Volleyball | Definition, History, Rules, Positions, Court, & Facts | Britannica
Volleyball | Definition, History, Rules, Positions, Court, & Facts | Britannica
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International Volleyball Hall of Fame - History of Volleyball
Sport Legacy - History of Volleyball - Origins and Evolution of the Game of Volleyball
Olympics.com - How to play volleyball
International Olympic Committee - History of volleyball: From humble beginnings to a global sport
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International Volleyball Hall of Fame - History of Volleyball
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International Olympic Committee - History of volleyball: From humble beginnings to a global sport
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Also known as: mintonette
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volleyball, game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, trying to make the ball touch the court within the opponents’ playing area before it can be returned. To prevent this a player on the opposing team bats the ball up and toward a teammate before it touches the court surface—that teammate may then volley it back across the net or bat it to a third teammate who volleys it across the net. A team is allowed only three touches of the ball before it must be returned over the net. History Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, physical director of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was designed as an indoor sport for businessmen who found the new game of basketball too vigorous. Morgan called the sport “mintonette,” until a professor from Springfield College in Massachusetts noted the volleying nature of play and proposed the name of “volleyball.” The original rules were written by Morgan and printed in the first edition of the Official Handbook of the Athletic League of the Young Men’s Christian Associations of North America (1897). The game soon proved to have wide appeal for both sexes in schools, playgrounds, the armed forces, and other organizations in the United States, and it was subsequently introduced to other countries. In 1916 rules were issued jointly by the YMCA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The first nationwide tournament in the United States was conducted by the National YMCA Physical Education Committee in New York City in 1922. The United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) was formed in 1928 and recognized as the rules-making, governing body in the United States. From 1928 the USVBA—now known as USA Volleyball (USAV)—has conducted annual national men’s and senior men’s (age 35 and older) volleyball championships, except during 1944 and 1945. Its women’s division was started in 1949, and a senior women’s division (age 30 and older) was added in 1977. Other national events in the United States are conducted by member groups of the USAV such as the YMCA and the NCAA. Volleyball was introduced into Europe by American troops during World War I, when national organizations were formed. The Fédération Internationale de Volley Ball (FIVB) was organized in Paris in 1947 and moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1984. The USVBA was one of the 13 charter members of the FIVB, whose membership grew to more than 210 member countries by the late 20th century.
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International volleyball competition began in 1913 with the first Far East Games, in Manila. During the early 1900s and continuing until after World War II, volleyball in Asia was played on a larger court, with a lower net, and nine players on a team. The FIVB-sponsored world volleyball championships (for men only in 1949; for both men and women in 1952 and succeeding years) led to acceptance of standardized playing rules and officiating. Volleyball became an Olympic sport for both men and women at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
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European championships were long dominated by Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, Polish, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Soviet (later, Russian) teams. At the world and Olympic level, Soviet teams have won more titles, both men’s and women’s, than those of any other nation. Their success was attributed to widespread grassroots interest and well-organized play and instruction at all levels of skill. A highly publicized Japanese women’s team, Olympic champions in 1964, reflected the interest of private industry in sport. Young women working for the sponsoring company devoted their free time to conditioning, team practice, and competition under expert and demanding coaching. Encouraged by the Japanese Volleyball Association, this women’s team made its mark in international competition, winning the World Championship in 1962, 1966, and 1967, in addition to the 1964 Olympics. At the end of the 20th century, however, the Cuban women’s team dominated both the World Championships and the Olympics. The Pan American Games (involving South, Central, and North America) added volleyball in 1955, and Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and the United States are frequent contenders for top honours. In Asia, China, Japan, and Korea dominate competition. Volleyball, especially beach volleyball, is played in Australia, New Zealand, and throughout the South Pacific. A four-year cycle of international volleyball events, recommended by the FIVB, began in 1969 with World Cup championships, to be held in the year following the Olympic Games; the second year is the World Championships; in the third the regional events are held (e.g., European championships, Asian Games, African Games, Pan American Games); and in the fourth year the Olympic Games.
beach volleyballPeople playing beach volleyball.(more)The basics of beach volleyballLearn about beach volleyball.(more)See all videos for this articleBeach volleyball—usually played, as its name implies, on a sand court with two players per team—was introduced in California in 1930. The first official beach volleyball tournament was held in 1948 at Will Rogers State Beach, in Santa Monica, California, and the first FIVB-sanctioned world championship was held in 1986 at Rio de Janeiro. Beach volleyball was added to the roster of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
Volleyball - Wikipedia
Volleyball - Wikipedia
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1History
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1.1Origins
1.2Refinements and later developments
1.3Volleyball in the Olympics
2Rules of the game
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2.1Court dimensions
2.2The ball
2.3Gameplay
2.4Scoring
2.5Libero
2.6Recent rule changes
3Skills
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3.1Serve
3.2Pass
3.3Set
3.4Attack
3.5Block
3.6Dig
4Team play
5Strategy
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5.1Player specialization
5.2Formations
5.2.14–2
5.2.26–2
5.2.35–1
6Variations and related games
7See also
8References
9External links
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Volleyball
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Team sport
This article is about the indoor team sport. For the beach team sport, see Beach volleyball. For other uses, see Volleyball (disambiguation).
See also: Throwball and Newcomb ball
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Volleyball" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
VolleyballA volleyball action game during the 2012 Summer OlympicsHighest governing bodyFIVBFirst played1895 in Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.CharacteristicsContactNoneTeam members6Mixed-sexSingleTypeTeam sport, Net sportEquipmentVolleyballGlossaryGlossary of volleyballPresenceCountry or regionWorldwideOlympic1964
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.[1] It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964. Beach volleyball was introduced to the programme at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. The adapted version of volleyball at the Summer Paralympic Games is sitting volleyball.
The complete set of rules is extensive,[2] but play essentially proceeds as follows: a player on one of the teams begins a 'rally' by serving the ball (tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand or arm), from behind the back boundary line of the court, over the net, and into the receiving team's court.[3] The receiving team must not let the ball be grounded within their court. The team may touch the ball up to three times to return the ball to the other side of the court, but individual players may not touch the ball twice consecutively.[3] Typically, the first two touches are used to set up for an attack. An attack is an attempt to direct the ball back over the net in such a way that the team receiving the ball is unable to pass the ball and continue the rally, thus, losing the point. The team that wins the rally is awarded a point and serves the ball to start the next rally. A few of the most common faults include:
causing the ball to touch the ground or floor outside the opponents' court or without first passing over the net;
catching and throwing the ball;
double hit: two consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same player;
four consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same team;
net foul: touching the net during play;
foot fault: the foot crosses over the boundary line when serving or under the net when a front row player is trying to keep the ball in play.
The ball is usually played with the hands or arms, but players can legally strike or push (short contact) the ball with any part of the body.[4]
A number of consistent techniques have evolved in volleyball, including spiking and blocking (because these plays are made above the top of the net, the vertical jump is an athletic skill emphasized in the sport) as well as passing, setting, specialized player positions, and offensive and defensive structures.[5]
History
Origins
Further information: YMCA
William G. Morgan in c. 1915
In December 1895,[6] in Holyoke, Massachusetts (United States), William G. Morgan, a YMCA physical education director, created a new game called Mintonette, a name derived from the game of badminton,[7] as a pastime to preferably be played indoors and by any number of players. The game took some of its characteristics from other sports such as baseball, tennis, and handball.[8] Another indoor sport, basketball, was catching on in the area, having been invented just ten miles (sixteen kilometres) away in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, only four years before. Mintonette was designed to be an indoor sport, less rough than basketball, for older members of the YMCA, while still requiring a bit of athletic effort.
The first rules, written down by Morgan, called for a net 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high, a 25 ft × 50 ft (7.6 m × 15.2 m) court, and any number of players. A match was composed of nine innings with three serves for each team in each inning, and no limit to the number of ball contacts for each team before sending the ball to the opponents' court. In case of a serving error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the ball into the net was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)—except in the case of the first-try serve.
After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College), the game quickly became known as volleyball (it was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball"). Volleyball rules were slightly modified by the International YMCA Training School and the game spread around the country to various YMCAs.[9][10]
In the early 1900s Spalding, through its publishing company American Sports Publishing Company, produced books with complete instruction and rules for the sport.[11]
Refinements and later developments
Japanese American women playing volleyball at the Manzanar internment camp during World War II in c. 1943
A nudist/naturist volleyball game at the Sunny Trails Club during the 1958 Canadian Sunbathing Association (CSA) convention in British Columbia, Canada
The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say Spalding created the first official ball in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1900.[12][13][14] The rules evolved over time: in 1916, in the Philippines, the skill and power of the set and spike had been introduced, and four years later a "three hits" rule and a rule against hitting from the back row were established. In 1917, the game was changed from requiring 21 points to win to a smaller 15 points to win. In 1919, about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies, which sparked the growth of volleyball in new countries.[12]
The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900.[12] An international federation, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and the first World Championships were held in 1949 for men and 1952 for women.[15] The sport is now popular in Brazil, in Europe, where especially Italy, the Netherlands, and Eastern Europe have been major forces since the late 1980s, in Russia, in other countries, including China and the rest of Asia, and in the United States.[9][10][15]
Beach volleyball, a variation of the game played on sand and with only two players per team, became a FIVB-endorsed variation in 1987 and was added to the Olympic program at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[12][15] Volleyball is also a sport at the Paralympics managed by the World Organization Volleyball for Disabled.
Nudists were early adopters of the game with regular organized play in clubs as early as the late 1920s.[16][17] By the 1960s, a volleyball court had become standard in almost all nudist/naturist clubs.[18]
A recent issue within the sport is the inclusion of transgender players. With transgender athletes such as Tiffany Abreu joining professional volleyball teams alongside other non-transgender teammates, many professionals, sports analysts, and fans of volleyball are either expressing concerns about the legitimacy and fairness of having transgender players on a team or expressing support for the transgender people's efforts.[19]
Volleyball in the Olympics
Main article: Volleyball at the Summer Olympics
Volleyball has been part of the Summer Olympics program for both men and women consistently since 1964.
Rules of the game
A volleyball court
Rotation pattern
Court dimensions
A volleyball court is 9 m × 18 m (29.5 ft × 59.1 ft), divided into equal square halves by a net with a width of one meter (39.4 in).[20] The top of the net is 2.43 m (7 ft 11+11⁄16 in) above the center of the court for men's competition, and 2.24 m (7 ft 4+3⁄16 in) for women's competition, varied for veterans and junior competitions.[3]
The minimum height clearance for indoor volleyball courts is 7 m (23.0 ft), although a clearance of 8 m (26.2 ft) is recommended.[20]
A line 3 m (9.8 ft) from and parallel to the net is considered the "attack line". This "3 meter" (or "10-foot") line divides the court into "back row" and "front row" areas and the back court and front court.[20] These are in turn divided into 3 areas each: these are numbered as follows, starting from area "1", which is the position of the serving player:
After a team gains the serve (also known as siding out), its members must rotate in a clockwise direction, with the player previously in area "2" moving to area "1" and so on, with the player from area "1" moving to area "6".[3] Each player rotates only one time after the team gains possession of the service; the next time each player rotates will be after the other team wins possession of the ball and loses the point.[20]
The team courts are surrounded by an area called the free zone which is a minimum of 3 meters wide and which the players may enter and play within after the service of the ball.[21] All lines denoting the boundaries of the team court and the attack zone are drawn or painted within the dimensions of the area and are therefore a part of the court or zone. If a ball comes in contact with the line, the ball is considered to be "in". An antenna is placed on each side of the net perpendicular to the sideline and is a vertical extension of the side boundary of the court. A ball passing over the net must pass completely between the antennae (or their theoretical extensions to the ceiling) without contacting them.[3]
The ball
Main article: Volleyball (ball)
FIVB regulations state that the ball must be spherical, made of leather or synthetic leather, have a circumference of 65–67 cm (26–26 in), a weight of 260–280 g (9.2–9.9 oz) and an interior air pressure of 0.30–0.325 kg/cm2 (4.26 to 4.61 psi; 294.3
to 318.82 mbar or hPa).[22] Other governing bodies have similar regulations.
Gameplay
White is on the attack while red attempts to block.
Buddhist monks play volleyball in the Himalayan state of Sikkim in India
Each team consists of six players.[20] To get play started, a team is chosen to serve by coin toss. A player from the serving team throws the ball into the air and attempts to hit the ball so it passes over the net on a course such that it will land in the opposing team's court (the serve).[20] The opposing team must use a combination of no more than three contacts with the volleyball to return the ball to the opponent's side of the net.[20] These contacts usually consist first of the bump or pass so that the ball's trajectory is aimed towards the player designated as the setter; second of the set (usually an over-hand pass using wrists to push finger-tips at the ball) by the setter so that the ball's trajectory is aimed towards a spot where one of the players designated as an attacker can hit it, and third by the attacker who spikes (jumping, raising one arm above the head and hitting the ball so it will move quickly down to the ground on the opponent's court) to return the ball over the net.[3] The team with possession of the ball that is trying to attack the ball as described is said to be on offence.
The team on defence attempts to prevent the attacker from directing the ball into their court: players at the net jump and reach above the top (and if possible, across the plane) of the net to block the attacked ball.[3] If the ball is hit around, above, or through the block, the defensive players arranged in the rest of the court attempt to control the ball with a dig (usually a fore-arm pass of a hard-driven ball). After a successful dig, the team transitions to offence.
The game continues in this manner, rallying back and forth until the ball touches the court within the boundaries or until an error is made.[20] The most frequent errors that are made are either to fail to return the ball over the net within the allowed three touches, or to cause the ball to land outside the court.[20] A ball is "in" if any part of it touches the inside of a team's court or a sideline or end-line, and a strong spike may compress the ball enough when it lands that a ball which at first appears to be going out may actually be in. Players may travel well outside the court to play a ball that has gone over a sideline or end-line in the air. A standard competitive volleyball match is played in a best-of-five sets format and typically goes on for about 90 minutes.[23]
Other common errors include a player touching the ball twice in succession, a player "catching" the ball, a player touching the net while attempting to play the ball, or a player penetrating under the net into the opponent's court. There are a large number of other errors specified in the rules, although most of them are infrequent occurrences. These errors include back-row or libero players spiking the ball or blocking (back-row players may spike the ball if they jump from behind the attack line), players not being in the correct position when the ball is served, attacking the serve in the front court and above the height of the net, using another player as a source of support to reach the ball, stepping over the back boundary line when serving, taking more than 8 seconds to serve,[24] or playing the ball when it is above the opponent's court.
Scoring
A scorer's table just before a volleyball game
A point is scored when the ball contacts the floor within the court boundaries or when an error is made: when the ball strikes one team's side of the court, the other team gains a point; and when an error is made, the team that did not make the error is awarded a point, in either case paying no regard to whether they served the ball or not. If any part of the ball hits the line, the ball is counted as in the court. The team that won the point serves for the next point. If the team that won the point served in the previous point, the same player serves again. If the team that won the point did not serve the previous point, the players of the team acquiring the serve rotate their position on the court in a clockwise manner. The game continues, with the first team to score 25 points by a two-point margin awarded the set. Matches are best-of-five sets and the fifth set, if necessary, is usually played to 15 points. (Scoring differs between leagues, tournaments, and levels; high schools sometimes play best-of-three to 25; in the NCAA matches are played best-of-five to 25 as of the 2008 season.)[25]
Before 1999, points could be scored only when a team had the serve (side-out scoring) and all sets went up to only 15 points. The FIVB changed the rules in 1999 (with the changes being compulsory in 2000) to use the current scoring system (formerly known as rally point system), primarily to make the length of the match more predictable and to make the game more spectator- and television-friendly.
The final year of side-out scoring at the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship was 2000. Rally point scoring debuted in 2001,[26] and games were played to 30 points through 2007. For the 2008 season, games were renamed "sets" and reduced to 25 points to win. Most high schools in the U.S. changed to rally scoring in 2003,[27][28][29] and several states implemented it the previous year on an experimental basis.[30]
Libero
The libero player was introduced internationally in 1998,[31] and made its debut for NCAA competition in 2002.[32] The libero is a player specialized in defensive skills: the libero must wear a contrasting jersey color from their teammates and cannot block or attack the ball when it is entirely above net height. When the ball is not in play, the libero can replace any back-row player, without prior notice to the officials. This replacement does not count against the substitution limit each team is allowed per set, although the libero may be replaced only by the player whom he or she replaced. Most U.S. high schools added the libero position from 2003 to 2005.[28][33]
The modern-day libero often takes on the role of a second setter. When the setter digs the ball, the libero is typically responsible for the second ball and sets to the front row attacker. The libero may function as a setter only under certain restrictions. To make an overhand set, the libero must be standing behind (and not stepping on) the 3-meter line; otherwise, the ball cannot be attacked above the net in front of the 3-meter line. An underhand pass is allowed from any part of the court.
The libero is, generally, the most skilled defensive player on the team. There is also a libero tracking sheet, where the referees or officiating team must keep track of whom the libero subs in and out for. Under FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) rules, two liberos are designated at the beginning of the play, only one of whom can be on the court at any time.
Furthermore, a libero is not allowed to serve, according to international rules. NCAA rules for both men and women differ on this point; a 2004 rule change allows the libero to serve, but only in a specific rotation. That is, the libero can only serve for one person, not for all of the people for whom he or she goes in. That rule change was also applied to high school and junior high play soon after.
In February 2024, the NCAA allowed women's volleyball teams to designate two liberos for each set of a match, effective with the fall 2024 season. Only one libero can be present on the court at a given time, and each libero can serve in one specific rotation.[34]
Recent rule changes
Other rule changes enacted in 2000 include allowing serves in which the ball touches the net, as long as it goes over the net into the opponents' court. Also, the service area was expanded to allow players to serve from anywhere behind the end line but still within the theoretical extension of the sidelines. Other changes were made to lighten up calls on faults for carries and double-touches, such as allowing multiple contacts by a single player ("double-hits") on a team's first contact provided that they are a part of a single play on the ball.
In 2008, the NCAA changed the minimum number of points needed to win any of the first four sets from 30 to 25 for women's volleyball (men's volleyball remained at 30 for another three years, switching to 25 in 2011). If a fifth (deciding) set is reached, the minimum required score remains at 15. In addition, the word "game" is now referred to as "set".[25]
The Official Volleyball Rules are prepared and updated every few years by the FIVB's Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission.[35] The latest edition is usually available on the FIVB's website.[2]
Skills
Competitive teams master six basic skills: serve, pass, set, attack, block and dig.[3] Each of these skills comprises a number of specific techniques that have been introduced over the years and are now considered standard practice in high-level volleyball.
Serve
A player making a jump serve
A float serve
A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball, in an attempt to drive it into the opponent's court. The main objective is to make it land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to handle it properly.[3] A serve is called an "ace" when the ball either lands directly onto the opponent's court or the first opponent to touch the ball is unable to volley it (hit it upwards enough for a teammate to continue).
In contemporary volleyball, many types of serves are employed:
Underhand: a serve in which the player strikes the ball below the waist instead of tossing it up and striking it with an overhand throwing motion. Underhand serves are considered very easy to receive and are rarely employed in high-level competitions.[36]
Sky ball serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in beach volleyball, where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line. This serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team in the early 1980s and is now considered outdated. During the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, however, the sky ball serve was extensively played by Italian beach volleyball player Adrian Carambula. In Brazil, this serve is called Jornada nas Estrelas (Star Trek).[37]
Topspin: an overhand serve where the player tosses the ball high and hits it with a wrist snap, giving it topspin which causes it to drop faster than it would otherwise and helps maintain a straight flight path. Topspin serves are generally hit hard and aimed at a specific returner or part of the court. Standing topspin serves are rarely used above the high school level of play.[36]
Float: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes unpredictable, akin to a knuckleball in baseball.[36]
Jump serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air, then the player makes a timed approach and jumps to make contact with the ball, hitting it with much pace and topspin. This is the most popular serve among college and professional teams.[36]
Jump float: an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough that the player may jump before hitting it similarly to a standing float serve. The ball is tossed lower than a topspin jump serve, but contact is still made while in the air. This serve is becoming more popular among college and professional players because it has a certain unpredictability in its flight pattern.[36]
Pass
A player making a forearm pass or bump
Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the opponent's serve or any form of attack. Proper handling includes not only preventing the ball from touching the court but also making it reach the position where the setter is standing quickly and precisely.[3]
The skill of passing involves fundamentally two specific techniques: underarm pass, or bump, where the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms or platform, at waistline; and overhand pass, where it is handled with the fingertips, like a set, above the head.[3] Either are acceptable in professional and beach volleyball; however, there are much tighter regulations on the overhand pass in beach volleyball. When a player passes a ball to their setter, it is ideal that the ball does not have a lot of spin to make it easier for the setter.
Set
Jump set
The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball.[3] The main goal of setting is to put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by an attack into the opponent's court.[3] The setter coordinates the offensive movements of a team, and is the player who ultimately decides which player will actually attack the ball.
As with passing, one may distinguish between an overhand and a bump set. Since the former allows for more control over the speed and direction of the ball, the bump is used only when the ball is so low it cannot be properly handled with fingertips, or in beach volleyball where rules regulating overhand setting are more stringent. In the case of a set, one also speaks of a front or back set, meaning whether the ball is passed in the direction the setter is facing or behind the setter. There is also a jump set that is used when the ball is too close to the net. In this case, the setter usually jumps off their right foot straight up to avoid going into the net. The setter usually stands about ⅔ of the way from the left to the right of the net and faces the left (the larger portion of net that the setter can see).
Sometimes a setter refrains from raising the ball for a teammate to perform an attack and tries to play it directly onto the opponent's court. This movement is called a "dump".[38] This can only be performed when the setter is in the front row, otherwise it constitutes an illegal back court attack. The most common dumps are to 'throw' the ball behind the setter or in front of the setter to zones 2 and 4. More experienced setters toss the ball into the deep corners or spike the ball on the second hit.
As with a set or an overhand pass, the setter/passer must be careful to touch the ball with both hands at the same time.[3] If one hand is noticeably late to touch the ball this could result in a less effective set, as well as the referee calling a 'double hit' and giving the point to the opposing team.
Attack
See also: Volleyball offensive systems
A Spanish player, #18 in red outfit, about to spike towards the Portuguese field, whose players try to block the way
The attack, also known as the spike, is usually the third contact a team makes with the ball.[3] The object of attacking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be defended.[3] A player makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps, and swings at the ball.
Ideally, the contact with the ball is made at the apex of the hitter's jump. At the moment of contact, the hitter's arm is fully extended above their head and slightly forward, making the highest possible contact while maintaining the ability to deliver a powerful hit. The hitter uses arm swing, wrist snap, and a rapid forward contraction of the entire body to drive the ball.[3] A 'bounce' is a slang term for a very hard/loud spike that follows an almost straight trajectory steeply downward into the opponent's court and bounces very high into the air. A "kill" is the slang term for an attack that is not returned by the other team thus resulting in a point.
Contemporary volleyball comprises a number of attacking techniques:[39]
Backcourt (or back row): an attack performed by a back-row player. The player must jump from behind the 3-meter line before making contact with the ball, but may land in front of the 3-meter line. A Pipe Attack is when the center player in the back row attacks the ball.
Line and Cross-court Shot: refers to whether the ball flies in a straight trajectory parallel to the sidelines, or crosses through the court in an angle. A cross-court shot with a very pronounced angle, resulting in the ball landing near the 3-meter line, is called a cut shot.
Dip/Dink/Tip/Cheat/Dump: the player does not try to make a hit, but touches the ball lightly, so that it lands on an area of the opponent's court that is not being covered by the defence.
Tool/Wipe/Block-abuse: the player does not try to make a hard spike, but hits the ball so that it touches the opponent's block and then bounces off-court.
Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its speed and thus confusing the opponent's defence.
Quick hit/"One": an attack (usually by the middle blocker) where the approach and jump begin before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a "quick set") is placed only slightly above the net and the ball is struck by the hitter almost immediately after leaving the setter's hands. Quick attacks are often effective because they isolate the middle blocker to be the only blocker on the hit.
Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low backset. The middle hitter steps around the setter and hits from behind him or her.
Double quick hit/"Stack"/"Tandem": a variation of quick hit where two hitters, one in front and one behind the setter or both in front of the setter, jump to perform a quick hit at the same time. It can be used to deceive opposite blockers and free a fourth hitter attacking from back-court, maybe without block at all.
Block
Three players performing a block, also known as a triple block
Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or alter an opponent's attack.[3]
A block that is aimed at completely stopping an attack, thus making the ball remain in the opponent's court, is called offensive. A well-executed offensive block is performed by jumping and reaching to penetrate with one's arms and hands over the net and into the opponent's area.[3] It requires anticipating the direction the ball will go once the attack takes place.[3] It may also require calculating the best footwork to executing the "perfect" block.
The jump should be timed so as to intercept the ball's trajectory prior to it crossing over the plane of the net. Palms are held deflected downward roughly 45–60 degrees toward the interior of the opponents' court. A "roof" is a spectacular offensive block that redirects the power and speed of the attack straight down to the attacker's floor as if the attacker hit the ball into the underside of a peaked house roof.
By contrast, it is called a defensive, or "soft" block if the goal is to control and deflect the hard-driven ball up so that it slows down and becomes easier to defend. A well-executed soft-block is performed by jumping and placing one's hands above the net with no penetration into the opponent's court and with the palms up and fingers pointing backwards.
Blocking is also classified according to the number of players involved. Thus, one may speak of single (or solo), double, or triple block.[3]
Successful blocking does not always result in a "roof" and many times does not even touch the ball. While it is obvious that a block was a success when the attacker is roofed, a block that consistently forces the attacker away from their 'power' or preferred attack into a more easily controlled shot by the defence is also a highly successful block.
At the same time, the block position influences the positions where other defenders place themselves while opponent hitters are spiking.
Dig
A volleyball player going for a dig
Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court after a spike or attack, particularly a ball that is nearly touching the ground.[3] In many aspects, this skill is similar to passing, or bumping: overhand dig and bump are also used to distinguish between defensive actions taken with fingertips or with joined arms.[3] It varies from passing, however, in that it is a much more reflex-based skill, especially at the higher levels. It is especially important while digging for players to stay on their toes; several players choose to employ a split step to make sure they're ready to move in any direction.
Some specific techniques are more common in digging than in passing. A player may sometimes perform a "dive", i.e., throw their body in the air with a forward movement in an attempt to save the ball, and land on their chest. When the player also slides their hand under a ball that is almost touching the court, this is called a "pancake". The pancake is frequently used in indoor volleyball, but rarely if ever in beach volleyball because the uneven and yielding nature of the sand court limits the chances that the ball will make good, clean contact with the hand. When used correctly, it is one of the more spectacular defensive volleyball plays.
Sometimes a player may also be forced to drop their body quickly to the floor to save the ball. In this situation, the player makes use of a specific rolling technique to minimize the chances of injuries.
Team play
The U.S. women's team doing team planning in 2007
Volleyball is essentially a game of transition from one of the above skills to the next, with choreographed team movement between plays on the ball. These team movements are determined by the teams chosen serve receive system, offensive system, coverage system, and defensive system.
The serve-receive system is the formation used by the receiving team to attempt to pass the ball to the designated setter. Systems can consist of 5 receivers, 4 receivers, 3 receivers, and in some cases 2 receivers. The most popular formation at higher levels is a 3 receiver formation consisting of two left sides and a libero receiving every rotation. This allows middles and right sides to become more specialized at hitting and blocking.
Offensive systems are the formations used by the offence to attempt to ground the ball into the opposing court (or otherwise score points). Formations often include designated player positions with skill specialization (see Player specialization, below). Popular formations include the 4–2, 6–2, and 5-1 systems (see Formations, below). There are also several different attacking schemes teams can use to keep the opposing defence off balance.
Coverage systems are the formations used by the offence to protect their court in the case of a blocked attack. Executed by the 5 offensive players not directly attacking the ball, players move to assigned positions around the attacker to dig up any ball that deflects off the block back into their own court. Popular formations include the 2-3 system and the 1-2-2 system. In lieu of a system, some teams just use a random coverage with the players nearest the hitter.
Defensive systems are the formations used by the defence to protect against the ball being grounded into their court by the opposing team. The system will outline which players are responsible for which areas of the court depending on where the opposing team is attacking from. Popular systems include the 6-Up, 6-Back-Deep, and 6-Back-Slide defence. There are also several different blocking schemes teams can employ to disrupt the opposing teams' offence.
When one player is ready to serve, some teams will line up their other five players in a screen to obscure the view of the receiving team. This action is only illegal if the server makes use of the screen, so the call is made at the referee's discretion as to the impact the screen made on the receiving team's ability to pass the ball. The most common style of screening involves a W formation designed to take up as much horizontal space as possible.
Strategy
An international match between Italy and Russia in 2005; the Russian player on the left has just served with three men from his team next to the net moving to their assigned block positions from the starting ones. Two others, in the back-row positions, are preparing for defense. Italy, on the right, has three men in a line, each preparing to pass if the ball reaches him. The setter is waiting for their pass while the middle hitter (#10) will jump for a quick hit if the pass is good enough. Alessandro Fei (#14) has no passing duties and is preparing for a back-row hit on the right side of the field.
Player specialization
There are five positions filled on every volleyball team at the elite level: setter, outside hitter (left-side hitter), middle hitter (middle blocker), opposite hitter (right-side hitter) and libero / defensive specialist. Each of these positions plays a specific, key role in winning a volleyball match.
Setters have the task for orchestrating the offence of the team. They aim for the second touch and their main responsibility is to place the ball in the air where the attackers can place the ball into the opponents' court for a point. They have to be able to operate with the hitters, manage the tempo of their side of the court and choose the right attackers to set. Setters need to have a swift and skillful appraisal and tactical accuracy and must be quick at moving around the court. At elite level, setters used to usually be the shortest players of a team (before liberos were introduced), not being typically required to perform jump hits, but that would imply need for short-term replacement by taller bench players when critical points required more effective blocks; in the 1990s taller setters (e.g. Fabio Vullo, Peter Blangé) began being deployed, in order to improve blocks.
Liberos are defensive players who are responsible for receiving the attack or serve. They are usually the players on the court with the quickest reaction time and best passing skills. Libero means 'free' in Italian—they receive this name as they have the ability to substitute for any other player on the court during each play (usually the middle blocker). Liberos are not permitted to block or perform attacks, meaning they never play at the net, which allows shorter players with strong passing and defensive skills to excel in the position and play an important role in the team's success. A player designated as a libero for a match may not play other roles during that match. Liberos wear a different colour jersey than their teammates.[40]
Middle hitters, or middle blockers, are players that can perform very fast attacks that usually take place near the setter. They are specialized in blocking since they must attempt to stop equally fast plays from their opponents and then quickly set up a double block at the sides of the court. In non-beginners play, every team will have two middle hitters. At elite levels, middle hitters are usually the tallest players, whose limited agility is countered by their height enabling more effective blocks.
Outside hitters, or left-side hitters, attack from near the left antenna. The outside hitter is usually the most consistent hitter on the team and gets the most sets. Inaccurate first passes usually result in a set to the outside hitter rather than middle or opposite. Since most sets to the outside are high, the outside hitter may take a longer approach, always starting from outside the court sideline. In non-beginners play, there are again two outside hitters on every team in every match. At elite level, outside hitters are slightly shorter than middle hitters and opposite hitters, but have the best defensive skills, therefore always re-placing to the middle while in the back row.
Opposite hitters, or right-side hitters, carry the defensive workload for a volleyball team in the front row. Their primary responsibilities are to put up a well-formed block against the opponents' Outside hitters and serve as a backup setter. Sets to the opposite usually go to the right side of the antennae. Therefore, they are usually the most technical hitters since balls lifted to the right side are quicker and more difficult to handle (the setters having to place the ball while slightly off-set to the right, and with their back to the attacker), and also having to jump from the back row when the setter is on the front row. At elite level, until the 1990s several opposite hitters used to be able to also play as middle hitters (e.g. Andrea Zorzi, Andrea Giani), before high specialization curtailed this flexibility in the role. [41]
At some levels where substitutions are unlimited, teams will make use of a defensive specialist in place of or in addition to a libero. This position does not have unique rules like the libero position, instead, these players are used to substitute out a poor back row defender using regular substitution rules. A defensive specialist is often used if you have a particularly poor back court defender in right side or left side, but your team is already using a libero to take out your middles. Most often, the situation involves a team using a right-side player with a big block who must be subbed out in the back row because they are not able to effectively play backcourt defence. Similarly, teams might use a serving specialist to sub out a poor server.
Formations
The three standard volleyball formations are known as "4–2", "6–2" and "5–1", which refers to the number of hitters and setters respectively. 4–2 is a basic formation used only in beginners' play, while 5–1 is by far the most common formation in high-level play.
4–2
The 4–2 formation has four hitters and two setters. The setters usually set from the middle front or right front position. The team will, therefore, have two front-row attackers at all times. In the international 4–2, the setters set from the right front position. The international 4–2 translates more easily into other forms of offence.
The setters line up opposite each other in the rotation. The typical lineup has two outside hitters. By aligning like positions opposite themselves in the rotation, there will always be one of each position in the front and back rows. After service, the players in the front row move into their assigned positions, so that the setter is always in the middle front. Alternatively, the setter moves into the right front and has both a middle and an outside attacker; the disadvantage here lies in the lack of an offside hitter, allowing one of the other team's blockers to "cheat in" on a middle block.
The clear disadvantage to this offensive formation is that there are only two attackers, leaving a team with fewer offensive weapons.
Another aspect is to see the setter as an attacking force, albeit a weakened force, because when the setter is in the frontcourt they are able to 'tip' or 'dump', so when the ball is close to the net on the second touch, the setter may opt to hit the ball over with one hand. This means that the blocker who would otherwise not have to block the setter is engaged and may allow one of the hitters to have an easier attack.
6–2
In the 6–2 formation, a player always comes forward from the back row to set. The three front row players are all in attacking positions. Thus, all six players act as hitters at one time or another, while two can act as setters. So the 6–2 formation is actually a 4–2 system, but the back-row setter penetrates to set.
The 6–2 lineup thus requires two setters, who line up opposite to each other in the rotation. In addition to the setters, a typical lineup will have two middle hitters and two outside hitters. By aligning like positions opposite themselves in the rotation, there will always be one of each position in the front and back rows. After service, the players in the front row move into their assigned positions.
The advantage of the 6–2 is that there are always three front-row hitters available, maximizing the offensive possibilities. However, not only does the 6–2 require a team to possess two people capable of performing the highly specialized role of setter, it also requires both of those players to be effective offensive hitters when not in the setter position. At the international level, only the Cuban National Women's Team employs this kind of formation. It is also used by NCAA teams in Division III men's play and women's play in all divisions, partially due to the variant rules used which allow more substitutions per set than the 6 allowed in the standard rules—12 in matches involving two Division III men's teams[42] and 15 for all women's play.[43]
5–1
The 5–1 formation has only one player who assumes setting responsibilities regardless of their position in the rotation. The team will, therefore, have three front-row attackers when the setter is in the back row and only two when the setter is in the front row, for a total of five possible attackers.
The player opposite the setter in a 5–1 rotation is called the opposite hitter. In general, opposite hitters do not pass; they stand behind their teammates when the opponent is serving. The opposite hitter may be used as a third attack option (back-row attack) when the setter is in the front row: this is the normal option used to increase the attack capabilities of modern volleyball teams. Normally the opposite hitter is the most technically skilled hitter of the team. Back-row attacks generally come from the back-right position, known as zone 1, but are increasingly performed from back-centre in high-level play.
The big advantage of this system is that the setter always has 3 hitters to vary sets with. If the setter does this well, the opponent's middle blocker may not have enough time to block with the outside blocker, increasing the chance for the attacking team to make a point.
There is another advantage, the same as that of a 4–2 formation: as a front-row player, the setter is allowed to jump and "dump" the ball onto the opponent's side. This too can confuse the opponent's blocking players: the setter can jump and dump or can set to one of the hitters. A good setter knows this and thus will not only jump to dump or to set for a quick hit, but when setting outside as well to confuse the opponent.
The 5–1 offence is actually a mix of 6–2 and 4–2: when the setter is in the front row, the offense looks like a 4–2; when the setter is in the back row, the offense looks like a 6–2.
Variations and related games
Main article: Volleyball variations
Beach volleyball at the Hietaniemi Beach in Helsinki, Finland
There are many variations on the basic rules of volleyball. By far the most popular of these is beach volleyball, which is played on sand with two people per team, and rivals the main sport in popularity.
Some games related to volleyball include:
Crossnet: a four-way volleyball game, combining volleyball and foursquare.
9-man: A variant invented by Chinese immigrants to the United States in the 1930s. 9-man is still played in Asian countries and North America, being recognized for its historic and cultural significance. In 2014, an award-winning documentary was produced for the sport of 9-man, and a YouTube documentary was made for the sport in 2017.[citation needed]
Beachball volleyball: A game of indoor volleyball played with a beach ball instead of a volleyball.
Biribol: an aquatic variant, played in shallow swimming pools. The name comes from the Brazilian city where it was invented, Birigui. It is similar to water volleyball.
Ecua-volley: A variant invented in Ecuador, with some significant variants, such as number of players, and a heavier ball.
Footvolley: A sport from Brazil in which the hands and arms are not used, but it is otherwise similar to beach volleyball.
Handball: A sport in which teams have to throw a ball using hands inside a goal.
Hooverball: Popularized by President Herbert Hoover, it is played with a volleyball net and a medicine ball; it is scored like tennis, but the ball is caught and then thrown back. The weight of the medicine ball can make the sport physically demanding for players; annual championship tournaments are held in West Branch, Iowa.
Newcomb ball (sometimes spelled "Nuke 'Em"): In this game, the ball is caught and thrown instead of hit; it rivaled volleyball in popularity until the 1920s.
Prisoner Ball: Also played with volleyball court and a volleyball, prisoner ball is a variation of Newcomb ball where players are "taken prisoner" or released from "prison" instead of scoring points. This version is usually played by young children.[44]
Sepak Takraw: Played in Southeast Asia using a rattan ball and allowing only players' feet, knees, chests, and heads to touch the ball.
Snow volleyball: a variant of beach volleyball that is played on snow. The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball has announced its plans to make snow volleyball part of the future Winter Olympic Games programme.[45][46][47]
Throwball: became popular with female players at the YMCA College of Physical Education in Chennai (India) in the 1940s.
Towel volleyball: towel volleyball is a popular form of outdoor entertainment. The game takes place in a volleyball court, and players work in pairs, holding towels in their hands and attempting to throw the ball into the opponent's field. This version can also be played with blankets held by four people. There are several variations.[48][49][50]
Volley squash, a form of volleyball played within a squash court or similar sized enclosed space.
Wallyball: A variation of volleyball played in a racquetball court with a rubber ball.
See also
Volleyball portal
Lists of volleyball players – lists of notable players, and fictional players
List of volleyball video games
Volleyball Hall of Fame
Volleyball jargon
Volleyball injuries
References
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^ Brooks, Nathan (February 14, 2024). "How Long is a Volleyball Game?: From High School Volleyball Game to Olympics 2024 - Infools". Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ "Section 12.4.4" (PDF). Official Volleyball Rules 2017–2020. FIVB. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2019. The server must hit the ball within 8 seconds after the 1st referee whistles for service.
^ a b "2008 Major Rules-Change Proposals" (PDF). ncaa.org. National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 14, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
^ Kraus, Hillary (August 25, 2001). "Volleyball serves up new rules". Spokesman=Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C7. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
^ Bosak, Chris (April 4, 2003). "Rule changes everyone will recognize". The Hour. (Norwalk, Connecticut). p. E1. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
^ a b Chandler, Rob (May 14, 2003). "H.S. volleyball makes big changes". Arlington Times. (Washington). p. B2. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
^ Derrick, Chris (September 4, 2003). "Ready or not, rally scoring has arrived". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
^ Stamm, Diane (October 10, 2002). "Winds of change blowing through volleyball world". McCook Daily Gazette. (Nebraska). p. 10. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
^ The term, meaning "free" in Italian, is pronounced LEE-beh-ro (although many players and coaches pronounce it lih-BEAR-oh). The American NCAA introduced the libero in 2002.Pettit, Terry; Potts, Kerri (February 28, 2002). "Rules changes for the 2002 season". NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee. Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2007. The NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee [...] approved several rules changes for the 2002 women's volleyball season including the use of the libero player
^ Bean, Josh (August 30, 2002). "Volleyball gets new look with 'libero'". Times Daily. (Florence, Alabama). p. 6C. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
^ Linenberger, Shawn (October 5, 2005). "Volleyball players adjusting to libero role". The Mirror. (Tonganoxie, Kansas). p. 1B.
^ "Double contacts approved in women's volleyball" (Press release). NCAA. February 20, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
^ "FIVB Structure". FIVB. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
^ a b c d e "The 5 Types of Serves in Volleyball You Must Know – Volleyball Expert". Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
^ "What Is A Sky Ball In Volleyball? Definition & Meaning On SportsLingo". www.sportslingo.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
^ "Volleyball glossary". Cambridge University Volleyball Club. Archived from the original on April 1, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
^ Program, Uga Pedb, "4. Attacking & Blocking", Ch.1 - Volleyball, archived from the original on May 1, 2021, retrieved May 1, 2021
^ Chesaux, Samuel. "FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2015-2016" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
^ "Volleyball Information: History, Facts & Volleyball Rules 2023". Sportycious. December 31, 2022. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
^ "NCAA Men's Volleyball 2015–17 Rules Modifications" (PDF). NCAA. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017. Note that if a Division III team is playing a team in the National Collegiate division (Division I or II), the FIVB limit of 6 substitutions per set is enforced.
^ "Rule 11.3.2: Substitutions – Limitations". Women's Volleyball 2016 and 2017 Rules and Interpretations (PDF). NCAA. p. 42. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
^ Games For Youth Groups. Youth Specialties. 1997. ISBN 9780310220305. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
^ "President Graça pledges to make volleyball first Summer and Winter Olympic sport". fivb.org. Fédération Internationale de Volleyball. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
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^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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^ Adapt.lv. "VOLEJBOLA DVIEĻI". www.lgk.lv. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
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How to Play Volleyball – Rules & Key Moves | Olympic Channel
to Play Volleyball – Rules & Key Moves | Olympic ChannelIOCGangwon 2024Paris 2024Milano Cortina 2026LA 2028Brisbane 2032MuseumShopOlympic Refuge FoundationEnglishOlympic GamesAthletesSportsNewsOlympic ChannelLet's MoveHow to play volleyballThe basics, the moves, the top tips. It's all here!7 minPacked with thrills, bumps, sets and spikes, volleyball is a brilliant spectator sport – but it’s even better when you get stuck in yourself. This high-speed game requires athleticism, endurance and power.
If you’re a beginner, there are plenty of ways to build up your skills and learn how to play volleyball – both indoor and beach. Say goodbye to the sidelines and hello to the adrenaline-packed court with this handy guide. We’ll take you through the basics, cover the key moves to learn and give you top tips on how to develop your prowess on the court.
What are the basics of volleyball?
If you’re thinking about taking up this exhilarating sport or just want to learn more, read through our basic rules on how to play volleyball. From team formations to how to score a point, we’ll help you pick up the essential rules before you get started.
An indoor volleyball match is the best of five games. The team who takes the majority (three games) is the overall winner of the match. For beach volleyball, it’s best of three.
To win a game, a team must score 25 points with a two-point difference. If they’re too closely matched, the game can continue over the 25-point maximum. On the final deciding game of the match it’s only played until 15 points, but the two-point difference still applies. In beach volleyball, a game is played to 21 points, with the same final round and tiebreak rule. You can find out more in our video guide to beach volleyball.
Each indoor volleyball team consists of six players, whereas beach volleyball is played in teams of two. For indoor volleyball, there are a number of positions. Usually, there are three players at the front near the net and another three towards the back of the court.Volleyball at Rio 2016For the first game, the teams will play a short volley to decide who will serve. Then the loser of the previous game will serve for the duration of that game.
A rally begins with a serve. The server must take their shot from behind the end line and choose between an underhand or overhand shot. It’s fine for the ball to graze the net, as long as the ball falls into the other side of the court.
A point is scored when a team wins a rally. Every rally begins with a serve and ends when a team wins a point. They do this in one of two ways. If your team sends the ball over the net and the defending team fail to return the ball, you score a point. You can also win a point if the other team hit the ball out of the designated court boundary. If a player on the other team makes a fault, it’s also possible for your team to win a point.
Every time a team wins a point, they will rotate their position in a clockwise direction around the court.
A team can hit the ball to each other a maximum of three times before returning it to the other side of the court.Beach volleyball at Rio 2016What are the positions in volleyball?
For beach volleyball, there are only two players per team. However, indoor volleyball is a little bit more complicated. Each team has six players, with three at the front in the attack zone and three in the back in the defence zone. Here’s some information on who does what when playing volleyball:
Outside hitter: As you face the net, this player stands at the front-left of the court in the attack zone. Sometimes called the wing spiker, they often attack the ball a setter has prepared for them. While the ball is in play they can often work across the front and back row.
Right side hitter: This player has similar responsibilities to the outside hitter, but they focus on the right-hand side of the court.
Opposite hitter: This is the player who scores the most points in the game. Their position is usually in the back left corner of the court. Not only do they need to score points, but, because they play against the other team’s opposite hitter, they need defensive skills too.
Setter: Often called the playmaker, this player is like the quarterback of the team. They run the offensive strategies and set the ball up for the attackers to score. They’re often in the right-back of the court and can work both rows.
Middle blocker: Sitting in the middle, right in front of the net, this player’s main responsibility is to block attacks from the other team. They’re also a key passer who helps get the ball to the setter.
Libero: This is a back row player, who can only work at the rear of the court. They usually wear a different colour top to the rest of the team and can enter and exit the game without substitution. They also can replace any other player and often swaps places with the middle blocker.
You can find out more in our video, Sport Guide: Examining Volleyball.
What are the rules of indoor and beach volleyball?
Here are a few things you need to know to ensure you don’t violate any rules or give the other team a point. You must not:
Step on or over the end line when taking a serve
Hit or serve the ball into the net
Touch the net while the ball is in play
Reach over the net to get the ball. You may reach over to execute a follow-through or block a returning ball
Reach under the net
Spike!How to play volleyball: what are the moves?
There are a few ways you can play the ball in volleyball. Here are the main moves you can play to help you get started and understand what you can do to develop your game.
Beginners: When you first start off, it’s a good idea to begin by catching and tossing the ball so to get a feel for the rules while keeping the ball in play for longer. Once you’ve mastered the rules and the flow, it’s time to start bringing hits into the game. For an expert opinion, see what three-time gold medallist Karch Kiraly thinks are the qualities needed for volleyball success.
Passing: This is where a player receives the ball from the server and passes it to the playmaker. This is usually done with an underhand bump in a short, controlled manner, with minimal arm swing. It’s quite literally a bump, rather than a hit.
Setting: The setter is the playmaker in volleyball. They prepare the ball so it’s well-placed for an attacker to shoot and score a point for their team. Overhead setting is when a player places both their hands above their forehead, creating a triangle shape with their thumbs and index fingers. They push the ball up with their fingers, with the attacker ready to take their shot.
Spiking: This is one of the most impressive-looking moves in the game. A spike is generally when a player runs, jumps and hits the ball over the net with a powerful swing. Usually this is a move for an attacker or shooter, as these big hits usually win points. If you’re a beginner, try to avoid spiking until you can maintain a long rally.
Blocking: A block is a defensive move used at the net. When an attacker moves to shoot, a maximum of three players on the other team come close to the net and jump just after the attacker with their arms up. When the ball comes over the net, it’ll be blocked by the players and either move into their side or back towards the opposing team.
Digging: When the ball is heading towards the floor after an attack, a defender from the back row can run or dive forward to bump the ball back up and pass it to another team member.
Whether you want to be competitive or not, just give it a go. And if you really enjoy it, see what the Czech women’s beach volleyball team does to train.
Catch the latest indoor volleyball and beach volleyball news and videos on the Olympic Channel.Related contentThe beauty of Women's VolleyballThe beauty of Men's VolleyballWhat are the origins of Beach Volleyball?Top-10 Tips Volleyball - Danielle Scott-ArrudaYou may l
History of volleyball: From origins to the Olympics
ory of volleyball: From origins to the OlympicsIOCGangwon 2024Paris 2024Milano Cortina 2026LA 2028Brisbane 2032MuseumShopOlympic Refuge FoundationEnglishOlympic GamesAthletesSportsNewsOlympic ChannelLet's MoveHistory of volleyball: From humble beginnings to a global sportOriginally called mintonette, the origin of volleyball can be traced back to 1895 in Massachusetts, USA. It was created by American William G. Morgan.7 minBy Naveen PeterVolleyball (Getty)For a sport that has been around for over a century, the origin of volleyball traces its roots to a rather humble beginning.
History has it that William G. Morgan, who invented the game of volleyball in 1895, came up with the idea so that people who found basketball’s ‘bumping’ or ‘jolting’ too strenuous could have an alternative physical activity to fall back on.
William G. Morgan, who served as the physical director at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Holyoke, Massachusetts, looked at the sports around and picked the aspects that he thought suited his brief the best.
The ball came from baske`tball, the net from tennis and the use of hands from handball. While this made up a game of volleyball, it was lent some competitive tone with the introduction of innings - later to be called sets - that was borrowed from baseball.
Morgan introduced the sport -- called mintonette, the original name of volleyball -- at the YMCA Physical Director's Conference a year later at Springfield College, Massachusetts.
"In search of an appropriate game, tennis occurred to me, but this required rackets, balls, a net and other equipment, so it was eliminated, but the idea of a net seemed a good one," Morgan explained. "We raised [the net] to a height of... just above the head of an average man. We needed a ball and among those we tried was a basketball bladder, but this was too light and too slow. We therefore tried the basketball itself, which was too big and too heavy.”
A new specially designed ball, which was lighter and smaller, was introduced in 1900.
Though it was incomplete with no fixed rules and a format to follow, the sport did enough to win over the delegation and soon became a part of YMCA’s wide network throughout the USA with a new name - volley ball (initially it was termed as two words). Volleyball was officially selected to spell as a single word in 1952.
A sport that traced its origin to basketball, baseball, tennis and handball - and now estimated to be played by over 800 million globally - had thus been established.A group of ladies playing a game of volleyball in 1900. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Development of volleyball
The coming years saw rules for the game being drawn up as volleyball continued to bank on YMCA’s popularity to go global.
With YMCA societies playing prominent roles in regions like India, China, Europe, South America and Africa, volleyball would soon spread in these regions.
It was in Asia that it gathered steam. By 1913, the growth of the game in the continent was evident as that year saw it being included in the first Far-Eastern Games, organised in Manila.
It was not until 1900 that a specially designed lighter and smaller ball was devised, which opened up a new array of tactical and technical possibilities for the sport.
Rules for playing volleyball kept establishing over the years; points per set changed from 21 to 15 points in 1917, in the following year the number of players per team was set at six and so on.
A few years later, a new offensive way of playing the game — including what we now call setting and spiking — emerged in the Philippines. It was to be called ‘bomba’ or ‘Filipino bomb’, taking a cue from the pace at which the ball landed in the opposition’s court.
The new tactic also meant the rules of volleyball were further refined and standardised, including the scoring system and the rule stipulating a maximum of three hits per team.
However, all through this period, volleyball was largely restricted to only a few regions. Though there were a few national championships in different countries, none had a fixed set of rules as it varied from region to region.
But all this would change in 1947.
International governing body of volleyball
April 1947 saw the establishment of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB).
Representatives from 14 nations - Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Uruguay, the USA and Yugoslavia - met in Paris under the leadership of France’s Paul Libaud to set up the association that would govern volleyball at the international level.
Libaud assumed the role of FIVB's first president, a position he held on to till 1984. The first volleyball World Championships for men was held in 1949 in Prague and in 1952 for women in Moscow.FIVB has since grown into becoming one of the biggest sporting organisations in the world with 222 affiliated bodies.
While the World Championships continues to be the mega attraction for the game, the FIVB has added events like the FIVB World League, the FIVB World Grand Prix, the FIVB World Cup and the FIVB Grand Champions Cup to its roster over the years, apart from eventually becoming an Olympic sport.
Volleyball at the Olympics
With an international body to look after the sport and its growing popularity, indoor volleyball was granted Olympic status in 1957 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Volleyball made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 1964 Games.
Brazil, the erstwhile Soviet Union and Italy have bagged the most medals in men's Olympic volleyball (six each), with the South American team leading the honours with their three golds and three silvers.Sport Guide: Examining VolleyballAmong the women’s teams, six countries have won the Olympic gold medal in volleyball with the Soviet Union leading the overall medals tally with six (four golds and two silvers).
Japan and the Soviet Union played each of the first four gold medal matches at the Summer Olympics from 1964 to 1980.
Japan won the first-ever final on home soil at Tokyo 1964 while the Soviet Union pipped them to win gold at the 1968 Games and Munich in 1972. Japan then picked their second gold medal at Montreal 1976.
The Soviet Union added two more gold medals to their tally with their volleyball players emerging with victories at Moscow 1980 and Seoul 1988, while China won the first of its two-three medals at Los Angeles 1984 and the second at Athens 2004.
Cuba won three straight golds at Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 while the Brazilian women’s volleyball team became just the third team to win back-to-back golds in the discipline, doing so at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
The United States is the reigning women’s volleyball Olympic champions, having beaten Brazil in the final at Tokyo 2020.
While only six teams played in the women’s category in the 1964 edition of the Games, that number doubled by 1988 and has remained so ever since.
Volleyball on the beach
Like its expanded version, even though beach volleyball too can trace its roots back to America, the sport had to wait a bit longer to get into the conscience of a larger community.What are the origins of Beach Volleyball?Beach volleyball was included in the Olympic programme for the Atlanta Games in 1996, a move that helped take the global reach and popularity of the sport to a new level.
The United States of America, the country from which volleyball originated from, has dominated this event at the Olympics, winning a total of seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals (men and women) so far.
Their Olympic bow was followed by the inaugural FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in 1997.
The event is hosted every alternate year and Brazil has been the most successful country at this event winning a total of 12 gold medals (men and women) so far.Add this to your favouritesVolleyballRelated contentIndian volleyball team: star names and Asian Games successVolleyball rules: All you need to knowHistory of FIVB Volleyball World Cup and winners listBeach volleyball and how it’s different from indoor volleyball: All the rules you need to knowMore fromVolleyballYou may l
Volleyball: Olympic history, rules, latest updates and upcoming events for the Olympic sport
Volleyball: Olympic history, rules, latest updates and upcoming events for the Olympic sport
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What is Volleyball?
Volleyball is a sport played on a court by two teams of six players. The game was originally called “Mintonette”, a name derived from the game of badminton, because of its likeness to the sport.
By whom, where and when was Volleyball invented?
William G. Morgan, a YMCA physical education director and a student at Springfield College, is credited with creating the game of volleyball in 1895 in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Mintonette (as volleyball was called at the time) was designed to be an indoor pastime that could be enjoyed by older members of the YMCA, and took some of its characteristics from other sports including tennis and handball.
The sport quickly became known as volleyball after an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College). The first rulebooks for the sport were produced in the early 1900s, with the first international federation (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB)) following in 1947.
What are the rules of Volleyball?
The premise of volleyball is simple: land the ball in-bounds in the opponent's half of the court without the opponent returning it successfully. Players on a team must use a combination of no more than three contacts to return the ball to the opponent’s side of the net. A point is scored when the ball lands within the court boundaries or when a playing error is made.
The first team to score 25 points by a two-point margin wins the set, with each match following a best-of-five sets format. If required, a fifth set is played to 15 points (a winning margin of two points is still required).
How long is a Volleyball game?
There is no set time limit for a volleyball game, as the games are measured in sets. It is not uncommon to see games last as long as 90 minutes.
Volleyball and the Olympics
Volleyball first featured at the Olympic Games as a demonstration sport at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. It made its debut as an official medal sport at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games with men’s and women’s team competitions, and has remained on the Olympic programme ever since.
Best volleyball players to watch
There have been a number of exceptional players that have graced Olympic volleyball courts over the years; two such athletes who continue to compete at a high level today are Tokyo 2020 gold medalist and two-time FIVB World League champion Earvin N'Gapeth (France) and three-time Olympic medalist and 2014 world champion Jordan Larson (USA) were named Most Valuable Players of the men’s and women’s Tokyo 2020 Dream Team, respectively.
Tijana Boskovic (Serbia), a two-time Olympic medalist and European and world champion, and three-time Olympic medalist Bruno Rezende (Brazil) remain formidable members of their national teams who, along with Japan, Italy, France, the USA and the People’s Republic of China remain among the top teams on the international stage.
Volleyball competition rules and event format at Paris 2024
The men’s and women’s tournaments at Paris 2024 will feature 12 teams in each competition, split into three pools of four. The preliminary rounds will consist of three matches; the top two teams from each pool and the two best third-placed teams qualify for the quarter-finals. The winners of each quarter-final advance to the semi-finals; the two semi-final winners play for the gold medal, and the losers play for the bronze.
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UAAP: NU teams keep streaks going behind Belen, Disquitado
p>UAAP: NU teams keep streaks going behind Belen, Disquitado
July 10, 2022
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UAAP volleyball: NU teams keep streaks going behind Belen, Disquitado
By: Inquirer Sports Staff - @inquirerdotnet
INQUIRER.net / 02:32 PM March 11, 2024
NU Lady Bulldogs’ Bella Belen.–UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — National University dominated in the third week of the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments with Bella Belen and Jade Disquitado leading the way for their women’s and men’s teams, respectively.
Belen was vital in the Norman Miguel-mentored team’s victories, putting up 19 points, 19 digs, and 11 excellent receptions against Far Eastern University, and 11 markers, 10 digs, and five receptions against the University of the East.
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These numbers resulted in Belen earning the Collegiate Press Corps’ UAAP Player of the Week award for the period March 4 to March 10, but what made her even happier was how her teammates also stood out in their triumphs.FEATURED STORIES
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SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball first round
“We’re really happy kasi nakita namin na lahat is kayang mag contribute sa team,” said the Season 84 MVP and Rookie of the Year, whose squad just won five straight games.
“Yung team naman namin is we’re not building star players kasi. Gusto namin lahat kami paangat, gusto namin walang naiiwan.”
Belen bested La Salle University star Angel Canino, University Sto. Tomas prized-rookie Angge Poyos, and FEU stand out Gerz Petallo for the weekly honor deliberated by the college scribes who regularly cover the beat.
READ: NU streaking ahead of UAAP Finals rematch vs La Salle
NU Bulldogs’ Jade Disquitado.–UAAP PHOTO
Meanwhile, Disquitado was just as indispensable as Belen in the Bulldogs’ five-game winning streak.
The 2023 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference Finals MVP shone in NU’s win against the FEU Tamaraws last Wednesday, handing out a career-best 29-point game as well as 23 receptions. He followed it up with 15 markers, four receptions, and two digs against UE on Sunday.
The 5-foot-11 outside hitter, however, deflected all the credit to his coach Dante Alinsunirin and his fellow Bulldogs.
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READ: NU, La Salle force three-way tie on top in UAAP men’s volleyball
“Masaya lang ako kasi maganda yung pinakita ko, pero sumunod lang naman ako sa sistema ni coach Dante, pati sa mga teammates ko,” said Disquitado, who received the men’s Player of the Week Honors over teammate Owa Retamar, La Salle’s Vince Maglinao, and Ateneo’s Jian Salarzon
Still, Alinsunurin hailed the growth and performance of his young star both on and off the taraflex.
“In terms of skills, tumaas na yung receiving niya tiyaka yung floor defense niya,” said the Bulldogs coach.
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“Pero hindi lang sa loob ng court, kasi sobrang sipag niya sa training, at maganda na yung nagiging focus niya. Sana tuloy tuloy na.”
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Nxled star recruit Ivy Lacsina brushes off a left knee injury in a breakthrough win, while dominant PVL champ Creamline extends its rotation anew to field beach volleyball star Dij Rodriguez for the first time
Mar 12, 2024 10:27 PM PHT
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How to Play Volleyball, According to Pros. Nike PH
to Play Volleyball, According to Pros. Nike PH
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How to Play Volleyball, According to ProsSport & Activity Have you always wanted to play volleyball but don't know where to start? Seasoned players share the foundations of the sport. Last updated: 14 October 20225 min readWhen playing a new sport, understanding the rules of the game is essential. Learning how to play volleyball is no different. To help with this, we turned to volleyball pros for advice. Ahead, learn five tips on how beginners can learn to play volleyball.Learn Some Basics of the GameThe most important rule: don't let the ball hit the floor on your side of the net. Each side gets up to three contacts with the ball, said Hailey Harward, a professional beach volleyball player, and two-time NCAA champion, before they have to hit it over the net.
Belén Castillo, a former indoor volleyball player at the University of California, Berkeley and beach volleyball player at the University of Southern California (who is joining the professional tour in summer 2023), added that players are not allowed to touch the ball twice in succession and "the ball must hit the floor inside the boundary lines of your opponent's court in order to score a point".
When it comes to the number of players on the court, it depends on if the match is beach volleyball or an indoor match. For indoor volleyball, a game features six players against six players.
For beach volleyball, the skills are similar, but the set-up is a bit different. The game is two on two, Harward said, and the court is smaller compared to an indoor volleyball court.
The score count also differs. For indoor matches, it's typically the best of five games. If the teams are tied (with each team winning two sets) after the fourth game, the fifth game is played to 15 points.
On the sand, Harward says beach matches are played to 21 points instead of 25. It's also the best of three games, with the third game being played to 15 points. In addition, players switch sides of the net every seven points in beach volleyball to ensure fairness due to weather conditions such as wind or sun, she said.Practise the MovesIn volleyball, there are various ways to hit the ball. For a beginner, Harward said there are two fundamental moves to learn and practise: serving and passing.
Each play in volleyball begins with a serve, and there are various ways to serve. The easiest for beginners is an underhand serve, Harward said, "which is where you hold the ball out in front of you and you hit the ball with a closed fist … where you're coming under the ball and just hitting it up and over [the net]".
As its name suggests, passing involves a player passing the ball to a teammate. "You have to visualise where the ball is going", Harward said of how to pass the ball. "And then the first step is to move your body, shuffling towards where the ball is going". As you do this, "you stick your arms out in front of you and angle your arms so that the ball meets your arms and then goes off your angle where you want it to go".
To get the hang of passing, Castillo recommended practising against a wall. "Practise getting used to using your arms as a platform and pass your volleyball against the wall", she said. "Once you get the hang of it, put a piece of tape on the wall and try to hit it to improve your accuracy. Think of your passing platform as a wooden board you need to angle to where you want the ball to go".Understand the Different PositionsIn order to continue to learn the game, it's important to understand the role of different positions on the court, too.
Firstly, there's the libero, Harward said, "which is a speciality position. They usually wear a different coloured jersey and this allows them to sub in and out of the game whenever they want, but they always play in the back row. They're usually the designated passer and defender on the court. So they're really good with ball control".
Next, there are pin hitters and middle hitters. "[Pin hitters] play in the front row", Harward said. "And they're usually the primary blockers and attackers, but they can also play [in the] back row as well". Middle hitters, on the other hand, are the primary blockers in the middle of the court.
Setters are also important in every volleyball game. "They're usually the person who is like the quarterback of the team", Harward explained. "They usually tell the hitters what plays to run and they usually get the second contact [with the ball] on your team unless they otherwise ask for help".Use Your Core StrengthAlthough your arms are heavily used while playing volleyball, the secret to becoming a better player is to build core strength. "Many people think the key to strong hitting is arm strength, but the secret to a powerful swing lies in your core and abs", Castillo said.
Core strength is also key for stability, which is challenged while playing volleyball as you need to move quickly and powerfully to prevent the ball from hitting the ground. "Your core is one of the most important parts of your body as a volleyball player because it is key for stabilisation", Castillo said. Overcommunicate With Your TeamLastly, remember that volleyball is a team sport. Constant communication is critical for success. "Once you are in a game situation, make sure you talk to your teammates", Castillo said. "The best teams prioritise communication and are constantly verbalising their next move to avoid confusion and function as one cohesive unit".
And, most importantly, remember to have fun. "Starting any sport can be overwhelming, but performance is best when you are focused but also enjoying yourself", Castillo said. "One of the best aspects of volleyball is that it's a team sport. It is amazing to get to share the triumphs of competing and learning with your friends".
Words by Jessica EstradaOriginally published: 14 October 2022Related StoriesSport & ActivityExperts Explain Why You Need To Include Shoulder Mobility Exercises Into Your Warm-up RoutineSport & Activity10 Trainer-Approved Warm-Up Exercises for Leg DaySport & ActivityEverything You Need to Know About Jump SquatsSport & ActivityHow to Warm Up Before Running, According to ExpertsSport & ActivityThe Beginner Guide to Tabata Workouts
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Philippine volleyball Champions League set in November
Philippine volleyball Champions League set in November
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Volleyball
Philippine volleyball
Philippine volleyball Champions League set in November
Sep 16, 2021 3:37 PM PHT
Rappler.com
SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
PLANNING STAGE. PVL champion Chery Tiggo is one of the teams that met with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
PVL MEDIA BUREAU
INFO
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation caps off its first year with a nationwide league
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) is set to stage a Champions League that will feature teams from all over the country in November.
The women’s tournament will be played on November 13 to 19, while the men’s team will run from November 20 to 26.
Although nine teams have expressed their interest in the women’s side, the federation plans to limit the participants to eight teams per tournament, which will see action in 24 matches.
PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara met with the representatives of Metro Manila clubs Cignal HD, Black Mamba-Army, Sta. Lucia, Chery Tiggo, PetroGazz, and F2 Logistics, as well as teams from Baguio City and Iligan City, on Tuesday, September 14, to discuss the preparations for the league.
The Champions League aims to bring together all volleyball stakeholders through a high level of play at a club level, according to Suzara.
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The national sports association is looking to tap the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena in Laoag City, Claro M. Recto Events Center in Lipa City, or Tagaytay City as potential venues for the semi-bubble competitions.
The tournament format will be composed of a preliminary round, playoff rounds, and classification rounds.
In the preliminary round, the eight clubs will be divided into two pools of four teams playing in a round-robin format. At the end of pool play, the teams will be ranked and will advance to the quarterfinals playing a cross-over single elimination round.
The quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, while the losing clubs will play in the classification round.
The semifinal winners will progress to the gold medal match, while the losing teams will tangle for the bronze medal.
The two winning clubs in the first stage of the classification phase will figure in the fifth to sixth place match, while the losing teams will play in the seventh to eighth place match.
The deadline for the submission of 20-player rosters is on October 20.
Beefing up the team
Brazilian consultant-coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito has already laid out plans last Saturday, September 11, to develop the national team program in the next two years.
Together with national coaches Odjie Mamon (women), Dante Alinsunurin (men), and Dong dela Cruz (men), they look to revamp the program in physical, technical, tactical, psychological and structural aspects.
The officials are already planning the team’s program based on the jam-packed 2022 calendar for volleyball.
The 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, which was originally scheduled in November, was delayed to next year with no further confirmation from the organizers.
The 21st Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship, which was initially set from August 29 to September 5 in Pampanga, will be played on May 15 to 22 in the same province.
The 19th Hangzhou Asian Games, on the other hand, is set from September 10 to 25.
For the men’s side, the eight-nation Philippine leg of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) will be held from June 20 to 26.
It will also be a busy domestic league season with the Premier Volleyball League holding two conferences in February and October, as well as the PNVF Champions League, which will have two tournaments in April and December. – Rappler.com
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