Snow Volleyball: What It Is and What It’s Becoming (Part 1)

Snow Volleyball is in, and this “cool” new sport is garnering attention around the world.

If you aren’t very familiar with the fastest growing variation of volleyball, fret not. We’re here to explain what the sport is, what its place is internationally, what its future in Canada might look like, and more.

What is Snow Volleyball?

A relatively new sport, below you’ll find a summary of the rules of snow volleyball, which probably aren’t a whole lot different than you were already imagining. The following is a summary in our own words of the official rules, per the FIVB website:

• Snow volleyball is played with three players on either side. This amendment to the rule was made in 2018, where the game used to be played with two per side.
• While only playing with three on the court, snow volleyball teams are generally made up of four players, with each team allowed two substitutions per set.
• Like beach volleyball, a snow volleyball court is eight meters by eight meters.
• Unlike beach volleyball, a block touch does not count towards the three-touch limit.
• Each set is played to 15 points, win by two. Matches are best-of-three sets.
• Teams switch sides every five points played.
• Aside from the serving order, there are no set positions on the court and players may align themselves how they wish.

You may be asking yourself how you can play volleyball on a slippery surface, and, well, fair enough. While there has yet to be an approved shoe designated for snow volleyball, they are likely to come in the future. For the time being, most players prefer to play in soccer cleats.

International Scene

If the first time you heard about snow volleyball was within the past few years, or even if you haven’t heard of it, you’re not alone. It sounds like the kind of thing you might play on a winter Sunday Funday, doesn’t it?

Not long ago it would have been thought of as more of a winter activity, but today snow volleyball is recognized as one of the FIVB’s official disciples. In 2016, the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) held the inaugural season of its CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour. The sport took another huge step forward in 2018 when a Snow Volleyball Night was hosted at the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang. Today, the CEV already has three confirmed event dates on the European Tour 2022 calendar:

• Kahramanmaras, Turkey from February 18^th to 20^th
• Truskavets, Ukraine from February 25^th to 27^th
• Kayseri-Erciyes, Turkey from March 18^th to 20^th

Global development of snow volleyball was a key topic of discussion during the most recent FIVB Snow Volleyball Commission meeting at the federation’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on February 3^rd. The FIVB say they are working closely with the CEV to “capitalise on this momentum with events in Europe and around the world.”

If you’re wondering what snow volleyball at the international level looks like, take a look:

Growing Interest Here at Home

Canadians have taken an interest and we want in. We saw more and more of snow volleyball over the course of the pandemic especially, as the sport is perfectly suited to keep people active safely while options for leisure and entertainment are limited.

This past January, during lockdowns in Quebec, a group of players gathered to play in La Fontaine Park in Montreal when the outside temperature was a brisk negative 24 degrees Celsius. There aren’t a whole lot of reasons to even leave the house at that temperature, but consider it a testament to how Canadians are embracing this up-and-coming sport.

On January 29, Scorpions Volleyball Club based in Cambridge, Ontario hosted their inaugural Snow Volleyball Festival. The event included two separate one-hour time frames, for youth and then adults.

These are just a few of the many examples of Canadians embracing the new sport. It seems inevitable that snow volleyball will continue to grow here at home, with an ideal climate and a population of people with a love for winter sports. Snow volleyball can be an accessible sport for Canadians and an excellent way to get outside during the winter months, with just a little outdoor space and minimal equipment needed. It’s exciting for the ever-growing volleyball community in Canada, who may soon find themselves with more opportunities to play organized snow volleyball.