History and Origin of Volleyball

• Volleyball is a team sport played with two teams, typically of six players each.
• The objective is to hit a ball over a net, landing it in the opposing team's court.
• Teams can touch the ball up to three times before it must go over the net.

Origin and History

• William G. Morgan (1870-1942) invented volleyball and originally named it "Mintonette".
• Morgan met James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, at Springfield College.
• Morgan became the director of physical education at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
• Professor Alfred T. Halstead suggested the name "Volley Ball" instead of "Mintonette".
• In 1952, the USVBA changed the spelling to one word: "Volleyball".
• The rules were published in "Physical Education" in July 1896.

Development Timeline

• 1896: Volleyball was first played in Springfield College, USA.
• 1900: The first official volleyball was created by Spalding.
• 1910: Elwood S. Brown introduced volleyball to the Philippines.
• 1916: The set and spike skills were introduced in the Philippines.
• 1930: The first two-man beach game was played.
• 1947: The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) was founded.
• 1964: Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
• 1996: Two-person beach volleyball became an Olympic sport.
• 1998: The libero player role was introduced internationally.
• 2000: Rule changes allowed serves that touch the net to be legal and expanded the service area behind the end line.

Volleyball Terms

• Ace: A serve that directly results in a point.
• Assist: Passing or setting the ball to a teammate for a successful attack (kill).
• Attack: An offensive hit attempting to end the play by hitting the ball onto the opponent's side.
• Attack Error: An unsuccessful attack.
• Block: A defensive action to deflect a spiked ball back to the attacker's side.
• Block Error: An unsuccessful block.
• Ball Handling Error: Illegal contact like a double hit, thrown ball, or lift.
• Campfire: When a ball drops in an area surrounded by multiple players.
• Centerline: The boundary under the net that divides the court in half.
• Dig: Passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball close to the floor.
• Dink: A legal soft hit around or over blockers.
• Double Hit: Two successive hits by the same player, which is illegal.
• Down Ball: An overhand hit with topspin while the player remains standing.
• Floater: A serve with no spin, causing it to move erratically.
• Free Ball: A ball returned by a pass instead of a spike.
• Held Ball: A ball that comes to rest during contact, resulting in a foul.
• Jump Serve: A serve where the player tosses the ball, jumps, and hits it downward.
• Joust: When two opposing players try to play the ball above the net simultaneously.
• Kill: An attack that leads to an immediate point.
• Off-Speed Hit: A spike with less than maximum force but with spin.
• Overlap: Incorrect positioning of players relative to each other during a serve.
• Pancake: A one-handed defensive technique where the palm slides along the floor to save the ball.
• Power Tip: A forceful push of the ball by an attacking team.
• Quick: A player approaching the setter for a quick inside hit.
• Quick Set: A low set close to the net requiring precise timing.
• Reception Error: Failure to return a serve that should have been playable, resulting in an ace.
• Roof: A block that deflects the ball straight down to the attacker’s side.
• Rotation: Clockwise movement of players after a side out.
• Serve: The act of putting the ball into play.
• Service Error: An unsuccessful serve.
• Setter: The player who sets the ball for a teammate to attack.
• Side Out: When the receiving team wins the right to serve.
• Six Pack: Getting hit in the head by a spiked ball.
• Spike: A forceful hit intended to end the play.
• Stuff: When a ball is blocked back onto the attacking team's floor.
• Wipe: Hitting the ball off the opposing block so it lands out of bounds.