Olympic Volleyball

Volleyball is split into two distinct games for the purpose of the Olympic Games, the first being indoor volleyball and the second being beach volleyball. The game actually originated from the very same gymnasium as basketball and, therefore, there are many parallels in the games even today.

Originally the game was called Mintonette and was designed as a version of basketball that was suitable for the less active members of the gym; this later developed into volleyball and soon became one of the fastest games in the world.

Each team has six players and the indoor court is sixty feet by thirty feet with a net in the middle that is ninety six inches for the male teams and eighty eight inches for the female teams.

The aim of the game is to use your hand to hit the ball to the other team whilst clearing the net in a way that the other side are unable to pass the ball back. Although it is generally the hand that hits the ball it can be hit back with any part of the body. The ball can be passed from player to player within the same team although this can only happen three times before it must go over the net. It is played over five sets with the first team to win three sets being the winner. It is the first team to score twenty five points that wins each set.