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Snow Volleyball is a team sport derived from beach volleyball in which the games are played in the snow. The rules are essentially the same as beach volleyball, with two players per team, though played with warmer clothes. Players also wear soccer cleats for better grip in the snow.

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Austrian Martin Kaswurm came up with the idea of snow volleyball in about 2008 in Wagrain, Austria, when he set up a court outside his restaurant, then began promoting it around Austrian ski resorts. Compared to beach volleyball, there are some unique demands that differentiate the sport from its summer cousin. The snow can become compacted with all the play and can become more slippery, the ball can be wetter and fly around more in the winds that can be more prevalent in the mountains. The demands on the body are greater with the cold conditions and higher altitude and it is harder to manoeuver with the extra layers of clothing.

Although snow volleyball is a new sport, it has the full backing of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), and is already played in a small European league and there's a European championship. There is a push to include snow volleyball in the Winter Olympics, and there was an exhibition match played at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

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Similar Sports

• Beach Volleyball — a version of volleyball played on sand and with teams of two players, in which a ball is hit by hand over a high net, the aim being to score points by making the ball reach the ground on the opponent's side of the court.
• Volleyball — a game for two teams of six players, in which a large ball is hit by hand over a high net, the aim being to score points by making the ball reach the ground on the opponent's side of the court.
• Snow Polo — a variation of Polo on horseback that is played on compacted snow on flat ground or a frozen lake.
• Snow Rugby — rugby union matches played on fields covered with snow.
• Snow Golf — like regular golf, however the golf course is covered with snow and ice, rather than grass.

Related Pages

• Discussion of Volleyball-Type Sports
• About the Winter Olympics Sports
• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports