The aim of this paper was to compare body composition and somatotype of beach volleyball players by playing position and performance. The sample was composed of 32 players from 16 countries participating in the XV Pan American Games. The players were compared according to their playing position, i.e. middle blocker and defensive specialist. In order to analyze the variables we used the T-test with Bonferroni correction and MANOVA to compute the difference in the somatotype. The physical type of the blockers were classified as mesomorph-endomorph, and the defensive specialists as mesomorph-endomorphic. Analyzing the performance, semifinalist players were shown to be different from players belonging to the last four teams, about physical characteristics. We conclude that the differences found between middle blockers and defensive specialists are due to the requirements of each function in the game. Concerning the performance, we verified that the physical type can be an important determinant for success.