Volleyball History and the Evolution of the Sport Volleyball originated in the United States in 1895 as a blend of basketball,

baseball, tennis, and handball. Today, volleyball has spread to 211 countries around the world, and is recognized as a truly international, widely played, popular sport. In 1895, William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass. Morgan created the game of volleyball, at that time called mintonette. In 1896, the first official game of Volleyball was played at Springfield College. In the year 1900, Volleyball was popular enough that a new ball was customized for the sport. Five years later, Volleyball also spread to Cuba. This international signified the start of the Volleyball era. In 1907, Volleyball was presented at the Playground of America convention as one of the most popular sports. This was the first credit the sport received, and helped to further the sport recognition. Over the next five years volleyball spread to Central American countries. In 1913, volleyball was held in the Far Eastern Games. This was the first official volleyball competition. In 1916, volleyball had arrived in YMCA Brazil and South America. The set and spike was first executed in the Philippines. This offensive system altered how the game was played. For the first time the ball was set in a high trajectory and then spiked by a teammate. The Filipinos created the kill, known in United States as bomba. The bomba was named after the attacker called the bomberino. Since 1928, the USVBA, now known as USA Volleyball (USAV), has put on national men's and senior men's (age 35 and older) volleyball championships every year except during 1944 and 1945. Women's USVBA divisions started in 1949 and have been growing ever since. In the late 1940s, some European national federations began discussing the need for creating an international governing body for the sport of volleyball.

The FIVB was founded in Paris, France in 1947. Initial discussions eventually lead to the installation of a Constitutive Congress in 1947. Fourteen national federations representing five different continents attended meetings where the organization was officially formed. One of the main goals of the 1947 Congress was achieved two years later with the establishment of the first international major volleyball event, the World Championship. In 1952, a women played in FIVB tournaments for the first time in volleyball history. In 1957, volleyball was designated as an Olympic team sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 1959, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) had volleyball be one of the eight competitions held in first University Games in Turin, Italy. In 1960, seven midwestern institutions formed the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). In the 1960's, new volleyball techniques were developed. Off-speed hits, open hand tips, forearm passing, blocking at the net, and defensive plays such as diving and sprawling become a big part of the game. In 1964, volleyball was first played in the Olympics in Tokyo. Volleyball became a part of the Olympic Games, which allowed it to grow even more. Also, in the 1964 Olympics, the Japanese used a volleyball that consisted of a rubber casing with leather panels. A similar ball is used in modern volleyball competitions. In 1974, Japan telecasted a major volleyball event in Mexico, the World Championships. In 1983, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was founded by Leonard Armato. The organization started its own beach volleyball tour in the United States in 1984. By the late 1980's, the AVP tour was growing fast due to the promotion of the sport by the professional beach players Tim Hovland, Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, and Mike Dodd. In 1986, the Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) was formed to administer, govern, and protect the integrity of Women's Professional Beach Volleyball. In 2006, prize money became a major deal with $20 million dollars being distributed amongst 16 participating teams from 5 continents. The World League is sometimes confused with the other international volleyball competitions Volleyball World Cup and Volleyball World Championships. Major events in the 90s took place including the establishment of annual competitions for men's and women's volleyball (the World League, in 1990, and the Grand Prix, in 1993), the indication of Beach volleyball as an Olympic event (1996). These events and many rule changes in the game were made the purpose of enhancing the popularity and public visibility of the sport.

Volleyball Rules The Serve Executing the serve. The volleyball serve must be executed by the player that is in the right back position. The server must release or toss the ball when executing a serve The server is allowed only one toss or release of the ball. A toss only counts if the ball is tossed with the intention of service. I mention this because sometimes part of a players serving routine is to toss or bounce the ball a couple times before they serve. So if they arent tossing to serve the ball, they're ok as long as the allotted time hasn't yet expired. The server must release the ball when serving. The server cant hit the ball out of their hand (this is common with underhand serves). The ball must be released. Must not contact the court. If in contact with the floor, the server must not step across or contact the service line until after contact with the ball has been made. If the server jumps when serving, the last contact with the floor must be behind the service line. The server can then land on or in front of the service line. Can't be in contact with the ground outside the service zone. The server can't be in contact with the ground outside the service zone when making contact with the ball. After the contact, the server may step outside the service zone or into the court. The serve must be executed within the allowed time. USAV Rule The ball must be hit within 8 seconds of the referees whistle for serve. USAV Rule for 14 years and younger. The ball must be hit within 5 seconds of the referees whistle for serve. Playing the Game Rules in volleyball limit player playing actions such as, 3 hits to a side, only the front row players can attack the ball when the ball is entirely above the top of the net, the player positioned in right back must execute the serve, etc. A player on a volleyball team can be designated as libero. The libero playing actions are much different from other volleyball player actions. For example, the libero can come in the game and take the place of any back row player on the court, but can't ever play across the front row. Volleyball scoring system. A point is scored when The ball is successfully grounded in the opponents court

The opposing team commits a fault The opposing team receives a penalty

A set (game) is won when A team scores 25 points with a minimum 2 point lead.

In the case of a 24-24 tie, play continues until a 2 point lead is taken.

A match is won when a team wins 2 out of 3 sets. A playoff game is considered a match and only 1 set shall be played. Structure of Play Before the start of a match, the referee conducts a team captains meeting. The referee goes over any ground rules and conducts a coin toss. At the coin toss, the referee may go over the rules in volleyball for game interruptions such as the procedures for substitutions and timeouts. All volleyball participants must know the rules of volleyball. Sanctions may be issued to players, coaches, or other team members for rude conduct or aggressive behavior. Court Today, courts must meet the specifications set forth by USA Volleyball and the international governing body, FIVB. Indoor courts must measure 18 meters long by 9 meters wide and have an attack area demarcated 3 meters back from the centerline. The lines used on the court should not be any wider than 5 cm. A free space measuring 2 meters in any direction is recommended around the playing area of the court to prevent any accidental obstructions of play. Above the highest point of the net, there should be at least 7 meters of space to allow the ball free travel, though 12 meters is recommended. Positions Players are usually specialists in one of the following positions: Setter: Passing specialist who usually hits the second ball of the rally to set up a spike for a teammate. The setter is always close to the net, faces the left sideline, and can set the ball forward or backward to the hitter that is ready to attack. Outside hitter: Attacker who spikes the ball over the net from the front left position. Also blocks spikes from the other team. Middle blocker: Defensive specialist who assists the other two front-row players in blocking all shots from the opposing team. Also spikes ball from the middle of the court. Opposite: Attacker who plays in the front right of the court when the setter is in the back row.

Libero: Back-row defensive specialist who has fast reaction time and is an excellent passer. Specializes in receiving serves and attacks by bumping or digging the ball. Wears a different colored jersey, does not serve or block, and can substitute unlimited times in and out of the back row without waiting for the referees approval. This position was created in 1998 and will be implemented at the high school level by the 2006-2007 season. There are six players on each team, and there are six rotational spots on the court that must be taken during each servethree in the front row: Left-Front (LF), Center-Front (CF), and Right-Front (RF); and three in the back row: Left-Back (LB), Center-Back (CB), and RightBack (RB). The player in the Right-Back (RB) spot serves. The optimal positions in the front

row are an outside hitter on the left side, a middle blocker playing in the middle, and a setter (or opposite if the setter is in back row) on the right. Every time a team wins back the serve, the players on that team rotate one spot in a clockwise direction. This rotation forces players into spots that are away from their optimal position, so they switch, or run, to the ideal spots once the ball is served. For example, when an outside hitter is in the center-front rotational spot, he will run to the left-front of the court after the ball has been served. Typically, there are two sets of players in the rotation [outside hitter, middle blocker, setter] and [outside hitter, middle blocker, opposite]. Players of the same position are three spots away from their counterparts to ensure that there is always an outside hitter, a middle blocker, and a setter or opposite in the front row. The front row usually consists of taller players that can jump the highest to block and spike. The back row is where the strongest defenders play; these players receive the serve. Coaches may strategically substitute defensive specialists into the game when an offensive player rotates to the back row, and substitute offensive specialists into the game once the defensive player rotates to the front row.

Indoor volleyball courts have common characteristics: Boundary lines: Mark the courts perimeter and include the end lines to mark the length, and the sidelines to mark the width, of the court. Net: The ball must be hit over a net placed approximately seven and a half feet above the ground for girls and eight feet for boys. Antennae: Poles sticking up from each side of the net that signify the court sidelines. Any ball contacting or hit outside the antennae is considered out of bounds. Attack lines: Separates the frontcourt from the backcourt. Back-row players may only jump from behind this line (must jump before line, but may land on other side). Also called 3-meter line. Frontcourt: Area between net and attack line where front-row players are positioned. Backcourt: Area between the attack line and the end line where back-row players are positioned. Center line: Line directly below the net that divides the court in half. A fault is called if a player crosses this line with any part of the body (a player may touch line, but not cross it). Service area: Space beyond either end line where a player stands while serving.

Ball The ball used for volleyball is smaller than the basketball bladder that was used originally. For indoor volleyball, it should have a circumference between 65 and 67 cm when fully inflated to an inner pressure between 4.3 and 4.6 lbs. psi. Once inflated, the ball must weigh between 260 and 280 g. During FIVB competitions and world events, three balls are used and must meet the same standards as the other balls before being approved for play.

Net Net height can vary depending on the age of the players and the class of volleyball being played. The standard height used for men over the age of 15 is 2.43 meters measured from the lowest point of the net to the court floor. For women over the age of 13, the standard measurement is 2.24 meters. The net extends to each of the sidelines on the court and should be the same height at both sidelines. The net itself is 1 meter wide. At either end of the net, an antenna is attached that is 10 mm in diameter and extends 1.8 meters above the net. These antennae are considered part of the net and are used to delineate the vertical crossing space. Beach The beach variant of volleyball began in the 1940s. While many of the rules and specifications of this format are the same as indoor volleyball, there are some differences. The court used in beach volleyball is slightly smaller, measuring 16 meters by 8 meters. The ball also is increased in size to a circumference between 66 and 68 cm. The average net height for men and women stays the same. Volleyball officials The first referee is in charge from the beginning of the match until the end. The first referee has authority over all other members of the officiating crew. The first referee should talk to all the officiating crew members before the match starts, going over any questions officials might have about their responsibilities. The first referee should have a talk with the second referee before the match starts discussing issues such as pre-match protocol and anything that will help the match run more smoothly. The second referee should establish a rapport with the scorekeeper and libero tracker. If the scorer and libero tracker have a problem or dont understand something, they should be comfortable enough to ask the second referee for help. Scorekeeper The scorekeepers main job is to make sure the score is correct at all times. The scorekeeper uses a score sheet to keep track of the game. If there is a difference between the score on the score sheet and the visual score (flip score, electronic scoreboard, etc.) the visual score should be changed to match the score on the scoresheet unless the mistake on the scoresheet can be determined and corrected. One of the volleyball referees should check the accuracy of the scoresheet at the end of each set. Pre-match

Before the match starts, the scorekeeper should fill in the pre-match info team names, starting line ups, etc.

During the match

Records points when they are scored Watches the servers and indicates immediately to the referees when a server has served out of order. It's also good preventive officiating to watch teams volleyball rotation in case assistance is needed for the second referee to determine the correct team alignment. Records player substitutions and team timeouts Records any sanctions Records all other events as instructed by the referees Records the final result of the set In the case of a protest, after the first referee gives authorization, the scorekeeper lets the game captain write a statement for protest on the scoresheet

After the match

Records the final result of the match Signs the scoresheet

Assistant Scorer The assistant scorer (or libero tracker) sits at the scorers table next to the scorekeeper. The assistant scorers main function is to record libero replacements on to a libero tracking sheet.

Notifies any fault with libero replacements Operates the manual scoreboard on the scorer s table Checks the score on the scoreboard with the score on the scoresheet

Line Judges If only two line judges are used, they stand at the corner of the end line that is closest to the right hand of each referee, diagonally from the corner. The line judges watch the end line and sideline of their respective corners. For FIVB and Official Competitions, four line judges are used. Each line judge stands in the free zone 1 to 3 meters, lined up with the imaginary extension of their respective line. Line judges main responsibility is to make signals to help out the referees in making judgment calls. Line judges may be instructed to use flags to make the signals.

Ball in and outwhenever the ball lands near the lines Touches of out balls by players receiving the ball Ball touching the antennae A served ball crossing the net outside the crossing space (the space between the antennaes) Any player standing off the court at the moment of service Server foot faults