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Invention of the game

The game of basketball as it is known today was created by Dr. James Naismith in December 1891 in
Springfield, Massachusetts to condition young athletes during cold months. It consisted of peach baskets and a
soccer style ball. He published 13 rules for the new game. He divided his class of eighteen into two teams of
nine players each and set about to teach them the basics of his new game. The objective of the game was to
throw the basketball into the fruit baskets nailed to the lower railing of the gym balcony. Every time a point was
scored, the game was halted so the janitor could bring out a ladder and retrieve the ball. After a while, the
bottoms of the fruit baskets were removed. The first public basketball game was played in Springfield,
Massachusetts, on March 11, 1892.

Original Rules
There were only thirteen rules of "basket ball":
1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.
3. A player cannot run with the ball, the player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it,
allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at good speed.
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands, the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be
allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul, the second shall
disqualify him until the next goal is made, or if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the
whole of the game, no substitute.
6. A foul is striking the ball with the fist, violation of rules 3 and 4, and such as described in rule 5.
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count a goal for opponents.
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from grounds into the basket and stays there. If
the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket it shall count as a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field and played by the person first touching
it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The "thrower-in" is allowed five
seconds. If he holds it longer it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the
umpire shall call a foul on them.
10.The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls, and notify the referee when three
consecutive fouls have been made.
11.The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in-bounds, and to
which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep
account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12.The time shall be fifteen-minute halves, with five-minute rests between.
13.The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In the case of a draw, the game
may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.

The first basketball game

On December 21, 1891, James Naismith published rules for a new game using five basic ideas and thirteen
rules. That day, he asked his class to play a match in the Armory Street court: 9 versus 9, using a soccer ball and
two peach baskets. Frank Mahan, one of his students, wasnt so happy. He just said: "Harrumph. Another new
game". However, Naismith was the inventor of the new game. Someone proposed to call it "Naismith Game",
but he suggested "We have a ball and a basket: why dont we call it basketball?". The eighteen players were
John G. Thompson, Eugene S. Libby, Edwin P. Ruggles, William R. Chase, T. Duncan Patton, Frank Mahan,
Finlay G. MacDonald, William H. Davis and Lyman Archibald, who defeated George Weller, Wilbert Carey,
Ernest Hildner, Raymond Kaighn, Genzabaro Ishikawa, Benjamin S. French, Franklin Barnes, George Day and
Henry Gelan 10. The goal was scored by Chase. There were other differences between Naismiths first idea
and the game played today. The peach baskets were closed, and balls had to be retrieved manually, until a small
hole was put in the bottom of the peach basket to poke the ball out using a stick. Only in 1906 were metal
hoops, nets and backboards introduced. Moreover, earlier the soccer ball was replaced by a Spalding ball,
similar to the one used today.

YMCA, U.S. Army Spread Development

The YMCA had a major role in spreading basketball throughout the United States, Canada, and the world. In
1893, Mel Rideout arranged the first European match in Paris, in Montmartre. At the same time, Bob Gailey
went to Tientsin, China, Duncan Patton to India, Genzabaro Ishikawa to Japan, and C. Hareek to Persia.
The First World War broke out in 1914, and the U.S. Army started fighting in Europe in 1917. During World
War I, the American Expeditionary Force took basketball wherever it went. Together with the troops, there were
hundreds of physical education teachers who knew basketball. Naismith also spent two years with the YMCA
in France in that period.

Professional leagues, teams, and organizations

The first professional league was founded in 1898. Six teams took part in the National Basketball League, and
the first champions were the Trenton Nationals, followed by the New York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile Drivers
and the Camden Electrics. The league was abandoned in 1904. Then, many small championships were
organized, but most of them were not as important as some teams who played for money against challengers.
The Original Celtics, for instance, are considered the "fathers of basketball" and were presented as "Worlds
Basketball Champions";the players had to sign a contract to play with them, and Jim Furey organized matches
as a circus, moving daily from town to town. The Celtics became the strongest team, and their successes lasted
from 1922 until 1928, when the team disbanded due to ownership problems. The Original Celtics are sometimes
incorrectly thought of as forebears of the current Boston Celtics of the NBA; in reality, they share only a name,
as today's Celtics were not founded until 1946, nearly two decades after the demise of the Original Celtics. In
1922, the first all-African American professional team was founded: the Rens (also known as New York
Renaissance or Harlem Renaissance). The Rens were the Original Celtics usual opponent, and for their matches
a ticket cost $1. They took part in some official championships and won the first World Professional Basketball
Tournament in 1939. The team disbanded in 1949.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Basket Ball League (founded in 1909), Metropolitan Basketball League
(founded in 1921) and American Basketball League (founded in 1925) were the most important leagues.

American colleges lead the way

The greatest level of early basketball activity outside of YMCAs was seen in American colleges. The first
known U.S. college to field a basketball team against an outside opponent was Vanderbilt University, which
played against the local YMCA in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 7, 1893. The second recorded instance of

an organized college basketball game was Geneva College's game against the New Brighton YMCA on April 8,
1893, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which Geneva won 30.
The first recorded game between two college teams occurred on February 9, 1895, when Hamline
University faced Minnesota A&M (which later became a part of the University of Minnesota). Minnesota A&M
won the game, which was played under rules allowing nine players per side, 93. The first intercollegiate match
using the modern rule of five players per side is often credited as a game between the University of Chicago and
the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Iowa, on January 18, 1896. The Chicago team, which was organized
by Amos Alonzo Stagg, who had learned the game from James Naismith at the Springfield YMCA, won the
game 1512. (Some sources state the first "true" five-on-five intercollegiate match was a game in 1897
between Yale and Penn, because the Iowa team, that played Chicago in 1896, was composed of University of
Iowa students, but did not officially represent the University of Iowa rather being organized through a
YMCA.) By 1900 the game of basketball had spread to colleges across the country .
By 1897 the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) had taken over oversight of basketball activity from the
YMCA. In April 1905, representatives of fifteen colleges separately took over control of the college game,
creating the collegiate "Basket Ball Rule Committee." The Committee was in turn absorbed into the predecessor
of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1909. The extremely popular NCAA Men's
Basketball Tournament was started in 1939.

First international games

After its arrival in Europe, basketball developed very quickly. In 1909 the first international match was held
in Saint Petersburg: Mayak Saint Petersburg beat a YMCA American team. The first great European event was
held in 1919 in Joinville-le-Pont, near Paris, during the Inter-Allied Games. United States, led by future Hall of
Fame player Max Friedman, won against Italy and France, and then Italy beat France. Basketball soon became
popular among French and Italians. The Italian team had a white shirt with the House of Savoy shield and the
players were: Arrigo and Marco Muggiani, Baccarini, Giuseppe Sessa, Palestra, Pecollo and Bagnoli.

Formation of FIBA
World basketball was growing, but it was on June 18, 1932 that a real international organization was formed, to
coordinate tournaments and teams: that day, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal,
Romania and Switzerland founded the International Basketball Federation (Fdration internationale de
basketball amateur, FIBA) in Geneva. Its work was fundamental for the first inclusion of basketball in
the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. The first Olympic title was won by the U.S. national team: Sam
Balter, Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, Tex Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Carl Knowles, Frank Lubin, Art
Mollner, Donald Piper, Jack Ragland, Willard Schmidt, Carl Shy, Duane Swanson, Bill Wheatley and the
trainer James Needles. Canada was runner-up; the games were played on an outdoor clay court. The first World
Championship was held in Argentina in 1950.

NBA
The Basketball league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of
America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949 after merging
with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). As of the early 21st century, the NBA is the most significant
professional basketball league in the US in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition.

American Basketball Association

The American Basketball Association (ABA) was founded as an alternative to the NBA in 1967 at a time when
the NBA was experiencing a lot of popularity. The ABA offered an alternative ethos and game style as well as
some changes in the rules. Julius Erving was the leading player in the league, and helped launch a modern style
of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim. His playing strength helped legitimize the American
Basketball Association. The league emphasized excitement and liveliness, be it in the color of the ball (red,
white and blue), the manner of play, wild promotions, or the three-point shot. National recognition and earnings
were low, leading the league to look for a way out of its problems. Merger with the more established and very
successful NBA was seen as a solution. The ABA was folded into the NBA in the summer of 1976, its four most
successful franchises (the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs) being
incorporated into the older league. The aggressive, loose style of play and the three-point shot were taken up by
the NBA.

African Americans in basketball

The Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn and the St. Christopher Club of New York City were established as the
first fully organized independent all-black basketball teams in 1906. These teams were amateur.
In 1907 the amateur, all-black Olympian Athletic League was formed in New York City consisting of the Smart
Set Athletic Club, St. Christopher Club, Marathon Athletic Club, Alpha Physical Culture Club, and the Jersey
City Colored YMCA. The first inter-city basketball game between two black teams was played in 1907 when
the Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn travelled to Washington, DC to play the Crescent Athletic Club.
In 1908 Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn, a member of the Olympian Athletic League, was named the first
Colored Basketball World's Champion.
In 1910 Howard Universitys first varsity basketball team began.
In 1922 the Commonwealth Five, the first all-black professional team was founded. The New York
Renaissance was founded in 1923.
In 1939 the all-black New York Renaissance beat the all-white Oshkosh All-Stars in the World Pro Basketball
Tournament.
From the late 1920s the African American Harlem Globetrotters were a successful touring team, winning the
WPBT in 1940.
The all-white National Basketball League began to racially integrate in 1942 with 10 black players joining two
teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets, and the Chicago Studebakers. The NBA integrated in 195051
seasons, just two years after its founding, with three black players each achieving a separate milestone in that
process. In the draft held immediately prior to that season, Chuck Cooper became the first black player drafted
by an NBA team. Shortly after the draft, Nat Clifton became the first black player to sign an NBA contract.
Finally, Earl Lloyd became the first black player to appear in an NBA game as his team started its season before
either Cooper's or Clifton's.
After the integration of the NBA, the Harlem Globetrotters started to focus on international touring and
exhibition performances, including comic routines. These tours helped to popularize basketball internationally,
and gave the Globetrotters the reputation as Basketball's goodwill ambassadors.

Modern Day NBA

The NBA has helped popularize basketball all over the world. A large part of this is due to the transcendent stars
that have played the game through the years. It was because of the play of Michael Jordan basketball started to
reach international audiences, especially on the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, known as
the Dream Team.

After his final championship and second retirement in 1998, there was a void as in who would be the face of
basketball. Soon after with the help of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant would go on to win three straight
championships from 20002002 with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping make basketball more popular in many
places around the world, most noticeably China. Further championships in 2009 and 2010 helped raise his
popularity. In 2015, he announced the following season would be his last. He would have played in 20 seasons
by then.
Another player who revolutionized the game of basketball was LeBron James. He was taken as the first overall
pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and has worked his way to become the face of the NBA
and basketball around the world. He left the Cavaliers in 2010 to join the Miami Heat along with fellow
stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in what become known as the controversial decision, winning back-to-back
championships in 2012 and 2013 before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014 where he won a third championship
in 2016.
There have been many international players who helped globalize the game. The most noticeable would be Yao
Ming. He was the first ever Chinese player to be selected with the number one overall pick in 2002 by
the Houston Rockets. His play and presence in the NBA brought attention to basketball in Asian countries.
The style of basketball has evolved over time as well. Basketball, especially in the 90's and 2000's, used to give
importance to big men. Games were slow-paced and very defense-oriented. Now because of teams like the San
Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors, ball movement and team play is more common. The game has
slowly moved away from this type of play. The game now is up-tempo and teams are starting to involve a lot
more three point shooting in their offenses. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors has been a trendsetter
with his shooting abilities. In a way he has popularized and re-energized the notion of shooting among the
youth.

The Rules
Basketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop
elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a
hoop at each end. The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line. If the offensive team puts
the ball into play behind the mid-court line, it has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line. If it
doesn't, then the defense gets the ball. Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no
longer have possession of the ball in the area in back of the line. If it does, the defense is awarded the ball.
The ball is moved down the court toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the
offense. The team without the ball is called the defense. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect
passes, and garner rebounds.
When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal,
is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point.
Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half
and/or the type of foul committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded
the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets
three shots. Other types of fouls do not result in free throws being awarded until a certain number have
accumulated during a half. Once that number is reached, then the player who was fouled is awarded a '1-and-1'
opportunity. If he makes his first free throw, he gets to attempt a second. If he misses the first shot, the ball is
live on the rebound.
Each game is divided into sections. All levels have two halves. In college, each half is twenty minutes long. In
high school and below, the halves are divided into eight (and sometimes, six) minute quarters. In the pros,
quarters are twelve minutes long. There is a gap of several minutes between halves. Gaps between quarters are
relatively short. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, then overtime periods of various lengths are played
until a winner emerges.
Each team is assigned a basket or goal to defend. This means that the other basket is their scoring basket. At
halftime, the teams switch goals. The game begins with one player from either team at center court. A referee
will toss the ball up between the two. The player that gets his hands on the ball will tip it to a teammate. This is

called a tip-off. In addition to stealing the ball from an opposing player, there are other ways for a team to get
the ball.
One such way is if the other team commits a foul or violation.
Fouls and Violations
FOULS
Personal fouls: Personal fouls include any type of illegal physical contact.

Hitting

Pushing

Slapping

Holding

Illegal pick/screen -- when an offensive player is moving. When an offensive player sticks out a limb
and makes physical contact with a defender in an attempt to block the path of the defender.
Personal foul penalties: If a player is shooting while a being fouled, then he gets two free throws if his shot
doesn't go in, but only one free throw if his shot does go in.

Three free throws are awarded if the player is fouled while shooting for a three-point goal and they miss
their shot. If a player is fouled while shooting a three-point shot and makes it anyway, he is awarded one free
throw. Thus, he could score four points on the play.

Inbounds. If fouled while not shooting, the ball is given to the team the foul was committed upon. They
get the ball at the nearest side or baseline, out of bounds, and have 5 seconds to pass the ball onto the court.

One & one. If the team committing the foul has seven or more fouls in the game, then the player who
was fouled is awarded one free throw. If he makes his first shot, then he is awarded another free throw.

Ten or more fouls. If the team committing the foul has ten or more fouls, then the fouled player receives
two free throws.
Charging. An offensive foul that is committed when a player pushes or runs over a defensive player. The ball is
given to the team that the foul was committed upon.
Blocking. Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not establishing position in time to
prevent an opponent's drive to the basket.
Flagrant foul. Violent contact with an opponent. This includes hitting, kicking, and punching. This type of foul
results in free throws plus the offense retaining possession of the ball after the free throws.
Intentional foul. When a player makes physical contact with another player with no reasonable effort to steal
the ball. It is a judgment call for the officials.
Technical foul. Technical foul. A player or a coach can commit this type of foul. It does not involve player
contact or the ball but is instead about the 'manners' of the game. Foul language, obscenity, obscene gestures,
and even arguing can be considered a technical foul, as can technical details regarding filling in the scorebook
improperly or dunking during warm-ups.

VIOLATIONS
Walking/Traveling. Taking more than 'a step and a half' without dribbling the ball is traveling. Moving your

pivot foot once you've stopped dribbling is traveling.

Carrying/palming. When a player dribbles the ball with his hand too far to the side of or, sometimes, even
under the ball.
Double Dribble. Dribbling the ball with both hands on the ball at the same time or picking up the dribble and
then dribbling again is a double dribble.
Held ball. Occasionally, two or more opposing players will gain possession of the ball at the same time. In
order to avoid a prolonged and/or violent tussle, the referee stops the action and awards the ball to one team or
the other on a rotating basis.
Goaltending. If a defensive player interferes with a shot while it's on the way down toward the basket, while it's
on the way up toward the basket after having touched the backboard, or while it's in the cylinder above the rim,
it's goaltending and the shot counts. If committed by an offensive player, it's a violation and the ball is awarded
to the opposing team for a throw-in.
Backcourt violation. Once the offense has brought the ball across the mid-court line, they cannot go back
across the line during possession. If they do, the ball is awarded to the other team to pass inbounds.
Time restrictions. A player passing the ball inbounds has five seconds to pass the ball. If he does not, then the
ball is awarded to the other team. Other time restrictions include the rule that a player cannot have the ball for
more than five seconds when being closely guarded and, in some states and levels, shot-clock restrictions
requiring a team to attempt a shot within a given time frame.
Player Positions
Center. Centers are generally your tallest players. They generally are positioned near the basket.
Offensive -- The center's goal is to get open for a pass and to shoot. They are also responsible for blocking
defenders, known as picking or screening, to open other players up for driving to the basket for a goal. Centers
are expected to get some offensive rebounds and put-backs.
Defensive -- On defense, the center's main responsibility is to keep opponents from shooting by blocking shots
and passes in the key area. They also are expected to get a lot of rebounds because they're taller.
Forward. Your next tallest players will most likely be your forwards. While a forward may be called upon to
play under the hoop, they may also be required to operate in the wings and corner areas.
Offensive -- Forwards are responsible to get free for a pass, take outside shots, drive for goals, and rebound.
Defensive -- Responsibilities include preventing drives to the goal and rebounding.
Guard. These are potentially your shortest players and they should be really good at dribbling fast, seeing the
court, and passing. It is their job to bring the ball down the court and set up offensive plays.
Offensive -- Dribbling, passing, and setting up offensive plays are a guard's main responsibilities. They also
need to be able to drive to the basket and to shoot from the perimeter.
Defensive -- On defense, a guard is responsible for stealing passes, contesting shots, preventing drives to the
hoop, and for boxing out.

Where Should New Players and Coaches Start?

First, we suggest that you focus on learning the basic fundamentals of basketball.
To teach fundamental skills, start with these 72 free basketball drills that include full diagrams and step by step
instructions. They will help you develop strong fundamentals and basketball skills.
Like any sport, no matter what your age -- whether you're a professional athlete or a youth player just getting
started -- you need strong fundamentals to be successful!
Unfortunately, most people don't really understand what that means.
The fundamentals include working on the little things that make you better -- no matter what team or coach you
play for -- or what offense or defense you are running.
For example, by working on the fundamentals of shooting, you will get better no matter what team you play for.
The fundamentals of shooting include proper foot alignment, leg bend, hand position, arm angle, follow
through, and so on. These are some of the little things that make a difference. Learn them!
The same goes for lays ups, foot work, post play, passing, jab steps, jump stops, pivoting, blocking out, and so
on.

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Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score
points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official
program of the Summer Olympic Games since 1964.
The complete rules are extensive. But simply, play proceeds as follows: a player on one of the teams begins a
'rally' by serving the ball (tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand or arm), from behind the back
boundary line of the court, over the net, and into the receiving team's court. The receiving team must not let the
ball be grounded within their court. The team may touch the ball up to 3 times but individual players may not
touch the ball twice consecutively. Typically, the first two touches are used to set up for an attack, an attempt to
direct the ball back over the net in such a way that the serving team is unable to prevent it from being grounded
in their court.
The rally continues, with each team allowed as many as three consecutive touches, until either (1): a team
makes a kill, grounding the ball on the opponent's court and winning the rally; or (2): a team commits
a fault and loses the rally. The team that wins the rally is awarded a point, and serves the ball to start the next
rally. A few of the most common faults include:

causing the ball to touch the ground or floor outside the opponents' court or without first passing over
the net;

catching and throwing the ball;

double hit: two consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same player;

four consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same team;

net foul: touching the net during play;

foot fault: the foot crosses over the boundary line when serving.

The ball is usually played with the hands or arms, but players can legally strike or push (short contact) the ball
with any part of the body.
A number of consistent techniques have evolved in volleyball, including spiking and blocking (because these
plays are made above the top of the net, the vertical jump is an athletic skill emphasized in the sport) as well
as passing, setting, and specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures.

Origin of Volleyball
On February 9, 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts (USA), William G. Morgan, a YMCA physical education
director, created a new game called Mintonette as a pastime to be played (preferably) indoors and by any
number of players. The game took some of its characteristics from tennis and handball. Another indoor
sport, basketball, was catching on in the area, having been invented just ten miles (sixteen kilometers) away in
the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, only four years before. Mintonette was designed to be an indoor sport,
less rough than basketball, for older members of the YMCA, while still requiring a bit of athletic effort.
The first rules, written down by William G Morgan, called for a net 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high, a 25 ft 50 ft (7.6 m
15.2 m) court, and any number of players. A match was composed of nine innings with three serves for each
team in each inning, and no limit to the number of ball contacts for each team before sending the ball to the
opponents' court. In case of a serving error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the ball into the net was
considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)except in the case of the first-try serve.
After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in 1896,
played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College), the game quickly became
known as volleyball (it was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball"). Volleyball rules were slightly
modified by the International YMCA Training School and the game spread around the country to various
YMCAs.

Refinements and later developments

The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say that Spalding created the first official ball
in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1900. The rules evolved over time: in the Philippines by 1916, the
skill and power of the set and spike had been introduced, and four years later a "three hits" rule and a rule
against hitting from the back row were established. In 1917, the game was changed from 21 to 15 points. In
1919, about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies,
which sparked the growth of volleyball in new countries.
The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900. An international federation,
the Fdration Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and the first World Championships
were held in 1949 for men and 1952 for women. The sport is now popular in Brazil, in Europe (where
especially Italy, the Netherlands, and countries from Eastern Europe have been major forces since the late
1980s), in Russia, and in other countries including China and the rest of Asia, as well as in the United States.

A nudist/naturist volleyball game at the Sunny Trails Club during the 1958 Canadian Sunbathing Association
(CSA) convention in British Columbia, Canada
Beach volleyball, a variation of the game played on sand and with only two players per team, became a FIVBendorsed variation in 1987 and was added to the Olympic program at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Volleyball is
also a sport at the Paralympics managed by the World Organization Volleyball for Disabled.
Nudists were early adopters of the game with regular organized play in clubs as early as the late 1920s. By the
1960s, a volleyball court had become standard in almost all nudist/naturist clubs.

Volleyball in the Olympics

The history of Olympic volleyball traces back to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where volleyball was
played as part of an American sports demonstration event. After the foundation of FIVB and some continental
confederations, it began to be considered for official inclusion. In 1957, a special tournament was held at the
53rd IOC session in Sofia, Bulgaria to support such request. The competition was a success, and the sport was
officially included in the program for the 1964 Summer Olympics.
The Olympic volleyball tournament was originally a simple competition: all teams played against each other
team and then were ranked by wins, set average, and point average. One disadvantage of this roundrobin system is that medal winners could be determined before the end of the games, making the audience lose
interest in the outcome of the remaining matches. To cope with this situation, the competition was split into two
phases with the addition of a "final round" elimination tournament consisting of quarterfinals, semifinals, and
finals matches in 1972. The number of teams involved in the Olympic tournament has grown steadily since
1964. Since 1996, both men's and women's events count twelve participant nations. Each of the five continental
volleyball confederations has at least one affiliated national federation involved in the Olympic Games.
The U.S.S.R. won men's gold in both 1964 and 1968. After taking bronze in 1964 and silver in 1968, Japan
finally won the gold for men's volleyball in 1972. Women's gold went to Japan in 1964 and again in 1976. That
year, the introduction of a new offensive skill, the backrow attack, allowed Poland to win the men's competition
over the Soviets in a very tight five-set match. Since the strongest teams in men's volleyball at the time
belonged to the Eastern Bloc, the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics did not have as great an
effect on these events as it had on the women's. The U.S.S.R. collected their third Olympic Gold Medal in men's
volleyball with a 31 victory over Bulgaria (the Soviet women won that year as well, their third gold as well).
With the U.S.S.R. boycotting the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the U.S. was able to sweep Brazil in the
finals to win the men's gold medal. Italy won its first medal (bronze in the men's competition) in 1984,
foreshadowing a rise in prominence for their volleyball teams. The 1984 women's tournament was also won by
a rising force, China.
At the 1988 Games, Karch Kiraly and Steve Timmons led the U.S. men's team to a second straight gold medal,
and the Soviets won the fourth gold in the women's tournament. In 1992, underrated Brazil upset favourites
C.I.S., Netherlands, and Italy in the men's competition for the country's first volleyball Olympic gold medal.
Runner-up Netherlands, men's silver medalist in 1992, came back under team leaders Ron Zwerver and Olof
van der Meulen in the 1996 Games for a five-set win over Italy. A men's bronze medalist in 1996, Serbia and
Montenegro (playing in 1996 and 2000 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) beat Russia in the gold medal
match in 2000, winning their first gold medal ever. In all three games the strong Cuban female team led
by Regla Torres and Mireya Luis won the Gold medal. In 2004, Brazil won its second men's volleyball gold
medal beating Italy in the finals, while China beat Russia for its second women's title. In the 2008 Games, the
USA beat Brazil in the men's volleyball final. Brazil was runner-up again at the 2012 Summer Olympics, this
time losing to Russia after losing two match points in the third set. In both games Brazil's women team beat the
United States for the gold medal.

Timeline of Significant Volleyball Events

In 1900, a special ball was designed for the sport.

In 1916, in the Philippines, an offensive style of passing the ball in a high trajectory to be struck by another
player (the set and spike) were introduced.
In 1917, the game was changed from 21 to 15 points.
In 1920, three hits per side and back row attack rules were instituted.
In 1922, the first YMCA national championships were held in Brooklyn, NY. Twenty-seven teams from 11
states were represented.
In 1928, it became clear that tournaments and rules were needed, so the United States Volleyball Association
(USVBA, now USA Volleyball) was formed. The first U.S. Open was staged, as the field was open to nonYMCA squads.
In 1930, the first two-man beach game was played.
In 1934, national volleyball referees were approved and recognized.
In 1937, at the AAU convention in Boston, action was taken to recognize the U.S. Volleyball Association as the
official national governing body in the U.S.
In 1947, the Federation Internationale De Volley-Ball (FIVB) was founded.
In 1948, the first two-man beach tournament was held.
In 1949, the initial World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
In 1964, volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
In 1965, the California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) was formed.
In 1974, the World Championships in Mexico were telecast in Japan.
In 1975, the U.S. National Womens team began a year-round training regime in Pasadena, Texas (moved to
Colorado Springs in 1979, Coto de Caza and Fountain Valley, CA, in 1980, and San Diego, CA, in 1985).
In 1977, the U.S. National Mens Team began a year-round training regime in Dayton, Ohio (moved to San
Diego, CA, in 1981).
In 1983, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was formed.
In 1984, the U.S. won their first medals at the Olympics in Los Angeles. The men won the gold, and the women
the silver.
In 1986, the Womens Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) was formed.
In 1988, the U.S. men repeated the gold in the Olympics in Korea.
In 1990, the World League was created.
In 1995, the sport of volleyball was 100 years old!
In 1996, two-person beach volleyball became an Olympic sport.
General Volleyball Gameplay

A point or rally is started when one team serves the ball. The player serving the ball must stand behind the end
line or restraining line at the back of the court until after they have contacted the volleyball. To serve a player
hits the ball with their hand over the net and into the opposing team's side. If the ball doesn't go over the net or
hits the ground, the point is over. The opposing team must now return the ball without letting it hit the ground.
They can hit the ball up to three times. No single player can hit the ball twice in a row (blocks don't count).
Typically a team will try to set up an attack. They use the first two hits to set the ball for a spike or hard hit over
the net. The two teams continue hitting the ball back and forth until the point ends. A point can end by one team
hitting a winning shot that hits the ground within the opponent's court or by one team causing a fault and losing
the point.
Which volleyball team serves the ball is determined by the previous point. Whoever won the previous point,
gets to serve next. At the start of a match, the first serve is determined by a volley.
Team Rotation
Although players play certain roles on a volleyball team, they all must play all positions. There are three players
on the front line and three in the back. Each time a team gains the serve they must rotate. The entire team rotates
in a clockwise manner with one player moving to the front line and another player moving to the back line. This
way each player plays each spot.
Scoring
Scoring in volleyball is pretty simple, but it also has changed over time. Most matches are divided up into sets.
A typical match may be a best of 5 sets where the first team to win 5 sets wins the match. In each set, the first
team to 25 points wins as long as they are 2 points ahead. A point is scored on every rally, regardless of which
team serves.
It used to be that only the volleyball team serving could score a point on a won rally. Also, sets were typically
played to 15 points. This was changed in 1999.
Volleyball Faults
There are several ways to fault and lose the point. Here are some examples:

Hitting the volleyball illegally - you must strike the ball in a manner such that you don't hold the ball or
palm, carry, or throw it.

Stepping over or on the line while serving

Not hitting the ball over the net

Touching the net

Reaching under the net and interfering with a player or the ball

Not serving in the correct order

Hitting the volleyball out of bounds

Double hitting - when the same player hits the ball twice in a row

Hitting the ball more than 3 times

PR
OJ
EC
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IN
PH
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Submitted by: Tosloc, Monina G.

Section: BSSE 2A2-1
Submitted to: Ms. Castro