volleyball | Definition, History, Rules, Positions, Court, & ...

volleyball, game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, ... volleyball TableofContents volleyball IntroductionHistoryThegame FastFacts 2-MinSummary Facts&RelatedContent Quizzes Media Videos Images More MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Sports&Recreation OtherSports volleyball sport Actions Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/sports/volleyball GiveFeedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites Olympics-Theriseofvolleyball:Fromhumblebeginningstoaglobalsport BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. volleyball-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) volleyball-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) Print print Print Pleaseselectwhichsectionsyouwouldliketoprint: TableOfContents Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/sports/volleyball Feedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites Olympics-Theriseofvolleyball:Fromhumblebeginningstoaglobalsport BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. volleyball-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) volleyball-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) Alternatetitles:mintonette By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica EditHistory TableofContents volleyball Seeallmedia KeyPeople: KerriWalshJennings MistyMay-Treanor KarchKiraly LangPing ...(Showmore) RelatedTopics: OlympicGames sports spike libero beachvolleyball ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ Summary Readabriefsummaryofthistopic volleyball,gameplayedbytwoteams,usuallyofsixplayersonaside,inwhichtheplayersusetheirhandstobataballbackandforthoverahighnet,tryingtomaketheballtouchthecourtwithintheopponents’playingareabeforeitcanbereturned.Topreventthisaplayerontheopposingteambatstheballupandtowardateammatebeforeittouchesthecourtsurface—thatteammatemaythenvolleyitbackacrossthenetorbatittoathirdteammatewhovolleysitacrossthenet.Ateamisallowedonlythreetouchesoftheballbeforeitmustbereturnedoverthenet.HistoryVolleyballwasinventedin1895byWilliamG.Morgan,physicaldirectoroftheYoungMen’sChristianAssociation(YMCA)inHolyoke,Massachusetts.Itwasdesignedasanindoorsportforbusinessmenwhofoundthenewgameofbasketballtoovigorous.Morgancalledthesport“mintonette,”untilaprofessorfromSpringfieldCollegeinMassachusettsnotedthevolleyingnatureofplayandproposedthenameof“volleyball.”TheoriginalruleswerewrittenbyMorganandprintedinthefirsteditionoftheOfficialHandbookoftheAthleticLeagueoftheYoungMen’sChristianAssociationsofNorthAmerica(1897).Thegamesoonprovedtohavewideappealforbothsexesinschools,playgrounds,thearmedforces,andotherorganizationsintheUnitedStates,anditwassubsequentlyintroducedtoothercountries.In1916ruleswereissuedjointlybytheYMCAandtheNationalCollegiateAthleticAssociation(NCAA).ThefirstnationwidetournamentintheUnitedStateswasconductedbytheNationalYMCAPhysicalEducationCommitteeinNewYorkCityin1922.TheUnitedStatesVolleyballAssociation(USVBA)wasformedin1928andrecognizedastherules-making,governingbodyintheUnitedStates.From1928theUSVBA—nowknownasUSAVolleyball(USAV)—hasconductedannualnationalmen’sandseniormen’s(age35andolder)volleyballchampionships,exceptduring1944and1945.Itswomen’sdivisionwasstartedin1949,andaseniorwomen’sdivision(age30andolder)wasaddedin1977.OthernationaleventsintheUnitedStatesareconductedbymembergroupsoftheUSAVsuchastheYMCAandtheNCAA.VolleyballwasintroducedintoEuropebyAmericantroopsduringWorldWarI,whennationalorganizationswereformed.TheFédérationInternationaledeVolleyBall(FIVB)wasorganizedinParisin1947andmovedtoLausanne,Switzerland,in1984.TheUSVBAwasoneofthe13chartermembersoftheFIVB,whosemembershipgrewtomorethan210membercountriesbythelate20thcentury. BritannicaQuiz Volleyball:FactorFiction? Knowabitaboutspiking,hits,andrallies?Seeifyoucanserveupawinningscoreinthisvolleyballquiz! Internationalvolleyballcompetitionbeganin1913withthefirstFarEastGames,inManila.Duringtheearly1900sandcontinuinguntilafterWorldWarII,volleyballinAsiawasplayedonalargercourt,withalowernet,andnineplayersonateam.TheFIVB-sponsoredworldvolleyballchampionships(formenonlyin1949;forbothmenandwomenin1952andsucceedingyears)ledtoacceptanceofstandardizedplayingrulesandofficiating.VolleyballbecameanOlympicsportforbothmenandwomenatthe1964OlympicGamesinTokyo. GetaBritannicaPremiumsubscriptionandgainaccesstoexclusivecontent. SubscribeNow EuropeanchampionshipswerelongdominatedbyCzechoslovakian,Hungarian,Polish,Bulgarian,Romanian,andSoviet(later,Russian)teams.AttheworldandOlympiclevel,Sovietteamshavewonmoretitles,bothmen’sandwomen’s,thanthoseofanyothernation.Theirsuccesswasattributedtowidespreadgrassrootsinterestandwell-organizedplayandinstructionatalllevelsofskill.AhighlypublicizedJapanesewomen’steam,Olympicchampionsin1964,reflectedtheinterestofprivateindustryinsport.Youngwomenworkingforthesponsoringcompanydevotedtheirfreetimetoconditioning,teampractice,andcompetitionunderexpertanddemandingcoaching.EncouragedbytheJapaneseVolleyballAssociation,thiswomen’steammadeitsmarkininternationalcompetition,winningtheWorldChampionshipin1962,1966,and1967,inadditiontothe1964Olympics.Attheendofthe20thcentury,however,theCubanwomen’steamdominatedboththeWorldChampionshipsandtheOlympics.ThePanAmericanGames(involvingSouth,Central,andNorthAmerica)addedvolleyballin1955,andBrazil,Mexico,Canada,Cuba,andtheUnitedStatesarefrequentcontendersfortophonours.InAsia,China,Japan,andKoreadominatecompetition.Volleyball,especiallybeachvolleyball,isplayedinAustralia,NewZealand,andthroughouttheSouthPacific.Afour-yearcycleofinternationalvolleyballevents,recommendedbytheFIVB,beganin1969withWorldCupchampionships,tobeheldintheyearfollowingtheOlympicGames;thesecondyearistheWorldChampionships;inthethirdtheregionaleventsareheld(e.g.,Europeanchampionships,AsianGames,AfricanGames,PanAmericanGames);andinthefourthyeartheOlympicGames. beachvolleyballKnowabouttherulesandtricksofplayingbeachvolleyballSeeallvideosforthisarticleBeachvolleyball—usuallyplayed,asitsnameimplies,onasandcourtwithtwoplayersperteam—wasintroducedinCaliforniain1930.Thefirstofficialbeachvolleyballtournamentwasheldin1948atWillRogersStateBeach,inSantaMonica,California,andthefirstFIVB-sanctionedworldchampionshipwasheldin1986atRiodeJaneiro.Beachvolleyballwasaddedtotherosterofthe1996OlympicGamesinAtlanta,Georgia.