Volleyball

• Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net.
• On February 9, 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, William G Morgan, a YMCA physical education director, created a new game called Mintonette as a pastime to be played indoors and by any number of players.
• The first rules of volleyball were created by William G Morgan for a net (tennis net) 6 ft 6 in high, a 25 ft x 50 ft court, and any number of players.
• A match in volleyball was composed of 9 innings with 3 serves for each team in each inning, and no limit to the number of balls contacted for each team before sending the ball to the opponent’s court.
• Volleyball rules were slightly modified by the international YMCA training School and the game spread around the country to various YMCA’s.
• After an observer, Alfred Halsted, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in 1886, played at the International YMCA training school, the game quickly became known as volleyball.
• The height of the net in volleyball was raised to make play more challenging.
• Today, the net in volleyball is just less than eight feet for men’s competition and just over seven feet for women’s competition.
• Under the original rules of volleyball, a team had to score 21 points to win a game.
• In blocking, the blocker starts at the net with the feet parallel and balanced, the arms are held high with the spread fingers, and the eyes are reading the passer and the type of service receive, usually lessening the setter's option so that blockers can read the player to be set and to be blocked.
• The position for spiking is on the forehead, with relaxed forearms.
• The mechanics of the spike involve standing on the attack line, facing the net, approaching at a 45º angle with two steps and a quicker third step, squatting low and taking off upward with two feet, bringing the hitting arm up as for a throwing action, bringing the arm down over the ball with a snap of the elbow and wrist, striking the ball palm first, followed by fingers that are brought into contact with the ball by final wrist snap, and following through in the direction of the intended flight and then swinging downward, avoiding touching the net with hands.
• The spike is the most common attack.
• To spike is to put away the ball from the top of the net with considerable force towards the opponents' court.
• The mechanics of the block involve the ready position, reading the passer and the type of service receive, and reading the hitter.
• The follow-through in the spike involves the shoulder rotating, the elbow fully extending as the ball is contacted above and in front, and the eyes focused on the center of the ball.
• In 1917, the number of points needed to win a game in volleyball was changed to 15.
• The reversibility principle states that if you discontinue application of a particular exercise, you will lose the ability to successfully complete that exercise.
• Speed and Agility Volleyball training drills include short sprints, ladder drills, follow the leader, and snake drills.
• The recovery of muscles from hard training is not necessarily related to sleep.
• Cross training involves using another sport or activity to improve fitness, and it happens when an athlete trains in a different environment.
• A typical plyometric routine should last about 30 - 40 minutes, and can be performed a maximum of two days a week.
• Plyometric exercises are explosion type exercises performed in 10 - 15 reps, and are quite difficult, taking time to get accustomed to.
• Weight training uses weights to provide resistance to the muscles, improving muscular strength, muscular endurance, and power.
• Knowledge of the basic fundamental skills of volleyball, common errors, and suggested corrections enables a coach to provide efficient and effective teaching and coaching strategies for every athlete.
• Abdominal muscles should be focused on in strength exercises, as they are essential for digging, hitting, and spiking the volleyball.
• Leg muscles should be strong for agility during volleyball plays and jumping.
• In aerobic exercise, the heart is able to supply enough oxygen to the muscles, improving cardiovascular fitness.
• Anaerobic exercise is performed in short, fast bursts where the heart cannot supply enough oxygen to the muscles, improving the ability of the muscles to work without enough oxygen.
• Arms muscles need upper body strength for digging, hitting, and spiking the volleyball.
• Beach volleyball became an Olympic sport at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
• The sport that originated in the United States, volleyball, is now achieving the type of popularity in the U.S. that it has received on a global basis, where it ranks behind only soccer among participation sports.
• When a substitution request arises, the scorer notifies the referees.
• The second referee controls the work of the scorer, supervises the behaviour of the team members on the benches, controls substitute players in the warm-up areas, checks the floor condition during the play and ensures that the match balls stay within specifications.
• The first referee’s view must be approximate 0.5 above the level of the top of the net.
• Referees use hand signals to indicate certain fouls or violations.
• The official scorer keeps track of the score throughout the volleyball game.
• When a player touches an out-of-play ball or if the ball hits an antenna, the designated line judge also indicates the interference.
• At least two, and as many as four, line judges monitor each game, standing at the corners of the court watching the lines to indicate whether a ball in play falls in or out of the court.
• A volleyball official's job is not only to make judgment calls on what happens during the course of the game but also to make sure players, coaches and the scorekeepers understand what those calls are.