• Volleyball Study Guide

     

    History:

    Indoor Volleyball – William G. Morgan invented volleyball in Holyoke, Massachusetts.  He invented the game in 1895.  It was originally created for businessmen to play during their lunch break, a less physical sport than basketball.

    Beach Volleyball – Perhaps created in Hawaii, however in the 1920’s there were the first public courts erected on the beaches of Santa Monica.  The game quickly spread by U.S. sailors and crossed major oceans to Europe.

     

    Game Play:

    1. Two teams of six (6) players are on a court divided by a net.
    2. The object is to send the ball over the net and have it land inside the court lines on the opposite (your opponents) side of the net.
    3. One point is awarded for each possession.
    4. Teams are allowed a maximum of three (3) hits per possession.
    5. No player may make contact, or hit the ball, twice in a row.

     

    Serve:

    All possessions begin with a serve from behind the endline.  The player may serve the ball from any point behind the line.  Either an underhand or overhand serve may be used. 

     

    Legal Hits:

    1. Serve - Either an underhand or overhand hit used to start the possession.

    Serving

    In the above picture, notice how the girl starts slightly leaning forward and the ball at, or below her hips.  She then makes contact low, and begins to lean forward and follow through.

    1. Pass – The forearm pass used to control the ball either over the net or to a teammate. The hands are kept together, the elbows locked, and contact is made low, in front of the hips in order to control the ball. 

    Receiving serve

    passing

    In the above picture, look how the knees are bent, the arms are straight forward, and as contact is made the body is raised but the arms always stay below the shoulders.

    VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X05hbdSxU9w

    1. Set – contact is made with the fingers and palm in an upwards motion. This contact is directed towards a teammate or across the net.  Elbows should be pointed towards the side of the body, not in front, and you must be facing the direction that you hit the ball. You may not set the ball to the sides.

    VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqFmaVEowBI

    1. Attack/Spike – An aggressive overhand hit meant to score a point. Typically, the third hit on a possession.  The ball is meant to be hit downwards, after jumping up to strike the ball down.
    2. Dig – Passing a sharply or rapidly hit ball. The ball may be hit overhand, underhand, or to the side of the body, but always with an open palm. 

    Illegal Hits:

    1. Double contact – Either making contact with the ball twice in a row, or having two separate body parts come into contact with the ball on one movement. An example is when attempting to pass, you make contact with your forearms, then the ball hits off of your chest and flies upwards.  That would count as two hits.
    2. Lift – This is when you keep your hands separate in the passing position, and lift the ball with both hands upwards.
    3. Throw – This is when you set the ball, but the ball does not go in the direction you are facing, meaning you throw the ball to the side. This also applies if you set the ball from below your head, and pick the ball up and set the ball over the net.

    Rally Scoring:

    1. One point is awarded each possession (each time someone serves).
    2. Each game is played to 25 points.
    3. A team must win by 2 points.
    4. The first team to three games wins the match.

     

    General Rules:

    1. Roll the ball under the net when returning the ball to the other team.
    2. No punching or hitting the ball with a closed fist.
    3. While in play, if the ball hits the net and goes over, it is a live ball.
    4. While in play, if the ball hits the net and comes back to your side, as long as you have not used all three hits, you may still try to hit it over.
    5. Any contact with the net results in a net violation, the point that is being played is over, and the opposite team earns the point. You do not earn an extra point for a net violation during game play.
    6. Any ball that lands on the line is considered in.
    7. The person serving the ball must call out their score, followed by the opponents score.
    8. If a player steps on the line while serving, it is a foot fault, and the point is over, with the opposite team earning the point.
    9. The team rotates clockwise before a team serves the ball.

     

    VIDEO:  USA Men vs. Serbia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfKy7_4vL98

    VIDEO: USA Women vs. Brazil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEjQ2Ttbs9M