The FIVB announced its provisional 2017 schedule this week, and the 23 events around the globe are sure to be riveting and competitive.
Here are six things you need to know about the FIVB’s beach schedule for the upcoming year:
This will be the first year for the FIVB’s star-ratings structure
The FIVB announced the new system in June. It will assign all events on the World Tour between 2017 and 2020 a rating from one to five stars, with four- and five-star events being the most elite. Three-, two-, and one-star events “are designed to develop the sport in as many regions as possible,” according to the FIVB.
“The aim of the new structure is to provide a platform and formation of events that increase the number of competitions in a growing number of hosting countries and create a sustainable business model while providing additional commercial flexibility and opportunities,” said Ary Graca, the FIVB president.
The season kicks off in the U.S. and travels through 17 other countries
The first event on the schedule is February 7-12 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The schedule winds through Malaysia, Czech Republic, Norway, Australia, Korea, Morocco, Brazil, China, Switzerland, Russia, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.
18 of the 23 events include men and women
The only single-gender events are February 15-18 in Kish Island, Iran (three star) and July 27-30 in Espinho, Portugal (two star) for men, and March 17-19 in Sydney, Australia (two star), July 14-16 in Daegu, Korea (one star), July 21-23 in Ulsan, Korea (one star) for women.
Vienna will host the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships
The flagship event is July 28 through August 6 on Danube Island in Vienna, Austria.
Four Swatch FIVB World Tour Major Series events are on the schedule
The five-star events will be in Fort Lauderdale (February 7-12), Porec, Croatia (June 27-July 2), Gstaad, Switzerland (July 4-9), and Hamburg, Germany (August 8-13). The finals will be August 22-27, but the location hasn’t been finalized.
The German team of Ludwig/Walkenhorst won the 2016 Swatch World Tour on the women’s side, and Alison/Schmidt won on the men’s side.
This schedule isn’t set in stone
The FIVB could add a few more lower-star-level events before the calendar is finalized in late November, at the World Tour Council in Lausanne, Switzerland. Two five-star events are yet to be confirmed — June 7-11 in Rome, and another event in Long Beach, California.
One event — a one-star match in Morocco — scheduled for September 20-24 may be moved up before the Swatch World Tour Finals.
Here’s the provisional schedule:
February 7-12 – Fort Lauderdale Major, Fort Lauderdale, United States (Five star, Swatch Major Series)
February 15-18 – Kish Island, Iran (Three star, men only)
March 17-19 – Sydney, Australia (Two star, women only)
March 23-26 – Maceio, Brazil (Three star)
April 15-16 – Selangor, Malaysia (One star)
April 20-23 – Xiamen, China (Three star)
April 27-30 – Fuzhou, China (Three star)
May 11-14 – Prague, Czech Republic (Four star)
May 24-28 – Lucerne, Switzerland (Four star)
May 31-June 4 – Moscow, Russia (Three or four star)
June 13-18 – Nanjing, China (U21 World Championships)
June 20-25 – Stavanger, Norway (Three star)
June 27-July 2 – Porec Major, Porec, Croatia (Five star, Swatch Major Series)
July 4-9 – Gstaad Major, Switzerland (Five star, Swatch Major Series)
July 14-16 – Daegu, Korea (One star, women only)
July 19-23 – TBD, Poland (Four star)
July 21-23 – Ulsan, Korea (One star, women only)
July 27-30 – Espinho, Portugal (Two star, men only)
July 28-August 6 – Vienna, Austria for the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships
August 8-13 – Hamburg Major, Hamburg, Germany (Five star, Swatch Major Series)
August 22-27 – Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals – TBD
September 20-24 – Agadir Beach, Morocco (One star)*
Dates TBC – The Hague, Netherlands (Three star)
Events to be confirmed:
June 7-11 – Rome, Italy (Five star)
Long Beach, USA – (Five star)
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World Championships
July 28-August 6 – Vienna, Austria
Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVB World Tour Finals
August 22-27 – TBD
Five-star events
February 7-12 – Fort Lauderdale Major, United States (Swatch Major Series)
June 27-July 2 – Pore? Major, Croatia (Swatch Major Series)
July 4-9 – Gstaad Major, Switzerland (Swatch Major Series)
August 8-13 – Hamburg Major, Germany (Swatch Major Series)
Five-star events to be confirmed:
June 7-11 – Rome, Italy (Five star)
Long Beach, USA – (Five star)
Four-star events
May 11-14 – Prague, Czech Republic
May 24-28 – Lucerne, Switzerland
May 31-June 4 – Moscow, Russia (Three or four star)
July 19-23 – TBD, Poland
Three-star events
February 15-18 – Kish Island, Iran (men only)
March 23-26 – Maceio, Brazil
April 20-23 – Xiamen, China
April 27-30 – Fuzhou, China
June 20-25 – Stavanger, Norway
TBC – The Hague, Netherlands
Two-star events
March 17-19 – Sydney, Australia (women only)
July 27-30 – Espinho, Portugal (men only)
One-star events
April 15-16 – Selangor, Malaysia
July 14-16 – Daegu, South Korea (women only)
July 21-23 – Ulsan, Korea (women only)
September 20-24 – Agadir Beach, Morocco*
Age-Category World Championships
June 13-18 – Nanjing, China (U21 World Championships)
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