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Volleyball Ball Specifications |
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Volleyball Rules Medicine |
A Brief History of Volleyball
The sport of volleyball, originally
called "mintonette", was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan,
following the invention of basketball by only 4 years. Morgan, a
graduate of the Springfield College of the YMCA, styled the game to
be a blend of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball.
The original volleyball net, borrowed from tennis, was only 6'6" high (though one must consider that the average American was shorter in the 19th century).
The offensive style of setting and spiking was first demonstrated in the Philippines in 1916. Over the years that followed, it became clear that certain rule standardizations were desirable for tournament play, and thus the USVBA (United States Volleyball Association) was born in 1928.
Two years later, the first 2-man beach volleyball game was played, though the professional side of the sport did not emerge until much later. Not surprisingly, the first beach volleyball association appeared in California (1965), and the professional players united under the auspices of the AVP (American Volleyball Professionals) in 1983.
During the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, American men and women took gold and silver medals in indoor volleyball competition. Four years later at the Olympics in Korea, the men once again scored gold. Starting in 1996, 2-man beach volleyball was officially introduced to the Olympics. Today, there are more than 800 million volleyball players worldwide, 46 million of them in the U.S.
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Volleyball Court Dimensions & Ball Specs
The court is 60 feet (18m) by 30 feet (9m), so each side is 30 ft. by 30 ft.
The ball is 9 to 10 oz. in weight, 25-1/2" to 26-1/2" in circumference, 8.5 inches in diameter. Usual inflation is between 4 and 6 lbs. air pressure.
The "ten foot line" is actually 3 meters (9'10.116") from the center line.
The net is 7'11-5/8" (2.4m) high for men and 7'4-1/8" (2.2m) for women.
Indoor & Outdoor Volleyball Rules
The most comprehensive published tome on modern volleyball rules is the "USA Volleyball Rule Book 1997-'98" published by VIP. Spanning 156 pages, it covers such topics as official indoor and outdoor rules*, significant rule changes for 1996 & 1997-'98, hand signals for officials, game procedures, and diagrams. Cost is $6.95 plus $4.00 shipping & handling. You can order by phone with a major credit card at (800) 275-8782, fax an order to (719) 576-7778, or mail your check to:
VIP
1227 Lake Plaza Drive, Suite B
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
To peruse a searchable archive of posts and discussions on volleyball rules from the "rec.sport.volleyball" newsgroup, visit: "Todd's Volleyball Rules & Referee Corner". Volleyball.org offers a choice of connection options to the "rec.sport.volleyball" newsgroup, if you wish to view the most recent postings or upload one of your own.
For an interesting retrospective on volleyball rules of the 19th century, check out the page at: "http://www.Volleyball.org/rules/rules_1897.html".
*Ed. Note: Because USAV's rules are copyrighted, only the Tables of Contents for indoor and outdoor play are available here. However, you might wish to browse the Jose Cuervo League Rules and Cuervo Amateur Beach Volleyball Rules, which are posted here.
Mosey on over to the Volleyball Events page to order a copy of "The Ultimate Beach Volleyball Training Manual".
Injuries - Sports Medicine
KNEES
Participants in jumping sports, such as basketball and volleyball,
are vulnerable to knee problems without violent contact. These
problems usually appear in the patellofemoral (kneecap and thigh
bone) articulation and are manifested predominantly as inferior pole
patella (area just below the kneecap) tendonitis, or jumper's knee.
Treatment may involve a program of exercises to strengthen supporting
muscles, or if the knee is acutely injured, immobilization or surgery
may be required. Among the most useful surgical tools for knee and
other joint injuries is the arthroscope, actually a family of
instruments making use of fiber optics and microsurgical techniques.
With the arthroscope a physician can diagnose a joint injury and
perform an operation through a tiny incision rather than conducting
major surgery. This allows for less damage to soft tissue and muscle,
thereby speeding postoperative recovery.
Source: The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia,
Release #6, ©1993
The majority of ACL (anterior cruciate ligament ) injuries
suffered during athletic participation are of the non-contact
variety. Three main non-contact mechanisms have been identified:
planting and cutting, straight-knee landing, and one-step stop
landing with the knee hyperextended. Pivoting and sudden deceleration
are also common mechanisms of noncontact ACL injury. Basketball,
soccer, and volleyball consistently produce some of the highest ACL
injury rates across various age-groups.
National Collegiate Athletic Association injury data show that female athletes injure the ACL more frequently than their male counterparts do. The greater incidence of ACL injuries in women probably stems from complex, interrelated factors, possibly including hamstring-quadriceps strength imbalances, joint laxity, and the use of ankle braces. Successful treatment often includes surgery.
In a finding consistent with other reports of volleyball injuries,
the NCAA players at the outside-hit and middle-block positions
accounted for most injuries (88.5%), with setters accounting for the
remaining 11.5%. No injuries to defensive specialists were reported.
Most injuries (64%) occurred when jumping or landing from a jump, and
all were non-contact injuries.
Source: The Physician and Sports Medicine, Vol. 25,
No. 4 (April '97): "Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female
Athletes: Why Are Women More Susceptible?" by James L. Moeller,
M.D. and Mary M. Lamb, M.D.
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ANKLES
Trainer's Talk, by Glen Snow, certified athletic trainer:
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, there are about 27,000 ankle sprains per day in the United States. Ankle sprains account for 24 percent of volleyball injuries. For tips on avoiding such injuries, visit the AAOS' "Academy News" site.
GENERAL
It's been suggested that volleyball injuries account for about 5%
of all sports injuries presenting at the emergency department. The
most common injuries associated with volleyball include hand, finger,
and ankle sprains. Although knee damage occurs less often, this group
of injuries causes longer disabilities. Volleyball is also associated
with overuse injuries of the wrist and hands. Source: The Parkhurst
Exchange Clinical Q&A - Emergency Medicine
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