What is Volleyball?

 Volleyball is an Olympic and NCAA sport, as well as a game played by

people on indoor courts and outdoors at playgrounds and beaches, and in
backyards.

 Volleyball is invented in 1895, just four years after the invention of

basketball.

 It is a team sports in which two teams of six players are separated by a

net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a Ball on the other
teams court under organized rules.
 &

Origins
• Volleyball was created in
1985 by William G. Morgan, an
instructor at the YMCA in
Holyhoke, Massachusetts. He
decided to blend elements of
basketball, baseball, tennis
and handball to create what
he called “mintonette”. As
observers watched the game,
they noticed that players
were “volleying” the ball back
and forth. Thus, its name was
changed to volleyball.
• At Springfield College, the
first game of “volleyball”
was played. (1896, July 7th )
 In 1907, volleyball was
presented at the Playground of
America Convention as one of
the most popular sports.

 Philippines- an offensive style

of passing the ball in high
trajectory to be struck by
another player ( the set and
spike) were introduced. (1916)

 In 1917, the game was changed

from 21 to 15 points

 1919 American Expeditionary

Forces distributed 16,000
volleyballs to it’s troops and
allies. This provided a stimulus
for the growth of volleyball in
foreign lands.
• 1920s, three hits per side and
back row attack rules were
instituted.

• In 1928 it became apparent

that official rules were
needed, and the USVBA
(United States Volleyball
Association) was formed.

• 1930, the first two- man beach

game was played.

• Today both men and women

play professional volleyball,
and more than 46 million
Americans enjoy playing the
game as pare of leisure time
activity.
 Nature and Background
• Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan,
physical director of the Young Men's Christian
Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

• It was designed as an indoor sport for

businessmen who found the new game of basketball
too vigorous.

• The nature of volleyball is the object, or purpose,

of volleyball is to hit the ball over the net in
such a way that it either lands inside the
opponent's boundary or bounces off a
blocker and hits the floor anywhere but
inside your side's boundary. Points are
scored according to this type of play.
 Objectives
The main objectives in playing volleyball is the player
serves by hitting the ball, with one hand or arm, over the
net to the opponent's court. Each team's aim is for the
serving player to send the ball down the court to ground it
on its own court.

Gain & Maintain Control

 A team that can "run" points from the service line,

including aces that aren't returned at all, get those
points as well as momentum. Winning a point means
being able to serve, which can lead to another form of
control called ball control.
Making the Points
 Sets are won by the team that first scores 25 points, and
matches are usually played in a best three out of five
format.

The Joy of Teamwork

 Good teams display a high level of communication and
teamwork. A team's setter, hitters and defensive
specialists need to effectively work together to optimize
their three allotted contacts. Communication and
teamwork are so important to the sport of volleyball
because they elevate the effectiveness of the defense and
offense.

Playing within the Rules

 A team has to return a ball within three hits, and players
have to follow handling rules. A player can't run into the
net, and any ball hit into it or the antennas on the ends
counts as a point.
Materials & Equipment
Ball
The standard volleyball is made of
leather or synthetic leather,
weighs between 9 and 10 ounces
and has a circumference of 25.6 to
26.4 inches. The ball has a rubber
bladder and can be one color or a
combination of colors. Synthetic
leather is lighter and is fine for
beginner players.

Net and Court

The outdoor volleyball court
measures 18 x 9 m, surrounded by
a free zone that is 2 meters wide
on all sides. Minimum playing
space for U.S. volleyball
competitions is 7 meters. The
volleyball net is 32 feet long by 3
feet wide. For women, the net
should be 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches high.
Lines

The playing court is marked by

two sidelines and two end lines.
All lines must be 2 inches wide
and must be created with a light
color. An attack line should be
placed three meters from the
center line. The center line
divides the court into two 9 x 9
meter courts.

Posts and Cables

Volleyball nets are made out of

metal cables and posts. Posts are
placed 0.5 to 1.0 meter outside
the sidelines and 2.55m high.
Metal wires and cables may need
to be covered if they present a
danger to the players.
Antenna and Side Bands

Antenna are flexible rods that

are 1.8 meters long made of
fiberglass, fastened at the outer
edge of each side band. Side
bands are two white bands
attached vertically to the net
and placed above each sideline.

Knee pads

Knee pads should be sturdy

enough to protect your knees
but flexible enough to bend
comfortably. Good quality pads
have a gel or foam shock-
absorbing material that will
cover and protect your patella.
Popular volleyball knee pad
brands include Asics, Mizuno,
adidas, Nike and Mikasa.
Shoes

Mizuno, Asics and Nike are just a

few of the popular brands of
volleyball shoes. They are
lightweight and lightweight,
allowing you to be faster on your
feet. Arch and ankle support is key
when choosing a volleyball shoe for
high-energy sports.

Clothing and Jewelry

Clothing should be lightweight to

allow maximum flexibility and
breath-ability. Spandex shorts are a
good option, as they are flexible,
light and absorb odor. Socks, while
not required, absorb sweat and
prevent blisters. Glasses must be
worn with a strap to keep them
secure.
 Volleyball Rules for Playing the Game
 6 players on a team, 3 on the front row and 3 on the back
row

 Maximum of three hits per side

 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 antennae,
• the floor completely outside the court,
• any of the net or cables outside the antennae,
• the referee stand or pole,
• the ceiling above a non-playable area
 It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a players
body

 It is illegal to catch, hold, or throw the ball

 If two or more players contact the ball at the same time,

it is considered one play and either player involved may
make the next contact (provided the next contact isn't
the teams 4th hit)

 A player can not 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

 At higher competition, the officiating crew may be made

up of two refs, line judges, scorer, and an assistant
scorer.
 Volleyball Rules Violations 

The result of a violation is a point for the opponent.

 When serving, stepping on or across the service line as

you make contact with the serve
 Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully
 Contacting the ball illegally (lifting, carrying, throwing,
etc. )
 Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball
is in play. Exception: If the ball is driven into the net
with such force that it causes the net to contact an
opposing player, no foul will be called, and the ball shall
continue to be in play.
 When blocking a ball coming from the opponents court,
contacting the ball when reaching over the net is a
violation if both: 
1) your opponent hasn't used 3 contacts AND 
2) they have a player there to make a play on the ball
 When attacking a ball coming from the opponents court,
contacting the ball when reaching over the net is a
violation if the ball hasn't yet broken the vertical plane of
the net.

 Crossing the court centerline with any part of your

body. Exception: if it's the hand or foot, the entire hand or
entire foot must cross for it to be a violation.

 Serving out of order.

 Back row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from

their 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 (an illegal block).

 Back row player attacking a ball inside the front zone ( the
area inside the 10 foot line), when at the moment of
contact the ball is completely above the net (an illegal
attack).
The Six Basic Volleyball Skills There are six basic
skills….setting, spiking, passing, digging, and serving.

 Setter
A setters main job is to set spikers. This is done by waiting
for a teammate to pass the ball to them.

 Spiker
A spiker (attacker) is a player that attacks a ball over the
net. The spiker is a front row player and their main job is to
spike balls at the net down into the opponents court.

 Passer
A passer is a player that passes the ball up to the setter.
The better a passer is able to pass, the easier it is for the
setter to set the spiker which results in a better attack by
the spiker and the more likely the ball is hit down into the
opponents court for a point.
 Digger
A digger is a defensive player that passes the ball up to the
setter. The digger is skilled at digging hard driven spikes
and chasing down off-speed shots (attacks) by the
opponent.

 Server
 The server is the player on the team that puts the ball into
play to start the rally. The players that understand how to
play volleyball the best are typically the best servers on the
team.
 Server must serve from behind the restraining line (end
line).
 Ball may be served underhand OR overhand.
 Ball must be clearly visible to opponents before serve.
 Served ball may graze the net and drop to the other side for
a point.
 First game serve is determined by a volley, each subsequent
game shall be served by the previous game loser.
 Serve must be returned by a bump only, no setting or
attacking a serve.
More on the basic skills of volleyball…
 The serve is what begins the game.

 Passing the ball is the skill that’s performed by the

player receiving the serve.

 Setting is the action of playing the ball to a teammate.


 Setting is usually done in an overhead motion using the
hands. Players that have a hard time getting in good
position to hand set may elect to set using a forearm
passing motion. This is called bump setting.

 Attacking or spiking is the action of sending the ball

over the net to the opponent's court. Attacks are usually
done by taking steps to approach the net to jump and hit
the ball. The volleyball approach and hit is often thought
of as the most fun skill in volleyball.
 A block is the action of trying to prevent the ball from
crossing the net into your court.

 Digging is the action of playing the ball in a way that

prevents the ball from touching the court after an attack
by the opponents.

 To get good at these volleyball skills require improving

physical proficiency and hand-arm-and-eye coordination.

 Being able to effectively communicate with your

teammates and having an understanding of how to play
volleyball will highly influence how well you perform
these skills.
 Game Play

 Maximum of 3 hits per side.

 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 touching a boundary line is good.
 A legal hit is contact with the ball by a player’s body above
and including the waist which does not allow the ball to
visibly come to a rest.
 If two or more players contact the ball simultaneously, it is
considered one play and the players involved may not
participate in the next play.
 A player must not block or attack a serve. Switching
positions will be allowed strictly for front line players.
(After the serve only).
 Basic Violations
 Stepping on or over the line on a serve
 Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully
 Hitting the ball illegally (carrying, palming, throwing, etc.)
 Touching the net with any part of your body while the ball
is in play
 Reaching over the net, except in these conditions:
 When executing a follow through
 When blocking a ball which is in the opponents court but
is being returned (Block cannot contact the ball until
AFTER the opponent attempting to return the ball makes
contact)
 Reaching under the net
 Failure to serve in the correct order
 Blocks or spikes from a position in which is
clearly not behind the 10-foot line while in the
back row position.
The Court
 Volleyball Lingo

 “ACE” when the ball is served to the

other team, and no one touches it.
 “Sideout” When the team that served
the ball makes a mistake, causing
the ball to go to the other team.
 “Stuff” When a player jumps the
height of the net, blocks the ball, and
the ball goes back to the person who
attacked (spiked) it.
 “Dig” When a player makes a save
from a very difficult spike.
 “Kill” When a team spikes the ball
and it either ends in a point or a
sideout.