Volleyball is a team sport with six players on either side who try to score points against their opponents. The game is played with a volleyball that was traditionally made of 18 leather panels which were stitched together surrounding a bladder. Modern volleyballs are made either from synthetic leather or from rubber. Generally, there are three variations of the game. They are indoor, youth indoor and outdoor or beach volleyball. The objective of all versions of the game is to return each shot successfully and win points when a shot is not successfully returned. If any team member hits the volleyball onto the net it results as a point to the opposing team, except in the case of a first attempt to serve.
An indoor volleyball is generally 65 to 67 centimetres in circumference and weighs approximately 260 to 280 grams when fully inflated. Youth and beach volleyballs are smaller by two centimetres in circumference. Beach volleyballs generally are available in bright colours so as to be visible outside. Beach volleyball generally has two players in each team and is increasingly popular on beaches all over the world. Beach volleyball epitomises an active lifestyle and many young men and women see it as a perfect platform to demonstrate their fitness and agility.
The game of volleyball originated in America in 1895 and was first played in a primitive form in Holyoke, Massachusetts. William Morgan, a physical education official working with the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) wrote the basic rules of volleyball. He stated that a net should be placed in the middle of a rectangular playground. This rectangle was 25 feet x 50 feet with a net that was 6.5 feet high. A buffer zone of 3 to 5 metres is kept around the court area to facilitate movement of players. For indoor volleyball the minimum height of the ceiling should be at least 7 feet above the court surface. Originally there were no limits on how many people could play the game. Modern indoor volleyball limits the number of players to six on each team.
The Federation Internationale de Volleyball was founded in 1947. In 1949, the first World Championship for volleyball was held. The game was officially introduced in the Summer Olympics of 1964. Volleyball is an immensely popular sport which is played all over the world by people of all ages and cultures.
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