Volleyball History and Facts

Origins

• Volleyball was created as a low-impact version of basketball. William G. Morgan created the sport in 1895 at a YMCA in Holyoke, Mass. He hoped to create a game that combined elements of basketball, tennis, baseball and handball. This low-impact game was designed with middle-aged men who desired a less-strenuous sport in mind. The original name for volleyball was mintonette. People watching the game suggested the name volleyball because of the high volleying speed that playing created. The first official "volleyball" game was played in 1896; volleyball.com says as of 2009, there were 46 million Americans who played volleyball and 800 million worldwide who played at least once a week.

Modern Play

• Modern volleyball has many of the same rules as the original game. The point system changed from the original 21 points needed to win down to 15 in 1917. Women now play the sport as well. The sport was first played in the Olympics in 1964. Since 1964, the base rules of volleyball have changed little, other than the addition of 2 person volleyball, according to volleyball.com.

Players

• There are usually six players on each team for volleyball, although two-player teams are used in beach volleyball. Player positions in the six-person game include right back, center back, left back, left front, center front and left front. Players take turns serving the ball over the net and rotate positions throughout the game.

Core Rules

• A volleyball game is won by the first team to reach 15 points, but the winning team must win by at least two points. Teams need to win two of three games, or, in some cases, three of five games to win a match. Players must stand in the set positions of center, right, left, front and back during the serve and at the start of the game, but afterward can move around on their side of the net to hit and block the ball. Players score by hitting the ball on the ground on the opponent's side, or by causing the other team's players to hit the net or knock the ball out of bounds. A team can hit the ball only three times before passing it to the other team, and a player cannot hit it twice in a row.

Beach Volleyball

• Beach volleyball started in Santa Monica, Calif., in the 1920s. A net was set up near the beach as part of a park program. It was not until the 1930s, however, that the two-person style of beach volleyball was invented. The first beach volleyball tournament was held in 1948. It was not until 1996, however, that two-person beach volleyball was introduced as an Olympic sport. The rules of beach volleyball are the same as court volleyball, but the sand floor and two-person teams give the game a new challenge.