Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is outdoor volleyball different from indoor volleyball?

A: Indoor volleyball is played with six per side. As the players develop and progress – each person has a specialized position and there are complex rotations and switches going on throughout games to ensure that each person remains in their designated position. Outdoor (beach) volleyball is typically played with doubles. On grass and on sand. There are no specialized positions, only a left and a right side. Most beach players are well-rounded and can hit, dig, and block.

Court sizes for indoor and beach volleyball are very different. Indoor courts are 60′ x 30′, with a parallel attack line that is 10′ from the center line. Back-row players must stay behind this line when attacking the ball. Beach courts are smaller, 26’3 x 52’6 and there is no attack line. A player may hit the ball from anywhere on their side of the net. If you wonder why the beach court is smaller, try a quick lateral sprint through the sand and see how much speed (and breath) you lose. A smaller court ensures that the ball will stay live longer and rallies will be more entertaining.

Indoor volleyballs are made of leather and are heavier than outdoor balls. Indoor volleyball is a game of power and the heavier balls move quicker and can be hit harder. Beach volleyballs are softer, lighter, and a bit bigger than indoor balls. The lighter weight allows them to float more in the air, allowing good players to use the weather to their advantage.

Pro-Indoor
With 6 people on the floor and a massive block, it is much harder to score indoors.
There is more size and power involved indoors.
Indoor players are highly specialized in their skills and are very good at the skills required by their positions.
Indoor is a much faster game than beach and is harder to keep up.
Having a coach on the sideline makes it tougher on the other team because they are making analyses and adjustments with their teams during the match.

Pro-Beach
In beach, there is nowhere to hide. If you are struggling, there are no substitutions so you either figure things out or lose.
There is no coach, so players have to make in-game adjustments on their own.
With only 2 people on the court, there is a lot more area to cover.
Beach is much more physically demanding than indoors.
There is more strategy involved in beach than indoors.

Indoor age divisions:
U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, U18

Beach age divisions:
U12, U14, U16, U18

Beach volleyball is recognized by NCAA Division I and II schools as an emerging sport for women and is an equivalency sport which means athletic scholarships can be split into partial awards in any proportion up to the maximum allowed.

Q:  How exactly does all this work? And how much does it cost?

A:   Events are typically 30-60 dollars per player (60-120 per doubles team). Players will need active USAV memberships, which if played indoor club they already have. If not, they can simply obtain a “summer membership” for 15 dollars. You can manage your Existing USAV memberships here. You can create a New USAV membership here. USAV memberships are REQUIRED for all players in order to sanction the events through the Carolina Region (for insurance purposes).

To play in an event, you will need to register your team through our Website. You will then receive instructions via Email on how to pay. As we get closer to the event you will receive Emails on updates, we will post pool sheets/schedules to the Website, etc.

Bearfoot utilizes its own ranking system for leagues. Volleyball Life for tournaments. Which will be posted and updated throughout the season.

Q:  Is my child too old to play U12/U14/U16/U18?

Age Divisions: Click here for the 2024-2025 USAV Age Definitions Chart

Q:  Are there Tryouts?

A: NO TRYOUTS FOR BEACH EVERYONE PLAYS. That’s right. Simply sign up and play. No camps, clinics, or drills are required. Bearfoot is all about the junior players, actually playing volleyball. We want ALL skill levels out there playing (both newcomers and experienced players). Especially U12!!