volleyball

volleyball
Name	Volleyball
Union	Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
First	1895, Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States
Team	6 per side (standard)
Mgender	Separate competitions
Category	Team sport, net sport
Equipment	Volleyball
Venue	Volleyball court
Olympic	1964
IWGA	1981

volleyball. Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a high net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. The sport has evolved into a highly competitive Olympic discipline governed worldwide by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball.

History

The game was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, a physical education director at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Morgan, who sought a less strenuous alternative to basketball for older businessmen, initially called the game "Mintonette." The name "volleyball" was suggested after an observer noted the volleying nature of play. The sport spread rapidly through the international network of the YMCA. Key developments included the introduction of the three-hit rule and the set and spike in the Philippines in 1916, and the establishment of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball in 1947. Its inclusion in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo solidified its global competitive status.

Rules and gameplay

A match is played best of five sets, with the first four sets played to 25 points and the final set to 15, all requiring a two-point advantage. A team wins a rally by grounding the ball on the opponent's court, when the opponent commits a fault, or if the opponent receives a penalty. The primary skills are serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking, and digging. The team that wins a rally scores a point and serves to start the next rally. Players must rotate positions clockwise each time they win the serve. Key rule violations include four hits, double contact, lift, net fault, and foot faults. The libero, a specialized defensive player introduced in the late 1990s, wears a contrasting jersey and has restrictions on attacking.

Equipment and court

The game is played on a rectangular court measuring 18 meters long and 9 meters wide, divided by a center net. The net height is 2.43 meters for men and 2.24 meters for women in top-level competition, such as the FIVB Volleyball World Championship. The court is surrounded by a free zone and includes an attack line 3 meters from the center line. The ball is spherical, made of leather or synthetic leather, with a circumference of 65-67 cm and a weight of 260-280 grams. Players typically wear jerseys, shorts, socks, and specialized court shoes. Other equipment includes antennae on the net, flexible rods marking the lateral boundaries, and scorekeeping apparatus.

Major competitions

The premier international event is the volleyball tournament at the Summer Olympics, first held in Tokyo in 1964. The FIVB Volleyball World Championship is a major quadrennial event for both men and women. Other significant annual or biennial competitions include the FIVB Volleyball Nations League, the FIVB Volleyball World Cup, and the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup. Continental championships are held by bodies like the European Volleyball Confederation and the Asian Volleyball Confederation. Top professional club leagues include Italy's Lega Pallavolo Serie A, Russia's Super League (volleyball), and Brazil's Superliga Brasileira de Voleibol.

Variations

Several variations of the standard six-player indoor game exist. Beach volleyball, played with two players per side on sand, became an Olympic sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Sitting volleyball is a major Paralympic discipline for athletes with disabilities. Other popular forms include volleyball 9-man, traditionally played in North American Chinatown communities, and park volleyball, a recreational four-player version. Snow volleyball is an emerging variation recognized by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball.

Notable players and teams

The sport has been defined by legendary figures. In men's volleyball, players like Karch Kiraly of the United States, the only person to win Olympic gold in both indoor and beach disciplines, and Giba of Brazil, a key figure in the Brazil men's national volleyball team's dominant era, are iconic. In women's volleyball, Lang Ping of China, who won gold as a player and later coached the China women's national volleyball team to Olympic victory, and Regla Torres of Cuba, named the 20th century's best female player by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball, are celebrated. Historically dominant national teams include the Soviet Union men's national volleyball team, the Italy men's national volleyball team, and the Japan women's national volleyball team of the 1960s.

Category:Volleyball Category:Ball games Category:Summer Olympic sports