MODULE 1 – VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball is a great past time and fun game to participate in. it is a sport that does not take a lot of
stamina or skill on the players’ part.

History of Volleyball

On February 9, 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts (USA), Williams G. Morgan, a YMCA physical education
director, created a new game called Mintonette as a pastime to be played preferably indoors and by any
number of players. The game took some of its characteristics from tennis and 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 (as volleyball was then
known) was designed to be an indoor sport less rough than basketball for older member 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 feet 6 inches (1.98 meters) high, a
25x50 foot (7.6 x 15.2 meter) 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 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 Springfield YMCA, the game quickly become known as volleyball (it was originally
spelled as two words: “ volley ball”) Volleyball rules were slightly modified by the Springfield YMCA and
the game spread around the country to other YMCA locations.

Refinements and Later Developments

The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say that Spalding created the first
official ball in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1990.

The rules have evolved over time; by 1916, the skill and power of the set and spike had been introduced,
and four years later a “three hits” rule back row hitting guidelines were stablished.

In 1917, the game was changed from 21 to 15 points. In 1919. about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed
by the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies, which sparked the growth of volleyball
in new countries.

The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900. An international
federation, the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) was founded in 1947, and the first World
Championships were held in 1949 for me and 1952 for women. The sport is now popular in Brazil, in
Europe (where especially Italy, the Netherlands and countries from Eastern Europe have been major
forces since the late 1980s), in Russia, and in other countries including China and the rest od Asia, as
well in as the United States.

Beach Volleyball, a variation of the game played on sand and with only two players per term, become a
FIVB-endorsed variation in 1987 and was added to the Olympic program at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
In 1990, a special ball was designed for the sport.

In 1916, in the Philippines, an offensive style of passing the ball in a high trajectory to be struck by
another player (the set and spike) was introduced.

In 1917, the scoring was changed from 21 to 15 points.

In 1920, the three hits per side and the back row attack rules were instituted.

In 1930, the first two-man beach game was played.

In 1934, the approved and recognition of national volleyball referees came about.

In 1947, the Federation International De Volley-ball (FIVB) was founded.

In 1948, the first two-man beach tournament was held.

In 1949, the initial World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

In 1964, Volleyball was introduced in the Olympic Games in Tokyo

In 1974, the world Championships in Mexico were telecast in Japan.

In 1987, the FIVB added a beach Volleyball World Championship Series.

In 1990, the World League was created.

In 1995, the sport Volleyball was 100 years old!

In 1996, the 2-person beach volleyball was added to the Olympics.

More Complex Rules

Two Types of Scoring Volleyball
1. Rally Point Scoring – The team winning a rally scores a point.
2. Side out Scoring – Only the serving team may score a point, except in the deciding game
when rally-point scoring is used.

Two Types of Scoring Volleyball

A team wins a game by scoring 15 points with a two-point advantage and wins the match by
winning the best of three or five games. In the event of a 16-16 tie, the team scoring the 17th
point wins a non-deciding game with only a one-point advantage. In a deciding game play
continues until one team is two points a head.
Serving – The ball is served by the back right hand player (see diagram) across the net.
Court Position of the front-court and the back-court players
These are the positions of the six players (they are not the players’ numbers as they appear on
their shirts). Number 2,3 and 4 are front-court players; number 5,6 and 1 are back-court
players, if the team is serving then the player at position 1 becomes the server.
After a side-out the players of the new’ serving team rotate one place in a clockwise direction.
The player from position 2 becomes the server and takes up position 1 on the court.
Playing positions – The team to serve first is decided by a toss coin. The captain of the team
which wins the toss can choose either to serve, or which side of court to play on.
Substitutions – Up to six substitutes may be played in one set. Any player who joins the game
as a substitute can only be substituted by the player he replaced originally.
The Libero – This player wears a different colored uniform from the rest of the team and can be
substituted in backcourt for any player on the team.
Ball rules – Each team is allowed up to three contacts with the ball to get it over the net.
The ball – The ball is round and covered with leather with rubber or similar inside.
The volleyball is made of leather or synthetic leather and inflated with compressed air.
According to FIVB regulations.
Facilities and Equipment
The Net – The net is stretched across the court, 1 meter (3 feet) deep and 9.5 meters (31 feet 6
inches long).
Officials – to make sure that the rules are allowed, there are officials at volleyball games.
First Referee sits in high chair on a level with top of the net, so has clear view across the top of
the net and the court.
Second Referee stands opposite thee first referee, close to the scorer’s table and substitute
benches.
Four line officials – (linesmen is sometimes used) at each corner of the court, and they say
whether a ball is in or out, and whether a player touches the ball. Sometimes there may only be
two line officials, one at a corner, facing each other diagonally.
Scorer – The scorer’s responsibility is to keep a record of the scores, names and numbers of
team members, the team coaches, and time-outs, substitutions, and makes sure that the order
of rotation is followed correctly.
Faults – Can lead to a loss of point to the opposing team, or side-out.
The rules apply:
If the ball touches the ground
If the ball does not go over the net, between the net posts
If the ball crosses center line underneath the net
If the ball hits the net post, or the imaginary upward extensions of the post
If the ball is played more than three time in a row by one team
Two opposing players hold the ball at the same time
If the ball is held or rests in someone’s hands
If the ball is played twice in a row by one player (double contact)
Foot Over Center Line – Some part of the foot must stay in contact with the line or be directly
above it.
Crossing space – During play; except on service, the ball may touch the net inside the antennae
(including the vertical side bands), but not the antennae itself or the net outside it.
Double Contact or Double Touch – A double contact is not penalized any time the player is
making the first of the team’s permitted contacts, provided the player makes only a single
action at playing the ball.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
If the ball lands outside the court lines or touches a player or object outside the court without
first touching an opponents (ball out)
A player touches the net or the net posts
A player deliberately touches an opponents
If the ball touches a member of the same team from the serve
If the ball touches the net or net posts
If the ball does not go over the net from the serve
Player(s) illegally screen (stand in front of) the serving player so that the receiving team cannot
see the server or the ball
Positional fault, player in wrong position
Rotational fault, team rotation not done correctly
Illegal substitution
Delayed substitution after second time-out
Interfering with the ball while it is in the opponents’ half of court
Going onto the opponents’ side of the court
Leaving the court without permission of the referee
Playing an attacking hit while the ball is in the opponents’ half court
Back line player plays attacking hit from inside attack line, unless the ball is below the level of
the top of the net posts
Blocking a service