The History and Game of Volleyball
The game of volleyball, which was originally called "mintonette", was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan. The game was styled as a combination of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball. Over the years that followed, it soon became clear that rule standardizations were needed for tournament play and the USVBA was created in 1928.
There are two main forms of volleyball, indoor and outdoor. Indoor volleyball is played indoors on a court made of wood or a synthetic wood material. There are six players on a team. Outdoor volleyball is played outdoors on a sand or grass court. It can have two, three, four, or six players on a team. Each of these two forms have very similar rules. The ball is round and is made with leather. It measures 21 centimeters in diameter and weighs 9.5 ounces. The court measures 59 feet long and 9 meters wide.
Volleyball Panorama
A U.S. vs. Italy women's volleyball match at the 3...
A Molten indoor volleyballA net hangs in the middle of the court divides it into two sides. The net for men is 8 feet high and for women it is 7 feet high. There are six positions on a team; right back, center back, left back, left forward, center forward, and right forward. Until the ball is served all of the players must assume their positions on the court. There are two referees and two linespersons.
The game starts with a serve by the serving team. The serve must go over the net. Players on the other team must then return the ball by only hitting it. They can not catch, lift, or throw the ball. A team is allowed to hit the ball up to three times before they have to send it over to the other side. They try to make it difficult for the other...