While watching beach volleyball games it is obvious that almost every player involved is quite tall to some extent. That’s why most beginners are wondering whether they have to be that tall to be able to practice sand volleyball …
Well, being tall is not really a must for beach volleyball; however, it is definitely an edge that can leverage most volleyball moves. However, as far as you are skilful enough with solid shape & physical attributes, you definitely can make it as a pro player, even if you are not tall enough.
In this article, I provide the best height range for both male and female players. I also address what you need to do to make the most out of your height (whether you are tall or short).
Best Beach Volleyball Height for Males
Keep in mind that the Net height is 8ft (243cm). So, knowing your own height, this should give you an idea on how much you need to jump in order to reach such Net height …
Anyways, some recent statistics have shown that the average height of beach volleyball male players is around 5ft9 (180cm).
As well as this means that you probably should be around 5ft9 or above, this also means that there are many players that are below that and are playing the sport at a high level!
Keep in mind that this also depends on your main role…
For instance, if your main role is going to be the blocker then you should be taller than the average, that is about 6ft (184 cm).
However, if you are going to be defending most of the time, then you can be shorter than the average, that is about 5ft7 (174cm).
Don’t forget that these are just indicative numbers based on statistics, so you don’t really have to stand by these numbers spiritually.
There many pro players that are 6ft3+ …
So overall, as a male player, you should be between 5ft7 up to 6ft2
Quick Tip: Height is only one among many important requirements for beach volleyball. That’s why I highly recommend you have a look at this Helpful Resource where you will find out the most important requirements to be successful.
Best Beach Volleyball Height for Females
For females Keep in mind that the Net height is 7ft3 (192cm). So, women should not be as tall as men to deal with such Net height …
On average women height in sand volleyball is around 5ft8 (178cm). You can notice that this is not very far from the average male height which is a little above 5ft9.
Female blockers should be a little taller than this average, meaning they should be close to 5ft9 (182cm). However, if the lady will mostly have defensive tasks, then should might be shorter than that, about 5ft7 (173cm).
Again, those numbers should only be taken as reference only. Indeed, I’ve seen ladies playing that are 6ft2 (190cm).
So all in all, these are the main data points for ladies …
- Average height- 177-179 cm
- Blocker- 182 cm
- Defender- 173 cm
Important Tip: If you are an amateur and not used to hot sand while practicing, the you definitely need to use sand socks. They will also give you a more stability and strength when jumping which would results in better performance overall. For example, these quality sand socks are reliable and will help in that regard.
Should coaches look only for tall players?
Selecting players for the team is a hard and tricky process. The coach has significant pressure on him to select the best out of the pool of prospects …
Many people take height as a major criterion of selection. Yet being tall has no correlation whatsoever with how good you are as a beach volleyball player!
The skillset and overall shape and willingness to sacrifice for the team is probably what matters the most.
The coach should mostly focus on that aspect. However, when it comes to height, this one should only be considered as a final eliminator factor in case the coach has 2 or more players with similar capabilities. Then at that moment, he might choose the taller player.
Does being short represent any advantages in beach volleyball?
Shorter players have some solid advantages over taller players. Below are the most important ones:
Better ball control: Passing is a major aspect of the game. And to be good at passing, you first need to possess Great ball control. It refers to controlling the ball movements in such a way that the point falls in the favour of one’s team. It is observed that in this area shorter players outperform the taller players. If a player lacks this skill then he may become the reason for his team’s loss.
Quicker than taller players: speed indeed plays a crucial role. Shorter players have shorter limbs. This helps them to generate explosive strength and react at the moment. This is not usually the case for taller players. Longer limbs take time to get into the movement. Even the gap of seconds may cause the ball to touch the ground and make the team lose the point. These swift movements of shorter players give them a huge advantage over taller players.
Flexibility: Flexibility is another important attribute for sand volleyball. As mentioned earlier, the player has to move swiftly around the court. These swift movements not only require speed but flexibility also. If a person lacks flexibility then he may end up injuring himself. The chances of muscle pull and muscle tear increase in cases where the muscles are sore. People who are shorter in height have a high level of flexibility when compared to others. This reduces the chances of injuries for them. A person can increase his flexibility by engaging in more stretching exercises.
Tend to work Harder: Taller players usually have the sense of surety. So they are less likely to work hard enough and become the best version of themselves. On the other hand, shorter people always have a sense of uncertainty. They always feel that if they don’t perform the best, they’ll not be selected. Hence they tend to work a lot harder when compared to their taller counterparts.
Check other advantages of being short as a beach volleyball player …
Moves that require height
On the other hand, you need to keep in mind that height is a great advantage and can really help leverage the following moves …
Blocking: it is the move to block the opponent’s shot right at the net. Here the person has to jump high enough to get his hands’ inches above the net height to block the shot. The height of the net in beach volleyball is around 8ft for men. It is very difficult for an average or short height player to jump that high unless he has an exceptional vertical jump. This is where tall guys excel in this department.
Hitting: Same as blocking hitting or smashing requires the player to be tall. Here the player has to jump above the net height and smash the ball down the opponent’s court with lot of strength. A short player at first cannot jump that high and even if he does, then good part of his energy goes in it. Which makes it harder for him to smash. On the other hand, tall players can jump to that height with ease. They don’t lose much energy in jumping and hence can smash down with a lot of power.
Reach: This is a very obvious point. Tall players have more reach when compared to shorter players. They can cover a larger area under them. Having large steps enable them to reach the ball even if it is at a distance. If they dive then there is a high possibility that they’ll save the ball from touching the ground. This is not the same in the case of shorter players.
Final Thoughts …
Beach volleyball is not a sport where coaches require their players to be that tall. Unlike indoor volleyball where this seems to be an important element of selection for most positions …
That’s why, even if you are not tall enough, really don’t get discouraged or feel inferior. Your skills, overall shape and willingness to sacrifice is all what matters in this sport.
Finally, it is very important to note that sand volleyball players need to be at a certain weight to help improve their performance. Check the article I’ve highlighed in blue to learn about that …