The History of the Volleyball

Volleyball was created in 1895 by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The sport was originally known as "mintonette," taking characteristics from both tennis and handball. Just four years earlier, the game of basketball was invented in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts. Basketball, along with tennis and baseball, was a major influence in the creation of volleyball.

  1. History

    • William G. Morgan (1870--1942) studied at Springfield College in Massachusetts and later became a physical education director at a local YMCA. Inspired by Dr. James Naismith, who had invented basketball four years earlier, Morgan wanted to create a similar team sport for the older members of the YMCA that involved less running but still required athletic skill. The original name Morgan gave his new sport, mintonette, was later changed when a bystander, Alfred S. Halstead, noted the volleying motion that propelled the game.

    Original Rules

    • Morgan created a set of rules for mintonette that would later be revised as the game took off in popularity in the United States and around the world.

      In the original volleyball, the net was 6 feet 6 inches high, and the court's dimensions were 25 feet by 50 feet. An unlimited number of players were allowed on each side. Like baseball, a game included nine innings; there were three service chances (two attempts) for each team per inning. Lastly, there were no limits on the number of times a team could hit the ball on their side before successfully lobbing it over the net.

    Developments

    • In 1916, different methods of volleying, including the "set and spike" skill, were introduced. A few years later, the "three hit" rule was implemented and is still used today. Promoters of volleyball helped grow the sport through initiatives like having the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) distribute volleyballs to U.S. and Allied troops.

    International Significance

    • Although the sport of volleyball originated in the United States, it quickly spread to other countries around the world. In 1900, Canada became the first country outside of the United States to play volleyball. The sport's increasing popularity necessitated a governing board to organize tournaments and rules. In 1928, the United States Volleyball Association (USVBA), currently known as USA Volleyball, was first introduced. In 1947, the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) was created to govern all international events. Indoor volleyball was first played as an Olympic sport at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan. Today, volleyball is most popular in the U.S., Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia and China.

    Beach Volleyball

    • Beach volleyball uses the same basic rules as indoor or Olympic volleyball but is played with only two people on a team. In the 1930, the first two-man beach game was played in Santa Monica, California; 18 years later, the first official tournament (one with a prize) was held in Los Angeles. Like indoor volleyball, beach volleyball would need its own governing board due to increasing popularity. FIVB is the main governing board for international events and USA Volleyball is the governing board for events held in the United States. In 1983, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was created to organize national beach volleyball tournaments. The AVP currently has 18 major annual events and has greatly increased its broadcast hours since 2000. Beach volleyball was first played as an Olympic sport at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia.