Volleyball
HISTORY
The beginning
The story started in February 9.1895. It was
founded by William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young
Man’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke,
Massachusetts, USA. It was first a recreational game and
was called Mintonette.
The first rules
The first rules, written by Morgan. called for a net 6
feet 6 inches(1.98 meters) high, a 25 x 15.2 meter court,
and any number of players. A match was composed of nine
innings with three serves for each team in each inning, and
no limit to the number of ball contacts for each team before
sending the ball to the opponent’s court. In case of a serving
error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the ball into the net
was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)-
except in the case of the first-try serve.
The revisions
After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the
volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in
1896, played at the Springfield YMCA, the game quickly
became known as volleyball (it was originally spelled with
two words: “volley ball”). Volleyball rules were slightly
modified by the Springfield YMCA and the game spread
around the country to other YMCA locations.
The other refinements and later developments
1896 - at Springfield College the first game of
“volleyball” was played.
1900 - a special ball was designed for the sport.
1916 - the skill and power of the set and spike had
been introduced
1917 - the game was changed from 21 to 15
points/set.
1919 - about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by
the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and
allies, which sparked the growth of volleyball in new
countries.
1920 - “three hits” rule and back row hitting
guidelines were established.
1964 - volleyball was introduced to the Olympic
Games in Tokyo.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT USED
The court
The game is played on a volleyball court 18 meters
long and 9 meters wide, divided into two 9x9 meter halves
by a centerline. A one-meter wide net placed above so that
the top of the net is 2.43 meters for men’s competition,
2.24 meters for women’s competition, and 2.12 meters for
elementary level.
There is a line 3 meters from and parallel to the net
in each team court which is considered as the “attack line”.
This “3 meter” line divides the court into “back row” and
“front row” areas. These are in turn divided into 3 areas
each: these are numbered as follows, starting from area “1”
(right back) which is the position of the serving player:
After a team gains serve, its members must rotate
in a clockwise direction, with the player previously in area
“2” (right front) moving to area “1” and so on, with the
player from area “1” moving to area “6” (center back).
The team courts are surrounded by an area called
the free zone which is a minimum of 3 meters wide and
which the players may enter and play within after the
service of the ball. All lines denoting the boundaries of the
team courts and the attack zone are drawn or painted
within the dimensions of the area and are therefore a part
of the court or zone. If a ball comes in contact with the line,
the ball is considered to be “in”. An antenna is placed on
each side of the net perpendicular to the sideline and is a
vertical extension of the side boundary of the court. A ball
passing over the net must pass completely between the
antennae without contacting them.
The Ball
Weight: 9-10 oz
Circumference: 25-27 in.
The Net
Dimension: 1x9 m
Height: 2.43 m (Men’s), 2.24 m (Women’s), 2.12 m
(Elementary’s)
The Post
Heigth: 2.55 m
TERMINOLOGIES
Approach - fast stride toward the net by a spiker
before he jumps in the air.
Attack – the offensive action of hitting the ball.
Attack Line – a line 3m from the net that
separates the back liners from the front liners.
Back Court – The area from the endline to the
attack line.
Back Row Attack – when a back row player attacks
the ball by jumping from behind the 3m line before hitting
the ball.
Block – a defensive play by one or more players
meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court.
Decoy – an offensive play meant to disguise the
spiker who will receive the set.
Dink – a legal push of the ball around or over
blockers.
Double Block – two workers working in unison to
deflect an attacked ball at the net back to the hitter’s side.
 Forearm Pass – join your arms from the elbows to
the wrists and strike the ball with the fleshy part of your
forearms in an underhand motion.
Foul – violation of the rules.
Free Ball – the ball that will be returned by a pass
rather than a spike.
Joust – When two opposing players are
simultaneously attempting to play a ball above the net.
Key – to predict a team’s next play by observation
of patterns or habits.
Mintonette – the original name of volleyball
Overhand Pass – a pass executed by both hands
open, controlled by the fingers and thumbs, played just
above the head.
Roof – a ball that when spiked as blocked by a
defensive player such that the ball deflects straight to the
floor on the attacker’s side.
Set – the tactical skill in which the ball is directed to
a point where a player can spike it into the opponent’s
court.
Six Pack – occurs when a blocker gets hit in the head
or face by a spike ball.
TEAM COMPOSITION
1. Teams:
6 – Obligatory players (1st 6)
6 – Substitutes including the libero (if any)
2 - Liberos (defensive specialist)
1 – Head Coach (a team can have as many assistant
coaches as they want)
2. Obligatory players:
* A team is obliged to come up with six players at
the start and all through out of the game
3. Substitution:
* Substitution of players is made only on request
of the captain or coach.
* Only 6 substitutions is allowed per set.
* A player substituted can come back to play in the
same set but only in the position of the player who
substituted him.
4. Libero:
* Defensive player who is responsible for
receiving the attack or serve and are usually the players on
the court with the quickest reaction time and best passing
skill. Libero means “free” as they have the ability to
substitute for any other player on the court during each
play. They do not necessarily need to be tall, as they never
play at the net, which allows shorter players with strong
passing and defensive skills to excel in the position and play
an important role in the team’s success. A player
designated as libero for a match may not play other roles
during the match. Liberos wear a different color jersey than
their teammates.
5. Coaching:
* Coaching for volleyball can be classified under
two main categories: match coaching and developmental
coaching. The objective of the match coaching is to win a
match by managing a team’s strategy. Developmental
coaching emphasizes player development through the
reinforcement of basic skills during exercises known as
“drills”. Drills promote repetition and refinement of
volleyball movements, particularly in footwork patterns,
body positioning relative to others, and ball contact.
GAME OFFICIALS
1. First Referee:
* Position – located at approximately 50cm. from the end
of the net and overlooking the net in order that he may
survey the play.
* Duties:
1. Direct the game and the decision is final.
2. Has the authority over all officials and players.
3. Has power to settle all questions, even those
specified in the rules.
4. Penalizes violations made by the players.
2. Second Referee:
* Position – at the opposite side of the court facing the
referee.
* Duties:
1. Makes all the decision regarding the crossing of
the centerline and lines of the attack.
2. Points out all passing of the ball over the net
completely outside of the side markers placed on his side.
3. Keeps official time of “time-outs”.
4. Controls the conduct of the coaches and
substitutes on his side of the court.
5. Authorizes substitutions at request of captain or
coach.
6. Controls starting position of players at the
beginning of each set.
7. Calls referee’s attention to all unsportsmanlike
actions.
3. Scorer:
* Position – at the opposite side of the referee behind the
umpire.
* Duties:
1. Writes on match sheet the names of players and
substitutes; takes signature of captains and coaches.
 2. Keeps the score sheet as the game progresses
strictly following rules, indicating number of substitutions
and timeouts requested.
3. Records the rotation order of players after the
tossing of the coin.
4. Sees that the rotation order is carried out during
a set.
5. Announces the changing of side after the end of
each set.
4. Linejudges (2 or 4):
* Position – (If 2 only), placed diagonally at the opposite
corners of the court; (If 4), placed in every corner of the
court.
* Duties:
1. Each watches the sideline and endline on
respective side.
2. Raises flag when ball is “out” and lets it down
when ball falls on the court.
3. Calls the attention of the referee to faults made
by the server and when ball passes over the net outside of
side markers of net.