Volleyball

History:

Volleyball originated in the United States in 1895. It was developed by William C. Morgan, a student at Springfield College. At that time, it was a mixture of three sports: team handball, tennis, and baseball. To play the net was set at 6 ft. high and the rubber bladder from a basketball was used as the ball. The game lasted nine innings and server had three outs (mistakes by the team) before losing possession. Any amount of players allowed on each side.

The rules gradually changed over the next 30 years. The net was raised to 8 feet, a 6-man team was established, the center line was added, a 3-hit rule was introduced, and a team had to be ahead by 2 points to win. The evolution of the game as we know it today was completed by 1925. The game finally became an Olympic Sport in almost 40 years later in 1964.

Rules:

· 6 players on the court per team (3 front row, 3 back row)

· Play begins with a serve

· Server must serve the ball from behind the endline

· Only one attempt allowed on the serve

· Serve may touch the net as it goes over (rally scoring)

· Ball must be returned in 3 hits or less

· Ball may not touch the floor during play

· Back-row players may not attack, block, or spike the ball

· No player can hit the ball twice in a row (Exception: player took part in a block—the block does not count as a hit)

· Players may not hold, lift, or carry the ball

· Serve must rotate to another player each time a team wins back the serve

· The serve must be received with a bump (forearm pass) if it is returned (over the net) on that hit. (If a player sets it-it must go to another player on their team before going over the net.

· A player may NEVER touch the net

· A player may not cross over the centerline (some part of the foot may cross over, but it must be on or above the centerline)

· The ball CANNOT be kicked

TERMS:

Fault (Foul): any violation of the rules of the game

Held ball: (fault) may be called when a player does not contact the ball cleanly

Double-hit: (fault) when a player hits the ball twice in a row (with no other player touching it in between)

Carry: (fault) when a player receives the ball and holds it for a short period of time before sending it aloft over the net or to another player

Ace: a serve that is not returned (no opposing player touches it)

Approach: a series of 4 quick steps that a hitter takes before spiking the ball

Attacker: a front-row player, also known as a hitter

Kill: a spiked ball that is not returned (no opposing player touches it)

Match: best of three, or best of five games

Rally/Volley: when the ball is passed back and forth between the two teams any number of times with no fault or point scored

Side-Out: when a team loses possession of the ball

Skills:

Back-Set: a set that is set to the attacker/hitter behind the setter

Block: an attempt by one or more defensive players to obstruct a spike at the net made by the opposing team

Bump (Forearm Pass): skill most often used to receive a serve

Dig: a individual defensive strategy; one-arm desperation play to save a hard-driven shot

Dink: offensive drop shot

Serve: the skill that begins game play

Set (overhead pass): skill that sets up the ball for the attacker/hitter

Spike: a hard-driven shot at the net made by an attacker/hitter

Scoring:

A point is scored when:

· The ball lands in bounds on the opponent’s court

· The opponents are unable to return the serve within 3 hits

· The opponents hit the ball out of bounds

· The opponents commit a fault (or foul)

Rally Point Scoring:

Team winning a rally scores a point. There is a point scored on every serve. You do not have to be the serving team to score a point. Games are played to 25 points. A team must be ahead by 2 points. If there is a deciding game in the match-play is to 15 points.

Side-Out Scoring (Traditional)

Only the serving team may score a point. Play is to 15 points. A team must be ahead by 2 to win.