History of Volleyball Timeline

History of Volleyball

• A special ball was designed for the sport in 1900.
• The set and spike style of passing the ball in a high trajectory was introduced in the Philippines in 1916.
• The game was changed from 21 to 15 points in 1917.
• The three hits per side and back row attack rules were instituted in 1920.

Development of Volleyball in the US

• The first YMCA national championships were held in Brooklyn, NY in 1922, with 27 teams from 11 states participating.
• The United States Volleyball Association (USVBA, now USA Volleyball) was formed in 1928 to establish tournaments and rules.
• The first U.S.Open was staged in 1928, open to non-YMCA squads.

Milestones in Volleyball History

• The first two-man beach game was played in 1930.
• National volleyball referees were approved and recognized in 1934.
• The U.S.Volleyball Association was recognized as the official national governing body in the US in 1937.
• The Federation Internationale De Volley-Ball (FIVB) was founded in 1947.
• The first two-man beach tournament was held in 1948.
• The initial World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1949.
• Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964.
• The California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) was formed in 1965.

Volleyball in the Modern Era

• The World Championships in Mexico were telecast in Japan in 1974.
• The US National Women’s team began a year-round training regime in Pasadena, Texas in 1975.
• The US National Men’s team began a year-round training regime in Dayton, Ohio in 1977.
• The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was formed in 1983.
• The US won their first medals at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, with the Men winning Gold and the Women winning Silver.
• The Women’s Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) was formed in 1986.
• The US Men repeated the Gold in the Olympics in Korea in 1988.
• The World League was created in 1990.
• Volleyball celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1995.
• 2-person beach volleyball became an Olympic Sport in 1996.