Volleyball

When I was in high school, I tried out for the volleyball team. I wasn't any good and never got to play. It didn't look that difficult, but clearly there was more to the game than I expected. It certainly requires more athletic ability than I possess.

Volleyball originated in the United States in 1895. William G. Morgan, an instructor at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts, created a new game, combining elements of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball, for businessmen who demanded less physical contact. Originally named "mintonette," it became known as volleyball in 1896 when a spectator noted that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back and forth over the net, suggesting that a name change was appropriate.

This new game became popular quickly, and is currently the number 2 most popular sport outside of the United States. At first, there were few rules, and the number of players on each team was unlimited. During volleyball's first three decades, some rules were instituted, but it things firmed up in 1928 when the United States Volleyball Association was formed to establish rules and regulation for tournaments. No one is sure what balls were used initially, but by 1900 a special volleyball had been invented.

The rules and strategies for 6-man tournament volleyball are complex. The basic idea of the game is to hit the ball over the 6 ft. 6 in. net to the opponent's side without letting it hit the ground on your side or go out of bounds. A team can hit the ball 3 times to get it over the net. Each of the 6 teammates have specific duties depending on where the player is standing, and the players rotate each time the team wins the right to serve away from the other team. A team can only score a point if it has the serve. The first team to score 25 points wins the game or set, but must win by 2 points. A match is won when the team wins 3 sets. If the fifth game is required, the winning score is only 15.

There are many more rules about the size of the court, in-bounds and out of bounds play, substitutions of players, and how the ball can be hit (never caught and thrown).  See http://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/basic-volleyball-rules.html and www.volleyball.org for rules and strategies for playing volleyball. There are other rules entirely associated with two-man beach volleyball.

But if not in a competition, volleyball is just plain fun. Most cities have casual volleyball leagues. At picnics, there is often a volleyball net in attendance, and teams of partiers playing. Sand or beach volleyball is popular on beaches, as well as some bars and athletic clubs in warm weather areas. The good news is that the rules can be varied depending on the situation.

Vigorous volleyball playing is a great way to burn calories. An average size woman, between 127 and 137 pounds, can burn over 530 calories per hour.