History of Volleyball
The history of
volleyball began over 200 years ago. Volleyball was first played in China
between 400 BC and 300 AD. In the 1800’s, volleyball spread throughout Europe
and Asia.
How Volleyball Was Played
In the early days of
volleyball, players would hit a small leather ball back and forth across the
court. There were no rules regarding how high you could jump and where you
could run. A lot of players would use their shoes or even their bare feet.
Players didn't wear uniforms until the 1930's. The sport of volleyball became
popular at colleges around the United States. In 1891, the Intercollegiate
Volleyball Association was founded in New York City. By the turn of the
century, many universities had organized their own intercollegiate tournaments.
The First Official Rules
In 1919, the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was formed. Because they allowed any
college to play in their tournament, the NCAA established official rules for
volleyball. These included rules about who could touch the ball, how the game
should be played, and what counts as a score. The two teams started playing
each other in the 1920's.
World War II
World War II brought
the end of the dominance of American colleges in volleyball. Many men left
school to fight for our country, taking volleyball with them. While women
continued to play, men only returned in 1946. After the war, many countries
took notice of the sport and its huge popularity in America. Japan, Italy,
Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina all entered the
world stage of volleyball.
Women's Volleyball
Women's volleyball
began in 1938 when a group of students from Ohio State University decided to
start a team to compete with their male counterparts. Their first match was
against Vassar College. The National Federation of Professional Women's
Volleyball Associations (NFPWVA) was founded in 1939, and in 1941, the NFPWVA
sponsored the first U.S. Volleyball Championship. The first WVBA season began
in 1945. The U.S. Olympic Committee recognized women's volleyball as an official
sport in 1956, although women have been competing in international competitions
since 1936.
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Modern Day Volleyball
Today, we have many
different kinds of volleyball being played. Beach volley and beach volleyball
are both played on sand. Sand volleyball is played on hard courts where players
cannot run. Indoor volleyball is played in gymnasiums and stadiums, while
floorball is played on a field similar to soccer. Volleyball continues to grow
in popularity worldwide. Over 1 billion people are now involved with some kind
of volleyball activity including watching, playing, coaching, teaching,
refereeing, officiating, and volunteering.
Rules of Volleyball
Volleyball is
governed by three sets of official rules. The rules are: The International
Volleyball Federation (FIVB), the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
(FIVB), the International Volleyball Federation for Women (FIVB for Women), and
the International Volleyball Confederation (CIB). All four bodies meet
regularly to discuss technical changes and rule interpretations.
First recorded volleyball game
The first documented
game of volleyball was played on May 1, 1843 by students at the Normal School
in Hanover, N.H. A team from Dartmouth College defeated their counterparts from
Williams College 16-11. The teams were playing to settle who held the top spot
in the New England intercollegiate championship.
Rules of play
Volleyball is played
between two teams of 6 players each (12 total). Each player wears a small ball
attached to a string, which they swing over the net while running toward the
opposing team’s goal. Teams try to score points by knocking the ball off the
strings of the opposing team using any part of the body except the hands. When
a spike occurs, the opponent loses a point. If the ball touches the ground
after hitting the strings, the spike is considered illegal and the opposing
team scores a point. There are three types of spikes that can occur: a serve,
drop shot, and lob.
Serve
When serving the
ball, the server stands behind the baseline and swings the ball back with
enough force to hit the strings above the net. After contact, the ball bounces
out of bounds. Opponents cannot return serves until the ball comes to rest
inside the court.
Drop Shot
A drop shot is a type
of spike where the ball hits the ground before touching the strings. Dropping
the ball allows the server to run around the back line and get closer to the
opponent's goal. Players may not use their feet to push a ball down towards the
opponent's goal.
Lob
A lob is when the
ball is struck just below the net, causing the ball to fall towards the
opponent's goal instead of bouncing out. It is most commonly used in attack
situations.
How many international championships have been won?
There have been 5
World Championships since the sport’s inception in 1929; 1937, 1938, 1939,
1945, and 1959. Additionally, there have been two Olympic Games hosted, 1932
and 1996. These events included men’s volleyball as well as women’s volleyball.
Who invented volleyballs?
Vladimir Kokkinaki
was credited with inventing the modern day volleyball in 1912. However, he did
not patent his invention, leading others to develop similar balls. In 1914,
Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim across the Atlantic Ocean. She
was accompanied by her husband Charles Lindbergh and they swam together in a
single rowboat that had only one seat. Her feat helped pave the way for more
female participation in sports; including volleyball.
Origins
The modern game of
volleyball was invented in 18th Century Italy. In 1750, the sport became
popular among upper class men who began playing outside of public parks and
palaces. Men were known to play the sport with long sticks that resembled bocce
balls. There were no rules at first. Eventually, rules were created that banned
hitting opponents’ feet and hands, and introduced scoring systems.
Development
In 1879, the
International Fair Games Federation (Fédération Mondiale des Jeux Sportifs) was
formed in Paris. By 1920, the organization had spread across Europe. In 1927,
the first world championship tournament took place in Prague. Today, volleyball
is played in over 100 countries and is recognized by the International Olympic
Committee as a sport.
Growth
Volleyball grew
significantly after World War II. Due to the invention of plastics, materials
improved to allow players to wear less clothing. A spike ball was developed to
replace the standard wooden stick. Modern technology allowed teams to have more
equipment and increased the number of courts. In 1961, the first official rules
document was written. Since then, the game has become increasingly popular.
Importance
According to World
Health Organization data, about 2 billion people currently practice some type
of physical activity. Volleyball is an excellent way to exercise and improve
muscle tone. Playing the sport also helps improve hand-eye coordination and
improves endurance. Volleyball's popularity has grown worldwide since its
formation. It has been observed that children today are participating in
volleyball with their parents much earlier than before. Adults are now showing
interest in the sport because they want to enjoy it alongside their children.
Future
Volleyball is
expected to continue growing in popularity in the future. The game is already
becoming an international event where players compete in events such as the
FIVB World Cup. As technology advances, so does the sport. Teams are able to
use high tech spikes to increase accuracy. New innovations are being made to
further improve the game. Players are now wearing protective gear instead of
just uniforms. This allows them to wear sneakers, tights, and socks. These
improvements help reduce injuries that would otherwise occur due to collisions.
Team members are now using holographic training tools to improve their
performance. Holographic technology helps players improve their skills while
reducing the risk of injury.
Volleyball was invented in 1895 by Dr. James Naismith, who
developed the game after observing a group of young men playing what he thought
looked like rugby while at YMCA Training School in Springfield MA. He later went
on to invent basketball, which was first played in 1891. On January 17th,1896,
the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) held their inaugural congress in
Prague, Czechoslovakia. In 1912, volleyball became recognized as an official
Olympic sport.
The original rules
were written down by Naismith, and they included 12 players per team, 2 teams,
and the ball could not travel over the net. Today's rules have changed quite a
bit! Most notably, the number of players on each team has increased to 15, and the
height of the backboard has been raised significantly. There are now 5
different types of serves and 4 different types of blocks. A few years ago,
women's volleyball was added to the Olympics, and today the FIVB oversees both
genders' versions of the game.
Brief History of Volleyball
- The first volleyball was invented by William Guegan in 1885. He created the game after seeing players play handball (a forerunner to modern day basketball) while playing tennis. In 1887, he published his book “The Game of Handball”, detailing how to play the sport.
- In 1895, James Naismith came up with a design for the netting used today. He originally called it the ‘Tee Net’, but later changed it to what we know today as ‘Netting’. By 1898, a group of athletes met at Springfield College in Massachusetts, USA to create rules for a new game. The game was officially named 'Volley Ball' by John Voris, who had been working for the YMCA at Springfield.
- In 1914, Dr. William Ruckelshaus, an English professor from Princeton University, developed the first official set of rules for volleyball. These rules were based on the rules of football, rugby, and baseball.
- From 1914 until 1936, the International Volleyball Federation was established. Its goal was to establish international rules for volleyball. However, due to World War I, this wasn't possible. The organization was reestablished in 1954, but was dissolved again in 1959.
- In 1965, the Pan American Games were held in Mexico City, where the first ever World Championship of Volleyball was played. Four years later, the games returned to Brazil, where they have remained since.
- In 1966, the United States hosted the first FIVB World Championships. The tournament was won by Yugoslavia, followed by the USSR, Italy, and Japan.
- In 1973, the Women's Volleyball World Cup was inaugurated. The inaugural event took place in Tokyo, Japan. China won their first title in 1975, defeating Yugoslavia.
- In 1978, the world championship trophy was donated by the Japanese government to the FIVB. The first winner of the trophy was Brazil.
- In 1983, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) was founded. Their mission statement was to promote and develop volleyball around the world.
- In 1988, the FIVB decided to split the men's and women's competitions apart. Men's tournaments were now known as the World League, while the Women's World Championship was renamed the World Grand Prix.
- In 1991, the FIVB announced the creation of two leagues. One league would consist of countries from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, while the other league would consist of European nations.
- In 1992, the FIVB approved the use of electronic scoreboards. A year later, the FIVB allowed the use of television broadcasts.
- In 1998, the FIVB gave its approval for the introduction of polyurethane balls.
- In 1999, the FIVB banned the use of spike blocking.until you know them inside and out.
Description
"The game of volleyball was invented in
ancient Greece and Rome. The ball was made out of leather or cloth, depending
on the climate and weather conditions. When the ball hit the ground, it bounced
back up and the player had to try and catch it before it went over the
net."
