Volleyball: Then and now

Volleyball began in the same place as Basketball – a YMCA gym in Massachusetts, USA.

In 1895, four years after James Naismith invented Basketball, his friend William G. Morgan came up with a game he called ‘Mintonette’ – designed as a gentler alternative to Basketball for older members of the gym.

Mintonette grew into modern Volleyball, which is anything but gentle, as players leap and smash their way to success in one of the world’s fastest sports.

How to play – and win

Volleyball

Volleyball is played by two teams of six on an 18m by 9m (60ft by 30ft) indoor court. The teams are divided by a net that stands 2.43m (96in) high for men and 2.24m (88in) for women.

The object of the game is to hit the ball over the net to land in the other team’s half of the court. Players normally use their hands to try to keep the ball in the air and set up point-winning plays, although the ball can be played by any part of the body.

Each team is allowed three touches of the ball before it must cross back over the net. Matches are the best of five sets, with 25 points needed to win a set (15 in the decider).

Beach Volleyball

Beach Volleyball is based on the same idea as the indoor game. It is played on an outdoor sand court by teams of two players, who each need to show amazing agility and exceptionally sharp reflexes. Matches are the best of three sets, with 21 points needed to win a set (15 in the decider).

Volleyball at the Games

Volleyball first appeared in the Games at Tokyo 1964, with the first Beach tournament held in Atlanta 1996. Historically, the dominant forces in world Volleyball have been Brazil, Italy and Russia. The United States also provides top class Beach players.

Facts about Volleyball

• A five-a-side game, similar to Volleyball, was played in the Middle Ages.
• The famous ‘set and spike’ play was invented in the Philippines, and originally known as ‘the Philippino Bomb’.
• A Volleyball ball weighs between 260g and 280g. It is made of rubber or synthetic leather.

Jargon buster

• Spike: To smash the ball overarm into the opponent's court.
• Dig: The act of passing the ball underarm, normally on service receive and back court defence.
• Setter: a specialist player who acts as the link between the passer and the attacking hitters.
• Libero: a specialist back court player for service reception and retrievals from opposition attacks.
• Block: preventing the attacking ball to come over the net by forming a ‘wall’ of hands at the net.
• Wipe: where players intentionally hit the ball into the opposition block so that it goes out of play to win a point for the attackers.
• Shoot: a very fast attack where the setter plays the ball out to the wing attacker as fast as possible to beat the opposition blockers.
• Tomahawk: an emergency defensive play used in Beach Volleyball where both hands contact the ball above head height.

Get involved

If you want to get started in this fast and exciting team sport, contact your home nation’s federation, see 'related websites'.