The history of volleyball goes back many centuries; men and women in completely different countries love to play it. However, all this time, the basic rules of this exciting game have hardly changed.
Team sports games develop in a person willpower, the ability to achieve goals, develop dexterity and endurance. Volleyball is one of these sports, a game that can benefit active people of all ages. It is played on courtyards, stadiums, or just on a park lawn, bringing with them a volleyball net.
Historians claim that the first such competition took place between two groups of residents of Rome as early as the 3rd century BC. And the actual rules of volleyball were developed in 1895 by the American physical education teacher William Morgan. Minor changes were made to the rules of this popular game several times, but most of the conditions remain unchanged to this day.
Game Zone
In such team games as football, hockey and even basketball, there are no general standards for playgrounds, only the minimum parameters are stipulated. In volleyball, everything is much more serious, there is a single international size: the length of the court is always 18, and the width is 9 meters, and not a centimeter more or less. Indeed, often the result of the serve (ace) or the hit of the ball out of bounds (out of bounds) depends on each centimeter.
But there is one interesting variable in this game: the net for the men's and women's teams is set at different heights. Thanks to this gentleman's rule, taking into account the physical capabilities of the participants, women's volleyball is considered a very entertaining game.
The playground itself is symbolically divided into 6 play zones, according to the number of active players: three occupy a position near the net, the rest are scattered closer to the rear of the perimeter.
Objectives of the game
It seems that everything is very simple: two teams of 14 people are competing, 6 players from each side are on the field, the rest of the squad is waiting for their turn outside the court. However, the rules of the game only allow 6 substitutions on each side.
Participants have two tasks:
- The ball from the side of the opponents must not touch the floor of their court;
- Forcing the opposing team to make a mistake (the ball touched the net or even flew over the field).
Volleyball points are awarded to the team that caused the ball to fall into the opponent's territory. In addition, for every mistake made by a player, opponents will receive points. Therefore, you cannot make mistakes, every mistake can be fatal. By the way, until the beginning of the 20th century, the rules were not so harsh: points were taken into account only from their own filing, and minor flaws in the game could be ignored.
The victory is awarded to the team that was in the lead in two of the three games played. Each will continue until one of the teams scores 25 points, with a difference of at least two points. The duration of each period is not limited, the game will go on until the team gets the necessary advantage.
If the winner has not been determined, the rules allow two more games to be played, and in the latter, only up to 15 points will be awarded (sometimes this short set is called a time-break). But such additional games are rarely played, usually the fate of the game is decided in the first three encounters.
Start
The game begins with a service performed by the player behind the back of the field. There are several rules, violation of which automatically adds a point to opponents:
- The player throws the ball in front of him and serves it with one hand, sending it to the opponents' territory. You cannot serve it with two hands or just throw it;
- The ball must fly over the net without hitting it;
- Do not serve very strongly, otherwise the ball may be out of bounds of the court (out);
- You can scatter or jump to strengthen the blow, but you cannot step over the boundary line.
After the service, the time for playing the ball is limited to the next 30 seconds, otherwise it will be considered lost.
Game techniques
After the serve has been carried out, the players from the opposing team need to hit the ball from their side of the field. To do this, you can make only three touches: reception of the ball, pass and return attack. The player can take the ball with his hand, foot or side, but not with his bare palm open.
In professional volleyball, in addition to serving, several game terms are distinguished:
- Reception: it is produced by the players who are in the center of the site. It is necessary, without holding the ball, to pass it to a player in another sector, whose position is more suitable for passing. There are several ways to take the ball: from below with two hands, from above with two hands, or with one hand and then falling. The receiver chooses the method himself, focusing on the type and strength of the feed.
- Pass: This action is used to pass the ball to the attacking player who is near the net. The easiest way to perform an overhead pass is when a player uses his fingertips to send the ball forward or backward over his head. Sometimes, if the ball is flying low, it is advisable to make a bottom pass;
- The attack is usually carried out under the net and can be performed by any team member. Usually this kick is performed after a quick takeoff, in a jump, the player throws the ball to the side of the opponents. Effective execution of these elements can bring the team closer to victory, so all players try to create the right moment for the attacking throw. World-class professional volleyball players can send the ball over the net at speeds up to 130 km / h!
- Block: when opponents are attacking, you need to block the attack by building a protective wall of two (sometimes three) tall players. The purpose of the maneuver is to keep the ball out of your territory and send it back to your opponents. The well-coordinated play of the participants can ensure the successful blocking of the opponent's attempt to throw the ball. Screening players can deflect the blow by moving their arms into enemy territory. At the same time, they need not to interfere with each other and prevent injuries. In general, unsportsmanlike behavior is not encouraged in such group games, for such a referee can stop the meeting with a whistle.
All techniques of interaction with the ball are equally important, but the main purpose of any combination is an attack throw, which brings the ball to the side of the opponents and brings the team a prize point. Usually, the attack is carried out by players who can not only jump high, but also quickly analyze the situation around them. In training, volleyball players pay a lot of attention not only to the ability to pass, but also to the theory of the game, the ability to calculate and create winning situations.
Violation of the rules
In volleyball, there is not a very large number of rules, but there are violations that can lead not only to a loss of points, but also to possible injury to athletes:
- Any contact with the net (ball, hand or head) is prohibited;
- You can not enter the territory of rivals;
- You cannot block another player's pass;
- There is no need to hold the ball, all movements must be fast and precise.
- You cannot accept and pass the ball with your palms, not your fingers;
- The same player may not touch the ball multiple times.
Summer pleasure
In an article about volleyball, it is difficult not to write about its variety, which student and school teams are very fond of. Of course, we are talking about beach volleyball, the rules of which differ slightly from the classic modern version of the game.
The team in this version of the competition consists of only two people and any substitutions are not approved. If one of the players is unable to continue, then his team is automatically declared a loser.
The name speaks for itself, the participants play barefoot and in light summer clothes. The duration of the game depends on the result: the first team to score the maximum number of points in just two games wins. If necessary, another party is held, but only up to 15 points.
