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Volleyball is an indoor non-contact team sport in which two teams have three hits to pass a ball over a dividing net. Volleyball was developed by William G. Morgan, a physical education director. He invented the sport called Mintonette which later developed and became volleyball.

Volleyball is played by two teams in a court divided by a net. The teams should have six members each, and can have two substitutes. For mixed games, three males at a time should be on the court. The aim of the game is for each team to send the ball to the opposing team's court.

A team can hit the ball three times to return it to the opposing team. A rally continues if the teams can send it back to back, it will end if the ball touches the ground, or if one of the teams doesn't return it properly. Volleyball matches are played to the best of five sets. The first four sets are played to 25 points, with the final set being played to 15 points. A team must win a set by two points. The teams change courts at the end of each set.

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Similar Sports

• Beach Volleyball— A version of volleyball played on sand and with teams of two players, in which a ball is hit by hand over a high net, the aim being to score points by making the ball reach the ground on the opponent's side of the court.
• Sitting Volleyball — a version of volleyball for disabled athletes played while sitting (also known as Paralympic volleyball).
• Water Volleyball — a team sport derived from volleyball in which the games are played in water.
• Snow Volleyball — a variation of beach volleyball in which the games are played in the snow.
• Ecuavoley — a variant of volleyball though the net is higher, invented and played in Ecuador.
• Crossnet — a cross between volleyball and 4-square, played with a four-way net.
• 9-Man Volleyball — a Chinese variation of volleyball utilizing nine players and a slightly larger court, originated in Asia in the 1920s.
• Fistball — an outdoor team sport similar to volleyball. The main differences to volleyball is that in fistball the ball is struck with either the fist or arm but never with open hands, and it is allowed to bounce once after each contact.
• Seatball — a sport like sitting volleyball for disabled and non-disabled athletes, played on a larger court and allowing for the ball to bounced once between touches (also called Sitzball or Sitball).
• Newcomb Ball — an early variation of volleyball where teams throw a ball back and forth until it hits the floor or is mishandled.
• Catchball — an easier version of volleyball in which players catch and throw the ball rather than hit it.
• Wallyball — a variation of volleyball, that is played on a racquetball court enclosed with walls on all four sides.
• Biribol — an aquatic version of volleyball developed in Brazil.
• Throwball — a sport very similar to Newcomb Ball that is played in India.
• Football Tennis —also known as futnet, played by kicking a ball over a low net, with a bounce allowed.
• Roundnet — involves two teams of two, who have up to three touches to hit a ball off a small round horizontal trampoline-type net.
• Footbag Net — players have to kick a footbag over a 5ft high net.
• Te Ano — the national game of Tuvalu, with similarities to volleyball, though using two balls at once.
• Seatball — a sport like sitting volleyball for disabled and non-disabled athletes, played on a larger court and allowing for the ball to bounce once between touches (also called Sitzball or Sitball).
• Footvolley — beach volleyball played with the feet
• Sepak Takraw — volleyball like sport using the feet.
• Bossaball — played on an inflatable court with trampolines on each side of the net.
• Hoover Ball — a version of volleyball invented for US President Herbert Hoover, in which a medicine ball is thrown over the net and caught before being thrown back (unusual sport).

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Related Pages

• Discussion of Volleyball-Type Sports
• Indoor vs Beach Volleyball - what are the differences?
• Volleyball at the Olympics
• Volleyball Major Events
• About the Sport and Science of Volleyball
• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports