Volleyball | Olympics, games, history, rules, rankings and more....
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Volleyball is a game played by two teams, usually six players per team. Players use their hands to hit the ball back and forth over a high net, trying to get it into the opponent's playing zone court before it is hit back. To prevent this, players on the opposing team hit the ball upwards to a teammate before it touches the surface of the field. That teammate can either hit it back over the net or to a third teammate who can hit it back over the net. Teams are only allowed to touch the ball three times before they must return it over the net.
Story
Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, athletic director of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was developed as an indoor sport for businessmen who found the new game of basketball too difficult. Morgan called the sport "mignonette" until a professor at Springfield College in Massachusetts noticed the volleyball nature of the game and suggested the name "volleyball". The original rules were written by Morgan and printed in the first edition (1897) of the Official Handbook of the Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Association of North America. The game quickly became popular with both men and women in schools, playgrounds, the military, and other organizations in the United States, and was subsequently introduced to other countries. In 1916, the rules were published jointly by the YMCA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The first national tournament in the United States was hosted by the National YMCA Athletic Committee in New York City in 1922. The United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) was founded in 1928 and is recognized as the governing body for rules in the United States. Since 1928, the USVBA (now USA Volleyball (USAV)) has hosted a national volleyball championship tournament for men and seniors (35 and over) every year except 1944 and 1945. A women's division was created in 1949, and a senior division (30 and over) for women was created in 1977. Other national events in the United States are run by USAV member groups such as the YMCA and NCAA.
Volleyball was introduced to Europe by the US military during World War I, and national organizations were established. The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was founded in Paris in 1947 and moved to Lausanne, Switzerland in 1984. The USVBA was one of 13 founding members of the FIVB, whose membership grew to more than 210 by the end of the 20th century.
International volleyball competition began with the first Far Eastern Games in Manila in 1913. From the early 1900s until after World War II, Asian volleyball was played on a larger field with a lower net and nine players per team.
FIVB-sponsored Volleyball World Championships (men's only in 1949, both men and women since 1952) led to the acceptance of standardized game rules and refereeing. Volleyball became an Olympic sport for both men and women at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
The European Championships were long dominated by teams from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Soviet Union (later Russia). At both world and Olympic levels, the USSR team, both men and women, has won more titles than any other country. Their success was due to widespread grassroots interest and well-organized matches and training at all levels. The Japanese women's team, which won the 1964 Olympic Games, was highly praised and reflected the private sector's interest in sports. Young women working for the sponsoring companies devoted their free time to fitness training, team training and competitions under the guidance of experts and strict guidance. Encouraged by the Japan Volleyball Association, the women's team made a name for itself in international competitions, winning the 1962, 1966 and 1967 World Championships and the 1964 Olympic Games. However, by the end of the 20th century, the Cuban women's team had won both the World Championship and the Olympics.
Volleyball was added to the Pan American Games (which includes South, Central and North America) in 1955, with Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Cuba and the United States being frequent contenders. In Asia, China, Japan and Korea dominate the competition. Volleyball, especially beach volleyball, is played in Australia, New Zealand and throughout the South Pacific.
Basic rules of volleyball
Each team has 6 players, 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row. A maximum of 3 strokes are allowed per side. A player cannot hit the ball twice in succession (a block does not count as a hit). The ball may be played from the net during volleys and serves.
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FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championships
Italy will face Russia in the 2014 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship in Milan. (more)
The four-year cycle of international volleyball competitions recommended by the FIVB began with the 1969 World Championship, which was to be held the year after the Olympics. The World Championship is held in the second year. Regional events are held in the third year (European Championships, Asian Games, African Games, Pan American Games, etc.), and the Olympic Games are held in the fourth year. Beach volleyball
People who play beach volleyball.
