Running a recreational tournament
Formats, setup, simplified rules, gear
Running a recreational beach tournament is three things: choosing the right format for the number of teams, securing a compliant setup, and setting simplified rules everyone agrees on. The rest is logistics.
Round robin + top 2 final. Duration ~2-3 h. Simplest format.
2 pools of 3 + semi-finals + final. ~3-4 h.
2 pools of 4 + crossover semis + final. ~4-5 h.
3 pools of 4 + single elimination. Full day.
4 pools of 4 + single elimination. Full day.
Pools + main bracket + consolation bracket. Weekend.
16 × 8 m, free zone 3 m min (5-6 m at FIVB level). Sand depth 40 cm minimum.
Height 2.43 m (M / mixed) or 2.24 m (W / recreational). 2.35 m for FFvolley mixed.
PVC tape + soft stakes. Width 5 cm.
Optional in recreational, mandatory in competition.
1 set to 21 (or 15 for a quick format). No tie-break or "sudden death" at 25. Rotating serve. Self-refereeing. In doubt: replay. Beach spirit first — the sport is festive.
1 per court + 2 spares
Adjustable height by category
Contrasted PVC tape
Several liters per team per day
At least one per court
Aloe vera, band-aids, painkillers, backup sunscreen
Shade zone for rest between matches
Announcements, vibe
Printed and posted
Podium rewards
Clean tournament, clean image
BeachUp (beachup.app, 16,500+ courts referenced worldwide) · Beach Volleyball App (App Store) · Tournaments by SportEasy · Toornament.com · CHAMP'S (champs.fr, streaming).