This study carried out a sociological analysis of the history of Beach Volleyball. The problem was: why has the development of Beach Volleyball as an international sport occurred in Brazil rather than in the USA? The hypothesis proposed that the framework of the field of Beach Volleyball has been defined by the dispute between two institutions, the Fèdèration Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). The outlined goals were to investigate why Brazil came to be where Beach Volleyball was transformed into International Show Business and analyze the structure of the interdependent relationships among the sub components that make up the field. The proposed period included the years 1985 to 2004. The instrument capable of expounding the relationships that are established in the contemporary socioeconomic context was found in the 'theory of fields' of Pierre Bourdieu, which was applied to the material comprehending the development of Beach Volleyball. The historical material analyzed confirmed that the FIVB took control of the sport, which therefore defined Brazil internationally as the reference for Beach Volleyball.
Beach volleyball; Professionalization; Commodification; Sports spectacle