Volleyball (history of origin and development, rules)

Volleyball (English volleyball from volley - “to hit the ball from the air” (also translated as “flying”, “soaring”) and ball - “ball”) is a sport, a team sports game, during which two teams compete on a special site , divided by a net, trying to direct the ball to the opponent's side so that it lands on the opponent's court (finish to the floor), or a player of the defending team makes a mistake. At the same time, to organize an attack, players of one team are allowed no more than three touches of the ball in a row (in addition to touching the block).

The central body of volleyball as an international sport, which determines the set of rules FIVB (English) is the International Volleyball Federation. Volleyball has been part of the Olympic Games program since 1964.

There are numerous variations of volleyball that branch off from the main type - beach volleyball (an Olympic sport since 1996), mini-volleyball, pioneer ball, park volleyball (approved by the FIVB Congress in November 1998 in Tokyo).

William J. Morgan, a physical education teacher at the YMCA College in Holyoke (Massachusetts, USA), is considered the inventor of volleyball. On February 9, 1895, in the gym, he hung a tennis net at a height of 197 cm, and his students, including There were no restrictions on the court, they began to throw a basketball camera over it. Morgan called the new game "mintonette." In 1897, the first volleyball rules were published in the USA: court size 7.6 x 15.1 m (25 x 50 ft), net height 198 cm (6.5 ft), ball circumference 63.5-68.5 cm ( 25-27 inches) and weighing 340 g, the number of players on the court and touches of the ball was not regulated, a point was counted only with one’s own serve, if the serve was unsuccessful it could be repeated, up to 21 points were played in a game.

As the game developed, its rules, techniques and tactics were constantly improved. In 1922, the first national competitions were held - the YMCA championship was held in Brooklyn with the participation of 23 men's teams. In the same year, the Czechoslovak Basketball and Volleyball Federation was formed - the world's first volleyball sports organization. In the second half of the 1920s, national federations of Bulgaria, the USSR, the USA and Japan emerged. During the same period

Post-war history

After the end of the Second World War (1939-1945), international contacts began to expand. On April 18-20, 1947, the first congress of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was held in Paris with the participation of representatives from 14 countries: Belgium, Brazil, Hungary, Egypt, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, USA, Uruguay, France, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, which became the first official members of the FIVB. In 1949, the first world championship among men's teams took place in Prague. In 1951, at a congress in Marseille, the FIVB approved official international rules, and an arbitration commission and a commission to develop and improve the rules of the game were formed. Player substitutions and timeouts in games were allowed, and matches for both men's and women's teams began to be played in 5 games.

The first president of the FIVB was the French architect Paul Libault, who was subsequently re-elected to this post several times until 1984. In 1957, at the 53rd session of the International Olympic Committee, volleyball was declared an Olympic sport; At the 58th session, a decision was made to hold volleyball competitions among men's and women's teams at the Games of the XVIII Olympiad in Tokyo.

In international competitions of the 1960-1970s, the national teams of the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Japan achieved the greatest success. For women, right up to the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the rivalry between the Soviet and Japanese schools looked most significant - the USSR and Japanese national teams competed for gold medals in the first four Olympic tournaments and won two victories each. The national teams of Poland, East Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia, North and South Korea also achieved some success. In 1978, the usual balance of power in women's volleyball was disrupted by the Cuban national team, which unexpectedly won the world championship held in the Soviet Union with a huge advantage over its opponents.

1980s. New rules

In 1984, Paul Libo was replaced as FIVB President by Dr. Ruben Acosta, a lawyer from Mexico. At the initiative of Ruben Acosta, numerous changes were made to the rules of the game, aimed at increasing the entertainment of competitions and the “telegenic” nature of volleyball associated with reducing the duration of matches. On the eve of the 1988 Olympic Games, the XXI FIVB Congress was held in Seoul, where changes were adopted in the regulations of the decisive fifth game: it began to be played according to the "rally point" or "tie-break" ("draw - point") system, in 1990- In those years, a “ceiling” of 17 points was also set for the first four games (that is, they could end with the opponents having a 1-point advantage with a score of 17:16.

The game has become more powerful and faster. Volleyball has increased the demands placed on the height and athletic training of athletes. If in the 1970s there might not have been a single player on the team taller than 2 meters, then since the 1990s everything has changed. In high-class teams below 195-200 cm, there is usually only a setter and a libero. New teams have been added to the list of the strongest - Brazil, USA, Cuba, Italy, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia

Since 1990, the World League began to be played - an annual cycle of competitions designed to increase the popularity of volleyball around the world. Since 1993, a similar competition has been held for women - the Grand Prix. Since the second half of the 1980s, the first truly professional league has been created in Italy, the organization of which becomes an example for national championships in other countries.

In 1985, the Volleyball Hall of Fame was opened in Holyoke, in which the names of the most outstanding players, coaches, teams, organizers, and judges are entered.

Current state

Since 2006, the FIVB has united 220 national volleyball federations, volleyball is one of the most popular sports on Earth. In August 2008, Chinese Wei Jizhong was elected as the new president of the FIVB. Volleyball is the most developed sport in countries such as Russia, Brazil, China, Italy, USA, Japan, and Poland. The current world champion among men is the Brazilian national team (2010), among women - the Russian national team (2010).

The FIVB management continues to work to improve volleyball rules. Some changes were made in 2009, and in the same year at the Club World Cup in Doha (this tournament was revived after a 17-year hiatus), the so-called “golden formula” was tested, according to which the host team must carry out its first attack strictly with back line. In practice, this innovation, which, according to the plan, should help equalize the capabilities of opponents and allow the ball to stay in the air longer, not only did not give the expected effect, but also led to a decrease in the entertainment value of the game, for which it was criticized by many players, coaches, specialists and volleyball fans and was no longer used.

Development of volleyball in the USSR and Russia

In the USSR, volleyball has been cultivated since the early 1920s. The official date of his birth in the Soviet country is considered to be July 28, 1923, when a match took place on Myasnitskaya Street between the teams of the Higher Art and Technical Workshops (VKHUTEMAS) and the State College of Cinematography. Representatives of the creative intelligentsia were indeed at the origins of volleyball in the USSR, but in a short period this game became mass entertainment for a wide range of people, and then turned into a modern and popular sport.

In January 1925, the Moscow Council of Physical Education developed the first official rules for volleyball competitions. In 1932, the All-Union Volleyball Section was created, which joined the FIVB in 1948, and was transformed into the USSR Volleyball Federation in 1959.

Since 1933, USSR championships have been held; volleyball was included in the program of all All-Union Spartakiads. The first international matches of Soviet volleyball players with athletes from Afghanistan date back to 1935, and in 1947 the volleyball team from the USSR took part in the first World Festival of Democratic Youth in Prague. Having entered the international arena, Soviet volleyball players immediately became the leaders of world volleyball - 1949 was marked by the victories of the USSR men's team at the World Championships and the women's team at the European Championships. The 1952 World Cup, held at Dynamo Stadium, was the first major international sporting competition organized by the Soviet Union.

In 1964 in Tokyo, the USSR men's team won the first Olympic volleyball tournament. She also won the Olympics in Mexico City (1968) and Moscow (1980). And the women's team won the title of Olympic champion four times (1968, 1972, 1980 and 1988).

Rules of the game

General rules

The game is played on a rectangular platform measuring 18x9 meters. The volleyball court is divided in the middle by a net. The height of the net for men is 2.43 m, for women - 2.24 m.

The game is played with a spherical ball with a circumference of 65-67 cm and weighing 260-280 g.

Each of the two teams can have up to 14 players, and 6 players can be on the field at any given time. The goal of the game is to hit the ball with an attacking blow to the floor, that is, to the playing surface of the opponent’s half of the court, or to force him to make a mistake.

The serve is performed by the player who, as a result of the last transition, moves from the second to the first zone. The serve is made from the service zone behind the back line of the playing court with the goal of landing the ball in the opponent's half or making the reception as difficult as possible. Before the player touches the ball when serving, no part of his body should touch the surface of the court (this is especially true for jump serves). In flight, the ball may touch the net, but must not touch the antennae or their mental extension upward. If the ball touches the surface of the playing court, the serving team scores a point. If the player who served broke the rules or sent the ball into touch, then the point is awarded to the receiving team. It is not allowed to block the ball when serving, interrupting its trajectory over the net. If the point is won by the team that served the ball, the same player continues to serve.

Receiving submission

Usually the players standing on the back line, that is, in the 5th, 6th, 1st zones, receive the ball. However, any player can accept the serve. Players of the receiving team are allowed to make three touches (you cannot touch the ball twice in a row) and, after the third touch, transfer the ball to the opponent’s half at most.

Defense (reception of attack)

Receiving an attacking blow differs from receiving a serve, since all 6 players on the court always participate in defense, some front line players block (sometimes all three), and everyone else plays defense. The goal of the defenders is to leave the ball in play and, if possible, bring it to the passer.

Typically, with a positive reception, the ball is received by the back line players (1st touch) and brought to the setter, the setter passes (2nd touch) the ball to the player to perform an attacking shot (3rd touch). On an attack shot, the ball must pass over the net, but in the space between the two antennas. In this case, the ball can hit the net, but should not touch the antennas or their mental extension upwards. Front line players can attack from anywhere on the court. Back line players must push off behind a special three-meter line before attacking. Only the libero is prohibited from attacking (that is, hitting the ball above the top line of the net).

There are attacking strikes: direct (along the way) and side, strikes with translation to the right (left) and deceptive strikes (discounts).

Blocking

This is a playing technique in which the defending team prevents the ball from being transferred to its side when the opponent is attacking, by blocking its progress with any part of the body above the net, usually with the hands transferred to the opponent’s side within the rules. It is allowed to move your hands to the opponent's side when blocking to the extent that they do not interfere with the opponent before his attack or other game action.

Two of the 14 players (since 2009, previously only one libero out of 12 players) of a team can be appointed libero. Players of this role cannot participate in the attack, block or serve. The libero's uniform should be different from the rest of the players. It is allowed to replace the libero an unlimited number of times without informing the referee. Since the libero does not have the right to attack or block, he usually stays on the back line, changing position with players who are advantageous to keep on the front line, such as a middle blocker.

Regulations

A volleyball game has no time limit and lasts up to 25 points. Moreover, if the advantage over the opponent has not reached 2 points, the game will continue until this happens. The match continues until one of the teams wins three games. In the fifth game (tie-break) the score goes up to 15 points. In each game, the coach of each team may ask for two timeouts of 30 seconds each. Additionally, in the first 4 games, technical timeouts are assigned when one of the teams reaches 8 and 16 points (60 seconds each). After the end of the first four games, as well as when one of the teams reaches 8 points in the fifth game, the teams change sides of the court. In each game, the coach has the right to make no more than 6 substitutions of field players (except for the libero).

Violations of the rules

When submitting

The player stepped onto the court.

The player threw and caught the ball.

After 8 seconds have passed after the referee's whistle, the ball is given to the opposing team.

Touching the antenna with the ball.

Completed the serve before the referee's whistle.

When drawing

More than three touches were made.

Touching the top edge of the net by a player performing an active game action.

The back line player's entry into the three-meter line during an attack.

Receiving error: double touching or holding the ball.

The antenna touches the ball upon impact.

Advance into the opponent's playing half.

Regulations

Violation of the arrangement.

Unsportsmanlike behavior of one of the players or coaches.

Touching the top edge of the grid.

[Rule changes (2009)

At the XXXI FIVB Congress in Dubai, changes to the rules were approved, which came into force from the 2009 season. Now the team's roster for official international matches is 14 players, 2 of which are liberos.

Classic volleyball, originally called mintonette, was invented in 1895 by William J. Morgan. It is noteworthy that this happened only 4 years after the invention of basketball. Morgan is a graduate of Springfield and YMCA College. In 1892, he spoke with the inventor of basketball, James Naismith. Oddly enough, James is white :).

3 years after this meeting, William Morgan invented his own game, mixing elements of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball.

The first volleyball net was borrowed from tennis and was 197 cm (6’6″ inches) high. A basketball camera was used as a ball. Later, at the YMCA Young Christian Conference, the game was given the name “volleyball,” and in 1897 the first official rules appeared:

• Site dimensions: 7.6 × 15.1 m (25 x 50 ft),
• Mesh height 198 cm (6.5 ft),
• Ball circumference 63.5-68.5 cm (25-27 inches),
• Ball weight 340 g.

The number of players on the court was then unlimited, as was the number of touches of the ball. A point was counted only when one's own serve was made. A failed serve could be repeated. Game to 21 points.

The game evolved over the next century. The jump serve and attack shot were first demonstrated in the Philippines in 1916. It became clear that the standard rules were not suitable for the tournament, and in 1928 the USVBA (United States Volleyball Association) was created.

Two years later, in 1930, the first two-on-two game of beach volleyball was played. Although professionally this sport arose much later. The first beach volleyball association appeared in California (1965), and the community of professional players, united under the auspices of the AVP (American Volleyball Specialists), in 1983.

Over time, the tactics of the game also improved. A combination of “receive-pass-hit” appeared. for professional players it was so powerful that it required three players to block. “Fake shots”, ball discounts and “short shots” - an attack from a low pass - appeared.

Development of volleyball in the USSR

The first introduction of volleyball to Soviet people occurred in 1920 in the Volga region. Since 1925, volleyball has been developing in Ukraine and the Far East. On the initiative of Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, the Dynamo physical education and sports society was created in 1923 for the volleyball discipline.

The introduction of volleyball in 1931–1932 contributed to attracting young people to play volleyball. GTO physical education complex, one of the objectives of which was to improve general physical fitness. On this basis, the skills of volleyball players improved and the technical capabilities of players and teams expanded. Volleyball is beginning to be included in the programs of many major competitions. In 1932, the All-Union Volleyball Section was created, and since 1933, championships of the Soviet Union began to be held regularly.

1935 - the first international meetings between the USSR and Afghanistan national teams. Soviet athletes won two games.

Since 1949, the first men's world championships have been held.

Since 1952 - the first women's world volleyball championships.

At the very first World Cup, the USSR national team took first place, and the women's team took first place in the European Championship that same year. Since that time, our athletes are still among the best on the world stage.

Already in 1964, volleyball was included in the program of the Olympic Games held in Tokyo. At these competitions, volleyball players from the USSR and volleyball players from Japan took gold.

Over the entire period of the Olympic Games, Russian volleyball players and volleyball players became Olympic champions 7 times.

The number of international competitions and tournaments has increased from year to year. Since 1965, the following sequence has been established: a volleyball tournament at the Olympic Games, next year the World Cup, then the World Championship, then the European Championship, and again the Olympic Games.

Chronology of significant events in volleyball

In 1900, a special volleyball ball was created.

In 1916, the Philippines introduced the attacking shot and the jumping power serve.

In 1917, the game is played not to 21, but to 15 points. The height of the net for men was 243 cm.

In 1918, the number of players on the court was regulated: six. The libero is a receiver, the first pace player is a passer, two second pace players are blockers, as well as two diagonal players. This key rule has not changed to this day.

In 1920, the rule was “no more than three touches on one half of the field.”

In 1922, the first YMCA national championship was held in Brooklyn, New York. Twenty-seven teams from 11 states were represented.

1925 - site size 18 x 9 meters. The circumference of a volleyball is 65-67 cm, and the weight of the ball is 250-280 g.

1925 in Moscow - approval of the first official rules in Russia.

1926 - first competition. In the same year, the first intercity meeting was held between volleyball players from Moscow and Kharkov.

1928 - at the First All-Union Spartakiad in Moscow, the All-Union Volleyball Championship was played for the first time among men's and women's teams. After this, volleyball gained wide popularity in the USSR and became a mass sport.

In 1928, it became clear that tournaments and rules were needed, so the United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) was formed. The first US Open was held outdoors.

In 1930 - the first two-on-two game (the ancestor of beach volleyball).

In 1934, national volleyball referees were approved and recognized.

In 1937, at the AAU conference in Boston, measures were taken to recognize the American Volleyball Association as the official national body of the United States.

In 1947, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was created.

In 1948 - the first beach volleyball tournament.

In 1949, the World Volleyball Championship was held in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Soviet athletes take first place there.

In 1964, volleyball was introduced at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

In 1965, the California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) was formed.

In 1983, the Professional Volleyball Association (VVP) was formed.

In 1986, the Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) was formed.

In 1990, the World Volleyball League was created.

In 1995 - volleyball is 100 years old!

In 1996, beach volleyball became an Olympic sport.

Volleyball- (English Volleyball from volley - flying and ball - ball) - a team sports game, during which two teams on a special court, divided by a net, try to direct the ball to the opponent’s side so that it lands on the opponent’s court, or the defending player team made a mistake. Each team has 6 athletes participating in the game, a total of 12 people in the team, substitutions are limited by the rules. An area of ​​9x12 m is divided in half by a grid (height - 2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women, width - 1 m, length - 9.5 m, consists of black cells in the form of a square with a side of 10 cm). The circumference of the ball is 65-67 cm, weight - 260-280 g.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was founded in 1947 and unites 220 national federations (1998). In the program of the Olympic Games since 1964 (men and women). There are 12 men's and 12 women's teams participating in the Olympic tournament. The composition of the teams is determined by the FIVB based on the results of previous Olympic Games, as well as the results of the World and Continental Championships and qualifying competitions. The tournament is held in three stages: first in a round-robin system in two subgroups, then in a round-robin system between the teams that took first and second places in them; The two strongest teams compete for the Olympic championship in the final match. For each serve won, a point is awarded (with the exception of the decisive game). The receiving team that wins the ball receives the right to pass. Beach volleyball was included in the program of the 1996 Games.

History of origin

Some are inclined to consider the American Halsted from Springfield to be the founder of volleyball, who in 1866 began to promote the game of “flying ball,” which he called volleyball. Let's try to follow the development of the ancestor of volleyball.

For example, the chronicles of Roman chroniclers of the 3rd century BC have been preserved. They describe a game in which the ball was hit with fists. The rules described by historians in 1500 have also survived to this day. The game was then called "faustball". On a site measuring 90x20 meters, separated by a low stone wall, two teams of 3-6 players competed. Players from one team tried to kick the ball over the wall to the opponents' side.

Later, Italian fastball became popular in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and other European countries. Over time, both the site and the rules have changed. Thus, the length of the site was reduced to 50 meters, and instead of a wall, a cord appeared, stretched between the pillars. The composition of the team was strictly determined - 5 people. The ball was kicked through the cord with a fist or forearm, and three touches of the ball were already stipulated. It was possible to hit the ball over the cord and after bouncing off the ground, but in this case one touch was allowed. The game lasted in two halves of 15 minutes. This sports game appeared a long time ago, but its age is counted only from the 19th century because the first rules of volleyball were promulgated in 1897. Naturally, now they differ in many ways from the original ones, volleyball is growing and improving.

The official date of birth of the game is 1895. Twenty-year-old American physical education teacher from Helioke College (Massachusetts) William J. Morgan announced the invention of the game volleyball, and also developed the first rules, promulgated in 1897, which consisted of 10 paragraphs:

1. Marking the site.

2. Accessories for the game.

3. The size of the site is 25x50 feet (7.6x15.1 m).

4. Mesh size 2x27 feet (0.61x8.2 m). Net height 6.5 feet (198 cm).

5. Ball - rubber bladder in a leather or linen case, ball circumference - 25-27 inches (63.5-68.5 cm), weight 340 g.

6. Submission. The player serving must stand with one foot on the line and hit the ball with an open palm. If an error is made on the first serve, the serve is repeated.

7. Account. Each serve not accepted by the opponent gives one point. Points are counted only when one serves. If after serving the ball is on the server's side and they make a mistake, then the serving player changes.

8. If the ball hits the net during the game (not when serving!) it is a mistake.

9. If the ball hits the line, it is considered a fault.

10. The number of players is not limited.

W. J. Morgan called the game "mintonette". A year after its inception, in 1896, the mintonette game was presented to the public at the YMCA (Youth Christian Union) conference in Springfield (Massachusetts, USA). This association subsequently became an active initiator of the spread of volleyball. Due to the fact that the main idea of ​​the game was to “hit the ball with your hands, causing it to fly over the net,” Professor Alfred Halsted proposed renaming “mintonette” to “volleyball,” which translated means “flying ball.” In 1897, experts gave a brief report on volleyball and the rules of the game, which was included in the official directory of the athletic league of the Young Christian Association.

In our country, volleyball began to develop rapidly, first in the border regions, then in the Middle Volga, Far East, Moscow, Ukraine, and Transcaucasia. The official date of birth of volleyball is considered to be July 28, 1923. On this day, the first match took place in Moscow between the men's teams of VKHUTEMAS (Higher Art and Theater Workshops) and the State School of Cinematography.

In January 1925, the Moscow Council of Physical Education developed and approved the first volleyball rules in our country, which had discrepancies with the official international rules:

1. The courts are 18x9 m (minimum - 12x6 m), and for women's teams - 15x7.5 m.

2. The service location is a 1x1 m square adjacent to the right side of the baseline.

3. Indoors, the ceiling height is not lower than 4.5 m.

4. Mesh width - 90 cm.

5. Ball in circumference 66-69 cm, weight 275-285 g.

6. Net height for men - 240 cm, for women - 220 cm.

7. The team consists of six people, but not less than five.

8. A game of three games, with a 10-minute break before the third game.

In 1927, the first book on volleyball in Russian, “Volleyball and Fist Ball,” was published, edited by M.V. Sysoev and A.A. Makrushev. Official international reference books and bulletins also mention a book about volleyball by Cherkassov, published in 1928.

In 1928, volleyball was included in the competition program of the All-Union Spartakiad. The abundance of volleyball competitions held at this time necessitated the formation of a centralized refereeing body that could monitor compliance with the rules by the participants in the game and familiarize them with changes in the rules and new technical and tactical techniques.

In 1928, the first permanent panel of judges was created in Moscow. And if the history of the development of the game in our country dates back to 1923, then the history of volleyball refereeing has its official date of origin - 1928.

Much attention in our country was paid to the development of children's volleyball. Children's and youth volleyball teams were formed. In 1929, volleyball was included in the Spartakiad of Moscow Pioneers and Schoolchildren. The All-Union Schoolchildren's Championship, which was held in 1935, played a huge role in the development of the popularity of volleyball among young people.

In 1932, a volleyball section was separated from the All-Union Hand Games Section, which was responsible for the development of the game in our country.

The first international meetings by our national team were held in 1935 in Moscow and Tashkent during a visit to our country by athletes from Afghanistan, which, although they were held according to “Asian” rules (9 people on the field, the players did not make transitions, the score in the games was kept to 22 points), Soviet athletes won.

In 1964, the first Olympic volleyball tournament was held in Tokyo with the participation of 10 men's and 6 women's teams, which was a huge success for volleyball. The Soviet men's and Japanese women's teams win their first Olympic gold medals.

Our domestic women's team became Olympic champions 4 times and silver 6 times. She had no bronze medals. The men's team won gold, 3 times silver and 3 times bronze medals.

In 1894, William Morgan, officially considered the founder of volleyball, received an offer to coach a team of football players in Massachusetts (Holyoke). And he is offered this position by none other than Alonzo A. Stagg, the grand master of football of that time.

In the early 90s, basketball was especially popular in the USA. Having only appeared in 1891, 4 years later it became no less in demand than football. But William Morgan, in his research, noted that Americans prefer to watch basketball matches from the sidelines, but do not strive to personally throw the ball into the basket.

Only young people have enough strength and enthusiasm to participate in the game. Middle-aged and older people, according to Morgan, did not receive the necessary sports load, and basketball required too much dedication and did not allow one to relax even for a second during the match. In addition, the game quickly became aggressive; constant contact between basketball players often led to injuries, which did not suit the “middle-class” businessmen who did not want to take unnecessary risks.

The emergence of volleyball

Morgan decided to create or come up with a sports exercise so that he could play a game during his lunch break and not get too tired. It was necessary to attract people to the sport, but not aggressively, without unnecessary struggle. William decided not to invent something completely new, but used the best from popular sports games of the time:

• from a basketball ball;
• from tennis - a net;
• from handball - playing with hands and serving the ball;
• from baseball - the method of pitching the ball.

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At first the game was called "mintonet". The renaming to "volleyball" occurred at the YMCA Directors' Athletic Conference (Springfield). The author of the name is considered to be Alfred Halstead, who taught at the college. It was decided that the name “mintonet” was not too euphonious and did not fully reflect the essence of the game.

Changes to the rules

Over the past century, the rules of the game of volleyball have been adjusted several times. And it's not just about the name. Initial changes affected the number of athletes. If, according to Morgan’s idea, 9 athletes from each team could play at the same time, then later their number was reduced to 6. They decided that for a site 18 meters long and 9 meters wide, this was quite enough. Especially when you consider that each team gets only half of the entire territory.

In the early stages, the game was played with a ball based on a rubber chamber. But its popularity turned out to be so great that the Spalding company already in 1896 proposed a version of the ball, adopted as the official one. In 1900, a ball of the same weight and shape that is used by modern volleyball players flew over the net.

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The grid was initially located much higher. Subsequently, for men the distance between the floor and the top edge was 2.43 meters, for women - 2.24 meters.

The changes also affected the issue of determining the winner. At the initial stage, the team that scored 21 points against the opponent won. In 1917, it was enough to get 15 points to win. In 1922, it was decided to make the game more dynamic and technical. Volleyball players of one team could no longer touch the ball more than 3 times, but deception shots were allowed and put into practice, and serves became forceful. Defenders on the “block” are allowed to move their hands to the opponent’s side.

Spread of volleyball outside the United States

An interesting game, which absorbed the features of many popular sports, did not last long within one country. Missionaries from the United States, who visited the countries of the Middle and Far East and Southeast Asia for educational purposes, became active distributors. At the beginning of the 20th century, volleyball was included in the list of Far Eastern games held in Manila. The championship was competed by teams from Japan, the Philippines and China.

Asian countries played according to the original rules for quite a long time, and 16 athletes from each team entered the court at the same time. It was assumed that this would help popularize volleyball.

In Europe, the first country to “adopt” the “mintonet” was England. Then France and Poland “subdued”. In Tsarist Russia, the first game was held in 1913, and in 1950 the USSR team was the leader in international competitions.

Volleyball entering the intercontinental space

For a long time there was no single “control center” for the game. Everyone played according to the rules that most fully corresponded to the ideas and spirit of a particular country, school, or educational institution. The situation changed in 1928 with the creation of the USA Volleyball Association. Since 1947, the FIVB - International Volleyball Association has been operating. And in 1947, the first world championship among men was held.

A proposal to hold meetings as part of the Olympic Games was made back in 1924. But it did not find support, largely due to the obvious dominance of the United States and the lack of rules common to all.

Questions about the unification of the game, the introduction of refereeing and regulations were returned only in 1934. An agreement on the creation of a technical commission is signed in Stockholm. Its participants include 22 countries from Asia, Europe and America.

Volleyball received Olympic registration only in 1957. The first Olympic gold was played in 1964 in Tokyo. The USSR national team (among men) becomes its owner. For women, the winners are the hostesses - athletes from the Land of the Rising Sun. In total, 10 teams of representatives of the stronger sex and 6 of the weaker sex competed for medals.

A distinctive feature of volleyball at that time was that the team in possession of the ball received a significant advantage over the defending team. The rules were such that the defense had little to oppose the attack. To balance the capabilities of the teams, the “block” players were allowed to touch the ball a second time.

USSR - the second “homeland” of volleyball

In the USSR, special emphasis was placed on “cultivating” a physically healthy population capable of fighting capitalism on all fronts. And volleyball came in handy here.
In the 1920s, sections, schools and sections of volleyball appeared in the Volga region, Vladivostok and Ukraine. Residents of regions devastated by the First World War and civil war enthusiastically played a new game imported from the United States.

Moscow does not stand aside either. Oddly enough, the first venues appear not in schools or sports complexes, but at theatres, in particular those of Meyerhold and Vakhtangov. Among the most active participants in the matches are Rina Zelenaya, Boris Shchukin, painters J. Romas and G. Nyssky. Perhaps that is why volleyball in the USSR for many years received the name “acting game”.

For the first time, the title of USSR champion was played at the All-Union Spartakiad, held in 1928. Important: the teams are represented not by sports societies, but by regions of the country: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, regions of the Far East and the south. In the same year, the panel of judges began working on a permanent basis.

None of the countries besides the USA, where volleyball was born, paid as much attention to its development as the USSR. Venues were set up in public gardens, on beaches, and in educational institutions. And no one was surprised that German publishers, in the rules printed in the 30s, called volleyball a game created by the Russians in time immemorial.

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In the period from 1941 to 1945, matches not only did not stop, but were also brought to the front line. Championships of divisions and regiments are held. In all territories liberated from invaders, the work of volleyball courts and sections is immediately resumed. The first post-war USSR championship took place in 1945.

In 1949, Prague hosted the strongest European teams in the continental championship. And Soviet volleyball players, reaching the highest level for the first time, immediately become winners.

If we take into account all the statistics of the Olympic Games, then most often the anthem was played in honor of the USSR national team: in 1964, 1968 and 1980 in honor of the men's team. The USSR women's team dominated in 1968, 1972, 1980 and 1988.

Volleyball is a game that is both complex and simple. The result is affected by the mood of each individual athlete, the ability to interact on the court, and the coach’s tips. Only a reasonable combination of all components will allow the team to fight for victory even against a strong opponent.

If at the initial stage V. Morgan sought to create a game for the “middle class”, not the youngest and most athletically trained athletes, then over time the requirements transformed. A volleyball player is required to have a good reaction, the ability to group himself in a jump or fall, and the ability to quickly move around the court.

Volleyball(from English volley- volley and ball- ball) is an Olympic sport in which the goal is to direct the ball towards the opponent in such a way that it lands in the opponent's half or to cause a mistake on the part of the opposing team player. During one attack, only three touches of the ball in a row are allowed. Volleyball is popular among both men and women.

History of the emergence and development of volleyball

It is believed that volleyball originated thanks to William J. Morgan, a physical education teacher at one of Holyoke Colleges (USA). In 1895, during one of his lessons, he hung a net (about 2 meters high) and invited his students to throw a basketball camera over it. Morgan called the resulting game "Mintonet."

Two years later, the first volleyball was developed and put into production.

In the second half of the 1920s, national federations of Bulgaria, the USSR, the USA and Japan appeared.

In 1922, the first international competition was held in Brooklyn, it was a YMCA championship with the participation of 23 men's teams.

In 1925, the modern dimensions of the court were approved, as well as the size and weight of the volleyball ball. These rules were relevant for the countries of America, Africa and Europe.

In 1947, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was founded. Members of the federation are: Belgium, Brazil, Hungary, Egypt, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, USA, Uruguay, France, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

In 1949, the first world championship among men was held in Prague, and in 1964, volleyball was included in the program of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. In international competitions in the 1960s and 1970s, the national teams of the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Japan achieved the greatest success.

Since the 1990s, the list of the strongest teams has been supplemented by Brazil, the USA, Cuba, Italy, the Netherlands, and Yugoslavia.

Since 2006, the FIVB has united 220 national volleyball federations, and the game is one of the most popular sports on Earth.

Basic rules of volleyball (briefly)

A volleyball match consists of games (from 3 to 5). The duration of a volleyball game is not limited and continues until one of the teams scores 25 points. If the advantage over the opponent is less than 2 points, then the game continues until the advantage is increased. The match continues until one of the teams wins three games. It is worth noting that in the fifth game the score goes not to 25, but to 15 points.

Each of the two teams can have up to 14 players, but 6 can be on the field at the same time. The initial arrangement of players indicates the order in which the participants move around the court, it must be maintained throughout the game.

Volleyball serve rules. The ball is put into play by serving, and the serving team is determined by drawing lots. After each change of service from one team to another, players move through the zones clockwise. The serve is made from behind the back line. If the server steps up, sends the ball out of bounds, or hits the net, the team loses serve and the opponent scores a point. Any player has the right to receive a serve, but usually these are first-line athletes. The feed is not blocked.

The player from the first line can carry out an attacking shot; such a shot is performed over the net. Back line players attack from the three-meter mark.

Blocking an attack is carried out above the net so as to prevent the ball from flying over the net. When blocking, you can move your hands to your opponents' side without interfering with them. Only players from the front line block.

Volleyball playing field (dimensions and markings)

The size of a standard volleyball court is 18 meters long and 9 meters wide. The net is positioned in such a way that its highest point is 2.43 meters from the ground in men's competitions and 2.24 meters in women's competitions. These sizes were approved by the International Volleyball Federation in 1925 and are still valid today. The playing surface must be horizontal, flat, uniform and light.

In volleyball there is the concept of a free zone on the playing field. The dimensions of the free zone are regulated and are 5-8 meters from the end lines and 3-5 meters from the side lines. The free space above the playing field should be 12.5 meters.

The playing area is limited by two side and end lines, which are taken into account in the size of the field. The axis of the center line, drawn between the side lines, divides the playing area into two equal parts of 9 x 9 m. It is drawn under the net and delimits the opponents’ zones. An attack strip is drawn on each half of the field behind the halfway line, three meters away.

Equipment and equipment for volleyball

The most important attribute of volleyball is the volleyball. Like any other ball, a volleyball is a spherical structure consisting of an internal rubber chamber, which is hidden under natural or synthetic skin. Balls vary depending on their purpose (official competitions, training games), the age of the participants (adults, juniors) and the type of court (outdoor, indoor).

The diameter of volleyballs varies from 20.4 to 21.3 centimeters, circumference from 65 to 67 centimeters, internal pressure from 0.300 to 0.325 kg/cm 2, weight from 250 to 270 grams. It is recommended to choose tri-colored balls, as such a ball is easier to distinguish against the background of the bright uniforms of the players.

Volleyball combines elements of jumping and running, so comfortable shoes are an important attribute. The most suitable shoes for the game are those with soft soles. Sometimes special shock-absorbing insoles are additionally used; they are very effective in preventing injuries.

For additional joint protection, athletes use knee pads and elbow pads.

The roles of volleyball players and their functions

• Finishers (second-pace forwards) are players attacking from the edge of the net.
• Diagonal - the tallest and most jumping players on the team, as a rule, attack from the back line.
• Central blockers (first tempo forwards) are tall players who block the opponent's attacks and attack from the third zone.
• The setter is the player who determines the attack options.
• Libero is the main receiver and is usually less than 190 centimeters tall.

Volleyball referees and their responsibilities

The refereeing team for the match consists of:

• First judge. He performs his duties while sitting or standing on the referee's tower, which is located at one end of the net.
• Second judge. Located outside the playing area near the post, on the opposite side of the first referee.
• Secretary. The scorer performs his duties by sitting at the scorer's table on the opposite side of the first referee.
• Four (two) line judges. Control the side and front lines.

For official FIBV competitions, an assistant secretary is required.

The largest volleyball competitions

Olympic Games- the most prestigious volleyball competitions.

World Championship- competitions of the strongest national volleyball teams, which are held once every four years. They are the second most prestigious volleyball competition after the Olympic Games.

world Cup- international volleyball tournament among men's and women's teams. Held a year before the Olympic Games, its winners receive guaranteed places at the Olympic Games.