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 Basketball Notes The Rules Basketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a hoop at each end. The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line (10 second line). If the offensive team puts the ball into play behind the mid-court line, it has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line. If it doesn't, then the defense gets the ball. Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no longer have possession of the ball in the area in back of the line. If it does, the defense is awarded the ball. The ball is moved down the court toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the offense. The team without the ball is called the defense. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and garner rebounds. When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half and/or the type of foul committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three shots. Other types of fouls do not result in free throws being awarded until a certain number (7) have accumulated during a half. Once that number is reached, then the player who was fouled is awarded a '1-and-1' opportunity. If he makes his first free throw, he gets to attempt a second. If he misses the first shot, the ball is live on the rebound. When each team reaches 10 team fouls in a half, the person fouled is awarded 2 free throws. This format starts over in the second half of the game. Each game is divided into sections. All levels have two halves. In NorWossa, each half is 20 minutes long. The halves are divided into 10 minute quarters. There is a gap of several minutes (5-10) between halves. Gaps between quarters are relatively short (2 minutes). If the score is tied at the end of regulation, then overtime periods of various lengths are played until a winner emerges. Each team is assigned a basket or goal to defend. This means that the other basket is their scoring basket. At halftime, the teams switch goals. The game begins with one player from either team at center court. A referee will toss the ball up between the two. The player that gets his hands on the ball will tip it to a teammate. This is called a tip-off. In addition to stealing the ball from an opposing player, there are other ways for a team to get the ball. Substitutions: a. A substitute shall report to the scorer and position himself in the 8' Substitution Box located in front of the scorer's table. He shall give his name, number and whom he is to replace. The scorer shall sound the horn as soon as the ball is dead to indicate a substitution. The horn does not have to be sounded if the substitution occurs between periods or during timeouts. No substitute may enter the game after a successful field goal by either team, unless the ball is dead due to a personal foul, technical foul, timeout or violation. He may enter the game after the first of multiple free throws, whether made or missed. b. The substitute shall remain in the Substitution Box until he is beckoned onto the court by an official. If the ball is about to become live, the beckoning signal shall be withheld. Any player who enters the court prior to being beckoned by an official shall be assessed a technical foul. c. A substitute must be ready to enter the game when beckoned. No delays for removal of warm-up clothing will be permitted. d. The substitute shall not replace a free throw shooter or a player involved in a jump ball unless dictated to do so by an injury whereby he is selected by the opposing coach. At no time may he be allowed to attempt a free throw awarded as a result of a technical foul. e. The number of substitutions allowed per team per game is unlimited. Fouls and Violations FOULS Personal fouls: Personal fouls include any type of illegal physical contact. Each player is allowed 5 personal fouls. On the fifth, the player is asked to leave the game.  Hitting  Pushing  Slapping  Holding  Illegal pick/screen -- when an offensive player is moving. When an offensive player sticks out a limb and makes physical contact with a defender in an attempt to block the path of the defender. Personal foul penalties: If a player is shooting and is fouled, then she gets two free throws if her shot doesn't go in, but only one free throw if her shot does go in.  Three free throws are awarded if the player is fouled while shooting for a three-point goal and they miss their shot. If a player is fouled while shooting a three-point shot and makes it anyway, he is awarded one free throw. Thus, he could score four points on the play.  Inbounds. If fouled while not shooting, the ball is given to the team the foul was committed upon. They get the ball at the nearest side or baseline, out of bounds, and have 5 seconds to pass the ball onto the court.  One & one. If the team committing the foul has seven or more fouls in one half of the game, then the player who was fouled is awarded one free throw. If he makes his first shot, then he is awarded another free throw.(1 on 1) ( this team is in the Bonus Situation)  Ten or more fouls. If the team committing the foul has ten or more fouls, then the fouled player receives two free throws. Charging. An offensive foul that is committed when a player pushes or runs over a defensive player. The ball is given to the team that the foul was committed upon. Blocking. Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not establishing position in time to prevent an opponent's drive to the basket. Flagrant foul. Violent contact with an opponent. This includes hitting, kicking, and punching. This type of foul results in free throws plus the offense retaining possession of the ball after the free throws. Usually results in the ejection of the offending player. Intentional foul. When a player makes physical contact with another player with no reasonable effort to steal the ball. It is a judgment call for the officials. Technical foul. Technical foul. A player or a coach can commit this type of foul. It does not involve player contact or the ball but is instead about the 'manners' of the game. Foul language, obscenity, obscene gestures, and even arguing can be considered a technical foul, as can technical details regarding filling in the scorebook improperly or dunking during warm-ups. VIOLATIONS Walking/Traveling. Taking more than 'a step and a half' without dribbling the ball is traveling. Moving your pivot foot once you've stopped dribbling is traveling. : Moving the feet while in possession of the ball without dribbling. Carrying/palming. When a player dribbles the ball with his hand too far to the side of or, sometimes, even under the ball. Double Dribble. Dribbling the ball with both hands on the ball at the same time or picking up the dribble and then dribbling again is a double dribble. Held ball. Occasionally, two or more opposing players will gain possession of the ball at the same time. In order to avoid a prolonged and/or violent tussle, the referee stops the action and awards the ball to one team or the other on a rotating basis. (alternating possession arrow) Goaltending. If a defensive player interferes with a shot while it's on the way down toward the basket, while it's on the way up toward the basket after having touched the backboard, or while it's in the cylinder above the rim, it's goaltending and the shot counts. If committed by an offensive player, it's a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team for a throw-in. Backcourt violation. Once the offense has brought the ball across the mid-court line, they cannot go back across the line during possession. If they do, the ball is awarded to the other team to pass inbounds. (over and back) Time restrictions. A player passing the ball inbounds has five seconds to pass the ball. If he does not, then the ball is awarded to the other team. Other time restrictions include the rule that a player cannot have the ball for more than five seconds when being closely guarded. Player Positions Center. Centers are generally your tallest players. They generally are positioned near the basket. Offensive -- The center's goal is to get open for a pass and to shoot. They are also responsible for blocking defenders, known as picking or screening, to open other players up for driving to the basket for a goal. Centers are expected to get some offensive rebounds and put-backs. Defensive -- On defense, the center's main responsibility is to keep opponents from shooting by blocking shots and passes in the key area. They also are expected to get a lot of rebounds because they're taller. Forward. Your next tallest players will most likely be your forwards. While a forward may be called upon to play under the hoop, they may also be required to operate in the wings and corner areas. Offensive -- Forwards are responsible to get free for a pass, take outside shots, drive for goals, and rebound. Defensive -- Responsibilities include preventing drives to the goal and rebounding. Guard. These are potentially your shortest players and they should be really good at dribbling fast, seeing the court, and passing. It is their job to bring the ball down the court and set up offensive plays. Offensive -- Dribbling, passing, and setting up offensive plays are a guard's main responsibilities. They also need to be able to drive to the basket and to shoot from the perimeter. Defensive -- On defense, a guard is responsible for stealing passes, contesting shots, preventing drives to the hoop, and for boxing out. Alternating-Possession Rule - In high school basketball, most jump balls have been eliminated in favor of a rule that the teams take turns gaining possession for a throw-in after a held ball and similar stoppages of play when possession is in question. The possession arrow indicates which team gets the ball on the next such occasion. The referee uses the alternating possession rule to speed up play and to create “fairness” between teams. Example: During the tip off – Fort Frances Muskies gain possession. The referee will tell the scorers’ table to indicate on the score clock that the Kenora Broncos get the next questionable possession. At the beginning of the second quarter the referee will award the throw in to the team indicated on the clock. The referee will continue in this fashion for the entire game. Questionable possessions include: “jump ball” – two players fighting over the ball, A ball becomes lodged between the rim and the backboard. BASKETBALL SKILLS Dribbling/Ballhandling Most coaches use dribbling and ballhandling interchangeably. Though they are linked, the 2 skills are definitely separate. Dribbling and controlling the ball is a skill that can be practiced alone and is separate from the other ball skills on the court. Ballhandling, however, involves knowledge of the game and integrates dribbling, passing and decision-making. Practicing and improving your dribbling is a simple task. There are innumerable dribbling drills that are in use today that are challenging and effective. The set of drills that have come to be known as "Maravich Drills," (after the late ballhandling wizard Pete Maravich) are widely known. They include drills such as passing the ball around your body, dribble figure 8s, spider dribbling, drop and catch. Practicing and improving your ballhandling requires imagination, as you have to put yourself in game situations. 9 Tips To Improve Your Dribbling & Ball Handling Here are 9 tips from pro coach Don Kelbick. 1.Dribble the ball hard. The more time the ball spends in your hand, the more control you have of the ball. The harder you dribble, the quicker it gets back in your hand. 2.Head up at all times. Look at the rim or a spot on the wall during all practice. 3.Use your finger tips to control the ball, not your palm. 4.Use your imagination. Picture when and how you would use each of the dribbles. 6.Basketball is a game of length. Work on lengthening the dribble. Work to get your opportunities with 1 dribble. You don't beat defenses with your dribble. You beat people with your feet; you SEPARATE from your defense with the dribble. 7.Basketball is also a game of angles. Try to move in straight lines. Whenever you make an "East-West" move (something that takes you toward the sideline), recapture a "North-South" path (direct line to the basket) as quickly as possible. 8.Don't do things in 2 dribbles that you can do in 1. 9.Practice outside your comfort zone. Experiment; go faster than you are used to, use your imagination. When working on new skills, don't be concerned with losing the ball. Just pick it up and do it again. If you practice only things that are comfortable, then you will never improve http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZNM8e4qReno Basketball Shooting Technique & Mechanics 1. Remember BEEF (Balance, Eye, Elbow, Follow Through) when shooting the basketball. Another nice method to remember is putting your hand "In the cookie jar." This will help you with your follow through which increases accuracy. Get into the habit of always using these proper shooting techniques - whether in practices or a game. If proper techniques are not used, bad habits are formed that are often difficult to correct. If players don't have a shooting technique - they need to develop one! 2. Be relaxed and concentrate on the basket. Focus on the back of the rim as you make a jump shot or shoot from the free throw line. When shooting lay-ups and bank shots, focus on the part of the backboard where you will bank the ball. 3. Know when you have a good shot - and then take it. Find the right balance between shooting too often and not shooting enough. As you develop confidence in your shot, you will also develop the ability to know when you have a good shot to take. 4. Be in proper balance when shooting the basketball. Proper balance (front to back and side to side) is critical on all shots. 5. Follow through on every shot you take. Hold your follow through as this is one thing that will show you why you made or missed the shot. 6. Jump naturally. please!! Avoid forcing your jump - it should be nice and easy. You should jump straight up in the air smoothly and release the shot at the top of your jump letting the force easily slide off your fingers at the same time 7. Make sure you have an arc on every shot you take. The height of the arc will vary from player to player. Some players shoot with a high arc, while others have more of a flat shot. As long as you are using proper shooting techniques and the shots are going in, then the arc is fine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yf1RMtXE5Y&feature=player_detailpage TYPES OF PASSES There are essentially two types of passes: •Air Pass - The pass travels between players without hitting the floor. •Bounce Passes - The pass is thrown to the floor so that it bounces to the intended receiver Each type of pass comes with its own variations. Basic Variations: - Chest Pass - Bounce Pass - Overhead Pass - Wrap Around Pass Advanced Variations: - Baseball Pass - Dribble Pass - Behind-the-Back Pass - Pick and Roll Pass TEACHING POINTS When teaching passing, points of emphasis should be: •A good pass is a pass a teammate can catch •When passing, step toward your receiver. •When catching, step toward the pass •Like shooting, the ball should have a backspin to it. This is accomplished by following through on every pass. Basic Passes CHEST PASS The chest pass is named so because the pass originates from the chest. It is thrown by gripping the ball on the sides with the thumbs directly behind the ball. When the pass is thrown, the fingers are rotated behind the ball and the thumbs are turned down. The resulting follow through has the back of the hands facing one another with the thumbs straight down. The ball should have a nice backspin. When throwing a chest pass, the players should strive to throw it to the receiver's chest level. Passes that go low to high or high to low are difficult to catch. BOUNCE PASS The bounce pass is thrown with the same motion however it is aimed at the floor. It should be thrown far enough out that the ball bounces waist high to the receiver. Some say try to throw it 3/4 of the way to the receiver, and that may be a good reference point to start, but each player has to experiment how far to throw it so it bounces to the receiver properly. Putting a proper and consistent backspin on the pass will make the distance easier to judge. OVERHEAD PASS The overhead pass is often used as an outlet pass. Bring the ball directly above your forehead with both hands on the side of the ball and follow through. Aim for the teammate's chin. Some coaches advise not bring the ball behind your head, because it can get stolen and it takes a split-second longer to throw the pass. WRAP AROUND PASS Step around the defense with your non-pivot foot. Pass the ball with one hand (outside hand). It can be used as an air or a bounce pass. You will often see the wrap-around, air pass on the perimeter and the wrap-around, bounce pass to make an entry into the post. Advanced Passes BASEBALL PASS A baseball pass is a one-handed pass that uses the same motion as a baseball throw. This is often used to make long passes .Be careful with young kids. You don't want them throw their arms out. DRIBBLE PASS The dribble pass is used to quickly pass the ball with one hand off of the dribble. This can be an air or bounce pass. You'll see Steve Nash do this all of the time. T This is Steve Nash BEHIND-THE-BACK PASS A behind-the-back pass is when you wrap the ball around your back to throw the ball. It is used to avoid the defender when making a pass across the front of you would be risky. It can also be used to throw the ball to a player trailing on the fast break. PICK AND ROLL PASS This is a pass that is used when the defenders double-team or switch on the pick and roll. If dribbling to the right, your left side is facing the target and you bring the ball up from your right side to throw the ball overhead to the screener who has either rolled to the basket or popped to the perimeter. The pass is used to shield the ball from the defender, and many times is thrown in "hook shot" fashion. Advanced players can do this while slightly fading away from the defender. LAY-UPS The lay-up is the easiest shot and the first shot you should learn. It's not as easy as it looks at first, as a lot of kids have difficulty getting the correct footwork, and shooting off the correct foot. Then you must also learn to use either hand, and eventually do the reverse lay-up. Footwork When dribbling toward the basket, move slightly to one side of the hoop to create the proper angle. If you're on the right side, dribble right-handed, and plant your left (inside) foot and jump off that foot, and finally shoot with your right hand. As you raise your right hand, your right knee should also elevate. Pretend there is a string attached to your right hand and your right knee. Reverse this form if shooting from the left side. As you approach the hoop, take a half step with your outside foot, then take a full stride with your inside foot pushing off the court. When jumping your outside knee should be bent. Go directly toward the basket, with your head up and eyes focused on the backboard. Go up strong and straight to the hoop. Don't shy away if there is a defender, just go strong to the hoop. You may get fouled and get a three point chance. Aim Always use the backboard ("use the glass") when shooting lay-ups from either side. Aim for the top corner of the box on the backboard. Focus in on this area; don't watch the ball. Keep your head up. The Push Release Younger players who are not yet strong enough for the underhand release should use the push release. Release the ball with the back of your hands facing you. Extend your shooting arm, as you push the ball to the hoop off your fingertips. You should go up with two hands, then release the ball with your outside hand. A very young player may need to shoot the ball with two hands. Underhand Release As you get stronger, you should develop the underhand shot. This release results in a softer shot, and more control when you are moving at high speed. Release the ball with your palm up and arm extended. Let the ball roll off your palm and then your fingertips, and lay the ball softly off the backboard. Use two hands going up, but then release the ball with your outside hand at the top of your jump. Be strong and

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sport

Baseball, usually considered the national sport or pastime of the United States, originated in the country and quickly spread to Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, England, Spain, Australia, Tunisia, and other parts of the world. Baseball was popularized heavily and is widely considered to mirror the spirit of United States. So many articles on the history of baseball, which were not very clearly based on historical reports, were made up and propagated by the media. But common consensus was arrived recently owing to its immense popularity in United States of America. It is said to be North American modification of older English games like Rounders and Stoolball which also influenced other similar games like Cricket. The game turned professional after the Civil War in 1860’s and attracted commercial interests, yet amateur baseball is equally popular and was separated from the professional one in 1871. Though the sport was initially played among teams of various ethnic groups in the States, like the German Americans, the African Americans, and the Irish Americans. The sport helped in bringing harmony among the diverse ethnic groups and the native Americans in the 80’s and 90’s. Objective Baseball is a team game played by two teams of nine players each on an enclosed Baseball field under the direction of a manager in accordance with rules under jurisdiction of one or more umpires. An offending player tries to hit the ball away from the reach of the defenders and score runs by running around the bases. Players of the defending team try to out the player who 1. Baseball – Overview Baseball 4 is batting. Both the teams take turns at batting and fielding. Three consecutive outs from each team make an innings, and nine innings make a game. The objective of each team is to win by scoring more runs and try to prevent opponents from scoring runs. Team Members Baseball is a team game; it has two teams of nine active players each. While one team plays defence (fielders), the other team plays offence (batters). In leagues, the rules vary widely. Some professional teams contain as many as 25 players, including eight position players, five starting pitchers, six relief pitchers, and substitutes. Substitute players include catchers, relievers, infielders, outfielders, and another player specialising in pinch hitting. If a hitter replaces the starting player in the batting order he is called a pinch hitter. A player replacing a base runner is called a pinch runner. The offensive team that has to bat sends its batsman as per the batting order decided by the umpire. The batsman, who is at bat, stays in the batting box to hit the balls pitched by the pitcher of the defending team. Some batsmen can strike with both their hands; such batters are called Switch-Hitters. The Catcher, also called Behind, stays behind the batsman to pick any balls he missed. Players are further identified by their special skills. The team’s best pitcher usually pitches first and is called an Ace. Anyone with all-around skills is called a Utility player and can fill any position the situation demands. A relief pitcher replaces the starting pitcher and the relief pitcher who finishes the game is called a Closer. Sometimes the starting pitcher pitches for the whole game, in that case he is said to have pitched a Complete Game. Apart from players, training and managing personnel also work with players in a team. Each team has a manger to make strategic decisions like deciding the batting order, Baseball 5 starting rotation, line-up, and deciding when to introduce pinch hitter as a substitute. Players of a team are trained in hitting, fielding, and pitching by two coaches. Base coaches stand on the bases to suggest the players. Two or more umpires declare outcomes and look over the running of the game. Participating Countries Baseball is undoubtedly more popular in the United States and many league matches have been organised in the country every year. Though many countries are part of IBAF, the international regulating body of Baseball, not all of them send their teams to major international tournaments. Baseball is more popular as a sport of league matches in the US, but league matches are also common in other countries that send their teams to international tournaments. Some of the active participants in international competitions from Asia are Israel, Japan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Taiwan. The game is very popular in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan; they have also won some international Championships. The game is a prominent sport in other countries of Europe and South America. Some of the countries that participated in international championships are Italy, Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, Cuba, Dominion Republic, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Columbia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Cuba, Netherlands, and UK are also champions and many players from these countries participate in league matches in their countries and also in international league matches. Baseball 6 The baseball field, also called the baseball diamond, is a specially-designed field composed of two basic parts: the infield and the outfield. Infield The infield is the centre of action. It is marked by four rugged pads or bases, also called bags usually made of canvas. They are set equidistant at 90 feet from one another on the ground in a square, aligned diagonally, forming a diamond shape. The third base is also called the hot corner. A home plate, where the batter bats, is larger and is on one of the bases, closer to the deck. Unlike the other bases the home plate is a flat slab of rubber, pentagonal in shape and has a batter’s box allocated for the batter with a barrier called backstop behind it. 2. Baseball – Playing Environment Baseball 7 The other three bases are equal in size and are numerically labelled from the right side of the batter standing on home plate facing the outfield. Players must run from the bases to reach the home plate and score runs. The path joining a base to the next is made of mud or dirt, and the diamond is enclosed by base lines covered in grass or in artificial turf. The rest of the infield outside the diamond and enclosed by the outfield is not covered with grass. Pitchers’Mound Inside the grassy infield and near the middle of it is a dirt mound called pitchers’ mound. The circular mound is 18 ft in diameter and a white rubber slab rectangular in shape of 5 ft × 3 ft levels it at the top. The front side of the plate is about 60 ft, 6inches from the home base and the plate is elevated by 10 inches at its back. Another rectangular pitchers’ plate or pitchers’ rubber is placed in the rectangle at about 6 inches from the front, 18 inches from the sides, and 24 inches from the back. The ball is pitched from the pitcher's mound at the batsman who tries to hit it with the bat from the home plate. Baseball 8 Outfield The sides of infield that corner the home plate are extended and marked by mud, they are foul lines and they enclose outfield between them. The outfield is enclosed by a fence and its distance from home plate varies from 290 ft to 400 ft. A painted box called catcher’s box is behind home plate; it is where the catcher crouches to catch the ball if the batsman misses it. Coaches’ boxes and on-deck circles are outside the foul lines. A bull pen or simply a pen is a warm-up area for relief pitchers. Officials involved in the game and teammates not in play sit at a designated area called Dugout. The distance of fence from the field and audience varies significantly from one field to another. Baseball 9 Here is a list of all the necessary equipment that are used while playing baseball: Batting Helmet Helmet is worn by a batter to protect his/her head and the ear facing the pitcher from the ball. While some helmets have ear protectors only on one side as only the ear facing the pitcher should be protected, helmets with ear protectors on both sides are more common as some batters are left handed and some right handed. Baseball cap All players wear a hat to shade their eyes from the sun. Baseball hat design has become so popular with the general public that they are also used to make a style statement. Catcher's helmet Catchers wear a helmet with face mask similar to a hockey goalkeeper mask to protect both their head and face. Sometimes they might wear a separate helmet and a facemask. Uniform All players, coaches and managers wear shirts and pants. Each team has a uniform dress of a specific colour and design. Sliding shorts Players sometimes wear padded support shorts to protect the player’s thighs when he/she slides into the bases. Some sliding shorts contain a pocket for a cup that serves as a jockstrap. Baseball Cleats These are baseball specific shoes made of rubber or metal that players wear for better traction. Bat Baseball bat is a round, solid wooden or hollow aluminium bat. Wooden bats are traditionally made from ash wood, though sometimes maple and bamboo is also used. 3. Baseball – Equipment Baseball 10 Ball The ball used in baseball is called a baseball. Layers of yarn or string is rolled on a cork sphere and a leather coat is stitched over it to make a baseball. Gloves Players wear leather gloves to protect their palms. A webbed "pocket" between the thumb and first finger helps the fielder to catch the ball easily. Catcher's mitt Catchers wear leather mitts with connected finger pockets that are much wider and better padded than a normal fielder's glove. First baseman's mitt First basemen wear leather mitts that are longer and wider than a standard fielder's glove. They are similar to catcher’s mitt as the four fingers are connected; additionally, it is rounded and has more padding than a standard fielder's glove Batting gloves Batsmen wear gloves on one or both hands for additional grip and to avoid shock when they strike the ball. Baseball 11 Given below is a list of some frequently used terms in baseball:  Around the Horn: The runner who runs from the third base, to the second and then to the first is said to have run ‘Around the Horn’.  Backdoor Slider: If a pitch that seems to be a ‘ball’ lands on the plate, it is called a backdoor slider.  Balk: The pitcher may trick runners as if he is pitching to make them advance to the next base. This is illegal in a game.  Baltimore Chop: A popular hit named after the Baltimore Orioles, where the batsman strikes in such a way that the ball bounces high off from the home plate and the batsman gets a chance to make a single.  Base Hit: The batsman strikes in such a way that the ball reaches at least the first base without any error.  Box Score: Runs scored and other information of innings is presented by checking a series of relevant boxes. The score board is called the Box Score.  Brush-back: Sometimes the ball that is pitched comes close to the batsman, but the batsman narrowly escapes getting hurt. Such a pitched ball is called a brushback.  Circus Catch: The outfielder might dive, jump or skid to catch a ball, such a tough catch is called a Circus Catch.  Bunt: If the ball hits the bat in the infield though it is not pitched at it, it is called a Bunt.  Called Game: If the umpire temporarily stops the game for some reason, then the game is said to have been ‘Called’.  Change Up: Sometimes the batsman might be tricked to believe a slow ball to be a fast one. Then the ball is said to have ‘Changed Up’.  Force Play: The batsman starts running, so the next baseman is forced to advance. Forcing a runner to advance is called ‘Force Play’.  Texas Leaguer: The ball that lands on the ground between an infielder and an outfielder is called a Texas Leaguer.  Chin Music: The ball that comes close to the batsman’s face and sometimes might hurt his face is called Chin Music.  Cycle or Natural Cycle: If a batsman scores a single, double, triple, and a home run in the same game, he/she is said to have finished a Cycle.  Donut: A donut shaped weight is attached to the bat to practice during warm up. 4. Baseball – Terms Baseball 12  Ground Rule Double: If the ball that was hit bounces and flies beyond the wall or fence, runners on bases can advance by two bases.  Designated Hitter: A Non-field player is called a designated hitter if he has to bat from the pitcher's position.  Double Header: A team is said to be a Double Header if it plays two games continuously.  Fielder's Choice: When a fielder, for some reason, chooses to throw the ball to a base the batter is not running towards, it is called the Fielder’s Choice.  Fireman: The relief pitcher that closes out the game.  Infield Fly: A batsman hits the ball in such a way that it flies in the infield and can be easily caught by an infielder.  Intentional Walk: A batsman might be forced to advance to the first base; intentionally, by pitching four times.  Line Drive: It is a kind of hit that drives the ball straight to a fielder.  Left On Base: If the bases are loaded despite three outs, the runners are said to be ‘Left on Base’.  Mendoza Line: Named after the legendary shortstop Mario Mendoza, it indicates a batting average of over 200.  Passed Ball: The ball sometimes escapes from the catcher and gives runners a chance to advance to next base.  Perfect Game: The game is considered perfect if the pitcher could prevent every batsman from advancing to first base.  Pick Off: To tag a base runner and prevent him from scoring a run, the pitcher throws the ball to a fielder. The throw is called a ‘Pick Off’.  Pull Hitter: A Hitter is called a pull hitter if he drives the ball towards the batting side of the field.  Sacrifice Bunt: The ball is carefully tapped to put out a batsman by forcing a base runner to advance.  Sacrifice Fly: The runner scores a point but the fly ball lands in a catch.  Save: A relief pitcher is credited with a ‘Save’ if three or more innings are pitched without a tie game or if the team leads even when the opponent is tying or winning runs on base.  Wheelhouse: The power zone or sweet sport of a hitter.  Can of Corn: The ball sometimes is shot in such a way that the outfielder can catch it easily without moving from his position. Such an easy fly-ball catch is called a Can of Corn. Baseball 13  Run Batter In (RBI): A player earns credits for helping his teammates in scoring points while up to bat. Such a record is called RBI.  Grounder or Ground ball: A batsman hits a Ground ball when it bounces off the ground or rolls in the infield. Baseball 14 There are two main aspects of playing the game. A team has to bat initially and the other team has to defend the pitch. Once the innings is complete the roles are reversed, and this goes on for up to nine innings at professional level. As discussed earlier, nine players of a team stand at specific defensive positions on the field during defensive play. During offensive play, all players act as batsmen, taking turns and try to hit the ball. Once the batter hits the ball, he/she can begin to run from home plate counter clockwise from one base to the other and back to the home plate to score a point. The defensive team that fields the court tries to get the ball and tag it to the batsman to end the run chase.  The pitcher pitches the baseball at a certain level towards the batsman, over the home plate. A clever pitcher pitches a difficult ball to make it difficult for the batsman to hit it far and score runs.  The catcher takes his position behind the home plate with heavy protective gear and a special mitt. He crouches to pick the ball up if the batsman misses it and also fields if the ball lands close by.  The first baseman, who should be a good catcher, stands at the first base and tries to get hold of the ball before the batsman reaches the first base and tags him.  The second baseman tries to tag the batsman by guarding the area between the first and the second base, and helps catch ground balls before they roll into the outfield.  The third baseman closely guards third base; he is skilled in sending the balls back to the first base across the diamond with a strong throwing arm.  Three players, called the out-fielders, guard each of the left, right, and centre sections of the outfield. They catch balls that reach far when the batsman hits hard to score more runs.  The umpire shouldn’t favour any team and should act unbiased. He watches the game closely to announce runs scored in each play.  Only offensive team members who bat can get an out. Once a player is out, he or she is removed from the batting rotation and from play for the rest of the inning. Once three players of the offensive team are out, the defensive team gets a chance to bat.  A batsman can hit either a fair ball or a foul ball. If the batsman advances to a base without any errors, it is called a hit.  When the batsman swings at the ball but misses it, it is called a strike. Foul balls too result in strike. Three strikes will make the batsman out and is called a Strike Out.  Once a batsman is out, the next batsman in the batting order gets the chance to bat. 5. Baseball – How to Play? Baseball 15  When a ball is pitched too far from the hitting area to be hit by the batsman, it is called a ball. After four balls, the batsman gets a free advancement to first base. The situation is also called base on balls or walk.  When the batsman hits the ball outside the foul lines, it is a foul ball.  When a foul ball is caught and turned into flyout, the foulball is counted as a strike.  Besides the batsmen, the runners too stay at the bases to score runs. They try to steal the bases by running even before the batter hits the ball, this is called hit and run. Pitching Styles There are many styles of pitching. The defending team members pitch the ball in such a way that it is difficult for the batsman to hit and score runs. They also try to out the batsman.  Checked Swing: A ball pitched in such a way that it rotates almost halfway around.  Cheese: A great fastball pitch.  Curveball: A ball that bends leftwards when pitched with the right hand, and rightwards when delivered with the left.  Cutter: A fast ball is called a cutter or a cut fastball when it breaks slightly before reaching home plate.  Fork Ball: A ball pitched by holding it firmly with the index and middle fingers to pitch it slower and usually ground it.  Fast Ball: A ball pitched straight and fast.  Throw: It is different from a pitch. A pitcher uses the hand to drive the ball towards a teammate or to a specific spot.  Sinker: A fastball pitched downwards.  Wild Pitch: A ball is pitched too wide by mistake that the catcher cannot block it and runners get time to advance and score runs.  Slider: A curveball made with a straight wrist, to trick the hitter that it is a fastball, but it breaks on reaching the home plate.  Knuckle Ball: Holding the ball with knuckles to prevent it from spinning.  Quick Return Pitch: A pitch intended to throw off the batsman, sometimes pitched when the batsman signals joy after a home run. Scoring Runs Runners stay on bases and make runs by running to the next base. Apart from the batsman, base runners also run to have a head start while trying to score a point. Baseball 16 Maximum of three runners can be at the field, one runner may be placed at each of the bases. The run can be made in singles, doubles, triples and home runs, as runners advance to first, second, or third base, or back to the home plate in one hit without any errors. A homerun hit while all bases are loaded is called a Grand Slam. Singles and doubles are more common than triples and home runs. In some cases, the pitching might be so tough and the outfielders closely guard the defending team that the team might fail without any runs; in that case, the team is said to have shut out. Outs or Errors A batsman or a runner can be put out or run down when they cannot reach the next base before getting tagged. Tagging is done by making the runner touch the ball. Otherwise, runners reach the base safely and score a run. If the ball lands in the foul territory after it is hit, it is also considered to be an error. When the bases are loaded, more than one runner can be put out. Two outs in a single hit is called Double play and three outs is called a Triple play. Sometimes the runner is forced to advance to the next base and get out because there is a runner behind him. Such outs are celled force outs. A Game might be forfeited when a team is awarded a win as the opposing team commits a foul. Baseball 17 Let us now discuss some of the major tournaments held in baseball: World Series This popular annual championship is also called Fall Classic where champions of American League and National League, the two popular professional baseball leagues of North America, compete for the title. Caribbean Series Cuba, Dominion Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela, the prominent Latin American countries participating in Baseball leagues, compete in the Series every year. The countries take turns to host the series, usually held every year in February. World Baseball Classic This Championship is approved by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the international regulating body of baseball, where the winner of this Championship earns the title ‘World champion’. It grew in popularity, mostly outside United States, after it was decided in 2005 to remove baseball from Olympics. The championships were held in 2006, 2009, and in 2013; the upcoming one is scheduled for 2017. 6. Baseball – Tournaments Baseball 18 Olympics Baseball was a part of Olympics from 1992 to 2008. But, since the game is not popular throughout the world and was not attracting many international audiences it was removed from Olympics from 2012. Baseball World Cup World Cup tournaments have been organised since 1938, but they were not regular. Even though professional players participating in league matches were allowed to participate in World Cup matches after 1996, not many league players preferred to participate in them. From 2001 to 2011, baseball World Cups were organised every two years. After 2011, World Cup tournaments were discontinued as World Baseball Classic replaced it and has become popular and attracted players of prestigious professional leagues. Baseball 19 Softball Softball also called diamond ball, indoor-outdoor, kitten ball, mush ball, play ground ball is just like baseball as the rules and strategies of both the games are very similar. But, it is played on a smaller court with different equipment and each game has only seven innings. The game is very popular in the United States. The ball circumference is only 12 inches though sometimes it is also played with a ball of 16 inches’ circumference and between two teams of ten members each. Stickball Stickball originated from Baseball and is modified to play in the streets. The ball is usually a bouncing rubber ball, and the bat has a broom handle. It is similar to other stick and ball games that we find in the streets where buildings serve as boundaries and the rules are defined locally. The batsman bats the ball into the air and if the ball is caught the batsman is out. Hits are defined by how far the ball is shot; if the ball lands on a porch or if it breaks a window, it is usually considered a home run. Some versions of stickball don’t involve running between bases. T-ball T-ball is a popular game for kids aged 4-7 that is used to train young kids in hitting a ball and prepare them for other games like baseball and softball. It involves hitting a stationary ball that is not pitched but placed on a flexible rod, firmly fixed on a movable base. Wiffle Ball Wiffle ball was invented in 1953 by David.N.Mullany for his twelve-year-old son. It is played with a bat and ball similar to that of baseball but made of plastic in an enclosed indoor or outdoor court. It is a popular street and backyard sport and is also a played at summer camps. Rounders Rounders is as old as Baseball and is considered to be a primitive version of Baseball played in England in the 18th century. This bat and ball game popular among school children involves batting and fielding. The rules and equipment are similar to that of baseball and cricket; the ball is small, hard, and enveloped in a sheet of leather, and the bat is shorter, made of wood, metal, or plastic and is rounded at the end. Batting rules and innings are similar to that of baseball, but batsmen earn points only when they finish a circuit past four bases without getting out. Rigoball This recent field game was developed in Dominion Republic in the lines of baseball, but players in the game don’t need any bats at all. There is no batsman, and the ball is thrown and caught among players. It is played on a court without any pitcher’s mound and the game progresses faster than baseball. The teams may include both men and women. The game is considered to be safer and less strenuous. The rules are similar to that of Baseball but are modified to make the game faster and more interesting. 7. Baseball – Variants Baseball 20 Baseball, though is not widely played throughout the Globe, it is played with a lot of passion and enjoys enormous respect in the United States. So, most of the international champions are from United States. George Herman Ruth (Jr) or Babe Ruth He is a former American professional baseball player of the early twentieth century, and has nicknames Babe Ruth, the Bambino, and The Sultan of Swat. Though he came from a very modest background and was educated in a Baltimore asylum, he rose to popularity through baseball and is widely considered the most celebrated athlete in the States. He won World Series in 1916 and in 1918, and won 87 games between 1915 and 1919. This great left-handed pitcher is also the greatest hitter and is still remembered for his magnificent homeruns. Willie Mays Willie Mays, also called ‘Say Hey Kid’ was an American Professional Baseball all-rounder. This wonderful batsman and is also popular for his astounding diving and leaping catches. Though many believe that he didn’t receive the respect his talent deserved, he gained popularity and achieved much success after colored players were included in major leagues. He played for the National League New York Giants when the team won National League pennant and World Series and later for New York Mets in 1972-73. Hank Aaron Hank Aaron, who played for the Boston Braves team of National League, has a batting average of 0.305 and broke batting records set by many batting legends during his career of 23 seasons. He won the batting league championship in 1956 and steered his team for a World Series win in 1957. He joined Milwaukee Brewers in 1974, took retirement in 1976 and was inducted to Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. Ted Williams Ted Williams or Theodore Samuel William, also fondly called the Splendid Splinter and Teddy Ballgame, played for Boston Red Sox of the American League from 1939 to 1960. Though he spent five peak years of his career in military service, he could still get back to baseball without any hiccups. Notable for his unusual ability to bat with his left hand but throw with his right, he was the last player to hit 0.400 in Major League Baseball, and he achieved a lifetime batting average of 0.344. 8. Baseball – Champions Baseball 21 Ty Cobb Ty Cobb, whose full name is Tyrus Raymond Cobb, is lovingly called ‘the Georgia Peach’. He played 22 seasons of his 24 season career as an outfielder of the Detroit Tigers. Though he couldn’t win any world Series, his team won three American League(AL) pennants one after the other from 1907 to 1909. He, like Ted Williams, batted with his left and threw with his right and is considered on the greatest offensive players. Honus Wagner Honus Wagner, also called the Flying Dutchman, is considered to be the best shortstop for his agility and a strong throwing arm, and was also a good all-around player. He was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and led the team to three National League Pennants. During his tenure, the Pirates also won their first World Series in 1909. He had 3420 hits during his 21-year long career, and his batting average is 0.328. Though he did not enjoy large home run scores, he was an extraordinary power hitter. Ken Griffey Jr. He was a member of the American League Seattle Mariners and was a popular power hitter and a centre fielder of 1990’s. He won the American League Gold glove award from 1991 to 1999 for his wonderful fielding skills, and was declared the American League’s Most Valuable Player in 1997. Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle is also called The Commerce Comet or The Mick. He is considered to be the best switch hitters that any centre fielders are afraid of. His fielding percentage when playing center field is an extraordinary 0.984, and he was also popular for his tape-measure home runs. He played twelve World Series, is a Golden Glove winner, and was chosen to be the Most Valuable Player thrice. Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson or ‘Jackie’ is the first African American in Modern era to cross the colour bar and participate in Major Baseball Leagues. In his ten-year long baseball career, he won many prestigious awards like National League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1949. He played in six World Series and also played in World Series Championship in 1955. This exceptional baseball player was honoured with Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom after his death, for his contributions to Civil Rights Movement

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sport

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.[1] It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964. Beach volleyball was introduced to the program at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. The adapted version of volleyball at the Summer Paralympic Games is sitting volleyball.

The complete set of rules is extensive,[2] but play essentially proceeds as follows: a player on one of the teams begins a 'rally' by serving the ball (tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand or arm), from behind the back boundary line of the court, over the net, and into the receiving team's court.[3] The receiving team must not let the ball be grounded within their court. The team may touch the ball up to three times to return the ball to the other side of the court, but individual players may not touch the ball twice consecutively.[3] Typically, the first two touches are used to set up for an attack. An attack is an attempt to direct the ball back over the net in such a way that the team receiving the ball is unable to pass the ball and continue the rally, thus, losing the point. The team that wins the rally is awarded a point and serves the ball to start the next rally. A few of the most common faults include:

causing the ball to touch the ground or floor outside the opponents' court or without first passing over the net;

catching and throwing the ball;

double hit: two consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same player;

four consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same team;

net foul: touching the net during play;

foot fault: the foot crosses over the boundary line when serving or under the net when a front row player is trying to keep the ball in play.

The ball is usually played with the hands or arms, but players can legally strike or push (short contact) the ball with any part of the body.[4]

A number of consistent techniques have evolved in volleyball, including spiking and blocking (because those plays are made above the top of the net, the vertical jump is an athletic skill emphasized in the sport) as well as passing, setting, and specialized player positions. Offensive and defensive structures are also key plays.[5]

History

Origins

Further information: YMCA

William G. Morgan in c. 1915

William G. Morgan invented the sport in 1895 while he was the YMCA physical education director in Holyoke, Massachusetts.[6] Because he originally derived the game from badminton, he initially named the sport mintonette.[7] He was a one-time student of basketball inventor James Naismith and invented the game for his clients at the YMCA, most of whom were middle-aged businessmen for whom the physical demands of basketball were too great.[8]

The first rules, written down by Morgan, called for a net 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high, a 25 ft × 50 ft (7.6 m × 15.2 m) court, and any number of players. A match was composed of nine innings with three serves for each team in each inning, and no limit to the number of ball contacts for each team before sending the ball to the opponents' court. In case of a serving error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the ball into the net was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)—except in the case of the first-try serve.[9]

After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College), the game quickly became known as volleyball (it was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball"). Volleyball rules were slightly modified by the International YMCA Training School and the game spread around the country to various YMCAs.[9][10]

In the early 1900s Spalding, through its publishing company American Sports Publishing Company, produced books with complete instruction and rules for the sport.[11]

Refinements and later developments

Japanese American women playing volleyball at the Manzanar internment camp during World War II in c. 1943

A nudist/naturist volleyball game at the Sunny Trails Club during the 1958 Canadian Sunbathing Association (CSA) convention in British Columbia, Canada

The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say Spalding created the first official ball in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1900.[12][13][14] The rules evolved over time: in 1916, in the Philippines, the skill and power of the set and spike had been introduced, and four years later a "three hits" rule and a rule against hitting from the back row were established. In 1917, the game was changed from requiring 21 points to win to a smaller 15 points to win. In 1919, about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies, which sparked the growth of volleyball in new countries.[12]

Like basketball, volleyball spread quickly due to its simplicity and promotion by the YMCA and YWCA.[8] The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900.[12] During and after World War I, the presence of YMCA instructors in American forces led to the spread of volleyball in Europe, where clubs were established in France as well as several Soviet nations.[8] An international federation, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and the first World Championships were held in 1949 for men and 1952 for women.[15] The sport is now popular in Brazil, in Europe, where especially Italy, the Netherlands, and Eastern Europe have been major forces since the late 1980s, in Russia, in other countries, including China and the rest of Asia, and in the United States.[10][9][15]

Beach volleyball, a variation of the game played on sand and with only two players per team, became a FIVB-endorsed variation in 1987 and was added to the Olympic program at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[12][15] Volleyball is also a sport at the Paralympics managed by World ParaVolley.[16]

Nudists were early adopters of the game with regular organized play in clubs as early as the late 1920s.[17][18] By the 1960s, a volleyball court had become standard in almost all nudist/naturist clubs.[19] Recently a debate has arisen within the sport regarding the inclusion of transgender players. With transgender athletes including Tiffany Abreu joining professional volleyball teams alongside other non-transgender teammates, many professionals, sports analysts, and fans of volleyball either express concerns about the legitimacy and fairness of having transgender players on a team or convey support for the transgender players.[20]

Volleyball in the Olympics

Main article: Volleyball at the Summer Olympics

Volleyball has been part of the Summer Olympics program for both men and women consistently since 1964.

Rules of the game

A volleyball court

Rotation pattern

Court dimensions

A volleyball court is 9 m × 18 m (29.5 ft × 59.1 ft), divided into equal square halves by a net with a width of one meter (39.4 in).[21] The top of the net is 2.43 m (7 ft 11+11⁄16 in) above the center of the court for men's competition, and 2.24 m (7 ft 4+3⁄16 in) for women's competition, varied for veterans and junior competitions.[3]

The minimum height clearance for indoor volleyball courts is 7 m (23.0 ft), although a clearance of 8 m (26.2 ft) is recommended.[21]

A line 3 m (9.8 ft) from and parallel to the net is considered the "attack line". This "3 meter" (or "10-foot") line divides the court into "back row" and "front row" areas and the back court and front court.[21] These are in turn divided into 3 areas each: these are numbered as follows, starting from area "1", which is the position of the serving player:

After a team gains the serve (also known as siding out), its members must rotate in a clockwise direction, with the player previously in area "2" moving to area "1" and so on, with the player from area "1" moving to area "6".[3] Each player rotates only one time after the team gains possession of the service; the next time each player rotates will be after the other team wins possession of the ball and loses the point.[21]

The team courts are surrounded by an area called the free zone which is a minimum of 3 meters wide and which the players may enter and play within after the service of the ball.[22] All lines denoting the boundaries of the team court and the attack zone are drawn or painted within the dimensions of the area and are therefore a part of the court or zone. If a ball comes in contact with the line, the ball is considered to be "in". An antenna is placed on each side of the net perpendicular to the sideline and is a vertical extension of the side boundary of the court. A ball passing over the net must pass completely between the antennae (or their theoretical extensions to the ceiling) without contacting them.[3]

The ball

Main article: Volleyball (ball)

FIVB regulations state that the ball must be spherical, made of leather or synthetic leather, have a circumference of 65–67 cm (26–26 in), a weight of 260–280 g (9.2–9.9 oz) and an interior air pressure of 0.30–0.325 kg/cm2 (4.26 to 4.61 psi; 294.3 to 318.82 mbar or hPa).[23] Other governing bodies have similar regulations.

Gameplay

Finns kids playing volleyball in rural area (1950s)

White is on the attack while red attempts to block.

Buddhist monks play volleyball in the Himalayan state of Sikkim in India

Each team consists of six players.[21] To get play started, a team is chosen to serve by coin toss. A player from the serving team throws the ball into the air and attempts to hit the ball so it passes over the net on a course such that it will land in the opposing team's court (the serve).[21] The opposing team must use a combination of no more than three contacts with the volleyball to return the ball to the opponent's side of the net.[21] These contacts usually consist first of the bump or pass so that the ball's trajectory is aimed towards the player designated as the setter; second of the set (usually an over-hand pass using wrists to push finger-tips at the ball) by the setter so that the ball's trajectory is aimed towards a spot where one of the players designated as an attacker can hit it, and third by the attacker who spikes (jumping, raising one arm above the head and hitting the ball so it will move quickly down to the ground on the opponent's court) to return the ball over the net.[3] The team with possession of the ball that is trying to attack the ball as described is said to be on offence.

The team on defence attempts to prevent the attacker from directing the ball into their court: players at the net jump and reach above the top (and if possible, across the plane) of the net to block the attacked ball.[3] If the ball is hit around, above, or through the block, the defensive players arranged in the rest of the court attempt to control the ball with a dig (usually a fore-arm pass of a hard-driven ball). After a successful dig, the team transitions to offence.

The game continues in this manner, rallying back and forth until the ball touches the court within the boundaries or until an error is made.[21] The most frequent errors that are made are either to fail to return the ball over the net within the allowed three touches, or to cause the ball to land outside the court.[21] A ball is "in" if any part of it touches the inside of a team's court or a sideline or end-line, and a strong spike may compress the ball enough when it lands that a ball which at first appears to be going out may actually be in. Players may travel well outside the court to play a ball that has gone over a sideline or end-line in the air. A standard competitive volleyball match is played in a best-of-five sets format and typically goes on for about 90 minutes.[24]

Other common errors include a player touching the ball twice in succession, a player catching the ball, a player touching the net while attempting to play the ball, or a player penetrating under the net into the opponent's court. There are a large number of other errors specified in the rules, although most of them are infrequent occurrences. These errors include back-row or libero players spiking the ball or blocking (back-row players may spike the ball if they jump from behind the attack line), players not being in the correct position when the ball is served, attacking the serve in the front court and above the height of the net, using another player as a source of support to reach the ball, stepping over the back boundary line when serving, taking more than 8 seconds to serve,[25] or playing the ball when it is above the opponent's court.

Scoring

A scorer's table shown just before a volleyball game

A point is scored when the ball contacts the floor within the court boundaries or when an error is made: when the ball strikes one team's side of the court, the other team gains a point; and when an error is made, the team that did not make the error is awarded a point, in either case paying no regard to whether they served the ball or not. If any part of the ball hits the line, the ball is counted as in the court. The team that won the point serves for the next point. If the team which won the point served in the previous point, the same player serves again. If the team that won the point did not serve the previous point, the players of the team acquiring the serve rotate their position on the court in a clockwise manner. The game continues, with the first team to score 25 points by a two-point margin awarded the set. Matches are best-of-five sets and the fifth set, if necessary, is usually played to 15 points. (Scoring differs between leagues, tournaments, and levels; high schools sometimes play best-of-three to 25; in the NCAA matches are played best-of-five to 25 as of the 2008 season.)[26]

Before 1999, points could be scored only when a team had the serve (side-out scoring) and all sets went up to only 15 points. The FIVB changed the rules in 1999 (with the changes being compulsory in 2000) to use the current scoring system (formerly known as rally point system), primarily to make the length of the match more predictable and to make the game more spectator- and television-friendly. The final year of side-out scoring at the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship was 2000. Rally point scoring debuted in 2001,[27] and games were played to 30 points through 2007. For the 2008 season, games were renamed "sets" and reduced to 25 points to win. Most high schools in the U.S. changed to rally scoring in 2003,[28][29][30] and several states implemented it the previous year on an experimental basis.[31]

Libero

The libero player was introduced internationally in 1998,[32] and made its debut for NCAA competition in 2002.[33] The libero is a player specialized in defensive skills: the libero must wear a contrasting jersey color from their teammates and cannot block or attack the ball when it is entirely above net height. When the ball is not in play, the libero can replace any back-row player, without prior notice to the officials. This replacement does not count against the substitution limit each team is allowed per set, although the libero may be replaced only by the player whom he or she replaced. Most U.S. high schools added the libero position from 2003 to 2005.[29][34]

The modern-day libero often takes on the role of a second setter. When the setter digs the ball, the libero is typically responsible for the second ball and sets to the front row attacker. The libero may function as a setter only under certain restrictions. To make an overhand set, the libero must be standing behind (and not stepping on) the 3-meter line; otherwise, the ball cannot be attacked above the net in front of the 3-meter line. An underhand pass is allowed from any part of the court. The libero is, generally, the most skilled defensive player on the team. There is also a libero tracking sheet, where the referees or officiating team must keep track of whom the libero subs in and out for.

Under FIVB rules, a libero is not allowed to serve. By contrast, a libero can serve in NCAA volleyball, but only in a specific rotation. That is, the libero can only serve for one person, not for all of the people for whom he or she goes in. That rule change was implemented in 2004 and applied to high school and junior high play soon after.

Under FIVB rules, each team can designate two liberos at the beginning of play, only one of whom can be on the court at any time, and each libero can serve in one specific rotation. This rule was implemented in NCAA women's volleyball, effective with the fall 2024 season.[35]

Recent rule changes

Other rule changes enacted in 2000 include allowing serves in which the ball touches the net, as long as it goes over the net into the opponents' court. Also, the service area was expanded to allow players to serve from anywhere behind the end line but still within the theoretical extension of the sidelines. Other changes were made to lighten up calls on faults for carries and double-touches, such as allowing multiple contacts by a single player ("double-hits") on a team's first contact provided that they are a part of a single play on the ball.[36]

In 2008, the NCAA changed the minimum number of points needed to win any of the first four sets from 30 to 25 for women's volleyball (men's volleyball remained at 30 for another three years, switching to 25 in 2011). If a fifth (deciding) set is reached, the minimum required score remains at 15. In addition, the word "game" is now referred to as "set".[26]

The Official Volleyball Rules are prepared and updated every few years by the FIVB's Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission.[37] The latest edition is usually available on the FIVB's website.[2]

Skills

Competitive teams master six basic skills: serve, pass, set, attack, block and dig.[3] Each of the skills consitsts of a number of specific techniques which have been introduced over the years and are now considered standard practice in high-level volleyball.

Serve

A player making a jump serve

A float serve

A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball in an attempt to drive it into the opponent's court. The main objective is to make it land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to handle it properly.[3] A serve is called an "ace" when the ball either lands directly onto the opponent's court or the first opponent to touch the ball is unable to volley it (hit it upwards enough for a teammate to continue).

In contemporary volleyball, many types of serves are employed:

Underhand: a serve in which the player strikes the ball below the waist instead of tossing it up and striking it with an overhand throwing motion. Underhand serves are considered very easy to receive and are rarely employed in high-level competitions.[38]

Sky ball serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in beach volleyball, where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line. This serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team in the early 1980s and is now considered outdated. During the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, however, the sky ball serve was extensively played by Italian beach volleyball player Adrian Carambula. In Brazil, this serve is called Jornada nas Estrelas (Star Trek).[39]

Topspin: an overhand serve where the player tosses the ball high and hits it with a wrist snap, giving it topspin which causes it to drop faster than it would otherwise and helps maintain a straight flight path. Topspin serves are generally hit hard and aimed at a specific returner or part of the court. Standing topspin serves are rarely used above the high school level of play.[38]

Float: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes unpredictable, akin to a knuckleball in baseball.[38]

Jump serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air, then the player makes a timed approach and jumps to make contact with the ball, hitting it with much pace and topspin. This is the most popular serve among college and professional teams.[38]

Jump float: an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough that the player may jump before hitting it similarly to a standing float serve. The ball is tossed lower than a topspin jump serve, but contact is still made while in the air. This serve is becoming more popular among college and professional players because it has a certain unpredictability in its flight pattern.[38]

Pass

A player making a forearm pass or bump

Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the opponent's serve or any form of attack. Proper handling includes not only preventing the ball from touching the court but also making it reach the position where the setter is standing quickly and precisely.[3]

The skill of passing involves fundamentally two specific techniques: underarm pass, or bump, where the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms or platform, at waistline; and overhand pass, where it is handled with the fingertips, like a set, above the head.[3] Either are acceptable in professional and beach volleyball; however, there are much tighter regulations on the overhand pass in beach volleyball. When a player passes a ball to their setter, it is ideal that the ball does not have a lot of spin to make it easier for the setter.

Set

Jump set

The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball.[3] The main goal of setting is to put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by an attack into the opponent's court.[3] The setter coordinates the offensive movements of a team, and is the player who ultimately decides which player will actually attack the ball.

As with passing, one may distinguish between an overhand and a bump set. Since the former allows for more control over the speed and direction of the ball, the bump is used only when the ball is so low it cannot be properly handled with fingertips, or in beach volleyball where rules regulating overhand setting are more stringent. In the case of a set, one also speaks of a front or back set, meaning whether the ball is passed in the direction the setter is facing or behind the setter. There is also a jump set that is used when the ball is too close to the net. In this case, the setter usually jumps off their right foot straight up to avoid going into the net. The setter usually stands about ⅔ of the way from the left to the right of the net and faces the left (the larger portion of net that the setter can see).

Sometimes a setter refrains from raising the ball for a teammate to perform an attack and tries to play it directly onto the opponent's court. This movement is called a "dump".[40] This can only be performed when the setter is in the front row, otherwise it constitutes an illegal back court attack. The most common dumps are to 'throw' the ball behind the setter or in front of the setter to zones 2 and 4. More experienced setters toss the ball into the deep corners or spike the ball on the second hit.

As with a set or an overhand pass, the setter/passer must be careful to touch the ball with both hands at the same time.[3] If one hand is noticeably late to touch the ball this could result in a less effective set, as well as the referee calling a 'double hit' and giving the point to the opposing team.

Attack

See also: Volleyball offensive systems

A Spanish player, #18 in a red outfit is shown about to spike towards the Portuguese field, whose players are performing a block

The attack, also known as the spike, is usually the third contact a team makes with the ball.[3] The object of attacking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be defended.[3] A player makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps, and swings at the ball.

Ideally, the contact with the ball is made at the apex of the hitter's jump. At the moment of contact, the hitter's arm is fully extended above their head and slightly forward, making the highest possible contact while maintaining the ability to deliver a powerful hit. The hitter uses arm swing, wrist snap, and a rapid forward contraction of the entire body to drive the ball.[3] A 'bounce' is a slang term for a very hard/loud spike that follows an almost straight trajectory steeply downward into the opponent's court and bounces very high into the air. A "kill" is the slang term for an attack that is not returned by the other team thus resulting in a point.

Contemporary volleyball comprises a number of attacking techniques:[41]

Backcourt (or back row): an attack performed by a back-row player. The player must jump from behind the 3-meter line before making contact with the ball, but may land in front of the 3-meter line. A Pipe Attack is when the center player in the back row attacks the ball.

Line and Cross-court Shot: refers to whether the ball flies in a straight trajectory parallel to the sidelines, or crosses through the court in an angle. A cross-court shot with a very pronounced angle, resulting in the ball landing near the 3-meter line, is called a cut shot.

Dip/Dink/Tip/Cheat/Dump: the player does not try to make a hit, but touches the ball lightly, so that it lands on an area of the opponent's court that is not being covered by the defence.

Tool/Wipe/Block-abuse: the player does not try to make a hard spike, but hits the ball so that it touches the opponent's block and then bounces off-court.

Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its speed and thus confusing the opponent's defence.

Quick hit/"One": an attack (usually by the middle blocker) where the approach and jump begin before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a "quick set") is placed only slightly above the net and the ball is struck by the hitter almost immediately after leaving the setter's hands. Quick attacks are often effective because they isolate the middle blocker to be the only blocker on the hit.

Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low backset. The middle hitter steps around the setter and hits from behind him or her.

Double quick hit/"Stack"/"Tandem": a variation of quick hit where two hitters, one in front and one behind the setter or both in front of the setter, jump to perform a quick hit at the same time. It can be used to deceive opposite blockers and free a fourth hitter attacking from back-court, maybe without block at all.

Block

Three players performing a block, also known as a triple block

Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or alter an opponent's attack.[3] A block which is aimed at completely stopping an attack, thus making the ball remain in the opponent's court, is called an offensive block. A well-executed offensive block is performed by jumping and reaching to penetrate with one's arms and hands over the net and into the opponent's area.[3] It requires anticipating the direction the ball will go once the attack takes place.[3] It may also require calculating the best footwork to executing the "perfect" block.

The jump should be timed so as to intercept the ball's trajectory prior to it crossing over the plane of the net. Palms are held deflected downward roughly 45–60 degrees toward the interior of the opponents' court. A "roof" is a spectacular offensive block that redirects the power and speed of the attack straight down to the attacker's floor as if the attacker hit the ball into the underside of a peaked house roof. By contrast, it is called a defensive, or "soft" block if the goal is to control and deflect the hard-driven ball up so that it slows down and becomes easier to defend. A well-executed soft-block is performed by jumping and placing one's hands above the net with no penetration into the opponent's court and with the palms up and fingers pointing backwards.

Blocking is also classified according to the number of players involved. Thus, there are single (or solo), double, and triple blocks.[3]

Successful blocking does not always result in a "roof" and many times does not even touch the ball. While it is obvious that a block was a success when the attacker is roofed, a block that consistently forces the attacker away from their 'power' or preferred attack into a more easily controlled shot by the defence is also a highly successful block. At the same time, the block position influences the positions where other defenders place themselves while opponent hitters are spiking.

Dig

A volleyball player preparing for a dig

Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court after a spike or attack, particularly a ball that is nearly touching the ground.[3] In many aspects, this skill is similar to passing, or bumping: overhand dig and bump are also used to distinguish between defensive actions taken with fingertips or with joined arms.[3] It varies from passing, however, in that it is a much more reflex-based skill, especially at the higher levels. It is especially important while digging for players to stay on their toes; several players choose to employ a split step to make sure they are ready to move in any direction.

Some specific techniques are more common in digging than in passing. A player may sometimes perform a "dive", i.e., throw their body in the air with a forward movement in an attempt to save the ball, and land on their chest. When the player also slides their hand under a ball which is almost touching the court it is called a "pancake". The pancake is frequently used in indoor volleyball, but rarely if ever in beach volleyball because the uneven and yielding nature of the sand court limits the chances that the ball will make good, clean contact with the hand. When used correctly, it is one of the more spectacular defensive volleyball plays.

Sometimes a player may also be forced to drop their body quickly to the floor to save the ball. In this situation, the player makes use of a specific rolling technique to minimize the chances of injuries.

Team play

The U.S. women's team huddling in 2007

Volleyball is essentially a game of transition from one of the above skills to the next, with choreographed team movement between plays on the ball. The team's movements are determined by the teams chosen serve receive system, offensive system, coverage system, and defensive system.

The serve-receive system is the formation used by the receiving team to attempt to pass the ball to the designated setter. Systems can consist of 5 receivers, 4 receivers, 3 receivers, and in some cases 2 receivers. The most popular formation at higher levels is a 3 receiver formation consisting of two left sides and a libero receiving every rotation. This allows middles and right sides to become more specialized at hitting and blocking. Offensive systems are the formations used by the offence to attempt to ground the ball into the opposing court (or otherwise score points). Formations often include designated player positions with skill specialization (see Player specialization, below). Popular formations include the 4–2, 6–2, and 5-1 systems (see Formations, below). There are also several different attacking schemes teams can use to keep the opposing defence off balance.

Coverage systems are the formations used by the offence to protect their court in the case of a blocked attack. Executed by the 5 offensive players not directly attacking the ball, players move to assigned positions around the attacker to dig up any ball that deflects off the block back into their own court. Popular formations include the 2-3 system and the 1-2-2 system. In lieu of a system, some teams just use a random coverage with the players nearest the hitter.

Defensive systems are the formations used by the defence to protect against the ball being grounded into their court by the opposing team. The system will outline which players are responsible for which areas of the court depending on where the opposing team is attacking from. Popular systems include the 6-Up, 6-Back-Deep, and 6-Back-Slide defence. There are also several different blocking schemes teams can employ to disrupt the opposing teams' offence. When one player is ready to serve, some teams will line up their other five players in a screen to obscure the view of the receiving team. This action is only illegal if the server makes use of the screen, so the call is made at the referee's discretion as to the impact the screen made on the receiving team's ability to pass the ball. The most common style of screening involves a W formation designed to take up as much horizontal space as possible.

Strategy

An international match between Italy and Russia in 2005; the Russian player on the left has just served with three men from his team next to the net moving to their assigned block positions from the starting ones. Two others, in the back-row positions, are preparing for defense. Italy, on the right, has three men in a line, each preparing to pass if the ball reaches him. The setter is waiting for his pass while the middle hitter (#10) will jump for a quick hit if the pass is good enough. Alessandro Fei (#14) has no passing duties and is preparing for a back-row hit on the right side of the field.

Player specialization

There are five positions filled on every volleyball team at the elite level: setter, outside hitter (left-side hitter), middle hitter (middle blocker), opposite hitter (right-side hitter) and libero / defensive specialist. Each of the positions plays a specific, key role in winning a volleyball match.

Setters have the task for orchestrating the offence of the team. They aim for the second touch and their main responsibility is to place the ball in the air where the attackers can place the ball into the opponents' court for a point. They have to be able to operate with the hitters, manage the tempo of their side of the court and choose the right attackers to set. Setters need to have a swift and skillful appraisal and tactical accuracy and must be quick at moving around the court. At elite level, setters used to usually be the shortest players of a team (before liberos were introduced), not being typically required to perform jump hits, but that would imply need for short-term replacement by taller bench players when critical points required more effective blocks; in the 1990s taller setters (e.g. Fabio Vullo, Peter Blangé) began being deployed, in order to improve blocks.

Liberos are defensive players who are responsible for receiving the attack or serve. They are usually the players on the court with the quickest reaction time and best passing skills. Libero means 'free' in Italian—they receive this name as they have the ability to substitute for any other player on the court during each play (usually the middle blocker). Liberos are not permitted to block or perform attacks, meaning they never play at the net, which allows shorter players with strong passing and defensive skills to excel in the position and play an important role in the team's success. A player designated as a libero for a match may not play other roles during that match. Liberos wear a different colour jersey than their teammates.[42]

Middle hitters, or middle blockers, are players that can perform very fast attacks that usually take place near the setter. They are specialized in blocking since they must attempt to stop equally fast plays from their opponents and then quickly set up a double block at the sides of the court. In non-beginners play, every team will have two middle hitters. At elite levels, middle hitters are usually the tallest players, whose limited agility is countered by their height enabling more effective blocks.

Outside hitters, or left-side hitters, attack from near the left antenna. The outside hitter is usually the most consistent hitter on the team and gets the most sets. Inaccurate first passes usually result in a set to the outside hitter rather than middle or opposite. Since most sets to the outside are high, the outside hitter may take a longer approach, always starting from outside the court sideline. In non-beginners play, there are again two outside hitters on every team in every match. At elite level, outside hitters are slightly shorter than middle hitters and opposite hitters, but have the best defensive skills, therefore always re-placing to the middle while in the back row.

Opposite hitters, or right-side hitters, carry the defensive workload for a volleyball team in the front row. Their primary responsibilities are to put up a well-formed block against the opponents' Outside hitters and serve as a backup setter. Sets to the opposite usually go to the right side of the antennae. Therefore, they are usually the most technical hitters since balls lifted to the right side are quicker and more difficult to handle (the setters having to place the ball while slightly off-set to the right, and with their back to the attacker), and also having to jump from the back row when the setter is on the front row. At elite level, until the 1990s several opposite hitters used to be able to also play as middle hitters (e.g. Andrea Zorzi, Andrea Giani), before high specialization curtailed this flexibility in the role.[43]

At some levels where substitutions are unlimited, teams will make use of a defensive specialist in place of or in addition to a libero. This position does not have unique rules like the libero position, instead, these players are used to substitute out a poor back row defender using regular substitution rules. A defensive specialist is often used if you have a particularly poor back court defender in right side or left side, but your team is already using a libero to take out your middles. Most often, the situation involves a team using a right-side player with a big block who must be subbed out in the back row because they are not able to effectively play backcourt defence. Similarly, teams might use a serving specialist to sub out a poor server.

Formations

The three standard volleyball formations are known as "4–2", "6–2" and "5–1", which refers to the number of hitters and setters respectively. 4–2 is a basic formation used only in beginners' play, while 5–1 is by far the most common formation in high-level play.

4–2

The 4–2 formation has four hitters and two setters. The setters usually set from the middle front or right front position. The team will, therefore, have two front-row attackers at all times. In the international 4–2, the setters set from the right front position. The international 4–2 translates more easily into other forms of offence. The setters line up opposite each other in the rotation. The typical lineup has two outside hitters. By aligning like positions opposite themselves in the rotation, there will always be one of each position in the front and back rows. After service, the players in the front row move into their assigned positions, so that the setter is always in the middle front. Alternatively, the setter moves into the right front and has both a middle and an outside attacker; the disadvantage here lies in the lack of an offside hitter, allowing one of the other team's blockers to "cheat in" on a middle block.

The clear disadvantage with this offensive formation is that there are only two attackers, leaving a team with fewer offensive weapons.

Another aspect is to see the setter as an attacking force, albeit a weakened force, because when the setter is in the frontcourt they are able to 'tip' or 'dump', so when the ball is close to the net on the second touch, the setter may opt to hit the ball over with one hand. This means that the blocker who would otherwise not have to block the setter is engaged and may allow one of the hitters to have an easier attack.

6–2

In the 6–2 formation, a player always comes forward from the back row to set. The three front row players are all in attacking positions. As a result all six players act as hitters at one time or another, while two can act as setters. So the 6–2 formation is actually a 4–2 system, but the back-row setter penetrates to set. The 6–2 lineup thus requires two setters, who line up opposite to each other in the rotation. In addition to the setters, a typical lineup will have two middle hitters and two outside hitters. By aligning like positions opposite themselves in the rotation, there will always be one of each position in the front and back rows. After service, the players in the front row move into their assigned positions.

The advantage of the 6–2 is that there are always three front-row hitters available, maximizing the offensive possibilities. However, not only does the 6–2 require a team to possess two people capable of performing the highly specialized role of setter, it also requires both of those players to be effective offensive hitters when not in the setter position. At the international level, only the Cuban National Women's Team employs this kind of formation. It is also used by NCAA teams in Division III men's play and women's play in all divisions, partially due to the variant rules used which allow more substitutions per set than the 6 allowed in the standard rules—12 in matches involving two Division III men's teams[44] and 15 for all women's play.[45]

5–1

The 5–1 formation has only one player who assumes setting responsibilities regardless of their position in the rotation. The team will, therefore, have three front-row attackers when the setter is in the back row and only two when the setter is in the front row, for a total of five possible attackers.

In this formation - The libero will replace a middle blocker in the back row.[46]

The player opposite the setter in a 5–1 rotation is called the opposite hitter. In general, opposite hitters do not pass; they stand behind their teammates when the opponent is serving. The opposite hitter may be used as a third attack option (back-row attack) when the setter is in the front row: this is the normal option used to increase the attack capabilities of modern volleyball teams. Normally the opposite hitter is the most technically skilled hitter of the team. Back-row attacks generally come from the back-right position, known as zone 1, but are increasingly performed from back-centre in high-level play.

The big advantage of the system is that the setter always has 3 hitters with which to vary sets. If the setter performs well, the opponent's middle blocker may not have enough time to block with the outside blocker, increasing the chance for the attacking team to make a point.

There is another advantage, the same as that of a 4–2 formation: as a front-row player the setter is allowed to jump and "dump" the ball onto the opponent's side. Thus the setter can confuse the opponent's blocking players; they have the option to jump and dump or set to one of the hitters. A good setter knows and they are able to jump to dump or to set for a quick hit as well as when setting outside, thus they are able to confuse the opponent.

The 5–1 offence is actually a mix of 6–2 and 4–2: when the setter is in the front row, the offense looks like a 4–2; when the setter is in the back row, the offense looks like a 6–2.

Media

Movies

Side Out (1990): A law student goes to California and ends up playing professional volleyball.[47]

Air Bud: Spikes Back (2003): A sequel in the Air Bud series that shows the titular golden retriever playing volleyball.[48]

All You've Got (2006); A TV movie starring hip hop artist Ciara.[49]

The Miracle Season (2018): A team comes together after the death of their star player in hopes of winning the state championship.[50]

Television

Attacker You! (1984): A Japanese anime about a junior high schoolgirl playing volleyball after moving to Tokyo from the countryside.

Haikyu!! (2014): A Japanese anime about a high school boys volleyball team striving to be the best in Japan.

Harukana Receive (2018): A Japanese anime about teen girls playing beach volleyball and having a match with other girls.

2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team (2021): A Japanese anime about a high school boys volleyball team's journey to victory.

Variations and related games

Main article: Volleyball variations

Beach volleyball at the Hietaniemi Beach in Helsinki, Finland

There are many variations on the basic rules of volleyball. By far the most popular of these is beach volleyball, which is played on sand with two people per team and rivals the main sport in popularity.

Some games related to volleyball include:

Crossnet: a four-way volleyball game, combining volleyball and foursquare.

9-man: A variant invented by Chinese immigrants to the United States in the 1930s. 9-man is still played in Asian countries and North America, being recognized for its historic and cultural significance. In 2014, a documentary was produced about the sport, and a YouTube documentary was made in 2017.[citation needed]

Beachball volleyball: A game of indoor volleyball played with a beach ball instead of a volleyball.

Biribol: an aquatic variant, played in shallow swimming pools. The name comes from the Brazilian city where it was invented, Birigui. It is similar to water volleyball.

Ecua-volley: A variant invented in Ecuador, with some significant variants, such as number of players, and a heavier ball.

Footvolley: A sport from Brazil in which the hands and arms are not used, but it is otherwise similar to beach volleyball.

Hooverball: Popularized by President Herbert Hoover, it is played with a volleyball net and a medicine ball; it is scored like tennis, but the ball is caught and then thrown back. The weight of the medicine ball can make the sport physically demanding for players; annual championship tournaments are held in West Branch, Iowa.

Newcomb ball (sometimes spelled "Nuke 'Em"): In this game, the ball is caught and thrown instead of hit; it rivaled volleyball in popularity until the 1920s.

Prisoner Ball: Also played with volleyball court and a volleyball, prisoner ball is a variation of Newcomb ball where players are "taken prisoner" or released from "prison" instead of scoring points. This version is usually played by young children.[51]

Sepak Takraw: Played in Southeast Asia using a rattan ball and allowing only players' feet, knees, chests, and heads to touch the ball.

Snow volleyball: a variant of beach volleyball that is played on snow. The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball has announced its plans to make snow volleyball part of the future Winter Olympic Games programme.[52][53][54]

Throwball: became popular with female players at the YMCA College of Physical Education in Chennai (India) in the 1940s.

Towel volleyball: towel volleyball is a popular form of outdoor entertainment. The game takes place in a volleyball court, and players work in pairs, holding towels in their hands and attempting to throw the ball into the opponent's field. This version can also be played with blankets held by four people. There are several variations.Volley squash, a form of volleyball played within a squash court or similar sized enclosed space.

Wallyball: A variation of volleyball played in a racquetball court with a rubber ball.

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