Volleyball rules and gameplay

• Volleyball is a team sport played with an inflated ball on a net-separated court.
• The net features flexible antennae marking the allowable ball passage area.
• It is a fast-paced game played by teams of six, resembling tennis but using hands or fists instead of a racket.
• A team scores a set by reaching 25 points with a two-point lead and wins a match by winning the majority of sets.

History

• Volleyball was invented on February 9, 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, by William G. Morgan.
• Morgan, a physical education director at YMCA, originally named the game "mintonette".
• The game was intended as an indoor pastime for any number of players.
• Volleyball was first presented at YMCA College in Springfield in early 1896.
• The goal is to keep the ball moving over a high net from one side to the other.
• The name "mintonette" was changed to "Volley Ball" by Professor Alfred T. Halstead.
• In 1952, the United States Volleyball Association officially adopted the one-word spelling, "Volleyball".
• Elwood S. Brown, an American YMCA Physical Director, introduced volleyball to the Filipinos in 1910.

First Rules by W.G. Morgan

• Net height: 6ft 6inch (1.98 m).
• Court dimensions: 25x50ft (7.6x15.2 m).
• Number of players: unlimited.
• Match structure: nine innings with three serves per team each inning.
• Ball contacts: no limit.
• Serving error: second try allowed.
• Fouls: hitting the ball into the net results in point loss, except on the first serve try.

Facilities and Equipment

• Volleyball Court- a fundamental requirement for playing volleyball.
• Court size: 60 x 30 ft or 18m x 9m for the in-play area.
• Each side measures 30ft by 30ft.
• All court lines are 5cm wide and must be of a light color, contrasting with the floor.
• Service line: area from which the server may serve the volleyball, is marked 10 feet inside the right side sideline on each back line.
• Center Line- divides the court equally into 30 feet squares (9m).
• Attack line: rear edge is drawn 3ms back from the axis of the center line, marks the front zone.
• Boundary Lines- mark the playing court.
• Free Zone- the area around the perimeter of the court and measures 3m wide.
• Ball: spherical, made of flexible leather or synthetic leather with a rubber or similar bladder inside, is of uniform light color or color combination.
• Standard volleyball circumference: 20-27 inches (65-67cm).
• Weight: between 9-10 oz. (260-280g).
• Net Posts- are positioned 36 feet apart and 3 feet further out from the sidelines.
• Net Height
  • Boys: 2.10m
  • Men: 2.43m
  • Girls: 2.05m
  • Women: 2.24m
• Net structure: 1m wide, 9.5-10m long, made of 10cm square black mesh.
• Antenna: flexible rod, 1.80m long, placed 0.50-1.00m outside the sidelines.
• Playing Area: includes the court and free zone; minimum 3m wide on all sides.
• Dimensions: court measures 18x9m, surrounded by a free zone (minimum of 3m wide).
• Playing Surface: flat, horizontal, uniform with a allowed surface.

Basic Principles/Rules

• Keep the ball from hitting the floor on own side and aim to make it hit the opponent's side.
• Each team has a maximum of three contacts before hitting the ball over the net.
• Players must rotate clockwise through six positions.
• No player can hit the ball twice in succession.
• A player cannot cause the ball to come to rest during contact.
• The net is off limits

Substitution

• There are substitution limits per game, varying with league/level of play.
• Substitutions can only occur during dead ball situations.
• Entering the game requires a coach or player request, followed by entering the substitution zone and waiting for the referee's approval.

Scoring

• Rally scoring is used.
• Every ball score results in a point.
• Offense scores on defense miss/out-of-bounds hit.
• Defense scores on offensive miss, out-of-bounds hit, or serve into the net.
• Games are played to 25 points and games must be won by 2 points.

Rotation

• Teams rotate when they win the serve.
• Players rotate clockwise.
• Teams consist of 4-6 players per side

Basic Skills

• Serving: initiates play.
• Types of serve: underhand and overhead.
• Passing: receives attacks/serves.
  • Two main forms: forearm pass and overhead pass.
• Setting: positions ball for an attack.
• Blocking: prevents attacks at the net.
• Hitting occurs on a team's third contact. Spiking: is a counterattack.

Volleyball Positions

• Six positions exist, filled by players in front (left, center, right) and back rows (left, center, right).
• Setter: orchestrates the offense and aims for the second touch, placing the ball for attackers.
• Libero: defensive specialist, receives attacks/ serves; substitutes any player, and has quick reactions.
• Middle Blocker/Hitter: executes quick attacks near the setter specializing in blocking.
• Outside Hitter: attacks from the left antenna and is a consistent hitter.
• Opposite Hitter: defensive task, forms blocks, and serves as a backup setter.

Volleyball Terminology

• Ace: untouched serve.
• Joust: simultaneous contact over the net.
• Side-out: loss of serve.
• Roof: a straight-down block.
• Stuff Block: deflects a spike back at the attacker.
• Dig: a save from a difficult spike.
• Kill: successfully spiking the ball.
• Six Pack: getting hit in the face by a spiked ball.
• Tandem: consecutive attacks.
• FIVB: The Federation Internationale de Volleyball or International Volleyball Federation.

Officials

• First referee- directs the entire match.
• Second referee- assists the first referee, controls time-outs and reports substitutions.
• Scorer- tracks the score, announces irregularities.
• Line judges- signal in/out balls on their respective lines.