1. History of Volleyball.

The Invention Of Volleyball

On February 9, 1895, in the town of Holyoke, Massachusetts, a YMCA physical education director named
William G. Morgan invented a new sport he dubbed mintonette.

Mintonette was an indoor sport meant to be gentler than basketball and incorporate some of the
characteristics of tennis, badminton, and handball. The net, originally a standard tennis net, stood at
6’6’’ and an unlimited number of players could be on each side of the court at any given time. Similar to
baseball, a match was made up of nine innings, with each team serving three times in an inning with
unlimited contacts.

In 1896, Professor Alfred T. Halsted, after witnessing how the players seemed to be volleying the ball
back and forth over the net, changed the sport’s name to volleyball, and the first game of volleyball was
played at Springfield College on July 7, 1896.

The Ball For Volleyball

Morgan needed a ball that was specifically designed for his new sport. It needed to be light enough to
stay in the air, but not too light to the point where it could get easily carried away with wind or slow
down the game.

In 1900, he went to A.G Spalding and Brothers (yes, that Spalding) to ask them to design a ball that met
those requirements. They started with a latex bladder made from a material similar to that of a bicycle
tire, then, they added a second layer made of cloth and covered the whole thing with a third and final
layer made of leather. With that, the first ever volleyball was created.

The Spread And Evolution Of Volleyball

As the years went on, volleyball spread rapidly all over the world. In 1916, the net height was raised and
the ball was made heavier.

The YMCA and NCAA teamed up to promote the sport, and as a result, volleyball started to be
integrated into physical education programs at high schools and colleges. The United States Volleyball
Association (USVBA) was formed in 1928 and helped to standardize the rules of the sport in order to
make the game competitive enough for tournament play.

Around this time, the three-touch rule and back-row attacking regulations were implemented. Instead of
being played to 21, sets changed to being played to 15, and matches became best two-out-of-three.
In the Philippines, the concept of setting and spiking were introduced to make the game more intense.
No longer were players allowed to hold onto a ball or touch it a second time before it had been played
by another player.

In 1947, the FIVB (Federation Internationale De Volley-Ball) was founded, and in 1949, the first World
Championships were played in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Then in 1957, the International Olympic
Committee made volleyball an Olympic sport, signifying the worldwide growth of the sport.

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics were significant to the history of volleyball in the U.S.. The U.S. men’s
and women’s teams took home the gold and silver medals, respectively, kicking off a period of
popularity for the sport in the U.S.

Today, volleyball is popular with both men and women of all ages. Worldwide, over 800 million athletes
play the sport of volleyball.

2. What are the fundamental skills of Volleyball?

 Passing
Passing is simply getting the ball to someone else on your team after it’s been served or
hit over the net by the opposing team. It’s commonly thought of as the most important
skill in all of volleyball, because your team can’t return the ball without a solid volleyball
pass. Forearm volleyball passes are often used to direct the ball in a controlled manner
to a teammate, but overhead passing is another option.
 Setting
The setter has the most important position on the team, and is often the team leader for
this reason. It’s their job to make it easy for a teammate to get the ball over the
volleyball net, preferably with a spike that the other team can’t return. The setting
motion gets the ball hanging in the air, ready to be spiked by another teammate with
force.
 Spiking
A real crowd-pleaser, spiking is the act of slamming the ball in a downward motion
across the volleyball net to the other team’s side of the court. When done well, spiking
is very difficult to return, which is why it’s an essential skill. A proper spike will help
accumulate points quickly.
 Blocking
Blocking is another important skill, although it’s probably the most expendable of the
fundamentals. Still, it adds a great dimension to the game, keeping the other team on
their toes, so to speak. By timing it right, you can jump up and deflect or block the
opponent’s attack before it even crosses the volleyball net, which can take them by
surprise and give your team an easy point.

 Digging
Digging is a defensive maneuver in volleyball that can save your team from an offensive
spike or attack. Your job is to keep the ball from hitting the floor, and you do that by
 diving and passing the ball in a fluid motion. Unlike a typical pass, you’ll probably be
trying to recover the ball from a steep downward trajectory. This is another great skill to
have, but isn’t as important as passing, setting, or spiking.
 Serving
Our final fundamental skills is serving. How can you be a great volleyball player without
knowing how to serve? There are a variety of ways to serve, but you’ll most often see
the underhand or overhand serves.
– For an underhand serve, if you’re right-handed, hold the ball in your left hand while the right hand
makes a fist with the thumb on top. Make contact with the underside of the ball to send it over the net.

– For an overhand serve (which is more advanced and common among skilled players) you’ll be tossing
the ball up while you pull back the dominant arm and swing. Don’t follow through after your hand
contacts the ball, which should feel almost like you’re punching the ball across the volleyball net.

3. What are the fundamental stance of the stated fundamental skills?

 Serving - Start with your feet in an up-and-back stride position with the weight on the back right
foot. Ball is held in the left hand in front of your body just below your waist, in front of the right
hip. Shoulders and upper body should be slightly leaning forward. Eyes are focused on the
contact point of the ball.
 Digging - To dig a volleyball, plant your feet wider than your shoulders, bend your knees, and be
ready to move quickly by shifting your weight forward on your toes. Next, get into a receiving
position by stretching both arms out in front of you and pressing them together from hands to
elbows.
 Blocking - Medium posture, knees flexed, keep back straight, shoulders slightly forward. Feet
shoulder width, weight balanced on feet. Elbows bent – shoulder height/hands just above eyes.
Drop into your jump (1/2 squat, especially for smaller blockers). Fingers spread wide, relaxed
hands, and hands do not go below shoulders. Penetrate the net – reach with hands over the
plane of the net. Tall blockers that can penetrate the plane of the net (stuff block) start slightly
off the net (15-18 inches). Kill blocks for athletic blockers/MB – “reach for the back line”. Smaller
blockers - control/soft block – their job is to start close to the net (6-12 inches from net).
Prevent the hitter from hitting down. General positioning tendencies – if a set is tight to the net,
the hitter typically will hit LINE or off the block, if the ball is off the net, they typically attack
ANGLE (cross court)
 Spiking - Keep your eyes on the ball at all times to visualize when it’s in the best position for a
spike. Adjust your body and shift your weight to where the ball is in the air. If it’s drifting to your
left, you’ll need to shift your body weight to the left in order to be ready to move that way.
Stand 5 or 6 feet back from the net. Run to the net as the ball is approaching the top of its flight.
Take a large step forward with your left foot—if you spike with your right hand, opposite if you
spike left-handed—to create a base for your jump. Bring your right foot forward and bend your
knees. Jump off the ground and get as high in the air as possible. Position your body so it’s to the
left of the ball. Bring your right arm back behind your body with your palm open. Swing your
arm forward as fast as you can so that it comes in contact with the ball moving downward and
away from any blocking players. Hit the ball with the ball of your hand, down near where the
 base of your thumb meets your wrist. Follow through fully by bringing your hitting arm down
and across your body. Land on the ground and get back in position to make another play.
 Setting - Have your right foot slightly in front with your bodyweight balanced. Your shoulders,
hips, and feet face the target. Knees are bent and your back is straight. Hands are above your
forehead. Hands are in the shape of the ball.
 Passing - Before you pass the ball, you should be standing in a comfortable athletic position with
your knees bent and feet ready to move. As you’re about to pass, square up your shoulders and
get your feet positioned so you are facing your target.
4. What are the Mechanics and Rules of the game?
Basic Volleyball Rules
 6 players on the floor at any one time - 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row
 Maximum of 3 hits per side
 Points are made on every serve for wining team of rally (rally-point scoring).
 Player may not hit the ball twice in succession. (A block is not considered a hit.)
 Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.
 A ball hitting a boundary line is in.
 A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or
cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, the ceiling above a non-playable area.
 It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.
 It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.
 A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.
 After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.
 Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play. 3-set matches are 2 sets to
25 points and a third set to 15. Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the first team
to win 2 sets. 5-set matches are 4 sets to 25 points and fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2
unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The winner is the first team to win three sets.
Basic Volleyball Rule Violations
 Rule violations that result in a point for the opponent
 When serving, the player steps on or across the service line as while making contact with the
ball.
 Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.
 Ball-handling errors. Contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing,
etc.)
 Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.
 When blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, it’s illegal to contact the ball when
reaching over the net if both your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND they have a player
there to make a play on the ball.
 When attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, contacting the ball when reaching over
the net is a violation if the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.
 Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body is a violation. Exception: if it is the hand
or foot. In this case, the entire hand or entire foot must cross for it to be a violation.
 Serving out of rotation/order.
 Back-row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of
contact, the back-row player is near the net and has part of his/her body above the top of the
net. This is an illegal block.
 Back-row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line)
when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.

5. What are the Kinds of Service fault in Volleyball?

 The first service of the first set (game) and the deciding set is executed by the team determined
by the toss. The other sets will be started by the team that didn’t start the serve first in the
previous set.
The players must follow the service order recorded on the line up sheet. After the first serve, the
player to serve is determined as follows. When the serving team wins the rally, the player (or
substitute) who served before serves againWhen the receiving team wins the rally, it gains the
right to serve and rotates before actually serving. The player that was right front is now in the .
right back position and will serve.
 The first referee authorizes the server to serve after have checked the teams are ready to play
and the server is in possession of the volleyball. The volleyball shall be hit with one hand or any
part of one arm after being tossed or released from one hand or both hands.
Only one toss or release of the volleyball is allowed. Dribble or moving the ball around is
permitted.
At the moment of the serve contact, or takeoff for a jump serve, the server must not
touch the court or the ground outside the service zone.
After the contact for serve, the player may step or land outside the service zone, or
inside the court. The entire “service action” must take place within the playing area.
 USAV Rule The server must contact the ball within 8 seconds after the referee whistles for serve.
 The server must contact the ball within 5 seconds after the referee whistles for serve. If the ball
after being tossed or released by the server, lands without touching the player, it is considered a
service tossing error. After the tossing error, the referee authorizes services again and the server
must execute it within 5 seconds. One service tossing error is permitted for each service. A serve
executed before the referees whistle for serve is cancelled and repeated.
After the whistle for serve, no other actions requests for line-up check, time-
out,substitution, etc.) may be considered until after the volleyball has been served and the rally
completed. This is true even if a request has been made after a server has initiated service
action and legally permitted the ball to fall to the floor.
A re-serve is considered part of a single effort to serve and must be completed before
any requests may be considered.
 The players on the serving team must not prevent their opponent, through individual or
collective screening, from seeing the server or the flight path of the volleyball. A player or group
of players on the serving team make a screen by waving their arms, jumping or moving
sideways, or by standing grouped together to hide the flight path of the volleyball during the
execution of the serve.
 The year was 1895 and physical director William G. Morgan had a problem. The newly created game
of basketball, while popular with the kids, was proving to be too strenuous for the local businessmen. He
needed an alternative - something these older gentlemen could play - something without too much
"bumping" or "jolting".

It had to be physical - playing a game, after work and at lunch time, should provide exercise, but it
also had to relax the participants - it couldn't be too aggressive.

It had to be a sport, Morgan said, "with a strong athletic impulse, but no physical contact."

So, he borrowed. From basketball, he took the ball. From tennis the net. The use of hands and the
ability to play off the walls and over hangs, he borrowed from handball. And, from baseball, he took the
concept of innings.

He termed this new game "Mintonette". And though admittedly incomplete, it proved successful
enough to win an audience at the YMCA Physical Director's Conference held in Springfield,
Massachusetts the next year.

It was at this conference that Dr. Alfred Halstead, a professor at Springfield College, suggested a
two-word version of its present name. "Volley Ball". And it stuck.

The game of volleyball was quite a bit different from what we're used to. It was played on a
smaller 25'x50' court, with an unlimited number of players hitting the ball an unlimited number of times,
on either side of a 6'6" high net. Things tended to get a little crowded.

Each game was broken up into nine innings, each inning made up of three outs, or "serves".
These serves could be helped over the net by a second player, if the server didn't quite reach the net.

The basketball originally used proved to be a little too heavy, and the subsequent use of a
basketball bladder, too soft. Morgan remedied this by contacting A.G. Spalding, a local sporting goods
manufacturer who designed a special ball - a rubber bladder, encased in leather, 25" or so in
circumference. The "volleyball".

Though still in its infancy, the sport was slowly developing and with the YCMA taking the reigns,
Morgan was confident volleyball would continue to entertain and relax the boys down at the "Y".

What he probably didn't realize was that he had just created what would become the second
most popular team sport in the world.