Spotlight Sport - Volleyball

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Gateway to the Summer Games - Spotlight Sport

Volleyball
Volleyball was invented in 1895 as a recreational pastime by American William G. Morgan, the physical education director of the Young Men's Christian Association chapter in Holyoke, Massachusetts. His game, which he originally called "Mintonette," was treated as no more than casual recreation until American servicemen exported it during and after World War II to Asia and Europe. It quickly became popular not only in the United States, but around the world.


		The Basics \| Competition \| News, History, Fast Facts All About Athletes \| More Sports

The Basics
Each team has six players. Players score points by successfully landing the ball in the court of the opponent without its being returned. The ball is hit back and forth over the net with the hands, fists, forearms, head, or any part of the body above the waist. Only three hits are allowed on a side before the ball goes over the net and no player may strike the ball two times in a row.

The only significant difference between men's and women's competitions is the height of the net, which is 7 feet 11 3/4 inches for men and 7 feet 4 1/2 inches for women.

Competition
Teams compete in an initial round-robin tournament. The top teams then advance to single elimination rounds.

Volleyball matches are decided on the best three out of five sets. A team wins a set when it scores 15 points, provided the margin is two or more points. If the leading team is not ahead by two points, play continues until one team has 17 points, regardless of the margin.

News, History, and Fast Facts

For complete information about playing, coaching, and watching soccer, visit the Copernicus Education Gateway's School Athletics Center: Volleyball page.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation site gives you an overall look at the sport's rules and analyzes the world's best players.
The USOC site provides history lessons, rulebooks, and a useful online glossary.
The official Sydney 2000 site has pages devoted to beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, and volleyball for kids.
To get more information on the official rules of the game, visit the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Olympic Web site or check out U.S.A. Volleyball.

All About Athletes

Log on to NBCOlympics.com for about the athletes and their Olympic experiences.
Watch out for the best international floor leaders on NBCOlympics.com or focus on the U.S. game with rosters of the men's and women's teams.

More Sports

Baseball	Basketball	Boxing	Canoeing & Kayaking
Cycling	Diving	Equestrian	Fencing
Gymnastics	Rowing	Soccer	Swimming
Tennis	Track & Field	Water Polo	Wrestling

General Sports Links
Olympians will compete in dozens of sports this summer. Even though Gateway to the Summer Games can't feature them all, you can learn about each and every one by visiting the sites listed below.

Griffin Publishing Group's Official Olympic Sports page
For information straight from the source, click on a sport to connect to its organization's official Web site.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation News
This site provides excellent information about Olympic sports and their rules. It also sizes up the best international competitors.
CBS Sportsline's Olympics 2000
Get top news stories and in-depth features about every sport.
CCN/SI
In addition to news on every sport, this site contains athlete diaries.
NBCOlympics.com
Select a sport to study or hear firsthand from an athlete who plays it.
Sydney 2000
The official site of the Sydney Olympics covers the events in detail.
Sydney 2000 Kids' Guide to Olympic Sports
Visit the Sportzone for sports-related information written especially for young students.
USOC
The United States Olympic Committee site includes the rules and history of events as well as athlete bios, diaries, and chats.
Sydney 2000 Fans
This unofficial site provides basic description of events and useful links to more information.

Portions of the above text were excerpted from Share the Olympic Dream--Volume II.
(c) 1995 by Griffin Publishing Group/United States Olympic Committee.

For information on purchasing Griffin materials, please visit the Griffin Publishing Group Web site at http://www.griffinpublishing.com.