Beach volleyball made its Olympic debut as an official medal sport in 1996 at the Atlanta Games.
The sport had appeared earlier as a demonstration event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but demonstration competitions did not award official Olympic medals. Atlanta therefore marked the first Games in which beach volleyball was part of the official Olympic programme, with both men's and women's tournaments.
The Olympic version is played outdoors on sand by teams of two. Unlike indoor volleyball, there are no substitutes on court, so each player must contribute in serving, defending, blocking, and attacking. Matches are generally best of three sets, with the first two sets played to 21 points and a deciding set to 15.
The United States won both inaugural gold medals in Atlanta. Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes took the men's title, while Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva won the women's tournament for Brazil. The 1992 demonstration appearance is the main reason some accounts mistakenly give Barcelona as the debut year.