What do the cards mean in beach volleyball?
A · Advanced · Time-outs, conduct, officials and the court · 4 of 5Checked 14 October 2026
A yellow card is a warning with no penalty. A red card is a point and the serve to the opponents. Red and yellow shown together is expulsion, which loses the set. Red and yellow shown separately is disqualification, which loses the match, because a team cannot play with one player.
How it works
| Level | Shown by | For | Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warning, stage 1 | Words to the captain | Minor misconduct | None |
| Warning, stage 2 | Yellow card | Minor misconduct | None; recorded |
| Penalty | Red card | Rude conduct, first and second time by the same player in a set | A point and service to the opponents each time |
| Expulsion | Red and yellow together | A third rude conduct by the same player in the set, or a first offensive conduct | The player leaves; the team is incomplete for the set |
| Disqualification | Red and yellow separately | A first physical attack or threatened aggression | The player leaves; the team is incomplete for the match |
- Rude conduct is acting against good manners. Offensive conduct is insulting words or gestures. Aggression is a physical attack or threatening behaviour.
- Rude conduct penalties start again in each set for the same player.
- Misconduct between sets is penalised in the next set.
Tricky cases
Does a red card send a player off?
No. A red card alone is a penalty point. Removal needs red and yellow together or separately.
A player was expelled in the first set. Can they play the second?
Yes. Expulsion makes the team incomplete for that set only.
Why the rule exists
The scale lets the referee punish in steps. On the beach the top two steps end the set or the match, so the penalty point does most of the work.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIVB beach rules | As above | BV 19; BV 20 |
| Indoor volleyball | A second rude conduct in the match brings expulsion, and the player is substituted | V 21.3 |
From the rule book
FIVB Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2025-2028, Rules 19 and 20. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: FIVB Official Beach Volleyball Rules (PDF).