Brazilian Footvolley

A man serves a footvolley ball over a net while his team mate intently watches in the background

A Brazilian man, Octavio de Moraes, developed footvolley on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach in 1965. Footvolley combines the technical skills of soccer and volleyball—both of which beachgoers commonly play at Copacabana. The sport provides an affordable, accessible outlet for athletes.

Following the introduction of footvolley in Rio de Janeiro, players brought the game back to cities across Brazil. After decades of recreational play, the first official footvolley tournaments took place in Rio during the 1990s, but the sport has since grown internationally. Australia, Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom all host teams with considerable influence on the sport.

Footvolley follows the same rules as beach volleyball with one caveat—players cannot use their hands. The objective of footvolley is for players to score more points than the opposing team during game time. Each team consists of two players.

Footvolley matches usually consist of one game where the winner is determined by the first team reaching 18 points. In some tournaments, matches happen in a "best-of-three" format, with the winning team attempting to score 15 points per game.

For players to score a point, the ball must hit the ground on the opposing side of the court. Players serve the ball over the net using their feet. Each team can hit the ball three times before returning it to the other side. If one player kicks the ball twice in a row, the other team scores a point.

Footvolley combines two widely enjoyed team sports and intrigues athletes from various backgrounds. Footvolley continues to grow around the world as more exposure brings new people to the game.


Learn More:
The History of Footvolley