Volleyball Rubric
5. Students consistently apply effective skills (e.g. legal underhand and/or overhand serve, bump, set) with few, if any, observable errors in technique. Students can consistently and effectively transition between offensive and defensive roles without hesitation. Students can apply rules of play and can announce the score correctly before serving.
4. Students apply effective skills (e.g. legal underhand and/or overhand serve, bump, set) with errors in technique. Students apply appropriate offensive and defensive skills in relation to the game, but seem hesitant or indecisive when reacting to game situations. Students apply major rules of play, terminology and scoring correctly, but make minor errors.
3. Students perform skills showing some elements of correct technique, but application is ineffective and inconsistent. Students can use some offensive and defensive skills appropriately, but show little evidence of effective contribution to team offense or defense. Students demonstrate general understanding of the game, but need assistance from others to correctly apply rules and/or scoring.
2. Students attempt skills but technique is not yet sufficient, resulting in consistently ineffective performance. Students need reminders and assistance from others to become involved in team strategy. Students occasionally demonstrate incorrect application of the rules, terminology and scoring. Students rely on directions from others to play correctly.
1. Students show little or no effort to attempt skills, resulting in consistently ineffective performance. Students do not contribute to offense or defense. Students consistently demonstrate incorrect application of the rules and scoring. Students demonstrate a lack self control and need constant reminders from others to participate in a safe, fair and/or respectful manner.
ORIGIN OF VOLLEYBALL
The game of volleyball was first invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan. Morgan was an instructor at a local Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Massachusetts. He was teaching a class of businessmen and wanted to develop a game that combines the rules of four sports; basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball. The original name of this game was called Mintonette. He first used a tennis net and raised it slightly higher than the height of the average man (about 6.5 feet). A person had made a comment on how it seemed like the men were volleying the ball back and forth over the net. They then decided that the term “volleyball” would better suit the game. The first official game of volleyball was played by Springfield College in 1896. Today there are more than 46 million Americans who play volleyball. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) largest girls sport is volleyball.
RULES OF THE GAME
Rules are ever changing in volleyball depending on the level of competition you play. However, one rule that remains constant is that each team is allowed three contacts with the ball per side. The ideal sequence of contacts is usually a pass (bump), set, and spike (hit). A block is not considered considered part of a hit. No player is allowed to make contact with the ball twice in succession. Each contact with the ball must not be caught or carried over the net.
Each play begins with a serve. The server must always step behind the serving line (end line) before making contact with the ball. The server may serve anywhere behind the line as long as the server’s foot does not make contact or cross the end line.
Players in the back row may not “attack” the net or cross the 10’ line.
PENALTIES/FOULS
If a server’s foot crosses the end line, it is considered a foot fault, and results in a side-out, change of possession. The serve must go over the net and it is legal for the ball to hit the net and go over on the opponent’s side. If a player touches the net at any point when the ball is in play, the opposing team receives a point for the violation. If one player hits the ball two consecutive times or if a team hits the ball more than three times before volleying the ball back over the net a violation is called and the opposing team earns the point.
SCORING AND TIMING
Rally scoring is now used in most traditional volleyball games. Teams score points when the other team misplays the ball, and a point is awarded on every serve. Depending on the level of competition, most matches are now played best three out of five games to 25 points. Teams must win by at least two points for games to end. Points keep going until one team wins with a margin of victory of two points, even if the score is greater than 25.
Passing is simply getting the ball to someone else on your team after it’s been served or hit over the net by the opposing team. It’s commonly thought of as the most important skill in all of volleyball, because your team can’t return the ball without a solid volleyball pass. Forearm volleyball passes are often used to direct the ball in a controlled manner to a teammate, but overhead passing is another option.
The setter has the most important position on the team, and is often the team leader for this reason. It’s their job to make it easy for a teammate to get the ball over the volleyball net, preferably with a spike that the other team can’t return. The setting motion gets the ball hanging in the air, ready to be spiked by another teammate with force.
Spiking is the act of slamming the ball in a downward motion across the volleyball net to the other team’s side of the court. When done well, spiking is very difficult to return, which is why it’s an essential skill. A proper spike will help accumulate points quickly.
Blocking is another important skill, although it’s probably the most expendable of the fundamentals. Still, it adds a great dimension to the game, keeping the other team on their toes, so to speak. By timing it right, you can jump up and deflect or block the opponent’s attack before it even crosses the volleyball net, which can take them by surprise and give your team an easy point.
Digging is a defensive maneuver in volleyball that can save your team from an offensive spike or attack. Your job is to keep the ball from hitting the floor, and you do that by diving and passing the ball in a fluid motion. Unlike a typical pass, you’ll probably be trying to recover the ball from a steep downward trajectory. This is another great skill to have, but isn’t as important as passing, setting, or spiking.
Our final fundamental skills is serving. How can you be a great volleyball player without knowing how to serve? There are a variety of ways to serve, but you’ll most often see the underhand or overhand serves.
- For an underhand serve, if you’re right-handed, hold the ball in your left hand while the right hand makes a fist with the thumb on top. Make contact with the underside of the ball to send it over the net.
- For an overhand serve (which is more advanced and common among skilled players) you’ll be tossing the ball up while you pull back the dominant arm and swing. Don’t follow through after your hand contacts the ball, which should feel almost like you’re punching the ball across the volleyball net.