How Is Beach Volleyball Scored?
Sets to 21, Tiebreak to 15, Win by 2 & the Complete Beach Volleyball Point System
Last updated: April 6, 2026
Beach volleyball uses rally scoring — every rally earns a point for one team, regardless of who served. Sets 1 and 2 are played to 21 points, the tiebreak (set 3) to 15 points, and a team must win by at least 2 points with no cap. A match is best of 3 sets — the first team to win 2 sets takes the match. Teams switch sides every 7 points in sets 1-2 and every 5 points in the tiebreak.
Rally Scoring in Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball uses the same rally scoring system as indoor volleyball — every rally results in a point, regardless of which team served. If the serving team wins the rally, they score 1 point and continue serving. If the receiving team wins the rally, they score 1 point and gain the serve.
A rally can end when: the ball hits the sand inside the opponent's court, the ball goes out of bounds, a team commits a fault (net touch, four hits, double contact, lift, etc.), or the ball contacts the antenna or crosses the net outside the antenna.
Before rally scoring was adopted, beach volleyball used side-out scoring where only the serving team could score. The switch to rally scoring made matches faster, more predictable in duration, and more spectator-friendly — the same transition that transformed indoor volleyball in 1999.
For a detailed comparison with indoor volleyball scoring, see our indoor volleyball scoring guide.
Sets, Tiebreak & Match Format
A beach volleyball match is played as a best of 3 sets. The first team to win 2 sets wins the match.
Sets 1 and 2: Each set is played to 21 points with a minimum 2-point advantage. There is no point cap — if the score reaches 20-20, play continues until one team leads by 2 (e.g., 22-20, 23-21, 25-23, etc.).
Set 3 (Tiebreak): If the match is tied at 1 set each, a deciding third set is played to 15 points, again with a minimum 2-point advantage and no cap. At 14-14, play continues until one team leads by 2.
Match outcomes: Matches can finish 2-0 or 2-1 in sets. A 2-0 sweep takes a minimum of 42 points played (21+21 if every set is won 21-0, which never happens). Real matches typically involve 70-120 total points.
How this differs from indoor volleyball: Indoor volleyball uses sets to 25 points (tiebreak to 15) in a best-of-5 format. Beach volleyball's shorter sets (21) and fewer sets (best of 3) make matches typically 40-60 minutes long, compared to 90-150 minutes for indoor.
Side Switching — The Outdoor Equalizer
One of the most distinctive features of beach volleyball is the mandatory side switch during sets. Unlike indoor volleyball, where teams only switch sides between sets, beach volleyball teams switch sides during each set at regular point intervals.
Sets 1 and 2: Teams switch sides every 7 points based on the combined score. The switches happen when the combined total reaches 7, 14, 21, 28, etc.
Set 3 (Tiebreak): Teams switch every 5 points — at combined totals of 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.
Why switch sides? Beach volleyball is played outdoors, where conditions are never equal on both sides of the court. Sun position can blind players on one side, wind direction can advantage or disadvantage serving and attacking, and sand quality can vary between court halves. The side switch ensures neither team is permanently disadvantaged by environmental conditions.
During the switch: Play pauses briefly while teams walk to the opposite side. There is no formal timeout during the switch — it is meant to be a quick transition. The serve order and score remain unchanged; only the court position changes.
This is a key reason why beach volleyball needs its own dedicated scoreboard. The side-switching rhythm is fundamentally different from indoor volleyball and creates natural breaks in the flow of the match.
Serving Rules in Beach Volleyball
Serving in beach volleyball follows the same basic principles as indoor volleyball, with some key differences due to the 2v2 format.
Serve order: Each team has two players, and they must alternate serving. Player A serves first, then after the team regains the serve, Player B serves, and so on. The serving order is set at the beginning of each set and must be maintained throughout.
Service rules: The server must stand behind the end line and strike the ball within 8 seconds of the referee's whistle. The let serve is legal — if the ball touches the net but lands in the opponent's court, it counts. The server may serve from anywhere behind the end line, across the full 8-meter width.
No rotation: Unlike indoor volleyball with its 6-player rotation system, beach volleyball has no rotation. Both players can play anywhere on their side of the court at any time. The only requirement is the alternating serve order.
Jump serves: Jump serves (topspin and float) are used at the competitive level. The server may land inside the court after contact — the key criterion is that the last foot contact before the toss was behind the end line.
Ball Handling Rules — Stricter Than Indoor
Beach volleyball has stricter ball-handling standards than indoor volleyball, reflecting the 2v2 format where defensive coverage is limited and loose technique could create unfair offensive advantages.
No open-hand tips: The most notable rule difference is that players cannot use an open-hand dink (tip). When tipping the ball over the block, players must use stiff fingers (a "poke" or "cobra" shot) or a closed fist (knuckle shot). Open-hand tips — where the player softly pushes the ball with an open palm — are a fault in beach volleyball.
Stricter double-contact enforcement: Referees are significantly stricter on double contacts during setting in beach volleyball. Any visible spin on a set may be called as a double contact, even if the ball appears to come off the hands simultaneously. This is why beach volleyball sets are often delivered using a bump set (forearms) rather than a hand set (fingers) — it eliminates the risk of a double-contact call.
First-contact exception: On the first team contact (serve reception or a hard-driven attack), double contact is allowed — the ball may contact multiple body parts in one action. This exception is the same as indoor volleyball.
Lift/carry: The ball must be cleanly hit, not held or thrown. This rule is the same as indoor, but referees tend to be consistent in enforcement across both formats.
Beach vs. Indoor Volleyball — Complete Scoring Comparison
Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball share the same scoring foundation (rally scoring, win by 2) but differ in critical details:
| Rule | Beach Volleyball | Indoor Volleyball |
|---|---|---|
| Team size | 2 vs. 2 | 6 vs. 6 |
| Court | 16m × 8m (sand) | 18m × 9m (hard court) |
| Sets 1-2 target | 21 points | 25 points |
| Tiebreak target | 15 points | 15 points |
| Match format | Best of 3 | Best of 5 |
| Side switching | Every 7 pts (5 in tiebreak) | Between sets only |
| Open-hand tips | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Setting strictness | Very strict (spin = fault) | More lenient |
| Libero | None | Yes |
| Substitutions | None | Up to 6 per set |
| Rotation | No rotation | Clockwise rotation |
| Typical match length | 40-60 minutes | 90-150 minutes |
For the full indoor volleyball scoring system, see our indoor volleyball sport page.
Worked Example — A Full Beach Volleyball Match
Here is how scoring works across a complete 3-set beach volleyball match:
Set 1: Team Alpha vs. Team Bravo
- Teams start on their chosen sides. Team Alpha serves first.
- At combined score 7 (e.g., Alpha 4 – Bravo 3), teams switch sides.
- At combined score 14 (e.g., Alpha 8 – Bravo 6), they switch again.
- At combined score 21 (e.g., Alpha 12 – Bravo 9), they switch again.
- Score reaches 20-18. Alpha needs 21 to win, but must lead by 2 — they already lead by 2, so one more point wins.
- Alpha scores: 21-18. Set 1 goes to Alpha.
Set 2: Teams switch sides for the start of the new set.
- Bravo serves first (the team that lost the previous set serves first in the next).
- Side switches continue every 7 combined points.
- Score reaches 20-20. Neither team can win at 21-20 (only 1-point lead). Play continues.
- Score reaches 22-20. Bravo leads by 2: 22-20. Set 2 goes to Bravo.
Set 3 (Tiebreak): Match is tied 1-1. Tiebreak is played to 15.
- Side switches happen every 5 combined points (at 5, 10, 15, etc.).
- At combined score 5 (e.g., Alpha 3 – Bravo 2), teams switch sides.
- Score reaches 15-13. Alpha leads by 2 and has reached 15: 15-13. Match over.
Final result: Alpha wins 2-1 (21-18, 20-22, 15-13).
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