In the early 30's, the 1st two-player team tournaments appeared, while up to that point teams had been made up of 6 players and “spikes” or “smashes” were forbidden. The first professional championship games with 2-player teams took place in 1947 at the State Beach coast of California, with the winners being Harris and Saenez. During World War 2, Beach Volleyball became the "permanent companion" of the American military forces, a fact that contributed to its popularity in many countries. In 1950, the 1st World Championship was organized in the USA and in Brazil. The presence of Marilyn Monroe and US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy as Beach Volleyball games spectators in 1960 will remain historic, as well that of the Beatles who, after participating in a local tournament, gave a concert at Sorrento Beach, California. In the 70's and 80's, Beach Volleyball became a professional sport and spread worldwide with the teams from the USA and Brazil being dominant.

In 1986 in Rio de Janeiro, in the presence of five-thousand spectators, the 1st international competition took place that was recognized by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). This event was the forerunner of the men's World Championships, which initially began with a tournament on the coast of Ipanema in Brazil in 1987. Over the period of 1989-1990, more tournaments were held and FIVB established a series of tournaments in various countries under the name of ‘FIVB World Series’, with prize money of $140,000 US dollars. The women's World Championships were established in 1993.

1994 marked a landmark in the history of Beach Volleyball. Juan Antonio Samaranch, then President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), watched the finals of a tournament that took place in February 1994 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which lasted for a week and attracted a total of 140,000 spectators.

In that same year, Beach Volleyball was officially recognized by the IOC as an Olympic discipline, at its Council meeting in Monte Carlo. Meanwhile the sport was spreading rapidly - matches were being staged in more than ninety-five countries on all 5 continents. 2 years later, in 1996, the sport was included for the 1st time in the competition programme of the Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA, where the Olympic gold medalists were the Americans Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes in the men’s and the Brazilians Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva in the women’s competition.

Today, more than one-hundred and fifty countries officially play the game. The world ranking of national teams forms the basis for their qualification to the Olympic Games.

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