of these actions less predictable: every step requires small adjustments and the body must continuously organize new motor responses.
What happened when physical education moved to the beach?
In 2022, a group of researchers studied 106 primary-school children aged 7 to 11, comparing a traditional physical-education program with activities carried out on the beach.[12]
The program lasted four months, with two sessions per week. Both groups improved their motor skills, but the children who trained on sand showed greater improvements in overall motor coordination, with particularly interesting results in tests involving balance, lateral movement and coordination.[12]
In simple terms
Sand adds variability to movement.
A child does not simply perform a movement: they must continuously adapt it to the surface on which they are moving.
It is precisely this combination — lower surface rigidity and a greater demand for movement control — that makes activity on sand particularly useful for motor development during growth.
It is not “beach volleyball versus volleyball”
Indoor volleyball and beach volleyball share an important part of their technical foundation, but they offer young athletes different motor experiences.
A gym floor provides a uniform and highly predictable base of support, particularly effective for expressing force and speed quickly. Sand, by contrast, introduces deformability and instability, increasing the need to continuously adapt support, balance and movement production.
For a young athlete, experiencing both conditions means broadening their range of motor experiences.
A rich motor environment
BALANCE
Control the body while the surface changes under your feet.
COORDINATION
Organize different movements while continuously adapting them to the situation.
SPATIAL ORIENTATION
Move through space, read trajectories and reach the ball on a deformable surface.
BODY CONTROL
Run, decelerate, jump and land while managing a less predictable surface.
An important scientific distinction
The study cited concerns physical-education activities carried out on the beach and does not demonstrate that beach volleyball alone produces the same effects. It is, however, directly relevant to understanding how structured physical activity on sand may affect children's motor-skill development.[12]
Study design
Physical activity on the beach
physical education
physical education
Both groups improve.
The beach group shows greater improvements in overall motor coordination.
Learning to make your own decisions, without being on your own.
Beach volleyball occupies a distinctive position between individual and team sports.
You compete as a pair. Each athlete is continuously involved, cannot be substituted during a difficult phase, and decisions have to be made directly by the pair on court. At the same time, almost no action is truly individual: reception, setting, attack, block, defense and coverage all depend continuously on the relationship with your partner.
Individual responsibility and collaboration do not alternate: they coexist in the same rally.
A highly interdependent pair
A 2021 study of 82 elite beach volleyball athletes analyzed personality, emotional regulation, satisfaction and pair functioning.[14]
The authors highlight a fundamental characteristic of the sport: the two players must interact continuously, adjust tactics and solve problems together during competition. The quality of the relationship between partners therefore becomes an integral part of performance.
In simple terms
In 2vs2, you cannot hide in the group, but you cannot do everything on your own either.
You have to learn to choose, take responsibility and manage mistakes; at the same time, you have to communicate, trust your partner and help them do the same.[17]
Autonomy: why it matters in sport
Sport psychology places great importance on autonomy: the perception that you can actively participate in your own choices rather than simply carrying out external instructions.
A large 2022 meta-analysis based on 131 independent samples and more than 38,000 participants found consistent associations between autonomy support from coaches and factors such as autonomous motivation, satisfaction of psychological needs and athlete well-being.[15]
This does not mean that playing beach volleyball automatically makes a person more autonomous. It does mean that a sporting environment in which athletes are taught to observe, understand and choose is consistent with what research identifies as favorable for motivation and personal development.
For this reason, teaching beach volleyball should not mean constantly providing the solution. It means progressively teaching athletes how to find it themselves.
Communicate when things are going well. And especially when they are not.
In beach volleyball, your partner is simultaneously a technical, tactical and emotional partner.
Recent studies on high-level athletes show how communication and relationship quality within the pair are also associated with psychological well-being. In a recent study of professional female players, poorer team communication was associated with a greater psychological burden and, in statistical analyses, with more symptoms of anxiety.[16]
We cannot reduce this finding to the simple equation “beach volleyball = psychological well-being”. We can, however, observe how the very structure of 2vs2 makes communication, trust and mutual emotional regulation central skills.
Four dimensions
DECIDE
Read what is happening and choose a solution.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
Every athlete contributes directly to the outcome of the play.
COMMUNICATE
Build the game through information, discussion and continuous interaction.
SUPPORT EACH OTHER
Manage mistakes, pressure and difficult moments together.
For children and teenagers
During development, this makes beach volleyball particularly interesting as an educational environment, provided that teaching is age-appropriate and progressively leaves room for autonomy.
The value is not in putting a child under pressure because they “have to manage on their own”, but in guiding them toward a growing ability to observe, choose, make mistakes, understand and try again, while knowing that a partner is beside them to help build the solution.[17]
Decide for yourself. Grow together.
Conceptual diagram
2vs2: responsibility + relationship
Decide for yourself. Grow together.
Same net. Two different ways of moving and playing.
Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball share many technical fundamentals and game principles, but changing the surface and moving from 6vs6 to 2vs2 profoundly changes what is required of the athlete.[13][22]
The scientifically interesting comparison is therefore not about deciding which discipline is “better”, but understanding what stimuli each environment provides.
Conceptual diagram
Same net. Two environments.
BEACH · 2vs2
deformable surface · high individual involvement
INDOOR · 6vs6
rigid surface · more distributed roles
| Aspect | Beach Volleyball | Indoor volleyball |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Deformable and variable | Rigid, uniform and predictable |
| Landing impact | Lower force peaks in several studies | Greater force return from the surface |
| Support | Requires continuous adaptation | More stable and repeatable |
| Movement production | Part of the energy is dissipated into the sand | More immediate force transfer |
| Motor control | High demand for adaptation to the surface | More predictable support |
| Players on court | 2 | 6 |
| Individual involvement | Continuous: each athlete covers a large share of the actions | Tasks more widely distributed among roles and players |
| Decision-making | The pair continuously solves situations on court | Greater role specialization and a different decision-making structure |
| Collaboration | Direct and continuous relationship with one partner | Cooperation within a larger group |
| Substitutions | No ordinary substitution of the pair | Substitutions possible according to the rules |
Two surfaces, two ways of using force
On an indoor floor, the athlete has a stable base from which to express force quickly. On sand, part of the energy is absorbed by movement of the surface, and the body has to compensate through different motor strategies.[1][13]
That is exactly why lower impact and greater muscular demand can coexist: they are two different aspects of the same phenomenon.
Two teams, two forms of responsibility
The number of players also changes the experience profoundly.[22]
In 6vs6 there are highly specialized roles and responsibilities distributed across the team. In 2vs2, by contrast, each athlete has to take part in almost every phase of the game, continually moving between reception, setting, attack, serve, block and defense.
Beach volleyball therefore combines strong individual responsibility with an extremely close partnership.
And for a young athlete?
The two disciplines can offer complementary experiences.
Indoor volleyball allows athletes to develop skills within a larger team, specialized roles and complex collective systems. Beach volleyball adds the experience of a variable surface, very high individual involvement and a constant need to make decisions and collaborate within the pair.
Experiencing both environments can therefore broaden a young athlete's motor, technical, tactical and relational development.
The finding that connects biomechanics and epidemiology
WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
In the studies we analyzed, lower force peaks were measured on sand in several landing tasks. In the NCAA epidemiological comparison, overall injury incidence was also 1.8 injuries per 1,000 hours in beach volleyball versus 5.3 indoors, with a lower share of knee injuries in beach volleyball.[1][7]
These findings come from specific populations and conditions, but they offer a much more meaningful scientific picture than the simple idea of a “soft” or “hard” surface.
Conceptual diagram
Two disciplines, complementary stimuli
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
variable sand
2 players
less specialized roles
continuous decision-making
dyadic relationship
INDOOR
stable surface
6 players
more specialized roles
collective systems
larger group
Experiencing both environments
can broaden motor, technical, tactical and relational development.
Beach volleyball in volleyball player development
Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball do not have to be alternative pathways. The differences between the two disciplines can make beach volleyball a powerful complementary tool in the development of a volleyball player.
In 2vs2, every athlete must receive, set, attack, serve and defend. Role specialization gives way to much broader involvement in play, and the smaller number of players multiplies opportunities to touch the ball.
USA Volleyball identifies exactly these aspects among the benefits of cross-training on sand: more touches, development of a more complete technical repertoire, greater need to read the game, communicate, take responsibility and find solutions independently.[19]
From specialized role to complete player
A middle blocker may have to receive and defend. A libero has to learn to attack. An attacker has to set. In beach volleyball, there is no fundamental skill that can be completely delegated to another role.
This pushes the athlete to develop ball control, reading skills and broader technical abilities that can also prove useful when returning to their indoor specialization.[19]
More balls. More problems to solve.
With only two players, individual involvement increases enormously. USA Volleyball notes that the number of touches can almost double compared with indoor volleyball. But it is not only the quantity that increases: the variety of situations changes as well.[19]
Every rally forces the athlete to read the trajectory, wind, opponent, partner's position and available space, constantly deciding what to do and how to do it.[19]
Fewer players. More balls to play. More decisions to make.
Benefits that can transfer back indoors
This is not only a methodological theory. In a study of indoor volleyball players, 12 weeks of beach volleyball training and competition produced improvements in lower-limb muscular endurance and jump performance; the improvement in jumping was still present when the test was repeated on a rigid surface.[18]
Do not choose. Integrate.
This complementarity is also reflected in federation development programs. USA Volleyball states that it values multi-discipline athletes and organizes youth programs to facilitate participation in both indoor and beach volleyball. Some Training Series have included hybrid pathways, with sessions both in the gym and on sand for the same athletes.[20][21]
Beach volleyball does not necessarily have to take anything away from indoor development. It can add experiences that indoor volleyball, because of its structure, provides to a different degree.
Study design
From beach to hard court
- 01INDOOR
end of season
- 02BEACH VOLLEYBALL
12 weeks · 11 athletes
training + competition - 03HARD COURT
Improvements also observed on hard court:
lower-limb endurance + jump height
Sand is not simply a softer surface
Available scientific evidence describes sand as a motor environment with characteristics of its own. The surface deforms, dissipates part of the energy produced by movement and forces the body to continuously adapt support, balance and force production.
This combination produces effects that may seem opposite, but are not: under certain conditions some peaks in mechanical load decrease, while energetic, muscular and motor-control demands increase.
It is precisely this dual characteristic that makes sand interesting not only for playing beach volleyball, but also as an environment for athlete training and development.
What the evidence supports most strongly
1. Sand and rigid surfaces produce different biomechanical responses. In several jumping and landing tasks, lower peaks in vertical ground reaction force and different absorption strategies have been observed on sand.[1][2][3]
2. Lower impact does not mean lower intensity. Producing movement on a deformable surface requires specific muscular, energetic and neuromotor adaptations.[4][5][6]
3. In the main recent beach/indoor epidemiological comparison, beach volleyball showed a lower overall injury incidence. In the NCAA sample analyzed: 1.8 versus 5.3 injuries per 1,000 exposure hours, with a lower proportion of knee injuries in beach volleyball.[7]
4. Physical activity on sand may be particularly interesting during development. In a study of 106 children aged 7–11, a beach-based activity program produced greater improvements in overall motor coordination than the comparison indoor program.[12]
5. Beach volleyball greatly increases individual involvement in play. 2vs2 reduces specialization, increases ball contacts and requires both athletes to use a broad technical repertoire.[14][19][22]
6. 2vs2 multiplies opportunities to make decisions. Reading, adaptation, responsibility, communication and independently finding solutions are built into the structure of the game.[14][15][17]
7. Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball can be complementary. There is both experimental evidence for transfer of some physical adaptations and federation programs that use indoor and beach volleyball together in the development of the same athletes.[18][20][21]
Three levels of evidence
WELL DOCUMENTED
biomechanical differences between sand and rigid surfaces;
lower force peaks in specific landings;
higher energetic cost of movement on sand;
specific adaptations to sand training;
high interdependence and central role of communication in 2vs2;
value of autonomy support in athlete development.
PROMISING EVIDENCE
possible favorable effects on some biomechanical parameters associated with knee loading;
foot function and stabilizing musculature;
use of sand in preventive programs;
specific long-term proprioceptive benefits.
DO NOT OVERSIMPLIFY
no sport eliminates the risk of injury;
we cannot automatically extend a result obtained in adult athletes to children, professionals or the general population;
statistical association and biomechanical mechanism do not always equal clinical causation;
autonomy, self-esteem and resilience also depend on the quality of the educational environment and the coach, not simply on the sport being practiced.
The final message
Soft does not mean easy.
Fewer players does not mean less of a team.
Sand asks the body to adapt. 2vs2 asks the athlete to participate, choose and take responsibility.
It is in the combination of these two characteristics — a surface that constantly changes and a game in which every athlete is continuously involved — that an important part of beach volleyball's developmental value can be found.
For a young athlete, this means enriching their motor and sporting development. For an adult, it means training in a different environment. For an indoor volleyball player, it means adding new technical, physical and decision-making experiences to their development.
Conceptual diagram
Three levels of evidence
biomechanics · specific impacts · movement cost · interdependence
knee · foot function · proprioception · prevention
causation · generalization · “zero injuries” · automatic autonomy
Are you a volleyball club? Discover how to integrate beach volleyball into your athletes' preparation.
Bibliography and further reading
Last literature update: September 7, 2026
Biomechanics, jumping and surfaces
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[1] Giatsis G, Panoutsakopoulos V, Kollias IA. Drop Jumping on Sand Is Characterized by Lower Power, Higher Rate of Force Development and Larger Knee Joint Range of Motion. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2022;7(1):17. DOI: 10.3390/jfmk7010017 · PMID: 35225903 · PMCID: PMC8883941
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[2] Richardson MC, Wilkinson A, Chesterton P, Evans W. Effect of Sand on Landing Knee Valgus During Single-Leg Land and Drop Jump Tasks: Possible Implications for ACL Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. 2021;30(1):97–104 (online 2020). DOI: 10.1123/jsr.2019-0306 · PMID: 32234999
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[3] Giatsis G, Panoutsakopoulos V, Frese C, Kollias IA. Vertical Jump Kinetic Parameters on Sand and Rigid Surfaces in Young Female Volleyball Players with a Combined Background in Indoor and Beach Volleyball. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2023;8(3):115. DOI: 10.3390/jfmk8030115 · PMID: 37606410 · PMCID: PMC10443322
- REVIEW
[4] Binnie MJ, Dawson B, Pinnington H, Landers G, Peeling P. Sand training: a review of current research and practical applications. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2014;32(1):8–15. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2013.805239 · PMID: 23968257
- SYSTEMATIC REVIEW / META-ANALYSIS
[5] Wang T, Zhai H, Yan H, Zhou Y, Li Z, Wei H, Geng Q. Dose-response relationships of sand training compared to other surface training in improving change of direction and jump performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology. 2026;16:1737074. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1737074 · PMID: 41737982 · PMCID: PMC12926154
- SYSTEMATIC REVIEW / META-ANALYSIS
[6] Meng K, Chen Y, Xiang X, Jiang G, Liu Y, Yi Q. Effect of sand-based training on sprint performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology. 2026;17:1665495. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2026.1665495 · PMID: 41778195 · PMCID: PMC12950568
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[13] Hank M, Cabell L, Zahalka F, Miřátský P, Cabrnoch B, Mala L, Maly T. Differences in external load among indoor and beach volleyball players during elite matches. PeerJ. 2024;12:e16736. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16736 · PMID: 38188147 · PMCID: PMC10768657
Beach volleyball / indoor injuries
- COMPARATIVE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY
[7] Juhan T, Bolia IK, Kang HP, Homere A, Romano R, Tibone JE, Gamradt SC, Weber AE. Injury Epidemiology and Time Lost From Participation in Women's NCAA Division I Indoor Versus Beach Volleyball Players. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2021;9(4):23259671211004546. DOI: 10.1177/23259671211004546 · PMID: 33997071 · PMCID: PMC8085369
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY — 2026 UPDATE
[8] Trikha R, Ornelas L, Blough CL, McCarthy M, Limpisvasti O, Banffy MB. Epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Treatments of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Beach Volleyball. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2026;14(9). DOI: 10.1177/23259671261479044
- CLINICAL REVIEW
[9] Probyn L, Flores D, Beaulieu C, Atinga A. Musculoskeletal Injuries in Volleyball Players. Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology. 2025;29(4):569–582. DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1809140 · PMID: 40669477
Balance, foot function and neuromuscular control
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[10] Maemichi T, Ichikawa S, Kumai T. Effect of training in a sandy environment on foot morphology and function. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2024;40:1657–1663. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.09.001 · PMID: 39593505
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[11] Sebastia-Amat S, Ardigò LP, Jimenez-Olmedo JM, Pueo B, Penichet-Tomas A. The Effect of Balance and Sand Training on Postural Control in Elite Beach Volleyball Players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(23):8981. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238981 · PMID: 33276623 · PMCID: PMC7730922
Children and motor development
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[12] Gallotta MC, Zimatore G, Cardinali L, Falcioni L, Bonavolontà V, Curzi D, Guidetti L, Baldari C. Physical Education on the Beach: An Alternative Way to Improve Primary School Children's Skill- and Health-Related Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022;19(6):3680. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19063680 · PMID: 35329366 · PMCID: PMC8950047
Psychology and 2vs2 dynamics
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[14] Klatt S, Rückel L-M, Wagener S, Noël B. Personality Traits and Emotion Regulation Styles of Elite Beach Volleyball Dyads: Examination of Intra-Team Differences, Performance and Satisfaction Levels. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021;12:719572. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.719572 · PMID: 34744882 · PMCID: PMC8569610
- SYSTEMATIC REVIEW / META-ANALYSIS
[15] Mossman LH, Slemp GR, Lewis KJ, Colla RH, O'Halloran P. Autonomy support in sport and exercise settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2024;17(1):540–563; published online February 2, 2022. DOI: 10.1080/1750984X.2022.2031252
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[16] Niering M, Engel N, Beurskens R, Seifert J. Prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among elite female beach volleyball players in the FIVB top 200. Discover Mental Health. 2026;6:17. DOI: 10.1007/s44192-026-00378-8 · PMID: 41579268 · PMCID: PMC12847571
- QUALITATIVE STUDY — 2026 UPDATE
[17] Wergin VV, Beckmann J, Kouba JA, Haehl W. Dealing with failure in junior elite beach volleyball teams: Why trying to help can make things worse. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2026;85:103144. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103144 · PMID: 42055179
Beach volleyball as development for indoor volleyball
- SCIENTIFIC STUDY
[18] Balasas DG, Christoulas K, Stefanidis P, Vamvakoudis E, Bampouras TM. The effect of beach volleyball training on muscle performance of indoor volleyball players. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 2018;58(9):1240–1246. DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07162-6 · PMID: 28558445
Rules and technical/federation documents
- TECHNICAL / FEDERATION DOCUMENT
[19] USA Volleyball. The Benefits of Cross Training.
- FEDERATION DOCUMENT
[20] USA Volleyball. NTDP FAQ.
- FEDERATION DOCUMENT — APPLIED PROGRAM
[21] USA Volleyball. USA Volleyball Announces 2025 Beach NTDP Winter Training Series Rosters — Boys Hybrid Program section. 2025.
- FEDERATION DOCUMENT / RULEBOOK
[22] Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2025–2028.