The UK Beach Tour (UKBT) is the United Kingdom's national competition for
beach volleyball
Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two or more players on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the ...
players, coordinated in partnership with
Volleyball England
Volleyball England is the national governing body for indoor volleyball, sitting volleyball and beach volleyball in England. It selects the national teams and coordinates several national competitions, including the National Volleyball League, N ...
.
It was started in 2018 by
Commonwealth Games Team England player Jake Shaef,
and now delivers over 70 beach volleyball events annually at venues around the UK, catering for all levels of ability, from entry level to elite. A Junior Tour was introduced in 2021, though experienced juniors can also play in adult events. The tournaments are organised by individuals and clubs, in line with UKBT guidance.
Participant players are awarded points based on their ranking in UK and international tournaments, and these are coordinated into a national ranking system.
As well as Volleyball England, UKBT has partnerships with its ball sponsor,
Wilson
Wilson may refer to:
People
* Wilson (name)
** List of people with given name Wilson
** List of people with surname Wilson
* Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender
* Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...
, and the disability charity My AFK.
UKBT event structure
The following UKBT event structure is detailed in the UKBT Handbook:
* Junior Tour: These are events for players in the Under-14 and Under-18 age categories. They last 1–2 days.
* 1-Star, 2-Star and 3-Star tournaments: These are local events for mixed or single gender teams. They last 1–2 days.
* 4-Star tournaments: These 2-day events are aimed at "the UK’s top and developing players".
* 5-Star tournaments (Grand Slam Series): These 2-day events are aimed at elite players.
References
{{reflist
External links
UK Beach TourUKBT Handbook 2021Volleyball EnglandBeach Volleyball Facilities in Great Britain
Volleyball in the United Kingdom
Volleyball organizations
Beach volleyball
Professional sports leagues in the United Kingdom