Footvolley

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Footvolley (Portuguese: Futevôlei) is an international sport which combines aspects of beach volleyball and football (soccer).

Contents

[edit] Rules

Footvolley combines field rules that are based on those of beach volleyball with ball-touch rules taken from Soccer. Essentially footvolley is beach volleyball except no hands and a soccer ball replaces the volleyball.


Scoring: Points are awarded if the ball hits the ground in the opponents' court, if the opponents commit a fault, or if they fail to return the ball. Scoring is done using the rally point system (NEW volleyball rules). Matches may vary based on organizer's determination. Generally speaking matches are one set to 18 points; or best of three sets to 15 points (with third set to 11 points).

Court Dimensions: The court is 29.5 Feet x 59 ft (old beach volleyball).

Height of Net: The height of the net varies based on the competition. The Official International Rule for the net height set is 2.2 Meters or 7 Feet 2 Inches for the men's competition. For the women's competition, the height of the net should be set at 2 Meters or 6 Feet 6 Inches.

On the Pro Footvolley Tour, the height of the net is set at 2.1 Meters or 6 Feet 11 Inches.

[edit] History

Footvolley was created in Brazil, by Octavio de Moraes, in 1965 in Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach as a means to have soccer players touch the ball without violating the formal soccer ban at the time. Players would bring a soccer ball; but opt for the volleyball courts when the police would come ask for their ball. The game of footvolley - first call 'pevoley' literally meaning "footvolley" was discarded for "futevolei". Footvolley may have started in Rio de Janeiro; but cities like Recife, Salvador, Santos, and Florianopolis have players who have been playing footvolley since the 1970s. Teams of footvolley had five a side initially. Given the incredible skill level of the then footvolley athletes (nearly all were professional soccer players); the ball would rarely drop. Thus, the players began dropping players on each side and eventually settled on 2 versus 2 (which is used today).

The English version of the term "futevolei" was first translated into English or "footvolley" in 2000 with the first events of the sport happening in South Florida at the time.

The sport's first major promoter outside of Brazil was Miguel Ángel Hernández Nodrid who created the official rules of 'futvoley' in Spain in 1993. Those rules varied slightly from the ones adopted in Brazil.

[edit] Emergence of beer and liquor sponsors

Similar to the way beach volleyball championships in California became the rage in the 1980s, it was the presence of major beer and liquor companies backing footvolley that made this sport take off.

Skol (a major Brazilian beer company) looked to jump summertime sales across Rio de Janeiro and began sponsoring the Circuito Carioca de Futevolei in the early 1990s. The Carioca lifestyle - the beach, soccer, fitness, and party atmosphere - were the perfect ingredients for the beer sponsor to associate itself with the sport. Since footvolley is non-contact: the vacationing Brazilian football stars, many coming from top European teams, would spend their days playing the sport as well.

The SKOL events had famous footballers in exhibitions and the professional players battling it out for the glory. Besides Romário - none of the footballers could come close to matching the high level of play at these tournaments.

SKOL became Rio de Janeiro's number #1 selling beer overtaking both Brahma and Antarctica.

Footvolley also drew the cachaça companies in Brazil to compete for the obvious publicity the sport drew. Player agreements which conflicted with tournament sponsors became a huge problem in the liquour category.

Some notable Brazilian footballers who have played (or still play) footvolley are: Romário, Edmundo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Júnior, and Edinho (1982 & 1986 National Team).

[edit] Growth of footvolley internationally

Initially, Brazilian footvolley athletes living abroad naturally introduced the sport to athletes around the world including US, Europe and Asia). Like any sport, people adopt the sport if it is fun to play. It was no different with footvolley. The initial athletes of footvolley, abroad, saw footvolley as a great training tool for soccer, a fun sport where one gets many touches on the ball, and a real eye-catcher for passer-bys. That combination on crowded beaches around the world is really what gave these early adopters of the sport the drive to get better and better. Footvolley became the new "in" sport where as beach volleyball was something anyone could play.

Back in Brazil, footvolley has become the most played sport on the very athletic Rio de Janeiro and SP beaches. This is an incredible fact considering Brazil is arguably the world's top beach volleyball country. Everywhere you look its footvolley being played where before it was volleyball. Footvolley used to be a niche sport but now the entire country has adopted it as the country's unofficial beach sport.

[edit] Pro Footvolley in the United States

[edit] 2009

The Pro Footvolley Tour Hollywood Beach Open, presented by Bud Light, kicked off March 20-22 on Hollywood, FL. Defending US National Champs Miguel Habib and Eduardo Ribeiro brought home glory once again winning the first 2009 tournament. What an event it was! Over 10,000 footvolley fans watched the matches. 'This is what life is all about' - Dan Wilson NJ

2009 Final Standings: 1. Miguel and Eduardo 2. Nildo Shubert and Alan Cavalcanti (Portugal Beach Soccer National)

Finalists (no 3rd/4th place match) Sergio Menezes (US Footvolley Captain) & Igor Martins (Goias, Brazil) and Nick Cardozo (Pensacola, Florida) & Tico (RJ, Brazil)

Quarterfinals: Menezes/Martins beat Francis Farberoff/Guigui (RJ, Brazil) 2-0 Tico/Nico beat Jr./Para 2-0 Miguel/Eduardo beat Adriano/Claudinho 2-0 Nildo/Alan beat France's Alessandri/Achard 2-0

The Pro Footvolley Tour matches were the absolute attraction over the 3-day 'Brazil on the Beach' festival bringing in over 15,000 fans into the beach stadium over 3 days. Amazing matrix killer shots wowed the crowds! Matches are rapid-fire quick with a rally point system. In between matches - sexy Samba/funk/groove dancers kept the crowds dancing to the Brazilian beats. Brazilian freestyle superstar Fernando Pitt (in multiple NIKE commercials) wowed the crowds with his amazing trickery as well.

A 4-City national tour is scheduled for 2010 with the top international and US players.

Official Pro Footvolley Tour site: Footvolley.NET Event website: brazilonthebeach.com

[edit] 2008

The Pro Footvolley Tour was launched in 2008. This new professional tour featured the best players in the US - and international guests - at each event. The first Pro Footvolley Tour event was held in South Florida on Hollywood Beach on March 8-9, 2008. Brazilian soccer legend Romario with his Rio de Janeiro based partner Joao Luis won the tournament beating a Deerfield Beach based squad of Paulo Ricardo and Alex Reis.

The Hollywood event drew 5,000 spectators. In addition, the event was broadcast LIVE on Univision nationally during its highest-rated Sunday afternoon sports show 'Republica Deportiva'.

Official website for he Pro Footvolley Tour is [1]

[edit] Footvolley's national governing body in the United States

US Footvolley, based in Miami Beach, is the sport's national governing body (NGB.) It is chartered to grow the sport within the United States, sanction tournaments and equipment manufacturers; and represent the US in international competitions. It has so far done all of the above.

The US squad is determined by individual rank at the annual US Footvolley National Championships. Composed of mostly former college soccer players the top US players are: Sergio Menezes (founder & team captain), Francis Faberhoff, Jevin Albuquerque, Brendon Taguinoid, and Austin Roman among others. Players who represent the US must be citizens.

To become a member of US Footvolley one only needs to reside in the US (and fill-out the membership form). US Footvolley is the world's most diverse footvolley federation with Brazilians, Colombians, Argentinians, Venezuelans, Mexicans, and Jamaicans all playing/participating in sanctioned events.

Top hot spots in the United States for footvolley are: California: San Diego & Santa Cruz Florida: Miami Beach & Deerfield Beach Hawaii: Waikiki Beach

More information on the United States Footvolley Association at [2]

[edit] U.S. Footvolley National Championship

4th U.S. Footvolley National Championships (August 2 & 3, 2008)

1st Place: Eduardo Ribeiro Fiuza (Miami Beach, FL)& Miguel Habib (Miami Beach, FL)
2nd Place: Adriano Rego (Deerfield Beach, FL) & Junior Pereira (Deerfield Beach, FL)
3rd Place: Claudio Rodriguez (Deerfield Beach, FL) & Fainor Lima (Boca Raton, FL)

3rd U.S. Footvolley National Championships (Sept 2007 Hollywood, FL)

1st Place: Adriano Rego & Junior Pereira (Deerfield Beach, FL)
2nd Place: Sergio Menezes & Igor Martins (Miami, FL)
3rd Place: Fernando 'Cabelo' & Lucas 'Party Boy' (Miami Beach, FL)
Sponsors: Bud Light, Cachaca Moleca, DISH Network, Flash Power Energy Drinks

2nd U.S. Footvolley National Championship (December 2006)

1st Place: Brenno Souza (N Miami Beach, Fla.) & Paulo Orelha (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
2nd Place: Adriano Rego (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) & Junior (Pompano Beach, Fla.)
3rd Place: Nildo Shubert (Miami, Fla.) & Sergio Menezes (Miami Beach, Fla.)
4th Place: Daniel Rego (Key Biscayne, Fla.) & Felipe (Miami Beach, Fla.)

1st U.S. Footvolley National Championship (December 2005):

1st Place: Franco Cappuotti (Hollywood, Fla.) & Claudio Rodriguez (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
2nd Place: Adriano Rego (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) & Beto Lima (Hollywood, Fla.)
3rd Place: Marcelo Lins (Hermosa Beach, CA) & Sergio Menezes (Miami Beach, Fla.)
4th Place: Nildo Shubert (Miami, Fla.) & Brenno Souza (North Miami Beach, Fla.)

[edit] Footvolley in the United Kingdom

[edit] 2005

In 2005, the first UK Open of Footvolley took place in the city of Brighton. The tournament was organized by the UK Footvolley Association and Yellowave Beach Sports. In the final game, Brazilian players Andre & Guilherme defeated Dirceu & Chris .

[edit] 2006

In the 2006 edition of the UK Open, again in Brighton, the audience had the opportunity to watch some great matches and saw Dirceu & Luigui beat Fabio & Andre in the final. The tournament was sponsored by Lastminute.com. Also in 2006, Croyde Bay, Devon, was the venue for the first leg of the Euro Championship of Footvolley. It was the first major international Footvolley event hosted in UK soil and 16 teams from 8 countries competed. the event, sponsored by Hawaiian Tropic and Carphonewarehouse.com was won by Xavier & Leca from France.
In April 2006 the England Team accompanied football legends John Barnes and Niall Quinn to a tournament in Pattaya, Thailand organized by the Thai Footvolley Federation.

[edit] 2007

In 2007 the 2 events held were the Muller Rice Open in Croyde, and the Lamisil Once Footvolley Open in Brighton. Dirceu & Luigui were champions at both events, maintaining their unbeaten record and David & Gary, the England Footvolley Team No. 1 pair won the Shield Competition.

[edit] 2008

Events held in 2008 were: Sat June 14 - Brighton Open sponsored by Barfeoot Wine
Sat/Sun June 21/22 - Croyde Open sponsored by Muller Rice
Also - on Wed June 4 the England Team played live on BBC1's Blue Peter programme

[edit] Footvolley and Soccer Celebrities

Pepsi's Footvolley World Commercial (2009)

Pepsi has a commercial on television with Kaka, Fernando Torres, Fabregas, Messi, Henry, Frank Lampard, etc. These are the most famous footballers in the world who get together and play footvolley for a Pepsi! Expect Pepsi to sell a ton of soda partnering up with footvolley!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc4cSOzo-jQ&NR=1


Bruno Alves Footvolley Challenge (June 2009)

Increasingly professional footballers have begun playing footvolley in celebrity matches and promotional events. One of Europe's more famous players: Portugese National Team star Bruno Alves hosted his own 'Bruno Alves Footvolley Challenge' on Matosinhos Beach on June 10-11, 2009. The event was shown LIVE on SportTV in Portugal and across Europe. Many football celebrities participated. The winners of the All-Star Challenge were Portugese stars: Nani (Manchester United) with Hugo Almeida (Werder Breman). In the OPEN competition, Bruno Alves nearly won; but that title went to Salvador/Batista. Overall, the footvolley world once again gained another mega-event with mega footballer superstars backing this fun sport.

Romario's Rio vs. Vilha Challenge (May 2009)

In Brazil, Romario was back in the footvolley picture competing in the Rio de Janeiro versus Vila Velha Footvolley Challenge. He lost in the final match, but the sport gained another major event with the celebrity former FIFA Brazilian star packing in the crowds for some great footvolley. That event was held in May 2009.

See: http://gazetaonline.globo.com/_conteudo/2009/05/91575-romario+da+show+no+desafio+de+futevolei+vila+velha+x+rio+de+janeiro+na+praia+da+costa.html

[edit] In popular media

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footvolley"
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