Lausanne, Switzerland, November 27, 2014 - A new qualification process has been put in place for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships The Netherlands 2015, which will see the world's best men's and women's teams compete from June 26 to July 5.
Ninety-six teams will qualify for the World Championships, with 48 teams competing in the men's competition and 48 in the women's. The host country - the Netherlands - will have a maximum of six teams. Other countries will be limited to a maximum of four teams each.
The following rules will apply per gender:
• Three teams will receive wild cards. One wild card will be attributed by the local organisers, two by the FIVB.
• The Netherlands, who are the competition hosts, are guaranteed two teams.
• Twenty-three teams will qualify for the competition through the FIVB World Ranking.
• For the first time, each confederation has been given the opportunity to establish a qualification path. Four vacancies per gender and per confederation will be decided based in priority on the FIVB World Ranking and secondarily on the Continental Ranking or on another continental event (upon agreement with the FIVB).
The qualification procedure for the four vacancies per gender and per confederation will be as follows:
European Confederation (CEV)CEV has decided to qualify its teams via the FIVB World Ranking in priority, and secondarily based on the results of the 2014 CEV Masters events. The following places have been attributed:
Men:• the two best ranked national federations at the Novi Sad Masters,
• the winning national federation at the Biel/Bienne Masters,
• the winning national federation at the Baku Masters.
Women:• the two best ranked national federations at the Biel / Bienne Masters,
• the two best ranked national federations at the Baku Masters.
North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (NORCECA)NORCECA teams will qualify via the FIVB World Ranking in priority, and secondarily via the NORCECA Continental Ranking as it stands on January 1, 2014.
South American Confederation (CSV)CSV teams will qualify via the FIVB World Ranking in priority, and secondarily via the CSV Continental Ranking.
Asian Confederation (AVC)AVC teams will qualify via the FIVB World Ranking in priority, and secondarily via the AVC Continental Ranking based on the AVC Beach Tour at the end of 2014.
African Confederation (CAVB)Finally, CAVB teams will qualify based on the FIVB World Ranking in priority, and secondarily based on a CAVB qualification event to be announced. The dates of the event will be confirmed in due course.