With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games over and the Paralympics eagerly awaited, volleyball, beach volleyball and seated volleyball are among the most eagerly awaited disciplines. Find out everything you need to know about these exciting sports: from the history of their inclusion in the Olympics and Paralympics, to practical details such as event venues, the number of places available, key dates, and of course, the promising French athletes who will be aiming for Olympic gold.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are well and truly over... Now it's time for the Paralympic Games! And among the sports in the competition, volleyball in all its forms... A sport combining technique, strategy and team spirit, highlighted at various emblematic venues and offering spectators a unique experience for the occasion.
A brief history:
Volleyball, invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan at Springfield University in Massachusetts, USA, aimed to create a less intense sport than basketball for middle-aged men. The sport quickly gained in popularity, evolving into the dynamic game we know today, characterized by passing, spiking and blocking. Beach volleyball, meanwhile, emerged on the beaches of Santa Monica in the 1920s, offering a more casual but equally competitive version of volleyball.
Sitting volleyball, a sport that has existed since 1943, has its origins in the adaptation of traditional volleyball for people with disabilities. First included in the 1980 Paralympic Games in Arnhem, the sport is played six against six, with rules adapted to enable players to play in a seated position. France, although a recentcomer to the discipline, is becoming increasingly active, with the French Volleyball Federation taking charge of its development since 2017
Details of volleyball and beach volleyball events at Paris 2024 :
- Venues: Volleyball will be held at the Paris Arena Sud, while beach volleyball will take place at the iconic Champ de Mars, at the Stade Tour Eiffel. Sitting volleyball, meanwhile, will take place at theArena Paris Nord Villepinte.
- Capacity: 12,000 spectators for volleyball, 12,860 for beach volleyball, 16,000 for seated volleyball.
- Dates: July 27 to August 11 for volleyball, July 27 to August 10 for beach volleyball and August 29 to September 8 for sitting volleyball.
- Format: All three sports are played in teams, emphasizing cohesion and collective strategy.
In the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games :
Volleyball made its official entry into the Olympic program in 1964, at the Tokyo Games, while beach volleyball was introduced more recently, at the Atlanta Games in 1996. Since then, these sports have gained in prestige and popularity, with athletes becoming international stars and moments of play remaining engraved in Olympic history.
Beach volleyball was introduced as an official sport at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, following its first appearance as a demonstration event in Barcelona in 1992. Since then, Brazil and the USA have dominated the discipline, together collecting 24 of the 42 medals awarded, including 10 gold. Apart from these two nations, only Germany, Australia and Norway have managed to win Olympic gold in beach volleyball, each in different editions.
Sitting volleyball has been a Paralympic discipline since 1980. The ball is the same as for volleyball. However, the court is smaller, measuring 6m by 10m, and the net is positioned lower (1m15 for men, 1m05 for women). Matches are played in three 25-point sets (maximum five sets, with the5th set played to 15 points). Players' buttocks or backs must always remain in contact with the ground, especially when touching the ball.
Our French athletes :
Among the French athletes to watch out for at Paris 2024, some names are already standing out. In volleyball, Earvin Ngapeth, known for his spectacular performances and his key role in the French team, is one of the most eagerly awaited players, as is Kevin Tillie, to name but two. But of course, the whole team, gold medallists at the last Olympic Games (as a reminder), will be under the microscope.
In beach volleyball, the pair ofAlexia Richard and Lézana Placette, recent medallists on the international circuit, represent France's hope in this discipline, although the final selection has not yet been announced. With their talent and determination, these athletes embody the spirit of the Games and promise to fly the flag for France at this historic event.
In sitting volleyball, the French team is well and truly there. A very young French team, since this is the first time it will be taking part in the Paralympics.
Where to play volleyball and beach volleyball in Paris and the Ile-de-France region:
Where to play volleyball in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
Discover the best volleyball clubs in Paris for all levels, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned competitor. Our comprehensive guide will help you find the ideal club to play volleyball in Paris, with options ranging from leisure to competition, in the different arrondissements of Paris. [Read more]
Beach volleyball: where can you learn and practice this ball sport in Paris and the Ile-de-France region?
Does beach volleyball in Paris and the Ile-de-France sound strange? Well, it's possible (but not necessarily all year round)! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, clubs affiliated to the French Beach Volleyball Federation offer training sessions, free games and tournaments in emblematic locations. Immerse yourself in the world of this sport and its history, and discover the best places to start or perfect your game in Paris and the Paris region! [Read more]
The volleyball program at the Paris Olympics
Saturday, July 27th
Start: 9:00 am End: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Japan - Germany (Group C)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Italy - Brazil (Group B)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Poland - Egypt (Group B)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: United States of America - Argentina (Group C)
Sunday, July 28
Start: 9:00 am End: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Italy - Dominican Republic (Group C)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Poland - Japan (Group B)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: France - Serbia (Group A)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Slovenia - Canada (Group A)
Monday, July 29th
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women's: Türkiye - Netherlands (Group C)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Brazil - Kenya (Group B)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: United States of America - People's Republic of China (Group A)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: France - Serbia (Group A)
Tuesday, July 30th
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Italy - Egypt (Group B)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: United States of America - Germany (Group C)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Slovenia - Serbia (Group A)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: France - Canada (Group A)
Wednesday, July 31st
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Poland - Brazil (Group B)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Japan - Argentina (Group C)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: United States of America - Serbia (Group A)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Poland - Kenya (Group B)
Thursday, August 1st
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Türkiye - Dominican Republic (Group C)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Brazil - Japan (Group B)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Italy - Netherlands (Group C)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: France - People's Republic of China (Group A)
Friday, August 2nd
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Argentina - Germany (Group C)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Brazil - Egypt (Group B)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: France - Slovenia (Group A)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Japan - United States of America (Group C)
Saturday, August 3rd
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Netherlands - Dominican Republic (Group C)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Japan - Kenya (Group B)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Poland - Italy (Group B)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Men: Canada - Serbia (Group A)
Sunday, August 4th
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women's: Italy - Türkiye (Group C)
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: France - United States of America (Group A)
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: People's Republic of China - Serbia (Group A)
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Women: Brazil - Poland (Group B)
Monday, August 5th
Starts: 9:00 am Ends: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
Tuesday, August 6
Start: 9:00 am End: 11:30 am Arena Paris Sud 1
Start: 13:00 End: 15:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
Start: 17:00 End: 19:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: 11:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
Wednesday, August 7th
Start: 16:00 End: 18:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
Starts: 8:00 pm Ends: 10:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
Thursday, August 8
Start: 16:00 End: 18:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
Starts: 8:00 pm Ends: 10:30 pm Arena Paris Sud 1
Friday, August 9
Start: 16:00 End: 18:30 Arena Paris Sud 1
Saturday, August 10th
Start: 13:00 End: 15:45 Arena Paris Sud 1
Starts at 5.15pm Ends at 7.45pm Arena Paris Sud 1
- Bronze medal match, women
Sunday, August 11
Start: 13:00 End: 15:45 Arena Paris Sud 1
The beach volleyball program at the Paris Olympics
Saturday, July 27
- 14:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 15:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 18:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 19:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 23:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
Sunday, July 28
- 09:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 10:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 11:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 12:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 15:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 16:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 17:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 20:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 21:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
Monday, July 29
- 09:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 10:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 11:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 12:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 15:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 16:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 17:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 20:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 21:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
Tuesday, July 30
- 09:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 10:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 11:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 12:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 15:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 16:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 17:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 20:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 21:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
Wednesday, July 31
- 09:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 10:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 11:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 12:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 15:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 16:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 17:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 20:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 21:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
Thursday, August 1
- 09:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 10:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 11:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 12:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 15:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 16:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 17:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 20:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 21:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
Friday, August 2nd
- 09:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 10:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 11:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 12:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 15:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 16:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 17:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 20:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 21:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
Saturday, August 3rd
- 09:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 10:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 11:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 12:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 16:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 17:00 - Men or Women, preliminary round
- 18:00 - Men or Women, lucky loser round
- 21:00 - Men or Women, lucky loser round
- 22:00 - Men or Women, lucky loser round
- 23:00 - Men or Women, lucky loser round
Sunday, August 4th
- 09:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 10:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 13:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 14:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 17:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 18:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 21:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 22:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
Monday August 5th
- 09:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 10:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 13:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 14:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 17:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 18:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 21:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
- 22:00 - Men or Women, 8th final
Tuesday, August 6
- 17:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
- 18:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
- 21:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
- 22:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
Wednesday, August 7th
- 17:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
- 18:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
- 21:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
- 22:00 - Men's or Women's Quarterfinal
Thursday, August 8
- 17:00 - Men or Women, semi-final
- 18:00 - Men or Women, semi-final
- 21:00 - Men or Women, semi-final
- 22:00 - Men or Women, semi-final
Friday, August 9
- 21:00 - Women, bronze medal
- 22:30 - Women, gold medal
Saturday, August 10th
- 21:00 - Men, bronze medal
- 22:30 - Men, gold medal
The sitting volleyball program at the Paris Paralympic Games
li"}" data-trk-button="Tournament - Women">ThursdayAugust 29
li"}" data-trk-button="Women's Tournament" >Women's Tournament
12pm - Preliminary round Pool B
6 p.m. - Preliminary round Pool B
li"}" data-trk-button="Tournament - Men">Tournament - Men
2pm - Preliminary round Pool A
- 🇪🇬Egypte - 🇧🇦Bosnie-Herzegovina
8pm - Preliminary round Pool A
Women's Tournament
12pm - Preliminary round Pool A
8pm - Preliminary round Pool A
Men's Tournament
2pm - Preliminary round Pool B
6 p.m. - Preliminary round Pool B
li"}" data-trk-button="Women's Tournament" >Women's Tournament
12pm - Preliminary round Pool B
8pm - Preliminary round Pool B
li"}" data-trk-button="Tournament - Men">Tournament - Men
2pm - Preliminary round Pool A
- 🇰🇿Kazakhstan - 🇧🇦Bosnie-Herzegovina
6 p.m. - Preliminary round Pool A
li"}" data-trk-button="Tournament - Men">Tournament - Men
12pm - Preliminary round Pool B
6 p.m. - Preliminary round Pool B
li"}" data-trk-button="Women's Tournament" >Women's Tournament
2pm - Preliminary round Pool A
8pm - Preliminary round Pool A
- 🇫🇷France - 🇺🇸Etats United
li"}" data-trk-button="Tournament - Men">Tournament - Men
12pm - Preliminary round Pool A
8pm - Preliminary round Pool A
- 🇧🇦Bosnie-Herzegovina - 🇫🇷France
li"}" data-trk-button="Women's Tournament" >Women's Tournament
2pm - Preliminary round Pool B
6 p.m. - Preliminary round Pool B
Men's Tournament
12pm - Preliminary round Pool B
6 p.m. - Preliminary round Pool B
li"}" data-trk-button="Women's Tournament" >Women's Tournament
2pm - Preliminary round Pool A
8pm - Preliminary round Pool A
Women's tournament
- 12h - Ranking match
- 18h - Ranking match
Men's Tournament
- 2pm - Ranking match
- 8pm - Ranking match
Men's Tournament
- 12h - Semi-finals
- 2pm - Semi-finals
Women's Tournament
- 18h - Semi-finals
- 8pm - Semi-finals
Men's Tournament
- 15h - Bronze medal match 🥉
- 7:30pm - Gold medal match 🥇
Women's Tournament
- 15h - Bronze medal match 🥉
- 7:30pm - Gold medal match 🥇
Where to play volleyball in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
Beach volleyball: where can you learn and practice this ball sport in Paris and the Ile-de-France region?
