Information » Sport & Leisure » Outdoor Sports » Volleyball
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- Volleyball is a game in which two teams hit an inflated ball with their hands over a high net which separates them
- There are six players in each team and players can be single sex or mixed
- The aim is to score points by trying to hit the court onto the other side of the net or by making the opposing team fail to return the ball
- The teams hit the ball back and forth, scoring a point if the ball hits the opponent's court, if the opponents commit a fault, or if they fail to return the ball A team is allowed three attempts to get the ball over the net, and if they fail, their opponents gain a point
- After a ball is served, the opponents should use no more than three hits of the ball among themselves to get it back over the net
- An ace in volleyball is when the ball is served and it hits the opposing team's court without anyone touching it
- Volleyball is played on courts 18m long and 9m wide, divided into two 9m x 9m team courts by the centre net
- Three players are positioned in a line in the back row and three players are positioned in a line in the front row
- After a team gains the serve, the team must rotate so that the players move in a clockwise direction and are constantly changing position during play
- The team courts are surrounded by an area called the 'free zone' - this is a minimum of 2m wide and the players may enter and play within it after the ball is served
- The net's highest point is 2.43m above the ground in men's competition and 2.24m in women's
- Volleyball can be a very active sport that provides a great level of aerobic exercise because you are always moving
- It also improves hand-eye coordination
- If you want to get involved in volleyball, there are many clubs and organisations throughout Wales. The Welsh Volleyball Association can put you in touch with your nearest club -see the links below
Did you know...?
- Volleyball is one of the most popular sports in the world
- Indoor volleyball and beach volleyball are Olympic sports
- Volleyball is particularly popular in European countries, the US, Canada, China and other parts of Asia, Brazil and Russia
- Apart from volleyball played on indoor hard courts, there is beach volleyball, indoor sand volleyball, sitting volleyball, blind volleyball and nine-man volleyball set out by the FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball)
