Now a sport that’s commonly played by the general populace, casually on beaches or professionally in stadiums, Volleyball was first invented in 1895 in the United States. After the existence of the Federation International De Volleyball (FIVB), it became an official sport in 1947.
After soccer, it is considered to be the most popular sport across the world. Its popularity comes from the fact that it is relatively easy to learn and play, and all you need are two teams and some basic equipment.
Volleyball also provides an exciting level of competition and workout. Moreover, its fast-paced nature makes it incredibly entertaining to watch, especially at major international tournaments like the Olympics.
Just like we’ve found some of the best facts of Volleyball for you in this article, Bet Station tested the best betting websites and created a list of them that you can browse through the next time you’re thinking about placing a bet on your favorite sports team.
This article will go through some of the most interesting facts about this game.
1. Initially, Volleyball was named “mintonette”
After being invented by William G. Morgan in 1895, it was initially called “mintonette”. Mintonette itself was a combination of badminton and basketball but slowly transitioned into what we know as volleyball today.
Soon, Halssted changed the name to Volleyball when he was inspired by an observer’s description of the game. The observer described the game to be among the two opposite teams, volleying the ball over the net towards each other.
2. The 1916 Match in the Philippines
During a match in the Philippines, some players showcased a high skill set and improved the gameplay. During this game, set and spike were implemented for the first time. It was a revolutionary match in the history of Volleyball.
3. Became an Official Game in 1947
The first volleyball game was played at an exhibition in 1896. It was not officially accepted as a game even during the 1924 Olympics.
When FIVB was set-up in 1947, Volleyball was first accepted as an official game. In 1949, the first-ever men’s Volleyball Championships were held.
The very first Volleyball game in the Olympics was played during the 1964 Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.
Beach Volleyball was also accepted as an official game in 1996.
4. Indoor Game Only
Originally, Volleyball was only played indoors. Morgan wanted a game that did not require any contact with opposing players, and the players did not have to move a lot.
Today, beach volleyball is one of the most readily-accepted and exciting activities available on most of the major beaches.
5. Olympic Clothes Restriction
Beach volleyball is the only Olympic sport that prohibits a player from wearing too many layers of clothing.
As beach volleyball matches are played in all kinds of seasons including rain, the FIVB has placed some uniform regulations to ensure ease of play regardless of weather.
6. Requires Enough Stamina
On average, a player jumps over 300 times in a single volleyball match. You need to have enough stamina to keep your legs moving throughout the game.
The longest volleyball game ever was played for our 75 hours in Kingston, North Carolina. Yes! The game continued for over 3 days!
7. One player of the team has a different-colored jersey
Among all of the team members, the one playing in the libero position has a different color of jersey. His role is more diverse as compared to the rest of the team’s players and so this player needs to be easily distinguishable as opposed to the rest.
8. Everyone Gets to Play
The most unique thing about Volleyball is the fact that no single player can touch the ball two times in a row.
This means that once the ball is on one side of the net, all team members on that side have to take turns passing and serving the ball. The teams are allowed to hit the ball no more than three times as they try to get it over the net.
