Beach Volleyball Hand Signals

The following notes and photos are taken from the EVA beach coaching course notes

Before you attend any training sessions, please learn the hand signals below - your partner will expect you to know them.

The block signals are very simple when you know what they mean, the person who is not serving gives the signal to their partner, usually behind their back. If the blocker is the person serving then the defender will signal the block.

The person serving confirms that they have seen the signal with an O.K. or a YES, very important as you don't want both covering an area because of a lack of communications.

The signals most commonly used are:

• One finger pointing down - Means line block.
• Two fingers pointing down - Means cross court block.
• Closed fist - Means no block on that player.
• Open hand - Means block the ball and you defend around my block.
• Shaking a hand or finger - Means serve at this player.

In beach volleyball you are either a left side player or a right side player, depending on which side you receive the serve (facing the net).

Line block on both attackers, which means if you serve either player the blocker is to cover the line attack and the back court defender will cover the cross court attack.

Cross court block on both players, the defender will cover the line attack.

Line block on the person receiving on the right side as the blocker faces the net. Cross court block on the left side (as the blocker faces the net).

Cross court block on the right side, line block on the left side.

The closed fist means "no block" on that player attacking from the right.

An open hand means "blocking the ball" so the defender will have to read the play as it takes place and move around the blocker into position, it could be either line or cross court.