Volleyball

Introduction:

Volleyball is an adaptive team sport that can be played by different player numbers; all male, all female,
or mixed teams can play it. The basic aim of the game is to prevent the ball served over the high net
from hitting the floor on your side and returning it so that it hits the floor on the side of the opponent
until it can be returned.

Volleyball is a game that challenges the participant’s skill in the use of the hands and agility in jumping,
bumping, reaching, and hitting. Hitting motions that require the use of proper body control and muscular
coordination are constantly demanded.

Volleyball is a game of which the limit of man’s ability is completed. It is a sport played by two teams
on a playing court divided by a net. This sport has different version and/or dimensions that offer
versatility to everyone. Volleyball is considered not only as a recreational sport but as an education and
a competitive sport as well.

As an educational sport, it is offered as a subject requirement in physical education curriculum

which contributes to the total development of the individual – the physical, mental, social, emotional,
moral, psychological, spiritual and aesthetic values.
 As a competitive sport, it offers varied challenges that test the physical and mental progress,
psychological and emotional stability as well as the development of the social and inter-personal
relationship including teamwork and cooperation. It offers a challenge of proving one’s superiority in
skill over the other in pursuit of excellence and supremacy.

As a recreational sport, it encourages participation, and inter-personal relationships, develops

friendship, and other officials involved in coaching courses and seminars, may this hand book may serve
you best.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand basic volleyball rules, terminology, and officiating hand signals.

2. Demonstrate basic skills associated with volleyball, including passing, setting, serving,

attacking (spiking), and blocking.

3. Understand and apply the knowledge of basic rules of volleyball.

4. Demonstrate proper etiquette and good sportsmanship

Definition / Description of Volleyball

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to basic skills and knowledge associated with
volleyball. By applying these principles through active participation, students develop the necessary
skills and knowledge to play volleyball. In addition, this course provides students with opportunities to
improve physical fitness, acquire knowledge of fitness concepts and practice positive personal and
social skills. Students will gain an understanding of how a wellness lifestyle affects one’s health, fitness
and physical performance.

History of Volleyball

In 2016, the sport of Volleyball is over 120 years old!

Today there are more than 46 million Americans who play volleyball. There are 800 million players
worldwide who play volleyball at least once a week.

William G. Morgan (1870-1942), who was born in the State of New York,
invented the volleyball game, originally called "Mintonette," in 1895.

The young Morgan carried out his undergraduate studies at the YMCA (Young Men's Christian
Association) Springfield Campus, where he met James Naismith, who had invented basketball in 1891.
After graduating, Morgan spent his first year at the YMCA in Auburn (Maine) and then moved to the
YMCA in Holyoke (Massachusetts) during the summer of 1895, where he became director of physical
education.

Morgan knew of no comparable game that could lead him to volleyball; he developed it from his own
methods of sports training and practical experience at the YMCA gymnasium. "Describing his first
experiments, he said, "Tennis happened to me in search of a suitable game, but this involved rackets,
balls, a net and other equipment, so it was removed, but it seemed nice to have the idea of a net.

Eventually, Morgan asked the firm about A.G. Spalding & Bros. to make a ball that they did at their
factory in Massachusetts near Chicopee. The outcome was satisfactory: the ball was wrapped in cloth,
with an inner tube of rubber, with a diameter of not less than 25 and not more than 27 inches (63.5 cm
and 68.6 cm respectively) and a weight of not less than 9 and not more than 12 ounces (252 g and 68.6
cm respectively). Morgan asked two of his friends from Holyoke, Dr. Frank Wood and John Lynch, to
draw up (based on his suggestions) the basic concepts of the game together with the first 10 rules.

One of the spectators of this exhibition match, Dr. Alfred T.

Halstead suggested to Morgan that a better name for the sport than Mintonette would be “Volley
Ball” (originally two words until 1952, when it was officially changed to one word) as obviously the
game primarily consisted of volleying a ball back and forth. Alfred Thompson Halstead (1862-1908)
graduated from Springfield College in 1891 and is credited with popularizing volleyball. Invented in
1895 by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, MA, volleyball was originally intended for businessmen who
desired an activity less strenuous than basketball.
 In the Philippines, the history of volleyball dates back to
1910. That year, the YMCA's Physical Director, Elwood S. Brown, first brought volleyball to the
Philippines. According to information from the Philippine Volleyball Federation, or PVF, Philippine
citizens started playing volleyball as a backyard sport and beach volleyball games soon followed. The
net between two trees was hanged by the players.

Facilities and Equipment’s

1. The Ball

Volleyballs have a diameter of 8.15”-8.39” (20.7-21.3 cm) and

circumference of 22.59”-26.34” (65-67 cm). The mass of a Volleyball is between 9-10 oz (260-280 g)
with a pressure between 0.300 – 0.325kg/cm²

 Light color or combination colors

 Synthetic leather material
 Should comply with FIVB standard
2. The Net and Posts

The international net heights for sitting volleyball teams are 3 feet 9.28 inches or 1.15 meters for men's
teams, and 3 feet 5.34 inches or 1.05 meters for women's teams.

Nets and posts

The net is 2.43m high for men and 2.24m high for women. It is placed vertically over the center line. It
is 1.00m wide and 9.5m-10m long and is 10cm square black mesh. The height of the net is measured
from the center of the playing court. Top horizontal band 7cm, bottom band 5cm.

Side bands – 2 side bands are placed directly above each side line.

Antennae – Length (1.80m), Place at the outer edge of each band at the opposites sides, made of fiber
glass or similar material.
 3. Playing Area

Volleyball Courts are flat horizontal playing surfaces sized for the game of volleyball. Volleyball courts
are regulated at 59' (18 m) in length with a width of 29.5' (9 m). Attack lines dividing the front and back
rows are marked 9'10” (3 m) parallel to the net.

Dimensions. The playing court is 18m long and 9m wide and is surrounded by a free zone 3m wide on
all sides. The space above the playing area is known as the free playing space and is a minimum of 7m
high from the playing surface.

 Diagonal Measurement
 End to end line 2.12m
 End line to center line 12.73m
 End line to Attack line 10.81m (own court)
 End line to attack line 15.00m (other court)


Playing Surface

 Flat, horizontal and uniform and should present no danger.

 For, FIVB – only wood or synthetic floor is allowed.
 Lines on the court, all lines 5cm, light color (FIVB white)
 Boundary line
 Center Line
 Attack line
 Coach’s restriction line
 Zones and Areas

 Front Zone
 Service zone
 Substitution Zone
 Libero Replacement Zone
 Warm-up Area (3x3 outside Free Zone)
 Penalty Area (1x1 Near the control Area)

Temperature:
 Minimum FIVB Competition

Not below 10 °C 16 – 25 °C

(50 °F) (61 – 77 °F)

Lighting:

1,000 – 1,500 lux on playing area

Additional Equipment determined by FIVB regulation:

 Bench
 Buzzer
 Scorer’s Table
 Referees Chairs
 Pressure Gauge
 Measuring Rod and others

Basic Volleyball Skills:

1. Passing
2. Setting
3. Spiking
4. Blocking
5. Serving.
Passing - A volleyball pass is a done with the objective to move the ball to a teammate called a setter.
The pass is the first touch by the team.
The skill of passing is executed.
On a ball that was served up on a ball where the opponent is hitting. Basically, on any ball that has been
sent over the net to the court side of your teams, you perform a passing skill. The volleyball pass is
known as a "bump" or a "forearm pass" as it is carried out to bump the ball using the forearms.
Passing in full is a very valuable skill.

Knee Drop Passing Technique

 If players on your team can't pass, it will be very difficult to run a volleyball offense.

For example, if your team is unable to pass the ball to the setter, the setter can’t set the attackers. If the
attackers can't be set, it will be very difficult to win volleys and consequently, score points.

Each team only gets three hits before the ball must be returned to the opponent. Therefore, passing the
ball effectively on the first hit is important to execute the pass-set-attack offensive sequence.

Two types of Passing:

1. The Forearm Pass

Forearm volleyball pass involves hitting the ball in a controlled manner to your teammate. The forearms
are made into a flat platform, positioned ready for the ball to come into contact.

It is an attempt to properly handle the opponents service or attack. It is also called reception.

The arms aren't necessarily swung when passing. Swinging the arms will result in a less controlled pass.
The technique for forearm passing is more of a total body movement, not an arm swing. When passing,
the entire body should be moving forward with a shrug of the shoulders.

You may have noticed great players moving backwards away from the ball as they pass. This is ok to
do! The best passers seem to move backwards, absorbing the ball on their arms allowing for more
control passing.
 The Forearm Pass

 Make a flat surface with arms by placing back of one hand in palm of the other.
 Move feet to get under the ball.
 One foot in front of the other with knees bent.
 Extend arms, body and knees to the ball.
 DO NOT swing your arms, meet the ball with your arms.
 Aim your arms towards the top of the net and not to the ceiling.

2. Overhead Passing

The overhead pass involves hitting the ball using an overhead playing motion to direct the ball to your
teammate. The ball is played with the fingers using an overhead setting action.
Pre-contact phase:
1. The passer is in ready position with weight on the toes, ready to move, and is looking at the
server to read their shoulders.
2. The passer identifies the direction and trajectory of the ball quickly and starts moving the
body to the anticipated point of contact.
3. As the passer gets to the point of contact with the ball and stops their feet, the hands come
together above and in front of the head. At this point, the knees are bent and the weight of the
body is forward in a stable position. The eyes are still on the ball and the shoulders are squared
to the ball.

Contact phase:
4. The hands are wide open and closer together than when setting. The wrists are stiff to counter
the velocity of the ball and the elbows are bent to allow for good extension.
5. The shoulders and head pivot slightly in direction of the target. The arms
extend in direction of the target as the legs push on the ground to stabilize the pass.
The wrists stay strong not allowing the hands to rotate externally.
Post-contact phase:
6. The hands follow through towards the target. The passer finds their balance and
gets ready to cover or hit the ball.

2. Setting – It is act of putting the ball into a position that the attacker can strike the ball hard towards
the opponent’s court.

It is the second step of passing, and it can be done to either dump the ball over into an undefended spot
or to “set” the ball into a position that allows the hitter to spike it over. The perfect set is a high ball, just
inches from the net.

Step No.1: Positioning

Get under the ball in plenty of time and square your feet and shoulders to your target. Put your right foot
slightly ahead of your left and keep knees slightly bent.
Step No.2: Footwork

Place weight on left(back) foot, and transfer weight to right (forward) foot at contact. The correct body
position is with ball, forehead and hips in a vertical line.

Step No.3: Strike

Set the ball just above the head (hairline). Upon contact, hands move forward only. (Do not let the hands
move towards the head upon contact as this may result in a "throw" call by the ref.)

Step No.4: Follow-Through

Instead, contact ball and move hands through your set. Freeze with hands extended towards the target.
Hands are the same distance apart upon completion as they were before contact.

3. Spiking / Attacking – It is the act of striking the ball hard overhead just above the net. This is the
common way of getting a score in the game.

Spiking a volleyball entails forcefully striking the ball toward the floor on your opponent's side of the
net. You wait for the setter to set the ball near the net, then approach the ball, jump, and go in for the
"kill." If the ball hits the floor before the other team can retrieve it, your team gets a point.
 Upper Arm is Vertical... In good Position for Elbow to Wrist Follow Through.

A tip or dink is performed by contacting the ball in a controlled manner with the fingers. With this open
hand playing action, the ball is then quickly directed to the opponent’s court.

Tipping the ball with the fingers can often be deceptive if the spiker has a reputation of hitting the ball
hard.

Approach

 If you are right-handed, your approach should be "Left foot, right foot-left foot, jump" and vice versa if
you are left-handed. (Refer to the picture on the right along with these steps).
1. The purpose of the first step is to pick up speed and cover distance. The second stepThe last two steps
are much quicker and should place your feet at somewhat of a 45-degree angle from the net.
2. The second step is also to build up speed and cover distance. Depending on where the ball is, you
should adjust the distance of this step.
3. Along with the third step, swing your arms behind you so that you can raise them with the last step to
gain momentum and extra inches.
4. The final step (the quick two steps) requires you to keep your feet shoulder width apart for balance
and preparation for your jump.

The Jump and Hit

1. After your final step, you should be slightly perpendicular to the net with your hitting shoulder away
from the net.

2. As you jump as high as you can vertically, you need to lift up both arms and swing down the arm you
are not hitting with for momentum.

3. The hitting arm will then follow as you pull your elbow back and bend it approximately 90 degrees.

4. Then curve it up and swing at the ball, keeping your hand open in order to have maximum contact.
Make sure you are hitting the ball at your highest reach.

5. Swing hard at the ball and snap your wrist in order to keep the ball in the court. Always follow
through with your arm to finish off your hit.

4.Blocking – It is the process of stopping the opponents attempt to strike or attack.

Blocking also defined as deflecting the ball coming from your opponent’s attack hit.

Blocking is a kill
in volleyball used to prevent the opponent from a successful attack hit. A block technique is used to
deflect the ball coming from an attacker.
 Single Block Double Block

Triple/Collective Block

4 Types of Sets to Anticipate

A blocker needs to understand that the hitter is likely going to hit where the set takes them.

Prepare for these 4 types of situations...

1)Inside set,

2)Outside set,
3)Tip Situation, and

4)Set Off the net.

As a blocker, if you are able to recognize these sets, you'll be better prepared to block.

For example, when the set is more inside, the hitter is more likely to hit crosscourt angle.

If the set is pushed way outside, the hitter tends to hit more down the line.

If the hitter is in trouble, watch out for the tip.

A ball set off the net will be attacked differently than a ball set tight. For example, a hard-hit ball
coming from off the net will go deeper.

To prepare to block...

1. Call out the hitters. For example, #6 outside, #3 middle, and #5 opposite. Know who the hitters are
before the serve.

2. Call out the setter. Is the setter front row or back row? It's important to know if the setter is front row
because if she is, you may have to help out with blocking her.

Penetrating the Net

If you want to be successful blocking in volleyball, you better learn to penetrate above the net into the
opponent’s space. Penetrating the net is considered the most important part to blocking in volleyball.
You want to "seal the area" over the net.

Important tips for hand position...

1. Block with hands, not arms.

2. Many blocks should occur by making contact with just one hand.

3. Block with the big part of your hands... thumbs up and fingers out.

"Front the Hitter"

Most people will hit the ball the direction it takes them.

"Front the Hitter" means get in front of the hitter the direction the hitter is facing.
The blocker could focus on lining up with the "outside hand" on the ball.

Give and Take away Shots

Blocker's need to be skilled at giving and taking away shots.

For example, if a player is known to have a great line hit, the blocker can takeaway line.

Every team needs to have a block and defense strategy.

Keys to an effective Strategy...

1. If the strategy is to block line, don't show it early.

2. Wait and block line late. You don't want to give away your team strategy.

If you wait and show the block late, your opponent will often make a mistake and play right into your
hands.

Having a strategy for blocking in volleyball doesn't guarantee you'll win, but it can help your team by
having a plan of what to do.

Read and Anticipate the Opponent

It's very important to keep your eyes on the setter.

If you learn to "key in" on the setter, you'll learn to get a head start on what the setter is going to do.

Most setters have "setting technique" that's consistent.

For example, many setters take the ball more out in front of their body when they set outside vs setting
back.

Watching for cues like these will help you get a read on where the ball will be set. This is important
because the better you are at reading the setter, the easier blocking in volleyball.

Tips for Middle Blocking in Volleyball

First thing a middle blocker should do is watch where the ball is passed.

You want to read and track the flight of the ball.

Next, find the middle hitter.

Your #1 responsibility as a middle blocker is to find the middle hitter and know what they are
doing.

Once you have identified what play the middle is likely running, look at the setter and try to figure out
what they are doing.

For clues, watch the setter's hands. Look at hand position and where the ball is going to contact the
hands. If the setter is positioned more behind the ball, look for an outside set. If the position is more
neutral, watch for middle or back. If the setter drops an arm, watch for the dump.

This all happens really fast. You don't want tunnel vision. You want be able to see both the hitter and
setter. Watch, anticipate, and react.

Once the ball has left the setters hands, you don't need to watch the ball anymore.

The hitter goes where the ball goes. Recognize where the ball is set and watch the hitter.

1) Watch the pass.

2) Watch where the ball goes.

3) Find the setter.

4) Find the middle and figure out what pattern they are running.

5) Find the setter again.

6) After the ball is released from the setter find the hitter.

5. Serving – It is an act of putting the ball in play by hitting the ball in an under hand or overhand
technique towards the opponent’s courtside. These are types of service:

1. Under hand serve – It is an act of serving the ball by hitting it below the waist level instead of
tossing it up and striking it over the head level.
 4 Types of Serves in Volleyball Overhand, Underhand, Topspin and Jump

 the underhand serve.

 the overhand serve - float serve.
 the overhand serve - topspin serve.
 the jump serves - jump float.
 the jump spin - jump topspin.
2. Overhead Service – It is an act of serving the ball by tossing it overhead and striking it above the
head level.
 Rules and Regulations:

Team Composition (maximum) For FIVB COMPETITION

 12 players 12 regular, 1 or 2 Libero’s is an option.

 1 coach
 2 assistant Coaches
 1 Therapist
 1 Medical Doctor

Basic Volleyball Rules

 6 players on the floor at any one time - 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row.
 Maximum of 3 hits per side.
 Points are made on every serve for winning team of rally (rally-point scoring).
 Player may not hit the ball twice in succession. (A block is not considered a hit.)
 Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.
 A ball hitting a boundary line is in.
 A ball is out if it hits an antenna, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside
the antennae, the referee stands or pole, the ceiling above a non-playable area.
 It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.
 It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.
 A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.
 After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.
 Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play. 3-set matches are 2 sets to 25 points
and a third set to 15. Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the

first team to win 2 sets. 5-set matches are 4 sets to 25 points and fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2
unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The winner is the first team to win three sets.
 Basic Volleyball Rule Violations

 Rule violations that result in a point for the opponent

 When serving, the player steps on or across the service line as while making contact with the ball.
 Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.
 Ball-handling errors. Contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)
 Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.
 When blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, it’s illegal to contact the ball when reaching
over the net if both your opponent has not used 3 contacts and they have a player there to make a play
on the ball.
 When attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, contacting the ball when reaching over the net
is a violation if the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.
 Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body is a violation. Exception: if it is the hand or
foot. In this case, the entire hand or entire foot must cross for it to be a violation.
 Serving out of rotation/order.
 Back-row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of contact,
the back-row player is near the net and has part of his/her body above the top of the net. This is an
illegal block.
 Back-row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line) when, at the
moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.