VOLLEYBALL

HISTORY
-Volleyball was originally an indoor-only game, with beach volleyball being first played in
California in the 1920s and the first-ever two-man beach game taking place in 1930.
-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.
It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964.
-First played: 1895, Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States
-A team is allowed only three touches of the ball before it must be returned over the net.
-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 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)
-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.
-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.
-Beach 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.
-The game is played on a smooth-surfaced court 9 metres (30 feet) wide by 18 metres (60
feet) long, divided by a centre line into two equal areas
-A tightly stretched net is placed across the court exactly above the middle of the centre line;
official net heights (measured from the top edge of the net to the playing surface—in the
middle of the court) are 2.4 metres (8 feet) for men and 2.2 metres (7.4 feet) for women.
Further adjustments in net height can be made for young people and others who need a lower
net.
-At the 1996 Olympic Games the service area was extended to 9 metres (30 feet). The service
must be made from within or behind this area.
-The longest volleyball marathon on record was played in Amstelveen, Netherlands, from
December 27 to December 30, 2011. The event lasted 85 hours, with 63 matches played in
total.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR
-The sport has three disciplines: Indoor volleyball, Beach volleyball &Indoor beach
volleyball
-All lines on the court are 5cm wide and are a light colour different from the colour of the
floor.
-The boundary lines are the two side lines and end lines. The centre line divides the playing
court into two equal courts, 9m x 9m each. This line extends from beneath the net from
sideline to sideline.
-The antenna is a flexible rod, 1.8m long and 10mm in diameter and made of fibreglass or
similar material. It is fastened on opposite sides of the net. The top of the antenna extends
80cm above the net and is marked with 10cm stripes of contrasting colour, usually red and
white.
The 2.55m high posts are placed 0.50m-1.0m outside the side lines. The posts are rounded
and fixed to the ground without wires.
-The playing surface is flat and a light colour. For FIVB, world and official competitions,
only a wooden or synthetic surface is allowed.
-White colours are required for the lines. Other different colours are required for the playing
court and free zone.
-indoor volleyball, a set is won by the first team to score 25 points.
-In indoor volleyball, a team must win 3 sets to win the game
-Indoor balls are heavier, allowing them to move faster and harder.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL
-The court is 16m long, 8m wide and surrounded by a minimum 3m wide free zone on all
sides.
-The free playing space above the playing area is 7m high from the playing surface.
-The surface consists of levelled sand, flat and uniform of possible, free of rocks, shells and
anything else which represent risk of injuries to players.
-All lines are 5cm wide and coloured to contrast with the colour of the sand.
-The boundary is marked by two side lines and two endlines. There is no centre line. Court
lines are made of ribbons of a resistant material and any exposed anchors of a flexible
material.
-The net is vertical over the middle of court. The top is set at 2.43m for men and 2.24m for
women. For juniors the height of the net is as follows: 16 and under - 2.24m, 14 and under -
2.12m & 12 years and under - 2.00m.
-The net is 8.5m long and 1m wide when it is taut. The mesh is 10cm square and at the top
and bottom are two 7-10cm wide horizontal white bands.
-The antenna is fastened at the outer wide of each side band on the net. The top 80cm of each
antenna extends above the net and is marked with 10cm strips of contrasting colour. The
posts are placed at a distance of 0.70-1m from each side line to the post padding. They are
2.55m high and fixed to the ground without wires. The posts must be padded.
-The FIVB approved volleyball ball weighs 260-290gms (9.2-9.9 ounces) and has a
circumference of 65-67cm (25.5-26.5 inches) with a psi (per square inch) of 4.3-4.6. The
pressure inside has to be between 0.3 kg/cm2 and 0.325 kg/cm2.
-Beach volleyball is played to 21 scores.
-on the sand, the game is won by the first team to win 2 sets.
-In both versions of the sport, if a tie-breaking set is to be played, that set is only played to 15
points, and in all cases, the winning team has to win a set by a minimum of 2 points.
-Beach volleyballs are softer, lighter, and marginally bigger. With 4 fewer players per side on
the beach, that bigger, floatier ball allows for those players to close distances and make the
crazy diving plays that are hallmarks of AVP sets.
-Beach volleyball teams consist of two players. There’s no bench and there are no
substitutions.
-once you step onto the court, you don’t get to leave until the game is decided.
-On the beach, players aren’t allowed to “dink”, or tip, the ball over the net. Beach players
have to use their palm, or straight locked or curled fingers to hit a short shot over the net.
-double touching is much stricter in beach play than indoor, so you’ll see far fewer instances
of a player double touching their initial contact with the ball after a serve on the sand.
EQUIPMENTS
 Volleyball balls
 Volleyball shorts
 Volleyball t-shirts
 Volleyball shoes
 Volleyball braces, sleeves and pads
 Volleyball court
 Volleyball net and poles
 Volleyball penalty cards
 Volleyball Line Flags
RULES AND REGULATION
-To start, flip a coin to determine which team serves the ball first
-The objective is to score points by sending the ball over the net, grounding it into the
opponent’s court.
-Volleyball matches are made up of sets, typically three or five sets.
-Three-set matches are two sets to 25 points and a third set to 15 points. Each set must be
won by two points. The first team to win two sets is the winner of the match.
-Five-set matches are four sets to 25 points and a fifth set to 15 points. The team must win by
two points unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The first team to win three sets is the
winner.
VOLLEYBALL RULES
-Only 6 players on the floor at any given time: 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row.
-Points are made on every serve for the winning team of the rally (rally-point scoring).
-Players may not hit the ball twice in succession (a block is not considered a hit).
-Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.
-A ball hitting a boundary line is in.
-A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or
cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, or the ceiling above a non-playable
area.
-It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.
-It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.
-A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.
-After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.
-Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play.
VOLLEYBALL RULE VIOLATIONS
-Stepping on or across the service line when serving while making contact with the ball.
-Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.
-Ball-handling errors and contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, -
throwing, etc.)
-Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.
-Blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching
over the net if your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND has a player there to make a play
on the ball.
-Attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching
over the net when the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.
-Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body, with the exception of a hand or
foot. It is only considered a violation if the entire hand or entire foot crosses the court
centerline.
-Serving out of rotation or out of order.
-Back row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment
of contact, the back row player is near the net and has part of their body above the top of the
net. This is an illegal block.
-Back row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line)
when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.
VOLLEYBALL TERMS
 1-Ball- A first tempo set in the middle of the court just in front of the setter.
 Absorption- Giving with the ball as it is contacted by the passer.
 Ace- A serve that results directly in a point, either when the ball hits the floor on the
receiving team’s side of the court untouched, or when it is touched but unable to be
kept in play by the receiving team.
 Antennae- Thin poles attached to the net cables placed above the sideline. A ball
touching the antennae or their extensions is out of bounds. Balls passing within the
antennae are still in play.
 Assist- When a player sets, passes or digs the ball directly to a teammate who attacks
the ball and gets a kill.
 Attack- The action of attempting to hit the ball onto the opponent's side of the court.
Types of attacks include a spike, tip, roll shot and dump.
 Attacker- Also "hitter" and "spiker." A player who attempts to hit a ball offensively
with the purpose of terminating play.
 Block- One of the six basic skills. A defensive play by one or more front-row players
meant to intercept a spiked ball. The combination of one, two or three players
jumping in front of the opposing spiker and contacting the spiked ball with the hands.
 Center Line- The boundary that runs under the net and divides the court into two
equal halves.
 Dead Ball- A ball not in play following a point, side-out or any other decision of the
referee temporarily suspending play.
 Foot Fault- An illegal placement of the feet with respect to court lines.
 Serving Foot Fault (Server)- Server’s last contact with the floor, as he strikes the
ball, must be within the serving area (and behind the end line).
 Serving Foot Fault (Other Players)- All the players, other than the server have to be
within the boundaries of the court, but may touch the boundary lines.
 Crossing the Center Line-The player may cross the center line so long as a part of
the body remains in contact with the center line and the action does not interfere with
play or cause a safety concern (discretion by the referee).
 Foul- A rule infraction, also called a violation.
 Four Hits- A team foul resulting from the ball being hit four times on one side of the
net during a normal play.
 Four-Two (4-2)- An offensive system using four hitters and two setters.
 Free Ball- Returning the ball to the opponent without the intent to get a kill. Usually a
slow, arcing pass or “roll” shot rather than a spike.