Volleyball is a famous ball game played on a court with a central net between two teams, each consisting of six players. A ball is hit through the net and the objective is to score points against the opposing team by grounding the ball on the ground. Each team is only allowed three contacts with the ball before it is hit to the opposite side. The net has a height of 6 feet 6 inches. However, it can be reduced in case children play.
A YMCA fitness instructor William Morgan created a game called Mintonette in 1895. It was for older YMCA members who needed a game of skill rather than strength. His friendly standout James Naismith, the star of friendlies in basketball history, came up with the idea of having a net slightly above their heads without needing to jump much.
The original name given to the game was Mintonette, it was given by Morgan and was chosen as a toss up for badminton and this game was influential in establishing rules for volleyball. However, the name was not very catchy. A spectator at the time, Alfred Halstead, had observed that there were many volleys on the court and the name Volley Ball was chosen shortly. Later the name was contracted to Volleyball.
The YMCA Athletic League of North America published the first official volleyball rules in 1897. It was successful quickly after the rules were published. In the same year, Spalding manufactured a ball that had a rubber inside a basketball, it was later redesigned so that its weight was adjusted to 8 and 10 ounces and the circumference was outside the 26-inch size. The game quickly spread across the US and was played in Cuba in 1905, Japan in 1908, and the Philippines in 1910.
The rules of the game were adjusted in 1900 to remove the innings defined by Morgan. The rules of the game were changed once again in 1912 to deal with the realities of the game as the players became younger and more energetic. The size of the court was increased and the number of players was fixed at only 6 per team.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association joined the YMCA in 1916 and by 1920, volleyball was established as a collegiate but not a professional game. When the United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) was formed, the YMCA and NCAA accepted it as their new umbrella organization.
While volleyball was a popular game, it struggled to develop a league of teams. In 1930, the first beach game was played and in 1934 the umpires who would judge intercollegiate and championship games were recognized. The USVBA was eventually recognized by all Volleyball associations with jurisdiction over the rules of the game. The end of World War II resulted in volleyball receiving recognition as a world sport. Volleyball was played internationally in the Americas for the first time in 1955 and at the 1964 Pan American and Olympic Games.
A new version of volleyball known as Beach Volleyball was recognized in the 1960s. It was similar to normal sport, although each team had two players.