Volleyball: History, Passes and Hits

• Volleyball involves two teams of six players separated by a net.
• Teams score by grounding the ball on the opposing team's court by following the rules.

History of Volleyball

• Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
• William G. Morgan was a YMCA physical education director
• Volleyball was initially designed as an indoor sport for businessmen.
• The original name was "mintonette," because of the similarity to badminton.
• Alfred Halstead renamed it volleyball to emphasize volleying the ball over the net.

Types of Passes

• Players use forearm and overhead passes.
• Forearm pass controls the ball and directs it towards the center.
• Overhead pass directs the ball to a target using both hands in a setting motion.

Types of Hits

• Serve initiates play and is controlled by a single player.
• Bump passes the ball off both forearms, typically used for balls falling at waist level or lower.
• Set is an overhead contact, often the second touch in a rally, used to redirect the ball to a hitter.
• Spike slams the ball over the net into the opposing court to score a point.

Blocking

• Block prevents the ball from crossing the net by intercepting it.
• A successful block results in a point if the ball lands back on the opposing team's side.

Types of Service

• Underhand serve involves striking the ball from below the waist with a fist.
• Overhand serve involves tossing the ball and striking it above the head.

Scoring

• A team must score 25 points to win a set and requires a two-point lead.
• A point is scored on every rally, regardless of which team is serving
• Initially, only the serving team could score, and sets were played to 15 points.

Court Layout

• Sidelines measure 18 meters.
• End lines measure 9 meters.
• A center line divides the court in half.
• The attack line is 3 meters from the center line, marking the front zone.
• The front zone, also called the attack zone, is 3 meters.
• The back zone measures 6 meters.
• The substitution zone is the specific area where players can sub in.
• A Libero replacement zone is the specific area for libero player substitutions
• Free zones measure 3 to 5 meters, or 3 to 8 meters

Player Positioning

• Player positioning follows a counterclockwise order on the court.
• Rotation is clockwise.
• Positions: Setter, Right side heater, Middle heater, Left side setter, Outside heater, Middle blocker or Libero

Health Benefits

• Playing 45 minutes of volleyball can burn up to 585 calories.
• Volleyball improves muscle strength and tone.
• It improves hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and balance.
• Volleyball strengthens the upper body, thighs, abdominals, and lower legs.