Beach volleyball is an Olympic team sport played on sand. Like other variations of volleyball, two teams, separated by a high net, try to score points against the other by grounding a ball on the other team's court. Competitive beach volleyball teams usually consist of two players, though recreational variations can contain up to six players.

Beach volleyball is fundamentally similar to indoor volleyball: a team scores points by grounding the ball on the opponents' court, or when the opposing team commits a fault (error or illegal action); teams can contact the ball no more than three times before the ball crosses the net; and consecutive contacts must be made by different players.

The major differences between beach and indoor volleyball are:
- Playing surface: Beach sand, rather than a hard floor
- Team size: two players per team, rather than six
- Block: The block counts as a contact, when the ball hits the block, 2 touches remain (indoor 3 touches remain)