VOLLEYBALL

A. Brief History

• In 1895, William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association

(YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts Morgan created the game of volleyball, at that time
called mintonette by blending the elements of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball.
• In July 7, 1896, the first official game of Volleyball was played at Springfield College.
• In the year 1900, Volleyball was popular enough that a new ball was customized for the
sport.
• In 1907, Volleyball was presented at the Playground of America convention as one of
the most popular sports. This was the first credit the sport received, and helped to further
the sport recognition.
• In 1913, volleyball was held in the Far Eastern Games. This was the first official
volleyball competition.
• In 1916, volleyball had arrived in YMCA Brazil and South America. The set and spike
was first executed in the Philippines. This offensive system altered how the game was
played. For the first time the ball was set in a high trajectory and then spiked by a
teammate. The Filipinos created the kill, known in United States as bomba. The bomba
was named after the attacker called the bomberino.
• In 1952, women played in FIVB tournaments for the first time in volleyball history.
• 1995, the sport of Volleyball was 100 years old!

B. Terminologies

• ACE - A serve that is not passable and results immediately in a point.

• ATTACK - The offensive action of hitting the ball. The attempt by one team to terminate
the play by hitting the ball to the floor on the opponent's side.
• BLOCK - A defensive play by one or more players meant to deflect a spiked ball back to
the hitter’s court. It may be a combination of one, two or three players jumping in front of
the opposing spiker and contacting the spiked ball with the hands.
• DIG - Passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball. Slang for the art of passing an attacked ball
close to the floor.
• FOUL - A violation of the rules.
• HIT - To jump and strike the ball with an overhand, forceful shot.
• LINE SHOT - A ball spiked down an opponent's sideline, closest to the hitter and outside
the block.
• SERVE - One of the six basic skills; used to put the ball into play. It is the only skill
controlled exclusively by one player.
• SET - The tactical skill in which a ball is directed to a point where a player can spike it
into the opponent's court.
• SPIKE - Also hit or attack. A ball contacted with force by a player on the offensive team
who intends to terminate the ball on the opponent's floor or off the opponent's blocker.
C. Fundamental Skills

SERVE: A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball, in an attempt to drive it into the
opponent's court. His or her main objective is to make it land inside the court; it is also desirable
to set the ball's direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to
handle it properly. Kinds: underhand, topspin, float, jump serve, and jump float.

SET: The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball. The main goal of
setting is to put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by an attack into the
opponent's court.

PASS: Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the
opponent's serve, or any form of attack.

ATTACK / SPIKE: The object of attacking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's
court and cannot be defended. A player makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps, and
swings at the ball.

BLOCK: Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or alter an
opponent's attack. A block that is aimed at completely stopping an attack, thus making the ball
remain in the opponent's court, is called offensive.

DIG: Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court after a spike or attack,
particularly a ball that is nearly touching the ground.

D. Basic Rules and Regulations

• Server must serve from behind the restraining line ( end line ) until after contact and it
must be clearly visible to opponents before serve.
• Rally scoring will be used. There will be a point scored on every score of the ball.
Offense will score on a defense miss or out of bounds hit. Defense will score on an
offensive miss, out of bounds hit, or serve into the net.
• Team will rotate each time they win the serve. Players shall rotate in a clockwise
manner.
• Player may not hit the ball twice in succession ( A block is not considered a hit ). A
player must not block or attack a serve.
• A legal hit is contact with the ball by a player body above and including the waist which
does not allow the ball to visibly come to a rest. If two or more players contact the ball
simultaneously, it is considered one play and the players involved may not participate in
the next play. Switching positions will be allowed only between front line players.

E. Team Composition and their Function

• Setters aim for second touch and their main responsibility is to place the ball in the air
where the attackers can place the ball into the opponents' court for a point and they have
to be able to operate with the hitters, manage the tempo of their side of the court and
choose the right attackers to set.
 • Liberos are defensive players who are responsible for receiving the attack or serve and
wears a different color jersey than their teammates.
• Middle blockers or Middle hitters are players that can perform very fast attacks that
usually take place near the setter and are specialized in blocking, since they must attempt
to stop equally fast plays from their opponents and then quickly set up a double block at
the sides of the court. In non-beginners play, every team will have two middle hitters.
• Outside hitters or Left side hitters attack from near the left antenna and are usually
the most consistent hitter on the team and get the most sets.
• Opposite hitters or Right side hitters carry the defensive workload for a volleyball
team in the front row and their primary responsibilities are to put up a well formed block
against the opponents.

F. Officials

• First referee is in charge from the beginning of the match until the end.
• Second referee should establish a rapport with the scorekeeper and libero tracker.
• Scorekeeper’s main job is to make sure the score is correct at all times. The
scorekeeper uses a score sheet to keep track of the game.
• Assistant scorer’s main function is to record libero replacements on to a libero tracking
sheet.
• Line judges watch the endline and sideline of their respective corners.

G. Violations

• Stepping on or over the line on a serve.

• Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.
• Hitting the ball illegally ( Carrying, Palming, Throwing, etc. ).
• Touches of the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play. If the ball is driven
into the net with such force that it causes the net to contact an opposing player, no foul will
be called, and the ball shall continue to be in play.
• Reaches under the net ( if it interferes with the ball or opposing player ).
• Failure to serve in the correct order.
• Blocks or spikes from a position which is clearly not behind the 10-foot line while in a
back row position.