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Levels of Play

How terrific it is, you want to play beach volleyball in NYC!
What you need to do now is know your level of play so you aren’t drag on your group.

Courtesy, it’s a thing in volleyball. You want to join a group that is at your level or just slightly above that you know you can play up to. This way everyone has a great time and the competition throughout a session stays competitive and exciting.

Because this is a vital part of the social connection between groups and players, there are levels that are defined to let us all know who’s who and what’s what we before we enter into playing together. Please find the breakdown below.

Beginner – Recreational A or B

Recreational – A “Recreational” player: Is a Beginner. Knows the basics of volleyball, but is just beginning to bump, set, and spike. Sometimes getting it over the net is an accomplishment. B – The “B” player: Is still in the early learning stages of the game but knows the skills. Knows how to bump, set (a little), and spike. Has a lot of practice yet to go to be able to do these skills consistently. Makes mistakes and can’t always direct their passes to specific players. Recreational and B players should sign up for recreational leagues and try to organize teams with players looking to advance! It’s too often you find recreational players that are satisfied and even confident with their gameplay and are completely unapologetic for their errors. Playing with these people is like being in jail. Oh, then there’s the other excuse, “hey this is a social league”. If you hear this, move to another team.

Intermediate -BB Players
BB – A “BB” player: 7/10 passes go to the person they intend. May have played high school volleyball. Knows about lifts/doubles, etc. Understands rotational sequence, offensive concepts (i.e., 5-1, 6-2, etc.), and defensive positions but may be working to solidify those skills. Knows the footwork of and how to approach hitting effectively. Solid knowledge of the game and rules. Skill levels range from Intermediate to Proficient Veteran. The “BB” player can play to an intermediate level in most NYC leagues. The door opens at this level and you can find many games across the city and into the 5 boros.

Advanced A or AA Players
A- An “A” player: Elite high school, club, or college player. 9/10 passes go to the person they intend. They know all the skills extremely well. “A” players can run combination plays in a basic way if passes are good. That includes slides, tandems, x’s, crosses, etc. Understands rotational sequence, offensive concepts (i.e., 5-1, 6-2, etc.), and defensive positions and can apply them in competition. Game and player strategies are well understood (i.e., running offensive plays, identifying opponent weaknesses, reading opponents’ plays during volley, etc.) but may still be in refinement. AA – Same as “A”, but better. Higher tempo. Division I college volleyball. Most likely only a couple of players at this level are in the league. A and AA players will find it more challenging to find a solid game in NYC but it’s not impossible! Perhaps this site should open a finder app to help us all find people at levels! Check for meetups to see if games can be created at this leve. Urban in NYC used to have this level of play as did/does Big City Volleyball.