Volleyball Study Guide
Ms. OSTRANDER
History
Volleyball originally was developed as an alternative to basketball by William G. Morgan of the
YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1895. Volleyball is played by about 46 million Americans
and about 800 million people worldwide and has been an Olympic sport since 1964. In 2008 the
Americans won the gold medal in the BeijingSummer Olympics. There are many variations to
volleyball including indoor, outdoor and beach volleyball.
Number of Players
Two teams play the game of volleyball on opposite sides of the net. Each team has 6 players on
the court (three players in the front and three players in the back)
The Serve
The serve is a means of putting the ball into play by hitting it directly over the net. A player
continues to serve until the serving team commits a fault. The server is the player in the right
back position. The server can serve from anywhere behind the end line.
Underhand serve is a beginner serve and an overhand serve is an advance serve.
In modified volleyball the server can toss the ball and if he/she does not like their toss, they
can allow it to bounce on the floor and get a second “chance”. Also in modified the server is
allowed to step on or over the line as a modification.
Serving Faults
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The ball does not cross over the net
The ball touches a player on the serving team before entering the opponents court
The ball lands outside of the boundary lines. A ball landing on the line is in bounds
The server throws or pushes the ball over the net
The server uses two hands or arms
The server is not in the correct rotation, and is serving out of turn
The server fails to toss or release the ball before it is hit for service
The server steps on or over the end line when serving
Rotation
When a team wins back the serve, the team rotates in a clockwise direction. The front right
player rotates to the back position and becomes the server. Server serves until a loss of a point.
Rally Scoring
This is the scoring system for volleyball. The serving and non-serving team can score points.
There is a score after each and every serve.
Object of the game
The object of the game of volleyball is to score as many points as possible. A game is played up
to 25 points and the winning team must lead by 2 points. Players send the ball back and forth
over the net, trying to prevent the opponent team from returning it.
Types of Hits (Bump, Set & Spike)
Bump- The bump, also known as the forearm pass is used when the ball comes waist level or
below. The ball should be hit off the flat surface of the forearm and should be high.
Set- The set or overhead pass is a ball that approaches above the head and is popped off the
finger pads. The set should be high.
Spike- The spike also known as an offensive attack is a ball that is hit forcefully downward
over the net with an open hand. Directional Hits are used instead of spikes at the lower levels
due to lack of height and jumping ability of the players.
A BLOCK DOES NOT COUNT AS A HIT.
Sometimes multiple players contact the ball at the same time. THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS A
DOUBLE HIT but if 2 people touch the ball simultaneously, it counts as 2 of the 3 hits per side.
Neither if these 2 people can hit the ball again. If 3 people touch the ball at the same time,
that’s the maximum number of hits.
Volleyball Positions
Scoring after a legal serve
After a legal serve, teams volley back and forth, hitting the ball up to three times on each side
of the court before sending it to the other side. Volleying continues until one of the following
occurs:
-
The ball hits the floor.
The ball is hit by a team more than three times in a row.
The ball is hit consecutively by the same player.
The ball touches a player below the waist.
The ball is touched by an opponent reaching under the net.
The net or standards are touched by a player.
A player completely crosses the center line to play the ball.
The ball is hit out-of-bounds or hits the ceiling
The team is out of position during service
If one of the above happens, a score is made. Each score counts as one point.
Number of Games
A Match consists of the best of three out of five sets (modified often plays 6 sets).
Net Play
-
A ball that hits the net and goes over the net is in play on a rally and on a serve.
It is a fault if a player touches the net. The other team is awarded the ball.
A defensive block does not count as a hit. After a block, the team has three hits
remaining.
Cues for the Set Pass
Cues for the Forearm Pass (Bump)
1) Forward stride position, bending at knees
1) Forward stride position, bending at knees
2) Flex knees and elbows before hit
2) Cup fingers with palms up thumbs parallel
3) Form window with hand above face
3) Keep forearms, wrists, and elbows straight
4) Contact the ball with finger pads
4) Contact ball on forearm (upward motion)
5) Follow through in direction of intended
5) Extend body on contact
Flight
6) Follow through in the direction of intended
flight
Cues for the Underhand Serve
1) Use the forward stride position, keeping the knees bent
2) Hold the ball in the non-dominant hand, across and in front of the body
3) Swing arm like a pendulum
4) Transfer weight from rear foot to front foot making contact with the heel of the hand
5) Follow through in the direction of intended flight
Cues for the Overhead Serve
1) Use forward stride position with the knees bent slightly flexed
2) Toss the ball about 3 feet into the air so the hand can meet the ball above the head
3) Transfer weight from rear foot to the front foot when contacting the ball
4) Contact the ball with the heel of the hand. Hold the hand in a fist and extend the elbow and
flex the wrist forward to make contact with the ball.
5) Follow through in the direction of intended flight and then swing downward