Volleyball Unit

History - Volleyball is a popular and diverse sport, having many variation: indoor, outdoor, beach; 2,3,4,or 6 player teams, co-ed, games to 11,15,21,31 points, regular or rally point system. Volleyball has been an Olympic sport since 1964 and was originally developed as an alternative to basketball. The original game had some baseball-like rules, including innings and outs, with nine players on each side. While many of the rules have changed, the object remains the same: to score more points than your opponent by hitting the ball over the net so that the opponent cannot return the ball or prevent it from hitting the ground in their court.

Scoring and Rules

Games are played to 25 points, must win by 2 points. The deciding game is played to 15 points. A team must either win 2 out of 3 games or 3 out of 5 games to win a match.

Rally scoring is the most common method of scoring for all levels and game variations. Rally scoring is when a point is scored on every rally. The team that scores the point retains, or gains the serve.

A team's rotation order must be kept when it gains the serve. Players rotate one position clockwise when they get the serve back from their opponent.

The net height is 7' 4 1/4" for females and nearly 8' for males.

The court size is approximately 30 X 60 feet with the net running down the middle and an attack line 10 ft. from the net on each side.

The server may position themselves anywhere behind the end line, may serve overhand or underhand, has a time limit to serve once the official gives them the serve signal(different for each level), may step on or over the end line after the ball is contacted. A served ball that hits the net and goes over is playable. The receiving team may not spike or block the serve. All players must be in correct rotational order when the ball is served. Once the ball is in play, players may move to any position on the court.

Each team has 3 hits, in addition to blocking, to return the ball. A player may not contact the ball twice in a rally, unless the 1st contact is a block or 2 players contact the ball simultaneously. A player may not touch the net.

The ball may be played off the ceiling on your side of the net as long as you still have one of your 3 hits remaining ; you may not hit the ceiling when hitting the ball to the opponent across the net, anytime the ball hits a wall, it is dead. Playing a ball with your feet is legal in volleyball, but not allowed in PE. (abused rule)

Terms

Attack - (spike) Is a hit aimed down into the opponents court.

Back-row players - The 3 players who are behind the 10'line in base and may not block or attack above the height of the net.

Front-row players - The 3 players who are in front of the 10'line in base and may block and attack.

Block - Occurs when one or more players stop the ball before or just after it crosses the net.

Dig - Is made by the player who first contacts the ball over the net.

Set - A contact that sets up the attack. The typical order is dig or pass, set, hit.

Attack, spike, hit - Is a hard-driven ball that is hit in an attempt to score or side out.

Tip - An attack played with the fingers as long as they do not throw or hold the ball and contact is brief.