Volleyball, initially recognized as “Mintonette”, was the brainchild of American William G. Morgan, who created a brand new sport in 1895.Volleyball was mostly a leisurely and recreational sport until the early 1930s, with only a few global events and competitions. The game had varied rules in different regions of the world, although many countries had national competitions. With the formation of the Federation International De Volley-Ball (FIVB) in 1947, the sport made a tremendous step further. 

The first World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia, 2 years later. Volleyball made its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 1964, with the USSR earning gold in the men’s category and the host country earning gold in the women’s.Volleyball has experienced a particularly remarkable growth spurt in the last couple of decades, bolstered by the growth of global tournaments such as the FIVB World Championships, FIVB World League, FIVB World Grand Prix, FIVB World Cup, and FIVB Grand Champions Cup.

 Also, not to overlook the Olympic Games, where both indoor and beach versions now experience a massive following. Volleyball is now played by over 800 million people internationally, more than 120 years after it was originally established, a fact that would provide William Morgan, whose objective was to develop a sport open to all, great joy.


Table Of Contents

  1. Volleyball: Overview
  2. How To Play Volleyball?
  3. How Many Players Are There In Volleyball?
  4. Indoor Volleyball Rules
  5. Beach Volleyball Rules
  6. Sitting Volleyball Rules
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. The Bottom Line

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Volleyball: Overview 

Volleyball is a sport in which two teams of six members hit a ball back and forth over a high net, attempting to get the ball to touch the court inside the opposing team’s playing surface before returning it. To avoid this, an opponent team member hits the ball up and toward a team member before it reaches the court surface; that team member may then send it back across the net or send it to a third teammate who rounds it across the net.

A team can only touch the ball three times before it must be thrown over the net. Serve, pass, set, attack, block, and dig are the six basic attributes that competitive teams must acquire. Each of these attributes is made up of a variety of methods that have been developed over time and are now regarded as a default practise in high-level volleyball. 

Since Tokyo 1964, it has been a part of the approved initiative of the Summer Olympic Games. Beach volleyball was first presented to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. Sitting volleyball is the evolved variation of volleyball played at the Summer Paralympic Games. Volleyball’s standard rules can be modified in various ways. Beach volleyball, which is played on sand with two people on each side and competes for the original sport in mass appeal, is perhaps the most renowned of them.

Volleyball


How To Play Volleyball? 

The answer to the question ‘how to play volleyball' is rather lengthy, but the game goes like this: a member on one of the teams starts a ‘rally’ by hitting the ball from behind the rear boundary line of the court, over the net, and onto the opposing team’s court. The receiving side must not allow the ball to touch down on their side of the court. To return the ball to the other side of the court, the team may touch it not more than three times, and each team member may not touch it twice in a row. 

The first two touches are usually used to position up an attack. An attack is an action to return the ball over the net in such a manner that the opposing team would be incapable to pass the ball and continue the rally, resulting in the loss of a point. The winning team receives a point and gets the ball to begin the next rally.

The following are a few of the most prevalent faults:

  • Allowing the ball to hit the ground or floor beyond the opponents’ court or without passing through the net; Capturing and throwing the ball;
  • Double hit: two successive ball touches by the same individual; four consecutive ball touches by the same team;
  • Net foul: touching the net during the game;
  • When serving, the player’s foot passes the boundary line.

The ball is commonly hit or pushed (brief contact) using the hands or arms, but players can lawfully hit or push the ball with any part of their body. 


How Many Players Are There In Volleyball: Basic 

The question ‘how many players in volleyball’ might have been the reason you turned up here, so here you go. A team will have six players, three in the front row and three in the back row, but a game can begin with only four. In the case of mixed-gender games, a match is played between two teams of six players, three men and three women, four men and two women, or four women and two men. Teams of four players may include two males and two women.

A basic volleyball team has six players on the court, and each member must shift one position clockwise each time their side gets back service from the opponent. Only the three players at the net positions have the power to jump, spike, or block close to the net. Backcourt players can only throw the ball over the net if they jump from behind the attack line, also known as the three-meter line that divides the front and back halves of the court. 

Volleyball has become a highly skilled sport. Every team must have a setter, two centre blockers, two receiver-hitters, and a universal spiker in their opening line-up. Only a few players participate in service receiving. Players will also be assigned to attacking and defending positions. During the game, substitutions are permitted. But the answer to the question that “how many players are on the volleyball court at a time” is that there cannot be more than twelve to fourteen players.

The FIVB added a new specialized role, the libero, in 1998. This person sports a separate coloured jersey than the rest of the squad and may fill in for any player in the squad in the backcourt. The libero has introduced a new dimension to backcourt defence, boosting team reception, extending rallies, and providing shorter players with a key role. So the question ‘how many players in volleyball’ is not constant, with the addition of the libero. Some teams might choose a libero, some won’t. So the number of players can switch between six and seven, depending on the level of play.


Indoor Volleyball Rules

Indoor Volleyball

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, knowing the volleyball rules is necessary. Here are the important, must-know volleyball rules and regulations:

  1. There are only six players on the court at any given time: three in the front row and three in the back row.
  2. Each serves earns points for the rally’s winning team (rally-point scoring).
  3. Team members are not permitted to hit the ball twice in a row (a block is not considered a hit).
  4. During a volley and a serve, the ball can be played off the net.
  5. A ball that hits the boundary line is in.
  6. If a ball hits an antenna, the ground totally beyond the court, any of the net or cables outside of the antennae, the referee stand or pole, or the ceiling above a non-playable area, it is considered out.
  7. Any portion of a player’s body can make contact with the ball.
  8. Catching, holding, or throwing the ball is prohibited.
  9. On or inside the 10-foot line, a player cannot block or attack a serve.
  10. Front-line players may exchange places at the net after the serve.
  11. Sets make up matches; the number of sets varies depending on the level of play, although there are usually three or five sets. 

Beach Volleyball Rules

Beach Volleyball

Now you might also be wondering how many players are in beach volleyball? Well, in comparison to indoor volleyball where each team has six players, beach volleyball teams can only have two players each for a side on the court. Beach volleyball is an outdoor sand-based court sport in which two teams two compete against each other. The goal is to hit an inflated ball over a high net in the middle of the court and into the opposing team’s half. The central aim of Beach Volleyball is to hit the ball in such a way that the opposition team is unable to play it in a “legal” manner. 

The game will start with one team throwing the ball over the net, regarded as a “serve.” Both sides will then compete in a “rally,” in which the ball is passed between both sides of the court and flies above the net. A rally ends when one side is unable to return the ball, and the team that caused the blunder is awarded a point. A set is won by the team that gets 21 points (by two clear points) first, while the total match is won by the team that wins two sets.

Beach Volleyball follows a set of tight rules as a court sport, including:

  1. Players are only permitted to touch the ball three times before returning it across the court, including blocks.
  2. In Beach Volleyball, there are a variety of actions and strikes that are considered prohibited, including “hand touches,” “tips,” and “dinks.”
  3. In Beach Volleyball, players are allowed to cross below the net, although this is considered a foul if it messes or interferes with the rival team’s play.
  4. Players do not have a defined position, so they can move to any portion of the court they want at any time — as long as it is on their side.

Sitting Volleyball Rules 

Sitting Volleyball

Sitting volleyball is a team sport that involves constant movement and intense action bursts. Two teams of six players, separated by a net, compete to score points by dropping the ball onto the opposing side’s court. Speed, strength, and stamina are required, as well as outstanding technical expertise and the power to think swiftly and strategically. 

Before the ball must pass the net, each team is given three touches of the ball (in addition to a valid block). The set and spike is an important attacking manoeuvre wherein a player feeds the ball (set) to a team member who then hits it into the opponent’s court (spike).

When playing the ball, players should sit and keep their torso — the area between their buttocks and shoulders — in direct contact with the ground. An exception is when the ball is passed in a defensive action below the net height at the time of ball contact, in which case “lifting” off the floor is permitted. Athletes slide around the court utilising the strength of their arms, never losing their seated position.

A match can have up to five sets, with the first team to achieve 25 points (15 in the fifth set) and be 2 points ahead of the rival winning each set. With some minor changes, the rules are centred on the FIVB rules for able-bodied volleyball. A smaller court (10m × 6m) and a lower net are required for the sitting form of volleyball (1.15m for men, 1.05m for women).


Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Are there 7 players in volleyball? 

There are usually 6 players in a volleyball game, setter, opposite, two middle blockers, and two receivers. But the FIVB introduced a new player called the libero, so the formal number of players is now at 7. Therefore, the answer is yes, there can be 7 players in a volleyball match, depending on the level of play. 

2. What is libero? 

A libero is a back-row defensive expert in indoor volleyball. Because they only play in the back row, they are usually shorter than the front-row blockers and hitters, but they have exceptional ball-control abilities. The position was designed to improve ball control.

3. What is the hardest position in volleyball?

The setter is perhaps the most challenging position, objectively; the requirements on spatial awareness and swift decision are tremendous. It's not like playing the position does not seem to be very physically demanding. This position necessitates the greatest number of abilities and is the most difficult to master.


The Bottom Line 

Volleyball is a fun game with a deep strategy. The ball is spiked up to 60 cm above the height of a basketball hoop (about 3.65 meters) and travels from the spiker to the recipient in fractions of a second. In a single glance, the recipient must assess the approaching angle, decide where to deliver the ball, and then manage their pass. Volleyball is a game of continuous action because it is strictly a rebound sport (you can't hold the ball). International teams have become increasingly reliant on power and height, but the ability of teams and coaches to invent new methods, tricks, and skills has been critical to their sustained success.

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