What Is Snow Volleyball?

How many types of volleyball have you heard about and participated in? If you are interested in learning more about the various types of volleyball, Snow Volleyball may be something for you to learn about. Snow Volleyball is considered a young, up-and-coming version of Beach Volleyball. In fact, during the 2018 Winter Olympics, Snow Volleyball was featured as an exhibition sport. So, what exactly is it?

What is Snow Volleyball? Snow Volleyball is a 3 on 3 sport played on a rectangular 16m x 8m court of compacted snow. For competitions, the snow must be at least 30cm deep. The Snow Volleyball game objective is for a team to score points by delivering the ball over the net and on to the ground of the opposing side’s court, much like traditional indoor or beach volleyball.

Where Does The Concept Of Snow Volleyball Come From?

As with many games and sports, it’s hard to say who had the very first idea of playing volleyball in the snow, for instance, consider these guys in the image below. They just created a way to play in a casual setting.

Snow Volleyball first made its debut as an actual sport in Austria and is regulated by the FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball). To learn more about the objective of Snow Volleyball, how to play it, and how quickly it is becoming popular, read on.

The Objective Of Snow Volleyball

What is the objective of Snow Volleyball and how does the game play out? In a game of Snow Volleyball, players have the same basic game objectives as in a game of Beach or Indoor Volleyball. Players aim to get the ball over the net and to the ground of the opposing team’s court.

That’s not their only objective though. Players must also focus on preventing their opponents from achieving the very same goal (in reverse). During a game of Snow Volleyball, players on one team can touch or hit the ball no more than 3 times to get it over the net. Any more than that and the play will be considered over, the referee will blow the whistle and award a point to the other team.

Each individual player may not touch the ball 2 consecutive times. The only exceptions to this are during blocking or when receiving the serve, if 2 contacts are made by the same player in a single motion, it is allowed.

The typical Snow Volleyball 3-touch sequence: Bump/Pass – Pass – Spike/Shot.

1. Bump or pass – to send the ball towards an ideal spot for it to be hit.
2. Pass – sending the ball into the air or over the net.
3. Spike – once the ball is up in the air, a player jumps and hits the ball so that it moves fast in a downward motion and hopefully hits the ground. Sometimes, a team will simply use a “shot” touch which sends the ball back over the net in the most basic way possible.

The Differences Between Snow Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, And Indoor Volleyball

What are the differences between Snow Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, and Indoor Volleyball? Are there any? Many people wonder these very same questions.

If you would like to read a comparison between the beach and indoor versions of volleyball, we have an article all about that called Should I Switch From Indoor to Beach Volleyball?

When people first hear about Snow Volleyball, they assume that it has the same plays and rules as regular Beach Volleyball, since it was first released as an official variation of Beach Volleyball. The beach and snow versions of the game look very similar, but there are differences that set these 2 games apart.

While the rules are similar, the games are not identical. You can expect Snow Volleyball to differ from Beach Volleyball in the following ways:

The Playing Surface And Weather In Snow Volleyball Is Different.

The most obvious difference between Beach Volleyball and Snow Volleyball is the playing surface. Snow Volleyball must be played on a snow court or space.

The weather is a major factor as well. Even if it’s a sunny day with no wind, Snow Volleyball has to be played somewhere that’s cold enough to maintain the snow court, which means you’re constantly dealing with the cold. Closer to the end of this article, we’ll discuss the clothing snow players wear.

The Scoring System Used In Snow Volleyball Is Different.

The scoring system is the second biggest difference between the 2 Volleyball game variations. In Beach Volleyball, you have teams of 2 and scoring is based on the best of 3 sets played to 21 points. When Snow Volleyball first came about, the very same scoring system applied, but not for long. The 2 games shared the same scoring system only until December in 2018 when the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball decided to alter the scoring system. The main change made was the introduction of a new scoring system that made Snow Volleyball a unique game in its own right. Currently, in Snow Volleyball, scoring is based on the best of 3 sets played to 15 points. Also, teams consisted of 3 players with 1 substitute allowed.

The Block In Snow Volleyball Follows The Indoor Rules.

This is another difference that makes the game different. In Beach Volleyball, the block counts as 1 of the 3 touches that a team is allowed to make to get the ball over the net. In indoor volleyball, the rule is that the block does not count as a hit, so the team still has 3 hits after the block.

In Snow Volleyball, the rules follow the indoor pattern. The block doesn’t count as a player touching the ball, and as a result, any player can touch the ball after the block, even the blocker.

How Do You Score In Snow Volleyball?

Snow Volleyball Scoring is not complicated – in fact, it is simple to understand. When a team wins a point or scores, they are the next team to serve. Snow Volleyball points are scored in the following scenarios:

• When the opposition misplays or does something “illegal on the court”.
• When the ball lands in the court (on the snow) of the opposing side. This usually means that the ball has been delivered and the defensive team has failed to hit it back over the net.
• When the opposition is given a penalty.
• When the opposition hits the ball outside of the lines of play, the team will score a point.

When is the ball considered “out” in a game of Snow Volleyball? When it comes to the ball being considered out, the rules are much the same as Beach Volleyball. A ball is considered out in the following scenarios:

• When the ball lands outside of the boundary line on the ground. Keep in mind, if it is still contacting the end-line or sideline, the ball can be considered as “in” still.
• When the ball, during play, makes contact with another person outside the court lines (someone who is not in play at that moment in time).
• When the ball comes into contact with the antennae on the net.
• When the ball is not delivered over the net within the player’s 3 allowed touches.
• When the ball passes under the net during play.

What Do Snow Volleyball Players Wear?

There is no official Snow Volleyball outfit at this stage, although recent tournaments have seen a general trend in what players wear. As Snow Volleyball is a fairly new sport, teams generally piece together their own outfits as a team.

Generally speaking, thermal underwear is worn along with lightweight thermal or weatherproof clothing. For better grip and safety on the snow, Snow Volleyball players wear football cleats.

The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball states that due to the nature of playing on snow, Snow Volleyballers may also wear beanies, hats, gloves, and glasses/sunglasses to provide added protection and warmth. If you would like to refer to the official rules click here: FIVB Snow Volleyball Rules.

How To Play Snow Volleyball | Snow Volleyball Gameplay

Playing Snow Volleyball is very similar in style to Beach Volleyball. Below is a brief breakdown of how to play Snow Volleyball the right way, or what to expect during a game of Snow Volleyball.

• Teams are positioned on opposing sides of the net.
• A coin toss is usually carried out before the warm-ups begin to decide which team will serve and which team will receive. Serving and receiving designations are used to decide which team starts first and which side of the court they will play from.
• The first 2 sets are played from the same side of the court. If another set is required to determine a match-winner, the referee will host another coin toss.
• The serving team must deliver the ball over the net (usually with the intention of grounding it for points), while the receiving team must intercept and return the ball in no more than 3 hits.
• The team with the ball in possession is on the offense. The opposing team, trying to deter the ball from hitting the ground, are on the defense.
• The game continues playing the ball using typical Volleyball rules until such time as the ball is out or a player or team violates a rule.
• Each team will swap court sides when 5 points are played. This means that a game can see the teams switching sides several times during a game.

Last Word On Snow Volleyball

While Snow Volleyball is fairly similar to Beach Volleyball, it has distinct differences that make the game quite unique. The sport is growing in popularity and is currently being played in a number of countries. If you have an interest in volleyball and are looking for something a little bit different, Snow Volleyball might just be what you are looking for.  

Would you like to learn about other variations of volleyball? Click here to read through our list of articles that explore different volleyball variations.

Photo credits:

Feature Image by Phillip Kofler from Pixabay

Greenland Image by Fred W. Baker III, available in the public domain.

Court Image by Phillip Kofler from Pixabay