Introduction

V
olleyball is an exciting and challenging sport that has developed into a premier
interscholastic and professional spectator event. Understanding the rules,
technical skills, and strategies of competitive volleyball is essential for its full
appreciation. In theory, the objective of volleyball is to "ground" the ball on the opponents'
side of the net. Accomplishing this objective in a consistent manner requires the highest
levels of speed, agility, power, concentration and teamwork. This program introduces viewers
to the fundamentals of traditional six-player volleyball. It begins with an explanation of the
dimensions of the court, the essential rules of play, the basic strokes of the game, and the
roles of the passers, receivers, setters, and spikers. Viewers learn the mechanics of the
different types of service strokes, including the low security serve, the lateral serve, the tennis
serve, the hook serve, and the jump serve, as well as the proper techniques for blocking and
receiving the serve. European players demonstrate the precision hand and body movements
required for ball handling and passing (including the basic pass, the hanging pass, and the
back-set), plus several exercise routines that help players refine their individual skills.
Finally, viewers see the importance of proper player positioning as they learn basic and
advanced team formations and dynamic rotation schemes designed to integrate individual
skills into a unified, successful team effort.

Volleyball is an enjoyable activity for the beach or the park. The game is played by two team
of six players, with up to six substitutes allowed in a squad. A net  is fixed across the middle
of a court eighteen metres long and nine metres wide. Two flexible antennae mark the
extremes between which the ball must pass over the net. Play starts by one player serving the
ball over the net from behind the base line. When the ball has passed over the net, the
receiving team may play the ball three back over the net.  Each player is only allowed to
touch the ball once. The object of the game is to force the ball down onto to the floor of the
opponents court, or to put them under so much pressure that they are unable to return the ball.
In volleyball, if the ball does not go back over the net, the opposition win a point. After each
time a team wins the ball back from the opposition each player rotates one position
clockwise. This rotation is a special feature of the game and it means that all players must
play both in the front line and the back line. 
 Volleyball Skills

A
t international level, competitive teams are supposed to master six basic skills:
serve, pass, set, spike, block and dig. Each of these skills comprise a number of
specific techniques that have been introduced along the years and are now
considered standard practice in high-level volleyball.
Serve
The serve marks the beginning of a rally in volleyball. A player stands behind the baseline
and hits the ball, in an attempt to drive it into the opponent's court. His main objective is to
make it land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's direction, speed and
acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to handle it properly. A serve is
called an "ace" when the ball lands directly onto the court or travels outside after being
touched by an opponent.
In contemporary volleyball, many types of serve are employed:
Underhand and Overhand Serve: refers to whether the player strikes the ball from below, at
waist level, or first tosses the ball in the air and then hits it above shoulder level. Underhand
serve is considered very easy to receive and is not generally employed in international
competitions.
Sky Ball Serve:
A specific type of underhand serve, where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a
straight line. This serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team
in the early 80's. It is now considered outdated.
Line and Cross-Court Serve:
Refers to whether the balls flies in a straight trajectory parallel to the side lines, or crosses
through the court in an angle.
Spin Serve:
An overhand serve where the ball gains topspin through wrist snapping.
Floater:
An overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes unpredictable.
Can be administered while jumping or while grounded.
Jump Serve:
An overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air, then hit with a strong
downward movement of the arm, as in a spike; there is usually much topspin imparted on the
ball. This is the most popular serve amongst college and professional teams.
Round-House Serve:
The player stands with one shoulder facing the net, tosses the ball high and hits it with a fast
circular movement of the arm. Usage of this serve in indoor volleyball is today restricted to a
few Asian women's teams.
Pass
Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the opponent's
serve or "free ball". Proper handling includes not only preventing the ball from touching the
court, but also making it reach the position where the setter is standing quickly and precisely.
The skill of passing involves fundamentally two specific techniques: underarm pass, or bump,
where the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms, at waist line; and overhand pass,
where it is handled with the fingertips above the head.
Set
The set is usually the second contact a team makes with the ball. The main goal of setting is
to put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by a spike into the opponent's
court. The setter coordinates the offensive movements of a team. He is the one who
ultimately decides which player will actually attack the ball.
As with passing, one may distinguish between an overhand and a bump set. Since the former
allows for more control over the speed and direction of the ball, the bump is used only when
the ball is so low it cannot be properly handled with fingertips, or in beach volleyball where
rules regulating overhand setting are more stringent. In the case of a set, one also speaks of a
front or back set, meaning whether the ball is thrown in the direction the setter is facing or
not.
Sometimes a setter refrains from raising the ball for a teammate to perform a spike and tries
to throw it directly onto the opponent's court. This movement is called a "dump".
Spike
The spike (or attack) is usually the third contact a team makes with the ball. The object of
spiking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be defended. A
player makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps and then projects his body forward,
thus transferring its weight to the ball when contact is made.
Contemporary volleyball comprises a number of attacking techniques:
Backcourt attack: an attack performed by a player not standing at the net. The player cannot
take off on or beyond the 3-meter line before making contact with the ball, but may land in
front of the 3-meter line.
Line and Cross-court Shot:
Refers to whether the ball flies in a straight trajectory parallel to the side lines, or crosses
through the court in an angle. A cross-court shot with a very pronounced angle, resulting in
the ball landing near the 3-meter line, is called a cut shot.
Kill: a hard driven ball that successfully lands on the opponent's court.
Dink/Tip/Cheat: the player does not try to make a kill, but touches the ball lightly, so that it
lands on an area of the opponent's court that is not being covered by the defense.
Tool/Wipe: the player does not try to make a kill, but hits the ball so that it touches the
opponent's block and then bounces off-court.
Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its acceleration and thus
confusing the opponent's defense.
Quick hit/"One": an attack (usually by the middle hitter) where the approach and swing begin
before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a "quick set") is placed only slightly above
the net and the ball is struck by the hitter almost immediately after leaving the setter's hands.
Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low back set. The middle hitter steps around the
setter and hits from behind him.
Block
Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or hinder an
opponent's spike. A block is performed by jumping and raising one's arm over the net shortly
before the ball is hit in an attempt to intercept its trajectory.
A block that is aimed at completely stopping an attack, thus making the ball remain in the
opponent's court, is called offensive. By contrast, it is called defensive if the goal is merely to
make contact with the ball so that it slows down and becomes more easy to be defended. A
"roof" is a successful offensive block.
Blocking is also classified according to the number of players involved. Thus, one may speak
of single (or solo), double, or triple block.
Dig
Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court after a spike. In many
aspects, this skill is similar to passing: overhand dig and bump are also used to distinguish
between defensive actions taken with fingertips or with joined arms.
Some specific techniques are more common in digging than in passing. A player may
sometimes perform a "dive", i.e., he throws his body in the air with a forward movement in
an attempt to save the ball, and lands on his chest. When he also slides his hand under a ball
that is almost touching the court, this is called a "pancake".
Sometimes a player may also be forced to drop his body quickly to the floor in order to save
the ball. In this situation, he makes use of a specific rolling technique to minimize the
chances of injuries.
 Ground measurement

Building a Sand Volleyball Court

Net Height: Net height is 7' 11 5/8" for men and 7' 4 1/8" for women. Co-ed competition is
played on a men's height net. The official height measurement is made in the center of the
net. The height of the net at the sidelines can be no more than 3/4" higher than the official
height. If you're playing on sand, the measurements are made with the sand raked level, and
no accomodation is made for your feet sinking in the sand. If you're playing on grass, the
measurements are made to the ground, and not the top of the grass.

The Site: The dimensions of a volleyball court are 29'-6" wide by 59'-0" long, measured from
the outside edges of the boundary lines. In addition, you should have 10' (more is even better)
clear around the boundaries. The result is a complete playing area of 49'-6" wide by 79'-0"
long.
Court Dimensions

The pole may need to be longer in the northern climates. In northern climates footing should
be located below the frost line. Locating the footing of the pole below the frost line will
prevent "frost heave" of the footing. Check with the local building code for the frost depth.

When planning the layout pay special attention to the direction of the court. The court should
run lengthwise North/South. If the court runs East/West, the court will be virtually unusable
in the early morning say, for the start of a tournament and early evenings, such as playing
after work. In the morning, the team on the West side of the court stares at the morning sun
and in the evening, the team occupying the East court is blinded. The area above the playing
surface should be clear and free of all obstructions such as tree branches and power lines.
To keep the sand in the court, where it belongs, and grass and dirt out, there are several
schools of thought. The most popular solution is to line the perimeter with railroad ties. The
railroad ties establish a very durable boundary, keep the sand in its place, and holds back the
encroaching grass. On the downside, they pose a serious safety hazard. Some recommend
padding the railroad ties with various materials such as foam pipe insulation, etc. I personally
believe the simplest way to deal with the hazard is by establishing a ground rule: "If during
the play of the ball, or the continuation after playing the ball, the player touches the railroad
ties or leaves the playing area, the ball is dead." This is much like an indoor rule that prevents
a player from wildly chasing a ball that enters an adjacent court.

Preparing for the excavation

In most areas, excavating to a depth of 3 feet will be necessary. The first and foremost safety
precaution is to call your local "Diggers Hotline" and have them locate any buried power
lines and utilities. Be sure to call them ahead of time, as they may need a few days notice.

The best tool for the dig is a front-end loader or "bobcat" which can excavate the base evenly,
remove the dirt, and also haul and spread the stone and sand. This equipment can be rented
for a few hundred dollars for a weekend. If you're not up to the task of handling heavy
equipment, a good landscaping company can be contracted to excavate and haul the stone and
sand. Excavate the playing area to the desired depth and pitch the base to one end or corner.
A drainage ditch should be dug leading away from the court at its lowest point. Once the base
is excavated you can begin laying the drainage pipe. The closed end of the drainage pipe
should be placed in the highest point of the excavation and should zig-zag with the open end
of the pipe terminating at the lowest point. The drainage pipe should be laid with the
perforated side down. This allows water to wick-in from the bottom and sides and be carried
away. It is an extremely good idea to wrap the drainage pipe with landscaping fabric before
laying the pipe. The landscaping fabric prevents the eventuality of sand and dirt clogging the
pipe.

Locate and dig the holes for the net standards. The holes should be dug at least 3' deep and
set in concrete. A couple of bag mixes per standard should do the job. Some home
improvement centers carry a special "post setting mix" in which all the components for the
concrete can just be dumped in the hole without prior mixing. Once the standard is located in
the hole, plumb the standard in two opposing directions, and fasten supports so the post
cannot move as the concrete is being dumped in the hole. Repeat this process for the opposite
standard.

Filling it in

Once the poles are set, cover the base and drainage pipe with gravel and spread uniformly.
Roll out and cover the gravel base with landscape fabric. The landscape fabric will keep the
sand from filtering its way into the gravel. The final step is to spread the sand, uniformly and
evenly throughout the playing area.

Equipment measurement

Overview
Having the right equipment when playing volleyball aids in fewer injuries and a fair playing
field. Being prepared saves time when upon arrival someone asks if anyone brought the ball.
Knowing the correct net height will alleviate frustration from a net that is too high or too low.
Volleyball is a quick paced game full of the unexpected. Be prepared and ready to enjoy the
game.
Court
Court dimensions are 60 feet by 30 feet with a serving area that is a minimum of 6 feet deep.
The recommended ceiling height is 23 feet. When playing sand volleyball, the quality of sand
is important and is at least 30 cm deep.

The Net
The net is 3 feet by 32 feet. It is stretched and attached to padded standards. The net height
for men is 7 feet, 11 5/8 inches in the
and are made of unbreakable material. Antennas extend 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet high and attach to
the outside edge of the sideline.

Referee Stand
A referee stand is a stable platform that stands 2 to 3 feet above the net where the referee has
an unobstructed view of the court.

Volleyball
The ball must be spherical and 25 to 27 inches in circumference. The ball weighs 9 to 10 oz.
When inflating the ball, make sure it is inflated to 4.3 to 4.6 pounds per square inch.
Synthetic and genuine leather volleyballs are available depending on if playing indoors or
outdoors.

Shoes
Volleyball shoes are used indoors to protect the foot and provide support during quick lateral
movements. Volleyball shoes are different from cross-trainers and running shoes, and are
useful when playing volleyball. Outdoor volleyball is often played barefoot.

Clothing
Wear clothes that are breathable and lightweight, typically shorts and a tank top or T-shirt.
Knee pads are optional and do a very good job of protecting against floor burn. Swimsuits are
acceptable when playing sand volleyball.