History of Volleyball

HISTORY OF VOLLEYBALL
Beginnings
Volleyball history began in a town called Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1895. The sport was developed at
the YMCA by William G. Morgan as an alternative for the older men that were less taxing than
basketball. Originally called Mintonette, it took the net from tennis and took cues from basketball,
baseball and handball. The net was only 6'6" high, just above the average man's head. Originally, there
was no limit to the number of players on a team or the number of contacts per side and the game was
primarily played from the ground.
Development
The setand hit(or spike) was first developed in the Philippines in 1916 and changed the way the game was
played. Later called volleyball due to the fact that players "volleyed" the ball back and forth, the sport was
embraced by the US military and was played often in their free time. Soldiers stationed all over the world
played volleyball and taught the locals to play as well, inadvertently spreading the sport to many nations.
Beach Game Emerges
Volleyball was first played indoors, but it was brought out to the beach sometime in the 1920's. There is
some debate about where the first beach volleyball game was played, but the two most likely theories are
Santa Monica, CA and The Outrigger Canoe Club in Hawaii. Organized beach tournaments were played
as early as 1948, but the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) did not emerge until 1983.
Olympic Inclusion
Indoor volleyball was added to the Olympics in 1964. Beach volleyball was added as an exhibition sport
in 1996 and immediately became the hottest ticket at the games.
Popularity
Volleyball is second only to soccer in worldwide popularity. Approximately 46 million Americans play
the game and an estimated 800 million play all over the world.
DETAILED HISTORY
Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, physical director of the Young Men’s
Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was designed as an indoor sport for
businessmen who found the new game of basketball too vigorous. Morgan called the sport “mintonette,”
until a professor from Springfield College in Massachusetts noted the volleying nature of play and
proposed the name of “volleyball.” The original rules were written by Morgan and printed in the first
edition of the Official Handbook of the Athletic League of the Young Men’s Christian Associations of
North America (1897). The game soon proved to have wide appeal for both sexes in schools,
playgrounds, the armed forces, and other organizations in the United States, and it was subsequently
introduced to other countries.
In 1916 rules were issued jointly by the YMCA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA). The first nationwide tournament in the United States was conducted by the National YMCA
Physical Education Committee in New York City in 1922. The United States Volleyball Association
(USVBA) was formed in 1928 and recognized as the rules-making, governing body in the United States.
From 1928 the USVBA—now known as USA Volleyball (USAV)—has conducted annual national men’s
and senior men’s (age 35 and older) volleyball championships, except during 1944 and 1945. Its women’s
division was started in 1949, and a senior women’s division (age 30 and older) was added in 1977. Other
national events in the United States are conducted by member groups of the USAV such as the YMCA
and the NCAA.
Volleyball was introduced into Europe by American troops during World War I, when national
organizations were formed. The Fédération Internationale de Volley Ball (FIVB) was organized in Paris
in 1947 and moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1984. The USVBA was one of the 13 charter members
of the FIVB, whose membership grew to more than 210 member countries by the late 20th century.
International volleyball competition began in 1913 with the first Far East Games, in Manila.
During the early 1900s and continuing until after World War II, volleyball in Asia was played on a larger
court, with a lower net, and nine players on a team.
The FIVB-sponsored world volleyball championships (for men only in 1949; for both men and
women in 1952 and succeeding years) led to acceptance of standardized playing rules and officiating.
Volleyball became an Olympic sport for both men and women at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
European championships were long dominated by Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, Polish,

Bulgarian, Romanian, and Soviet (later, Russian) teams. At the world and Olympic level, Soviet teams
have won more titles, both men’s and women’s, than those of any other nation. Their success was
attributed to widespread grassroots interest and well-organized play and instruction at all levels of skill. A
highly publicized Japanese women’s team, Olympic champions in 1964, reflected the interest of private
industry in sport. Young women working for the sponsoring company devoted their free time to
conditioning, team practice, and competition under expert and demanding coaching. Encouraged by the
Japanese Volleyball Association, this women’s team made its mark in international competition, winning
the World Championship in 1962, 1966, and 1967, in addition to the 1964 Olympics. At the end of the
20th century, however, the Cuban women’s team dominated both the World Championships and the
Olympics.
The Pan American Games (involving South, Central, and North America) added volleyball in
1955, and Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and the United States are frequent contenders for top honours.
In Asia, China, Japan, and Korea dominate competition. Volleyball, especially beach volleyball, is played
in Australia, New Zealand, and throughout the South Pacific.
A four-year cycle of international volleyball events, recommended by the FIVB, began in 1969
with World Cup championships, to be held in the year following the Olympic Games; the second year is
the World Championships; in the third the regional events are held (e.g., European championships, Asian
Games, African Games, Pan American Games); and in the fourth year the Olympic Games.
Beach volleyball—usually played, as its name implies, on a sand court with two players per team
—was introduced in California in 1930. The first official beach volleyball tournament was held in 1948 at
Will Rogers State Beach, in Santa Monica, California, and the first FIVB-sanctioned world championship
was held in 1986 at Rio de Janeiro. Beach volleyball was added to the roster of the 1996 Olympic Games
in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sources: https://www.britannica.com/sports/volleyball/The-game
http://volleyball.about.com/od/volleyball101/a/History.htm

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HISTORY OF VOLLEYBALL

Beach Game Emerges

European championships were long dominated by Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, Polish,

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