Volleyball Rules, History, and Gameplay
Volleyball
Gameplay
The Court and Equipment
The net height is 2.43 meters for men. The field of play is an 18 x 9 meter rectangle, surrounded by a free zone at least 3 meters wide on all sides. The free playing space above the playing area must be free of obstructions and measure at least 7 meters high.
Objective
The object of the game is to send the ball over the net, landing it within the opponent’s court, and preventing the opponent from doing the same. A team has three touches to return the ball (in addition to the block touch).
Team Composition
A team may consist of a maximum of 12 players: a coach, an assistant coach, a medical, and a massage therapist. During the match, the team captain acts as the game captain while playing. If the team captain is not playing, the coach or team captain must assign another player on the field (excluding the Libero) to fulfill the role.
Roles
Coach
Throughout the match, the coach leads their team’s play from outside the court. They select the initial lineup, substitutes, and call for time-outs. Their official contact is the second referee.
Referee
Referees judge faults and determine their consequences according to the rules. If two or more faults occur successively, only the first is considered. If two or more faults are committed simultaneously by opposing players, a “double fault” is declared, and the rally is replayed.
Scoring
A team wins a point when the receiving team fails to legally return the ball over the net. A team scores a point for:
- Favorable contacts with the ball landing in the opponent’s court
- The opposing team committing a fault
- The opposing team receiving a penalty
A team commits a fault when it performs an action contrary to the rules.
Winning
Sets
A set (except the deciding 5th set) is won by the first team to score 25 points, with a minimum lead of two points.
Match
The match is played to five sets. The team that wins three sets wins the match. In the case of a 2-2 tie, the deciding set (5th) is played to 15 points with a minimum lead of two points.
Serve
Before the match, the first referee conducts a coin toss to determine which team serves first and which side of the court they will occupy in the first set. A new coin toss is conducted if a deciding set is needed. The winner of the toss chooses either the right to serve or receive, or the side of the court.
Offensive and Defensive Actions
Attack
The attack includes collective team efforts and individual offensive efforts (spikes) of a player. A strong attack is crucial for success.
Blocking
The objective of blocking is to intercept the attacked ball, either deflecting it back into the opponent’s court for a point or slowing it down for the defending team.
History of Volleyball
Volleyball was created in 1895 by William G. Morgan, the Director of Physical Education at the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) in the United States.
- 1907: Volleyball was presented at a U.S. convention as a popular sport.
- 1908: Volleyball was introduced to Japan by Hyozo Omori.
- 1909: Volleyball spread to Puerto Rico.
- 1910: Volleyball officially arrived in China.
- 1912: The court size was modified.
- 1913: Volleyball appeared in the Far Eastern Games in Manila.
- 1914: Volleyball was included in the U.S. armed forces’ recreation program.
- 1915: The number of players per team varied, and the losing team earned the right to serve first in the next game.