VOLLEYBALL

Origin of volleyball

William G. Morgan

On February 9, 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts (USA), William G. Morgan, a YMCA physical education
director, created a new game calledMintonette as a pastime to be played (preferably) indoors and by
any number of players. The game took some of its characteristics from tennisand handball. Another
indoor sport, basketball, was catching on in the area, having been invented just ten miles (sixteen
kilometers) away in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, only four years before. Mintonette was
designed to be an indoor sport, less rough than basketball, for older members of the YMCA, while still
requiring a bit of athletic effort.

The first rules, written down by William G Morgan, called for a net 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high, a 25 ft × 50 ft
(7.6 m × 15.2 m) court, and any number of players. A match was composed of nine innings with three
serves for each team in each inning, and no limit to the number of ball contacts for each team before
sending the ball to the opponents' court. In case of a serving error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the
ball into the net was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)—except in the case of the
first-try serve.

After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match
in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College), the game
quickly became known as volleyball (it was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball"). Volleyball rules
were slightly modified by the International YMCA Training School and the game spread around the
country to various YMCAs.[2][3]

The court dimensions

A volleyball court is 9 m × 18 m (29.53 ft × 59.06 ft), divided into equal square halves by a net with a
width of one meter (39.4 in). The top of the net is 2.43 m (7 ft 11 21⁄32 in) above the center of the court
for men's competition, and 2.24 m (7 ft 4 3⁄16 in) for women's competition, varied for veterans and junior
competitions.

The minimum height clearance for indoor volleyball courts is 7 m (23 ft), although a clearance of 8 m
(26 ft) is recommended.

A line 3 m (9.84 ft) from and parallel to the net is considered the "attack line". This "3 meter" (or "10-
foot") line divides the court into "back row" and "front row" areas (also back court and front court).
These are in turn divided into 3 areas each: these are numbered as follows, starting from area "1", which
is the position of the serving player:

Rotation pattern

After a team gains the serve (also known as siding out), its members must rotate in a clockwise
direction, with the player previously in area "2" moving to area "1" and so on, with the player from area
"1" moving to area "6". Each player rotates only one time after the team gains possession of the serve;
the next time each player rotates will be after the other team wins possession of the ball and loses the
point.

The team courts are surrounded by an area called the free zone which is a minimum of 3 meters wide
and which the players may enter and play within after the service of the ball.[16] All lines denoting the
boundaries of the team court and the attack zone are drawn or painted within the dimensions of the
area and are therefore a part of the court or zone. If a ball comes in contact with the line, the ball is
considered to be "in". An antenna is placed on each side of the net perpendicular to the sideline and is a
vertical extension of the side boundary of the court. A ball passing over the net must pass completely
between the antenna (or their theoretical extensions to the ceiling) without contacting them.
The ball

FIVB regulations state that the ball must be spherical, made of leather or synthetic leather, have a
circumference of 65–67 cm, a weight of 260–280 g and an inside pressure of 0.30–0.325 kg/cm2.

Net

Knee pads
Whistle
The players
The Court

Q: How tall are the poles that hold the volleyball net?
A: They are 8 feet 4 inches. Please see the dimensions above for how high the net should be off the
ground.

Q: What are the dimensions of a volleyball net?

A: A net is typically 39 inches tall. It is 32 feet long, which provides one foot of netting on each side of
the court.

Q: What is the dimensions of a volleyball court?

A: 60 feet long by 30 feet wide. These measurements are to the outside of the court's lines.

Q: How tall is the volleyball net?

A: 7 feet 11 5/8 inches for men's competition and 7 feet 4 1/8 inches for women's competition.

Q: How far is the pole from the sideline?

A: Three feet.

Q: How wide should the lines be?

A: Two inches, except the center line is four inches.
BASIC SKILLS IN VOLLEYBALL

1. Serving - Serving is the first weapon that can generate an immediate point, begin a game, or ignite an
offense. A well-placed serve (whether to a weak passer, at the setter, at the quick attacker, or to a weak
formation) that is also difficult to pass puts the opponent at a disadvantage. Focus on correct technique
and strive for success. In addition, always serve to score points, NOT just to get the ball into the
opponent’s court.

Two types of service

Overhand – where the player will throw the ball in the air first, then hit it.

Underhand - where the server will hold the ball and swing their other arm underneath the ball to hit it.

2. Passing (Forearm Underhand)

Accurate and consistent passing can result in an aggressive multiple attack. Be sure that players are in
the ready position preparing to execute the proper technique before the serve and during a rally. The
athlete must face and focus on the oncoming ball. Ensure that the athlete’s arms and hands are in the
correct position with wrists together. The legs are a little further than shoulder width apart with feet
parallel. The ball is contacted on the forearms. Upon contact, the athlete maintains a stationary straight
arm position so that the ball rebounds off the lower part of the forearms and is directed to the target.
The knees are extended to raise the arms forward upon contact. Straightening the legs completes the
pass; the arms are behind the ball, and weight is transferred in the direction of the pass.

3. Passing (Overhand, Overhead or Setting)

Overhead passing or setting is the next important part of the pass-set-spike sequence for a successful
attack. In fact, an excellent set from a bad pass can still result in a “kill”. The athlete forms a triangle
with the fingers and thumbs of both hands around the ball above the forehead (thumbs do not touch).
Index fingers and thumbs form the triangle around 3 panels (18-panel ball). The elbows point slightly
forward. Feet are approximately shoulder-width apart with right foot slightly forward. Knees are slightly
bent, and body is leaning slightly forward. Eyes are focused on the ball. The athlete receives the ball
with hands on the outside of the ball. The athlete extends the knees and straightens the arms to follow-
through in the desired direction.

4. Attack (Hitting) Options

There are several attack options that can be effectively performed in a game. An attacker should be able
to hit the following: shots off the block (using the hands), high sets, low sets, sets off the net, offspeed
shots, tipping, and a variation of play sets including back court hitting options. Providing a great deal of
practice and repetition of each will depend on the age and ability of the athletes. Ensure the
fundamental technique of hitting is effective and efficient so that it can be performed at a high level
during competition.
5. Blocking – Attack; Defend

A well-timed and effective block diffuses an offensive attack. The athlete is near the net, moves into
position with hands up quickly. Athlete focuses on the ball and jumps vertically so that maximum height
is achieved when the ball is above net and contacted. Arms are raised and extended above the head;
hands are close together with fingers open; wrists are in line with arms (wrist parallel), and hands are
slightly forward. A firm and straight-arm position is maintained so that the ball rebounds off hands and
is not struck. If possible, athlete reaches up and over the net with arms and hands pointed in a
downward position for a rebound. The athlete lands facing the net while keeping the upper body in
control and knees bent to absorb the shock. Depending upon whether right side or left is blocking will
determine which hand should be turned inside.

6. Defensive Skills – Rolling; Sliding

When the ball does not come directly at an athlete, it may be impossible to play the ball from a regular
underhand passing standing position. The athlete still focuses on the ball and takes a step with the near
foot in the direction of the oncoming ball. The body is extremely low when playing the ball. To ensure
that the athlete does not hurt himself/herself, the athlete will continue the momentum and either slide
or roll out of the play. The goal is to get the ball up to the target and safely return to the ready position
as quickly as possible.