Volleyball History Overview (1895-Present)

Volleyball Overview

• Volleyball is a sport played by two teams, typically with six players each.
• The objective is to hit a large ball over a high net and make it land on the opponent's side of the court.
• The ball is hit by hand.

History of Volleyball (1895-Present)

• 1895: William Morgan created the game, called "Mintonette," at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
• 1896: The first game of "volleyball" was played at Springfield College.
• 1907: Volleyball became a popular sport at the Playground of America Convention.
• 1916: The Philippines introduced the offensive style of passing-setting-spiking. The "bomba" (spike) was also developed. The NCAA began incorporating the game into school and college physical education programs.
• 1917: The rules for Volleyball were adjusted reducing points scored from 21 to 15.
• 1919: American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) distributed volleyballs to troops, expanding the sport's reach globally.
• 1920s: Rules for three hits per side and back row attacks were introduced. The United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) was formed.
• 1930s: The first two-person beach volleyball game was played.
• 1940s: The Federation Internationale De Volley-Ball (FIVB) was founded in Paris. The forearm pass was introduced as a desperation play.
• 1950s: Volleyball was played by over 50 million people in over 60 countries annually. Volleyball was recognized as an Olympic sport in 1964.
• 1960s: The soft-spike (dink), forearm pass, blocking across the net, and defensive diving/rolling were introduced. The first Olympic Volleyball Tournament was held in Tokyo, giving us the modern version of the game (ball).
• 1970s: World Championships got televised in Japan. The US National Women's team began year-round training, with men's teams following in 1977.
• 1980s: The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was created. The US won its first Olympic volleyball medals (Gold for men and Silver for women) in Los Angeles. The US Men's team repeated the gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Korea.
• 1990s: Volleyball celebrated its 100th birthday. Two-person beach volleyball was added to the Olympics.
• Today: China, Brazil, and Russia lead the world in volleyball.

Volleyball Basic Rules

• Teams: Each team consists of 6 players.
• Serving: A player serves the ball by standing behind the baseline and hitting it into the opponent's court. The server may not touch the court until after the serve.
• Players: All players (except the server) must be inside the court while the ball is served. The volleyball must be clearly visible to opponents before being served.
• Hits: Each team may play the ball no more than three times before hitting it over the net. A player can only contact the ball once (excluding teammates).
• Net: The ball must clear the net to be played. Players cannot touch the net or opponents' court (with certain exceptions, like a block). Stepping on the center line is allowed but not stepping over the center line.
• Point Scoring: A point is scored when a team successfully hits the ball over the net on an opponent's court. A team loses a point when they lose a volley (side-out) to the opponent. The server must rotate clockwise. A game is won at 25 points with a two-point lead.
• Basic Violations: Violations include stepping over the service line, not properly serving the ball, contacting the ball illegally (carrying, palming, throwing), touching the net while the ball is in play, reaching over the net (except in specific instances), failing to serve in the correct order, and blocking/spiking illegally from the incorrect position.
• Court Dimensions: Indoor and outdoor courts differ in size; courts typically measure 18 meters by 9 meters and have an attack area.
• Net Height: Net height varies for men, co-ed, women and outdoor leagues.

Volleyball Terminology

• Ace: A serve that is not touched by the opposing team.
• Sideout: A point won by the opposing team; this gives the serving team to the other team.
• Stuff: When a player blocks the ball returning to the attacker.
• Dig: A difficult save from a forceful hit (spike) by an opponent.
• Kill/bomba: A spike that results in a point or side-out for the team.