Footvolley

Futevôlei is part of the trio of legitimately carioca sports. Just like altinha and frescobol, the activity was born on the sands of Rio de Janeiro, more precisely on Praia de Copacabana. The sport was created based on the rules of volleyball, with six players on each side, two mandatory touches before passing the ball, and the same point count. The only thing you can't do is use your hands, since in futevôlei it's the feet that reign supreme!

In the mid-1960s, a group of young people used to play "linha de passe" (a passing game) on the stretch of sand in front of Rua Bolívar. To play, you just had to leave your sandals aside and join the little circle. But the game's democratic face contrasted with the repressive and authoritarian climate the country was living under during the dictatorship. Soldiers watched over the beaches, and strict rules for practicing sports were imposed.

In the summer of 1965, keep-uppy football along the beachfront was banned. Octávio de Moraes, "Tatá" from Botafogo, had the idea of occupying the volleyball courts near the boardwalk, which were empty after 1pm. Under the astonished eyes of the military, the teams formed by Tatá, Luiz Fernando "Tananan," Betão, Gagá, Ayrton, Adylton Brandão, and Orlando Pingo de Ouro (Fluminense) played the first match of footvolley, or "foot volleyball," in free translation from English.

A few months later, the first net dedicated exclusively to futevôlei appeared, across from Rua Constante Ramos. The net was bought with help from Flamengo player Almir Pernambuquinho, and many football stars passed through there – on the sand and on the field.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph. Four men are sitting together, smiling at the camera. The spatial arrangement goes from left to right, from foreground to background. They are all wearing short-sleeved shirts and pants.

In the 1970s, the game migrated to the nets of Ipanema, and a new generation of aces emerged there: Leivinha, Marcelinho, Claudinho, Ronaldinho, Gugu, Dadica, Berico and many others. “The legend” Renan, considered the greatest footvolley player of all time, is from the Copacabana crowd. He turned professional in 1985, at 15 years of age.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a game of footvolley on the beach. On the left side, we see a player in motion, with one foot raised, appearing to be preparing to kick the ball. Beside him, another player is in a defensive position, with bent knees and arms extended forward. Both are wearing soccer jerseys and shorts. In the background, there is a group of spectators behind a barrier, watching the game. In the distance, we see the sea with waves and a few people in the water. On the horizon, there are rocky mountains. At the bottom of the image, there is a banner with the name "Itaú" repeated several times.

In just his second professional tournament, Renan's team beat the master, whom he referred to as the sport's 'monster.' It is the 'monster' who tells us a bit about the history of footvolley:

Sports journalist Luciano do Valle gave the activity new momentum in the 1980s by promoting challenges broadcast live on national television. Now playing in pairs, footvolley players took on soccer stars. The show “Show do Esporte” aired on Sundays, on Bandeirantes, and lasted an unbelievable ten hours. That's how yet another sport with carioca DNA reached other Brazilian states, such as Pernambuco and Espírito Santo.

Professional soccer players Edinho, Jairzinho, Júnior, Claudio Adão, and the Argentine Doval were frequently seen playing futevôlei on the nets of Ipanema. In the 1990s, it was the turn of the duo Renato Gaúcho and Romário to fall in love with the sport, which helped expand its reach even further. Today, futevôlei is played in Italy, Germany, Spain, the USA, etc.

The popularization of futevôlei in the country also included women. The first Brazilian Women's Futevôlei Championship was held in 2006, and, increasingly, women have been making their presence felt at tournaments and courts around the world.

This text was prepared with the collaboration of Ayrton Mandarino and the Instituto Footvolley4ever (https://www.footvolley4ever.com.br).