The word volleyball is a word that comes from the English language volleyball, although until 1952 it was written as volley ball. You can also refer to it with other words such as volleyball, volleyball or volleyball.
It is a sport discipline in which two teams made up of six players each, face each other on a court divided in half by a net one meter wide. The players must pass the ball over it with the objective of touching the surface of the opponent’s field to achieve a score.
The objective of volleyball is to score points by passing the ball towards the opponent’s field, while at the same time trying to prevent the game ball from touching the ground of one’s own field. For this, plays such as attacks, touches or blocks will be carried out.
Volleyball game principles
- A very frequent question refers to the momentum of the ball during the game. In this sense, it should be noted that in this sport it is possible to propel the ball with any part of the body, although the most common is that the upper extremities and hands are used.
- The hit must be, in any case, a clean hit, so the ball cannot be caught or retained. Another important rule is that each team only has three touches to send the ball to the rival field, in addition to the fact that the same player cannot touch the ball twice in a row.
- Each team, as we have already mentioned, has six players, achieving the point when the ball hits the ground of the rival field or they commit some type of infraction. Likewise, points are also received when the rival sends the ball out of the field of play.
- Other volleyball rules are related to the obligatory rotation of the players, who in some moments of the game must change position; restrictions on the libero player; or not being able to touch the net.
Volleyball history
- Volleyball is a team sport that was created by William George Morgan in 1895. He created it when he was a teacher and sports coach at the Young Men’s Christian Association in Holyoke (Massachusetts – USA).
- The New Yorker decided to create an alternative physical sport with less intensity than basketball, a sport created by his partner James Naismith in 1891. His intention was that it could be practiced by people of all ages in any space, whether open or closed.
- At that time it received the name of mintonette and adopted a series of rules for the game. The first public presentation of this sport took place in 1896, at which time it began to become popular in other countries.
- Originally it was a sport that only men practiced, although over the years it also began to be practiced by women.
- The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was born in 1947, where its regulations were defined and different activities were organized. From his hand the first world championships were organized in 1949 in the case of men and in 1952 in the female category. In beach volleyball, he joined the Federation in 1986 and became an Olympian in 1996.
Volleyball Features
Volleyball has a series of characteristics that must be taken into account, such as the following:
- It has a rectangular playing court and it must be delimited by certain lines.
- The nets are placed in the midfield, measuring between 9.5 and 10 meters long and 1 meter wide. It is located at a height of 2.43 meters in the case of the male category and 2.24 meters in the case of the female category.
- The ball has a different size and weight than that used in other sports such as basketball or soccer.
- The game takes place in a total of four sets, although it can vary, since when a team wins three sets it is declared the winner of the match.
- The duration of volleyball is variable, since it depends on the performance of the players and the arbitration.
- Each team can be made up of 14 players. Of them, two are libero. They play in a defensive position and can enter and leave the field several times to replace any teammate except the captain. His color is different from the rest.
- When a team manages to snatch the serve from the rival, the players, with the exception of the libero, must play position in a clockwise direction.
Types of volleyball
Within the discipline of volleyball you can find different types. The main ones are the following:
Beach volleyball
- As its name suggests, beach volleyball is a sport similar to traditional volleyball but adapted to a sand field. This is divided by a network and also has certain differences.
- Among its main differences is that the teams are made up of two players and that they do not have a fixed position on the court. In addition, there are no players who act as changes or substitutions, but the same pair plays throughout the match.
- In this case, the matches are divided into three sets, each one of 21 points with an advantage of two. The first to win two of them wins and, if necessary, a third set is played up to 15 points, with a two-point lead.
Sitting volleyball
Sitting volleyball is a variety that is specially designed for those people who suffer from some type of physical disability and who must remain seated.
In this case the net descends in height. In the case of men, it is placed at a height of 1.15 meters; and in the case of women, it is located at a height of 1.05 meters.
Ecuavoley
- This variant of volleyball is originally from Ecuador. It is a sport that began to be played in the 20th century and that has some differences with respect to the original sport.
- Among these differences are that each team is made up of three players ; the field is 18 meters long and 9 meters wide; the network is located 2.85 meters high; and a soccer ball is used.
- It is not possible to touch the net with your hands and “ball” must be called out loud before the serve, which is done with one hand. In this variety the playing positions are setter (forward), flyer (rear) and server. The latter is in charge of covering the areas that his teammates leave unprotected during the game.