In what's seen as a modern move to an outdated and sexist law, female beach volleyball players will no longer be limited to wearing only skimpy bikinis after a new ruling from the sports governing body.

More than ten years after controversially deciding that a girl's bikini could be no more than three centimeters wide, the FIVB has back flipped and said women are now free to play in shirts and shorts if they prefer.

The bikini law was brought in by a panel of mostly elderly men who thought it would attract huge numbers of male viewers to the sport. The result was a huge loss in the potential number of women playing the sport - particularly in countries with more conservative cultural and religious norms.

Now, perhaps, the sport will actually become more popular for female athletes and of course, if the sport is good - the fans will watch - even if they are wearing clothes!