volleyball Association

Facts about Volleyball

Volleyball was invented in 1895 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It actually began as a game called Mintonette. William G. Morgan, a physical education director at the local YMCA, created the indoor game, incorporating aspects of handball and tennis. The intention was to invent an indoor sport somewhat similar to basketball, also gaining popularity at the time, which could be enjoyed by older, less athletic members of the YMCA. While basketball included a great deal of running, Mintonette required players to basically stand in one place. A specific game ball for Mintonette was designed in 1900.

The name of Mintonette changed in 1896, when someone noticed the number of volleys that were required to play the game. The rules of the game evolved over time. In 1916, the addition of the set and spike were introduced. Other skills required to play the game include serving, passing, attacking, blocking, and digging. Like many sports, volleyball features a variety of strategies and players can be aligned in a variety of formations for best results. In 1917, the number of points required to win a game was lowered from 21 to 15.

Volleyball was popular in the United States and spread slowly throughout the world. Canadians began playing volleyball around 1900. The advent of the Federation of Internationale de Volleyball began in 1947 and the first World Championships were held shortly after. The popularity of the sport spread to Europe, Brazil, and Eastern European areas.