Volleyball

The sport originated in the United States, and is now just achieving the type of popularity in the U.S. that it has received on a global basis, where it ranks behind only soccer among participation sports.

Today there are more than 46 million Americans who play volleyball. There are 800 million players worldwide who play Volleyball at least once a week.

In 1895, William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass., decided to blend elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball to create a game for his classes of businessmen which would demand less physical contact than basketball. He created the game of Volleyball (at that time called mintonette). Morgan borrowed the net from tennis, and raised it 6 feet 6 inches above the floor, just above the average man's head.

During a demonstration game, someone remarked to Morgan that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back and forth over the net, and perhaps "volleyball" would be a more descriptive name for the sport. On July 7, 1896 at Springfield College the first game of "volleyball" was played.

Basic Rules

Two teams (of six players each), play on either side of the net. Each team has three touches to ground the ball inside the court of the other team. Any part of the body can be used to keep the ball in play but the usual sequence is a dig, set, spike. Volleyball matches are the best of five sets. The first to 25 points (by 2 clear points) wins the set. If a 5th deciding set needs to be played it is played to 15 ponits (again by two clear points).

There are 6 positions in volleyball; these are normally numbered, but we've named them to make them easier to remember (see figure).

Set and Spike

The setter volleys the ball along the line of the net, for the attacker to spike the ball into the opponents half. Generally, a high ball is set to the wing attackers, to give them time to pick their spot and attack. A faster type of set, known as a "short", or a "shoot" are the main types of attacks through the centre of the court.

Dig Pass

The base of all attacks, a well executed dig pass gives the setter the option of running three or four different attacking combinations. The main passer has to be able to attack effectively as well as providing the platform for the rest of the team to attack from.

The Setter

The setter is the teams playmaker, linking between floor defence and the attack. The setter is responsible for organising the whole team. The setter has to have vision and a sure touch in order to deliver the ball accurately. He must also be capable of blocking well, since he is often faced against the oppositions power attackers.

The Block

The block is the first line of defence against the opposition attack. This is the most exciting shot in volleyball if it results in the attacker getting "stuffed out." All players have to block, but most blocking plays are made by the central players.

The Referee

The referee in a volleyball match runs the game. Only the captain of each team is allowed to talk to the first official. The referee is assisted by the second referee and the scorer. The referee has yellow and red cards at their disposal to control foul play.

source: http://www.volleyball.org