Introduction

Volleyball, like basketball, is a sport whose origin is known almost to the day. Oddly enough, both sports were invented at the same college and within a few years of one another. In 1895, William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass., decided to blend elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball to create a game for his classes of businessmen which would demand less physical contact than basketball. He created the game of Volleyball (at that time called mintonette). Morgan borrowed the net from tennis, and raised it 6 feet 6 inches above the floor, just above the average man's head.

During a demonstration game, someone remarked to Morgan that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back and forth over the net, and perhaps "volleyball" would be a more descriptive name for the sport. On July 7, 1896 at Springfield College the first game of "volleyball" was played.

Volleyball quickly spread around the world and became more popular in other countries than in the United States. The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) was formed in 1946. The sport was introduced to the Olympics in 1964 by the Japanese, although it was never contested as a demonstration sport at the Olympics. No country has been truly dominant in volleyball, although the Soviet Union has won the most medals. Originally the Japanese had the world's best women players while the United States had the best men's team in the world throughout the 1980s.

Volleyball has now reached great heights of popularity in the United States and Brazil, largely thanks to the discipline of beach volleyball.

The beach volleyball phenomenon, although hugely visible, is still just in its infancy. From the first FIVB World Tour event just over ten years ago, to the overwhelming spectator and television success of 'Beach' at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, beach volleyball has opened up Volleyball to a completely new market.

Understanding Volleyball

The aim of both Volleyball and Beach Volleyball games is to pass the ball over the net so that it hits the ground on the opponent's court, while preventing the opposing team from doing the same.

There are two Volleyball disciplines: Volleyball and Beach Volleyball.

Volleyball competitions are held in indoor courts, by two teams of twelve, each with six players in the game and six on reserve. The competition area for each team measures 9 x 9 metres. Beach volleyball competitions are held in sandy courts, by two teams of two players each. The competition area for each team measures 8 x 8 metres.

A match consists of five sets maximum. Each one of the first four sets is completed when a team wins 25 points, with a lead of at least two points over the opposing team (e.g. 25-23). In the case of a tie at 24-24, the set continues until one of the two teams takes a lead of 2 points and is declared winner of the set (e.g. 26-24).

The fifth set is completed when one team wins 15 points, having a lead of 2 points over the opposing team (e.g. 15-13). In the case of a tie at 14-14, the set continues until one of the two teams acquires a lead of two points and is declared winner of the set (e.g. 16-14 or 15-17).

The winner of the match is the team that wins three sets first.

The match begins with a service attempt. A service is hitting the ball with the aim of passing it over the net to the opposing team’s court, while standing in the “free zone”. Every play continues until the ball 'lands' on the floor within or outside the limits of the field of play.

Each team’s players are allowed to make contact with the ball three times, including contact during a defensive block on the ball, before returning it to the opposing team. The team that wins a play also wins the point. If the team receiving the service wins the play, it also wins the right to serve and its players move by one place in a clock-wise direction.

Positions

There are 6 positions in volleyball; these are normally numbered, but we've named them to make them easier to remember (see figure).

Set and Spike

The setter volleys the ball along the line of the net, for the attacker to spike the ball into the opponents half. Generally, a high ball is set to the wing attackers, to give them time to pick their spot and attack. A faster type of set, known as a "short", or a "shoot" are the main types of attacks through the centre of the court.

Dig Pass

The base of all attacks, a well executed dig pass gives the setter the option of running three or four different attacking combinations. The main passer has to be able to attack effectively as well as providing the platform for the rest of the team to attack from.

The Setter

The setter is the teams playmaker, linking between floor defence and the attack. The setter is responsible for organising the whole team. The setter has to have vision and a sure touch in order to deliver the ball accurately. He must also be capable of blocking well, since he is often faced against the oppositions power attackers.

The Block

The block is the first line of defence against the opposition attack. This is the most exciting shot in volleyball if it results in the attacker getting "stuffed out." All players have to block, but most blocking plays are made by the central players.

Judging: The Referee

Two judges supervise the game, in cooperation with the marker and the lines’ supervisors (two or four depending on the level of the match). The two judges are placed in the imaginary extension of the central line of the court.

The first judge is positioned on a (referee stand), about 50 to 80cm above the net’s highest point and is the one overseeing the game. The second judge is responsible for the offences committed on the field. The marker is exclusively responsible for noting all acts on a list, while the lines’ supervisors oversee the contact of the ball on the court and its orbit in or out of the net’s antenaes.

source: http://www.volleyball.org

International Volleyball Federation (FIVB)