8 | Coaching Volleyball | June/July 2010

ith sand volleyball on the NCAA emerging sport list, questions arebeing formed in the multitudes. One of the most prevalent ques-tions is, “Where can a sand volleyball team play in my area?”Coaching Volleyball visits a few sand courts around the countryin non-beach areas and helps educate coaches on the basics of constructing and maintaining a sand volleyball court.

One of the most common misconceptions that arose after the announcement of sand vol-

leyball as an NCAA emerging sport is that unless an institution was located in a sunny, trop-

ical haven with access to a beach, there would be no place for a team to play. In all actuality,

sand volleyball courts are everywhere: north, south, east, west, inland, coastal, warm-weath-

er, cold-weather. There are courts of every shape and size, ranging from basic single-court

facilities to expansive multi-court mega complexes. Whatever your geographical region or

budget, there is a sand court option for you.

<< ELITE BEACH is a facility located in the heart of the Midwest in Des Moines, Iowa.

The facility houses three sand volleyball courts, all adjustable for men or women. Elite Beach

also holds a concessions stand, men's and women's restrooms and a large patio area. The

facility hosts a multitude of leagues and tournaments, both for adults and juniors and has

designed times available for “open” play to accommodate the general public. In addition, the

facility offers group rentals, available for one, five or full-day time slots.

<< THE BROWNSVILLE SPORTS PARK’S VOLLEY COVE, located in Brownsville,

Texas, is the first to feature the new Karch Kourt Sand System created by beach volleyball legend

Karch Kiraly, in partnership with the Elevation Group of Companies. The Brownsville

Community Improvement Corporation, in cooperation with the City of Brownsville, construct-

ed the new 10-court multi-sport competition and training facility, which opened in April. All

types of sports can be played or trained in the sand including soccer, flag football and tennis.

A trend that is catching on across the country involves converting old, run-down or

unused tennis courts into sand volleyball courts. Such a project took place at

<< EDWARD HINES PARK in Westland, Michigan. The public park offers four recently

constructed sand volleyball courts to the public, standing in the place where tennis courts

used to lie.

If constructing a sand volleyball court or facility is an option for your program or institu-

tion, read on for a basic “how to” guide, which covers everything from the sand, itself, to

drainage to nets and boundaries.

COURT BASICS

Since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the court should be situated with the

net running east-west, in order to reduce glare from the sun. If building more than one court,

Wby Leah Brock, AVCA Communications Manager & Editor

be sure to orient them all similarly to maintain consistency. Wind should

also be considered. It is preferred that courts should have the wind cross-

ing the sidelines or at an angle, but never endline to endline.

Dimensions of a standard court are 18 meters by nine meters.

Measurements are taken from the outer edges of the boundary lines. The

actual playing area for sand volleyball doubles to compete is eight meters

by 16 meters, however additional space should be set aside on all sides of

the court, preferably five to six meters. There should also be a clearance

height of at least seven meters above the playing surface and should be

clear of obstructions such as trees, power lines, etc.

The general area should be clear of any obstructions for three to four

meters on each side of the court area. You should also take care to pad any

item that could be a potential hazard for players who are pursuing the ball

off the court.

SAND

Obviously, it would be most cost-efficient if an institution had access

to a natural beach to construct a sand volleyball court. However, in

many cases this option is not possible. It takes approximately 160-200

tons of sand to operate a functional court. The depth of the sand (if not

playing on a natural beach) should be between 12 to 24 inches.

(See image 1)Where is the best place to purchase sand to use on a court? For the best

value, purchase sand locally. Hauling sand in from somewhere else can

prove very costly. However, if your budget allows, purchase beach sand

from a coastal distributor. In some cases, it may be possible to obtain sand

at reduced cost from construction companies, local beaches, golf courses

or professional volleyball tournaments. (See image 2)When considering the type of sand to use for a sand volleyball court, it

is recommended to purchase washed masonry sand, or sand that is not

acquired from a crushed-rock source. You should aim to find the cleanest

sand possible, as sand that contains a fair amount of dirt will eventually

compact into mud when wet. The size of the particles should typically be

between .5 and 1 millimeter to allow for proper drainage and also aid in

maximum safety. Stay away from fine grains, as they can also compact into

mud when wet. Tan sand is best to purchase because it absorbs less heat

than other sand colors and provides a minimal glare.

DRAINAGE

It is important to consider drainage when constructing a sand volleyball

court. To do this, the earth below the playing surface should be graded and

a surface that promotes drainage should be installed below the sand. The

court is ideally excavated to a meter depth to allow for the installation of

drainage pipe on a standard slant of 14 degrees. The pipe should be laid in

a zig-zag pattern over the base of playing area. Keep in mind the drainage

point should lead away from the court at the lowest point. One end of the

drainage pipe may be capped and the other left open and leading to the

drainage point or drainage ditch.

It is suggested that a layer of gravel be placed over the drainage pipes to

enhance drainage. There is no set type of gravel, but many recommend a

small pea-sized gravel known as #56 grav-

el, #2 or #3 size gravel. Also, a porous

cover such as plastic landscaping mesh can

be laid over the gravel to prevent the sand

from washing through and to keep the

underlying soil and gravel from making

its way up to the sand level. An example

of a good material to use is a ground sta-

bilization filter fabric, which won’t deteri-

orate under weather conditions, and can

be found by contacting a landscaping or

excavating company.

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10 | Coaching Volleyball | June/July 2010

BOUNDARIES AND NETS

Boundary lines are comprised of 1/4 inch rope or 1-1.5 inch webbing

and is tied to the four corners of the court with buried anchors. A bungee

cord can be attached to each corner and connected to a buried wood or

plastic anchor disk, providing the tension necessary to keep the boundaries

in place while giving the flexibility to reduce the chance for injury, should

a player accidentally get a body part caught under the boundary line. No

centerline is needed, however four meters extra line beyond the 54 meters

of total court lines will be needed for anchoring the corners. It would be

helpful if the color of the boundary lines contrasts with the color of the

sand, to allow for easy visibility.

Poles for permanent sand volleyball courts can be either wood or pipe.

The minimum metal pole thickness is a four to five inches in diameter,

galvanized and thick-walled steel pipe, while the minimum pole thickness

for pressure-treated wood poles is six to eight inches. Square poles are not

recommended, simply because of their corners. No matter whether using

steel or wood poles, it is STRONGLY encouraged to pad the poles to pre-

vent injury to athletes. Permanent net systems should be free-standing and

not use any support wires or straps. Portable net systems are available as

an option, but are widely not recommended. (See image 3)Standards are recommended to be four meters long; three meters above

the court’s sand surface and imbedded one meter into the ground using a

concrete footing. In some cases the soil might be solid enough to support

the poles, however concrete footings are the best option. These footings

need to be placed one meter from the boundary of the court, or there will

not be adequate room for the full net and adjusting cables.

A ten meter long by one meter wide net with a cable top is preferred,

but heavy-duty ropes, such as Kevlar types, can be substituted for the

cable. A padded winch and hardware such as eyebolts or hooks are need-

ed to mount both the top and bottom of the net. The net height for

women’s doubles is 2.24 meters and for men’s doubles, the height increas-

es slightly to 2.43 meters. (See image 4)

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Once your court is constructed, there are other items that should be

considered. The first is shade. You should be able to provide the athletes

using the sand court somewhere where they can seek shade from the direct

sunlight. Possibilities include large beach umbrellas, a pop-up tent, or a

more permanent form of shelter.

Seating is another consideration, but for spectators and athletes. Some

facilities use items as simple as plastic lawn furniture. Wrought iron furni-

ture is more expensive, but requires little cleaning or maintenance and is

more durable. If your budget allows, more permanent types of seating,

Image 3

Image 4

such as benches and bleachers, are suitable as well, but not recommended

on the playing area.

Earth banks around the facility can serve as a windbreak, aid in retain-

ing balls in the court area and provide a natural terracing for spectators.

These can be formed simply by using the excavated soil.

Fencing is also an option. It not only acts as a barrier for unwanted

users, but can prevent balls from leaving the sand court area, keep animals

from entering the sand area and can be used as a windbreak and to sup-

port any advertising banners. Weld mesh fencing is widely regarded as

more appropriate for usage in a sand volleyball facility, however basic

chain link fencing is acceptable, as well.

A final option to consider in the construction of a sand volleyball court

is lighting. If it is anticipated that the facility will be used in the night

time, work with a professional to develop a floodlighting scheme for what-

ever level of play is perceived.

MAINTENANCE

Sand courts should be visually inspected on a regular basis by walking

over the court and removing foreign objects such as stones, shells or other

dangerous particles that could potentially cause cuts or injuries to athletes.

The sand on the courts should also remain as level as possible. As athletes

play, they are constantly moving sand to the net from other areas of the

court, due to the approach for an attack. This can tend to leave a high area

directly under the net. The sand can easily be leveled with a shovel or rake

once a week. The sand should also be sifted directly before an event. Some

facilities have built custom drags with long tines to not only break up the

hardened sand, but loosen up the deep sand. A garden tiller or even a rake

can be used, as well.

Once a year, due to the movement of the sand throughout the year by

athletes playing on it, courts need to have a large quantity of sand moved

back to the middle of each court. Some facilities have rented a walk-

behind skid loader to do the heavy moving.

Upgrades and general repairs to sand courts are limited. If taken care of

properly, net systems can last for many years. Boundary lines have a short-

er lifespan, due to fading and fraying, however they are fairly inexpensive

to replace.

Other potential factors to consider when dealing with maintaining a

sand volleyball court are weeds and insects. Weeds can easily be managed

with a safe weed killer and removing them by hand. It would be helpful

to have bug spray on hand, or if possible, use a commercial large area

spraying method or a commercial electronic method.

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