Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Gabrielle Reece Biography: Gabrielle Reece In Volleyball Or Playboy?

Gabrielle Reece also known as Gabby was born on 6th of January 1970, an American professional volleyball player, sports announcer and a hot fashion model who stand 623 tall.

Reece didn’t take up sports until then (the 11th grade) when she and her mother moved to St.Petersburg, Florida. Many colleges started recruiting her due to her abilities in sports. She accepted a volleyball scholarship from the Florida State University, where she majored in communications, and in volleyball she led the league in kills four times and blocks once. In 1989, she moved to model in New York City. She returned to Florida for six weeks that summer to take classes, and then she returned to New York for more modeling. That August, she was back on campus at FSU for the season. That meant turning down $ five-figure jobs to earn All-Tournament honors several times in her collegiate career. In 1997, she was selected for induction into the Florida State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Reece set two school volleyball records in solo blocks and total blocks. Both records still stand on Gabrielle Reece’s name.

Gabrielle Reece Volleyball career

Since graduation, Reece has played on professional volleyball tours. FSU inducted Reece into the Florida State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. Reece set two still standing school volleyball records in solo blocks and total blocks

In 1997, competing with the best global beach volleyball players ever assembled, Reece’s 4-man team took first place at the first-ever Beach Volleyball World Championships staged at the UCLA Tennis Center. A Florida State star turned pro, 1997 was Reece’s fifth season as a team captain in the 4-person Women’s Beach Volleyball League (WBVL), and her fourth captaining Team Nike, which shared League Co-Championship.

For four consecutive years, Reece was the WBVL kills leader from 1993-1996. She was named the Offensive Player of the Year in 1994-95, and the League blocks leader in 1993. She also competed domestically in the 1999-2000 Olympic Challenge Series, the 1999-2000 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, and other competitions.

Gabrielle Reece Modeling career

Reece began her modeling career while attending FSU. In 1989 she was named by ELLE magazine as one of the five most beautiful Women in the World.
Reece has appeared on the covers of several magazines including Shape, Women’s Sports & Fitness, Outside, ELLE, and Life. She also appeared on the cover of Playboy, with an accompanying nude pictorial, in January 2001. Ironically, when appearing as herself the year before on the HBO series Arliss, she angrily chastised her agent for bringing her an offer to pose nude for Playboy.

Gabrielle Reece Other careers

Reece recently reunited with Nike as a spokeswoman, and she is a new expert and writer for Yahoo-Health. Reece is also a producer of a health & fitness product; ‘The Primal System’ with fitness expert Paul Chek and can be seen hosting a show for Fit Tv/Discovery, ‘Insider Training’ where she profiles professional athletes about their training & conditioning regimens.

In movies, Reece played the supporting role of a physical trainer in the film Gattaca (1997) and a pro beach volleyball player in ‘Cloud Nine’ with Burt Reynolds (2004). She has also guest starred on the television shows ‘North Shore’ (2004) and ‘8 Simple Rules’ on ABC (2005), and has appeared as a guest on Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ‘America’s Next Top Model’ and the ‘Tyra Banks Show’.

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What you should know about Volleyball Safety to make the most of your play time
 by: Rebecca Blain 7eb

The fun and excitement of volleyball lures many children and adults into playing the sport. However, in order to have as much fun as possible, volleyball safety is something that you must always keep in mind. There is no fun in a sport if you are injured and cannot play due to something as simple as knowing when or when not to bend your wrist. Your first consideration when preparing to play volleyball, or any sport for that matter, is to make certain you have all of the equipment you need to play safely. Depending on where you are playing volleyball, there are several types of equipment you can purchase that can help prevent injuries. The basic equipment falls under several categories: Protective Gear Shoes Clothing Miscellaneous Accessories

Protective Gear

The most common type of equipment is the basic protective gear. Pads and palm protectors fall into this category. Pads, such as elbow pads and knee pads are generally used in hard floor based volleyball, such as indoor courts located in schools world wide. All three are also highly suggested in sand based courts, and are considered a vital part of volleyball safety, as they protect the most vulnerable parts of your body. Volleyball pads are used to prevent injury due to impact with the ground from purposeful dives and accidental falls. Palm guards are used to protect your hands and wrist from impact of the volleyball, as well as from falls.

Shoes

The second category of equipment that is vital for volleyball safety is the style and type of shoes worn during game play. Specially designed men and women’s volleyball shoes allow for better grip on the court, which prevents sprained ankles and dangerous falls. Without the proper shoes, you put yourself at risk. Nike and Reebok are two companies which specialize in sports shoes.

Clothing

During a volleyball game, wearing the proper style of clothing is the only way you can ensure accidents are prevented. Some styles of clothing, such as high riding shorts, can cause discomfort to the player, which can lead to a lack of concentration and injury. By wearing proper sports jerseys and comfortable low rise shorts, you can enjoy a comfortable game without additional risk of injury.

Miscellaneous Accessories

When selecting your other accessories, you need to always keep your safety in mind. While ear rings and other piercings may be aesthetically pleasing, they do not belong on a volleyball court. Choosing what to wear besides the standard volleyball safety gear is very important. A volleyball to the stomach could cause a great deal of pain and danger should you have a naval piercing, for example. Earrings being ripped from earlobes is another common volleyball injury which is easily prevented. Play it safe. If you do not need the accessory, take it off for the duration of the game. If you play volleyball a great deal, arrange for any piercings to be done and finished healing before or after the season. If you must have volleyball accessories, some good wholesale accessories for volleyball include hair scrunchies, temporary tattoos, and arm bands. Another thing to consider is most, if not all volleyball leagues do not allow temporary tattoos to be worn during matches. Much like glitter, they could be considered a distraction to the competition at hand.

After you have been fully equipped for playing volleyball, there are other things that you need to keep in mind. These are the basic safety rules of volleyball, and should be adhered to at all times. Body Positions – Setting, Serving, Spiking and Passing Physical Contact

Body Positions

In volleyball, an important aspect of the sport is the position your body is in, whether you are setting the ball, serving, or spiking. Improper body positions can cause injury to yourself, or potentially others, so you should take great care in assuring that you assume the proper positions.

Setting

When setting the ball, you should always be careful to watch the ball, and be in position several ball lengths before arrival. Facing the target rather than the origin can prevent being hit in the face with the ball. Losing focus on the ball can also result in being unbalanced due to reacting to the ball being where you do not expect it. This can result in injury, as sprained wrists and ankles are a likelihood.

Serving

When performing the serve, you want to make certain your lead foot is opposite from your hitting arm. If your lead and hitting arm are both on the same side, you will be unbalanced, which can result in a wide serve and injury. You must also make certain to hold a firm wrist position when completing the serve.

Spiking

This can be one of the more dangerous aspects of volleyball. When spiking the ball, you will be in motion, and using a heavy, hard action on the wrist and your body. As you are jumping in this move, you run risk of sprained ankles and other foot related injuries. Injuries resulting from falls are also extremely potential in this move. When performing your spike, there are several things you need to remember. First, you should be jumping with both feet. A one foot jump can lead to injury. Also, you should not perform a "tennis" swing. This is where you side-sweep with one arm, while your other arm swings backwards. This is a risk to yourself and your teammates, and should be avoided. Your wrist should also be held back in this position, and snapped forward on the spike. A dead-on hit can jam or sprain your wrist. By keeping these small tips in mind, you should be able to prevent injuries.

Passing

This is the one of the most common moves in volleyball. The pass, or the forearm bump, is performed by holding your hands together and hitting the ball with your forearms. A good pass involves your hands being held together, while your elbows are held straight, and your wrists remain firmly in position. Your body should be positioned towards your target when the pass is completed. If any of these things are not done during the pass, you run a risk of injury to yourself and others. This is where a great deal of wrist injuries occur, as hitting the ball with your hands instead of your forearms can cause sprains or breaks in your wrists.

Physical Contact

In Volleyball, physical contact should be avoided at all times. As this is a no-contact sport, collisions usually result in injuries that prevent you or your teammates from participating in future games. While many sprains only take a week or two to heal, broken ankles and wrists from collisions take far longer and can ruin your season. Always keep in mind where your teammates and opponents are. By doing this, you can save yourself and your comrades a lot of pain and trouble.

At first, all of these volleyball safety tips may be overwhelming. However, without them, you will find yourself out of play due to a painful injury. Persistence in following the basic rules of safety can prevent this and enable you to enjoy the game to its fullest extent.

About The Author

Rebecca Blain is a professional and hobbyist writer who enjoys taking care of her fish and educating people about volleyball equipment which can be read about here: http://www.everything-volleyball.com

This article was posted on August 25, 2004

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Positioned For Success – Shooting Volleyball « A Little News

This will give you a safe action photo that you can take back from any game you may cover. The second benefit to the high behind position is it allows you to cover action on the floor on the half of the court nearest you. 

Outdoor Volleyball

This rule keeps people safe. If you jump into the net chances are you will injure someone on the opposing team and/or yourself. Allowing people to touch the net is like allowing everyone to double dribble in basketball. 

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1. Design Volleyball Drills for Appropriate Time of Season

Coaches should create an outline for their practices before the
season starts. It’s important to have created a
practice plan several months before the season that has
guidelines for what the team needs to accomplish.

These guidelines include everything from conditioning to skills
and drills. As the off-season, pre-season, and in-season are
going on, details of what exactly to be doing in practices
should be determined.

The volleyball coach should make an effort to plan each practice
or each practice week considering what needs to be improved upon
the specific time of season. This is called periodization.

A team should be taken through different volleyball
drills for conditioning in pre-season than in-season. In
pre-season, coaches should design volleyball conditioning drills
that train power endurance and prepare volleyball players for
the upcoming season.

When in-season, you want your volleyball players well rested and
playing their best. Conditioning for in-season should be more
focused on peak volleyball performance and less on building
endurance.

2. Design Volleyball Drills for Appropriate Time of Practice

What and when you do volleyball drills in practice is important
for having a successful practice. Technical skill volleyball drills, or
individual player volleyball drills are usually best done near the
beginning of practice. Team volleyball drills or fun volleyball drills
should be done near the end of practice.

Technical volleyball drills are drills that need players to focus for
perfect skill execution.

When performing technical drills, it’s common to rotate players
quickly during the drill. For example, when players are trying to execute a perfect forearm pass using perfect passing form, players can rotate quickly and only have
to focus on skill execution at a time.

With technical drills, each repetition is important. Players
shouldn’t be forced to pass so many balls in a series that will
make it harder to focus.

3. Keep Players Active

Limit each players part in each drill to just 1-3 minutes
because any longer than that players will start losing focus.
Volleyball drills that involve players rotating quickly are good because
they can get a break in focusing on the task then come back and
do the same thing several times again after each rotation during
the volleyball drill. So they are able to get repetition without having to
work several minutes at once repeating the same thing. This is
really important in executing technical volleyball drills.

Also, drills should be designed that keep players
actively participating in the drill. You don’t want to run
drills where many players are standing around watching. The more
players are able to stay involved, the
more they will stay focused and improve.

4. Design Volleyball Drills Specific to Player’s Playing Level

Not all players are for same. Coaches shouldn’t
design volleyball drills that are so advanced that players won’t get
anything out of doing them. Also, players shouldn’t be doing volleyball
drills that they’ve already mastered.

Coaches should look at individual players and determine what the
weakest link is. For example, if a player’s weakest skill is
passing, they need to spend time working on passing.

On the other hand, if a player’s strongest skill is hitting,
they shouldn’t be working on hitting all the time. Often, what
skills player’s like to work on are ones they are already really
good at doing.

5. Be Aware of What Current Events are Affecting Your Volleyball
Team

A volleyball player’s mood, stress level, and lifestyle have a
major impact on their volleyball playing ability.

They should be design with current events
in mind.

For example, if a team just experienced a long weekend from an
emotionally draining tournament, volleyball drills for the next
practice should be adjusted accordingly.

Also, day to day events such as exams and other events that
cause stress in school should be considered when designing
volleyball drills. Drills for practice often need to
be adjusted on the fly because of such a busy lifestyle.

Many teenagers have very busy lives and are often stressed.
Players may sometimes show up to practice and what you as a
coach had planned just aren’t going to work that day. Coaches
need to pay attention to how players are feeling and adjust
practices accordingly.

Author: Dennis Jackson

Dennis Jackson is a volleyball expert that provides advice on volleyball training. For more tips on volleyball drills along with volleyball strength and conditioning, visit his volleyball drills website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Jackson

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ACU Wildcat Sports: First week of volleyball practice in the books

You could read an article with several quotes from head coach Kellen Mock about the first week of volleyball practice, and you could read a story describing some of the drills.

Rebel Volleyball To Host Spring Tournament This Weekend …

Volleyball Coach’s Corner with Joe Getzin 09.23. Volleyball Coach’s Corner with Joe Getzin 09.17. Volleyball Coach Speak with Joe Getzin 09.11. Volleyball Coach Speak with Joe Getzin 

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Tips For Making The Volleyball Team by Kerri Stalton 

There are lots of girls out there, and maybe you are one of them, who are really good at volleyball and still can’t manage to make the team. A big part of the reason is that volleyball tryouts really aren’t that long. It’s hard to be able to tell in a few days whether or not someone really has the skill and drive involved to be good at volleyball, or any other sport. What you have to do, besides being good (because you do need to be good) is to get yourself noticed and to stand out in the crowd.

First, you need to start preparing months in advance. Yes, you need to do the usual and practice as much as you can long before tryouts start, but you should also make an effort to let the coach get to know you ahead of time. The better the coach knows you, the more likely she is to notice how good you are. The easiest way to do this is to attend camps they are teaching or working at. If they aren’t doing any camps, see if you can get involved in team fundraisers. That way, at least they’ll know your name and that you’re dedicated. If you can’t do either of these things, the least you can do is go well ahead of time (several months even) to ask the coach about tryouts. Ask when they are, what paperwork you will need, what skills they think you should know, and any other information you think you need to know. This way, you’ll not only be prepared and feel a little more confident going into tryouts, but you’ll also give the coach a chance to see your face, learn your name, and know you’re dedicated. Just don’t pester the coach or suck up; try to get yourself noticed in a positive light.

The second thing you need to do is to not just be good, be better. Being a great player doesn’t get you noticed if everyone else trying out is great too, you have to be fantastic. Sure, you are limited by your body in how good you can be, but you need to push it as far as it will go (safely, of course). Don’t slack off before tryouts. Practice and work out every day. If possible, get friends together and play when you can. Even better, join a local volleyball team or league (YMCA usually has teams). You can also research in addition to actually practicing. Read books and magazines and learn about what’s going on in the sport. Just remember not to slack off or let yourself go. And if your prospective coach isn’t running any volleyball camps, find some to go to anyways; you may learn some tips.

If you’ve followed the tips above, you’re well on your way to getting on the team, but there’s one last way to get yourself noticed at tryouts. Many players give it their all when they’re on the court, but once their done, they don’t continue to give it their all. That’s a big no-no. When you’re doing drills, push yourself harder, even if it’s stretching, give it your all. If there’s setting up or breaking down to be done, be the first to volunteer to help. Also, be sure to encourage others and help them if they ask. No matter how good one played is, if they can’t work in a team they really aren’t that useful. Be respectful to your coach an everyone else there. Being rude or copping an attitude (even if you think something is unfair) is the surest way to get cut. You also have to give it your all off the court in the classroom. If a coach is considering picking someone for the team, but her grades are borderline, they may reconsider. A coach doesn’t want to risk losing a player mid-season because their grades aren’t good enough.

If you followed all these tips, you’ve greatly helped your chances of getting on the team, but sometimes, you do your best and still won’t make it. The important thing is not to give up. Keep working on your game. Still offer to help with fund raisers and other events. Some high school teams have student managers. These are good ways to get yourself noticed for next years tryouts. Just remember to keep working on your game. If all else fails, there’s always those YMCA leagues, they can be just as competitive and a lot of fun.

Good luck at tryouts!

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Top 5 little secrets to help your serve receive game « Silver …

volleyballvolleyball, the ability to serve receive is the key to running your team’s offense.
How can I make the Frosh volleyball team next year?

Graceland Head Coach Chad McDole is looking for the athletes to make his dream a reality. “I’ve been campaigning to get (the JV program) back ever since I got here,” McDole said. “From our standpoint, it’s a win-win for everybody.

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Volleyball: History, Court and Equipments

Read on to know more about Volleyball history and information about the volleyball court and volleyball equipments…

Volleyball is a team sport where 2 teams of 6 active players are separated by a high net and each team tries to score points against the other by grounding a ball on the other team’s court. The rules of the game of volleyball are quite extensive. Ideally, points are scored when one team grounds a ball in the opposing team’s court, or when the opposing team makes a fault. The game is made up of sets, each set being 25 points each. The first team to win 3 sets wins the game.

The ball is usually played with hands and arms. Sometimes players also use any other part of their body to strike or push the ball. A team can contact the ball up to 3 times before it crosses the net.

Mostly, volleyball is an indoor sport. However, other variations of the game, such as Beach Volleyball, have also developed over a period of time.

Volleyball History

Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan who was a physical instruction teacher in the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA. He wanted to create an indoor game which could be played by any number of players. The game was created on the 9th of February, 1895. It was called Mintonette.

Some of the traits of the game were borrowed from tennis and handball. This was also the time when another game called basketball was also gaining a lot of popularity. Mintonette was intended to be an indoor game that was less rough and could be played by the older members of the YMCA.

Initial rules laid down by William G. Morgan required a net which was 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches) high and a court which was 7.6 meters X 15.2 meters (25 feet X 50 feet) in size. The game could have any number of players. The match was made up of 9 innings where each team had 3 serves in each inning. There was also no limit to the number of contacts which a team could make on the ball before passing it into the opposing team’s side.

Of course, the rules have evolved over time. The set and spike was introduced by 1916 and in 1917 the game changed from 21 points to 15 points.

In 1919 the American Expeditionary Forces distributed about 16,000 volleyballs to their troops and allies and the game spread to different parts of the world.

In 1900, Canada officially adopted volleyball.

In 1920 the ‘3 hits rule’ and the back row hitting guidelines were established.

In 1924, Volleyball was introduced in the Olympics – the games were held in Paris. Volleyball was played as an American sports demonstration event. Officially the game was included in the Olympics in 1964.

In 1947, the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) was formed leading to the first of the World Championships to be held: in 1949 for men and in 1952 for women. Many countries have adopted volleyball since then. A list of these countries includes Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, and China.

In 1987, the FIVB endorsed Beach Volleyball, which is a game played on sand with only 2 players per team. Beach Volleyball was officially introduced in the Olympics program in 1996.

Volleyball Court

Volleyball courts have evolved since the time the game was played the first time. Today, the game is played on a court which is 9 meters wide and 18 meters long. This is then divided into two halves of 9 meters X 9 meters each.

A net which is 1 meter wide is placed in the center, so that the top of the net is 2.43 meters high (for men) and 2.24 meters high (for women). The height is often varied for different types of players such as veterans and juniors.

A line is drawn parallel to the center in each half, at a distance of 3 meters. This is called the ‘attack line’. Thus, the court area of each team is divided into the ‘front row’ and ‘back row’ areas.

The court areas are also surrounded by an area called ‘the free zone’ which is at least 3 meters wide on all sides of the court. The players can enter and play within this free zone after the service of the ball.

Volleyball Equipments

To play volleyball, the first equipment required is the volleyball court.

The next is obviously, the ball. The ball is made out of natural or synthetic leather. It is inflated with compressed air. As per the regulations laid down by the FIVB, the ball must:

• Have a circumference between 65 to 67 centimeters.
• Weigh between 260 to 280 grams.
• Have an inside pressure between 0.30 to 0.325 kilograms per centimeter square.

The next bit of equipment for the volleyball player is the outfit. A variety of volleyball uniforms are available. The colors depend upon the team colors. The uniform usually consists of jerseys, low rise shorts, volleyball shoes. Other accessories may include head bands and arm bands etc.

There are a variety of good sporting brands which make clothes for volleyball players. Also, there are volleyball kits available in the market for those who wish to learn and play the game.

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Girls Playing Volleyball: Top 4 Ways YOU CAN Control the Pace of Your Volleyball Game

Girls, have you ever played in a volleyball game where the pace seemed so fast that everything just seemed to be BEYOND your control? Many times you play in a volleyball game that seems to control you when in reality there are several things that you can do to change or control the game so that YOU can speed up or slow down the pace or the rhythm of the match. Here are a few suggestions:

Play the Ball Low

Give yourself time to play the volleyball perfectly especially on a free ball or down ball by playing the ball in a low but balanced position. Don’t stand up to pass the ball by taking the ball up high when it’s at your shoulder level. Use the few more inches it takes for the volleyball to descend to get yourself in a good low position to deliver a perfect ball to the target.

Those few seconds you allow for the ball to descend to a lower point before you pass it not only gives you time to gain more control of the pass but it also buys time for your hitters to get back in transition. This move will also allow you to control the speed of your next play and thus affecting the tempo of the volleyball match… here’s how.

Speed Up or Slow Down Your Pass

Hours of practice of serve receive in the gym should get you to automatically pass the ball with a medium arc about 4 to six feet above the height of the volleyball net right to the setters hands. You can control the speed of your team’s attack by raising your pass/serve receive so that the ball has a much higher arc, reaches 8 to 10 feet in the air so you are slowing down the pace of the game. You would probably do this when the opposing team is running a faster offense and it feels like your team just isn’t establishing your own team rhythm. Slow everything down, give the setters time to think, the hitters time to see the volleyball court and your teammates time to think about concentrating on the basics in order to get back into the game.

Or you can speed up your pass by purposefully passing a ball that is right at or 1 to two feet above the height of the volleyball net with some pace on it. You should practice this with your team attack and transition drill practices…on free balls purposefully speeding up your free ball or even down ball passes …without losing precision and control in order to run a faster paced attack. You can make this a set play that can be called by the setter when she sees an easy high free or down ball coming over…she calls this play so the receivers know that she will be in position to set and the middle blockers will be ready to speed up their approach for this fast attack play.

Walk Back To Serve

This suggestion may seem a little crafty but after a long rally you may consider walking back to or taking your time getting back to the server’s position. Whenever you run back to serve you are speeding up the play of the game. Sometimes it may be necessary to give your front row hitters a breather or give your middles a chance to catch their breath so without risking a yellow card or any delay of game warnings you can always "tie your shoe" just before or as you are heading back to serve. The referee will have to wait for you to finish.

Non-Setters Should Set High

In a perfect game the setter should touch every second ball but since when does this happen? If you are the right side hitter or an off side hitter you’ll find that you will have to step in to set several times during a volleyball match.

In order to maintain control of the pace of the game make sure you get your knees, hips, shoulders and forehead lined up underneath the ball to get into a nice low position to set a nice high ball to either outside hitter.

Don’t risk increasing the pace of the game by shooting a fast set to the outside which neither you nor the hitter you are setting have practiced. Establish your own team’s rhythm and maintain control by setting high to the outside and letting your hitter do the rest.

Now go out and control the pace of your game…Remember the ball is in Your hands

April Chapple is a former USA National Womens Volleyball Team member and Volleyball Professional who created Volleyball Voices the first virtual volleyball mentoring community for girls volleyball players and volleyball coaches with stories by champion women volleyball players and coaching volleyball articles that break up volleyball skills so females learn how to play better volleyball.

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Basic Volleyball Rules

Volleyball is one of the favorite games among both girls and boys. Here are some basic volleyball rules for you to start with…

Volleyball- The Game
Volleyball is a famous indoor ball game played in a court in which 2 teams, comprising of six players each, play against each other. Volleyball is a highly recognized game and is also an Olympic sport. It has been played widely across the world.

Basic rules
The game is played in a rectangular court. One of the teams start with the serve and the basic idea is not to ground the ball during the process of the game. Whichever team gets to 25 points with a minimum point difference of two is declared the winner. There are certain prescribed rules for scoring points, rotation and violations during the game.

The Ball
The game is played with a spherical ball made of synthetic and flexible leather whose inner segment is made of a rubber material. The ball has a circumference of 65 cm approximately and weighs about 275 grams. The internal pressure of the ball is prescribed to be 0.325 kg/cm2.

The Playing Court
The court is rectangular in shape, with dimensions of 18*9 m. The court is dived into two equal halves by the net, which is set vertically above the centre line of the court. The top of the net is set to 2.43 meters for men and 2.24 meters for women. There are no limits for the lower end of the net, although most of the nets measure a length of one meter. Besides the central line, there is another line called the attack line, which is drawn 3 meters below the centre line on both sides of the net. In addition, the width of each of the line should be 5 cm.

Serving
A volley initially decides the first server and whoever wins it begins the match by serving. The server can serve the ball underhand or overhand while standing behind the end line until the serve is completed. The only limitation in a serve is such that the ball must go over the net to the other side and is allowed to graze or touch the net during the process. No player must attack a serve on the first touch and he can only bump it.

Scoring
Each proper serve will result in a point being scored by one of the two teams. Whichever team misses the ball or hits it out of the opponent’s court, have to give away a point to the opponent. Rally method of scoring is used here, by which the one who wins the opponent’s serve will earn a point and at the same time wins the next serve too. The team, which reaches the mark of 25 points and with a minimum advantage of 2 points adrift, will be declared the winner.

Players’ Rotation
Whenever a side wins a point on serve, the six players on their side should make a clockwise rotation of their positions. This continues until one of the teams reach 25 points and win that current game. The failure of the players’ rotation shall lead to a foul.

General Rules
During a volley, there can be a maximum of only three hits and no player should make two successive touches. When two players touch the ball at the same instance, it will be considered as a single hit only. They players are allowed to make a hit using any part of the body above the waist. The only goal is to hit the ball on or within the boundary line.

Certain limitations are there in the game. The ball should not be carried or thrown using the palm while making a hit. At no instance can the net be touched and the central line shouldn’t be crossed too. Players are allowed to go outside the court to pick up a hit during the process of a volley.

These are the basic rules that one should follow while playing volleyball.

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USA Volleyball Referee Training and Education » 2008-09 Rules

2008-09 Rules Interpretation Bulletin #2. … Volleyball Links. USAV Referee Training Videos. Administrative. Register Log in Entries RSS Comments RSS. Search for: Top WordPress. Basic Volleyball Rules, Second Referee Responsibilities

Learning and mastering these basic volleyball rules and techniques will help your volleyball matches move along better. Prematch duties.

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Olympics: American Beach Volleyball Duo Shine on Sodden Sands

Even to an Englishman who spent miserable days at Weston-super-Mare as a kid, the idea of going to the beach in this weather is preposterous, writes Andy Bull

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh have not lost a single set, let alone a game, of beach volleyball in two entire Olympics. Double gold medalists, they are as dominant in their own event as any other athlete at these Games. And some people still can’t get over the fact that they’re wearing bikinis. Even though hundreds of women wear similarly skimpy garments each night in the athletics.

That said, a word on the bikinis. There were 12,000 people in the Chaoyang Park Beach Ground, and 11,974 of them were wearing the complimentary, if not complementary, pastel plastic capes handed out by the stewards. About half the people here were also holding umbrellas; if they weren’t, it was because they were busy waving Chinese flags or banging inflatable sticks together.

And the other 26? Well they were in swimsuits. Twenty-two of them were in red Stetson hats as well, but they’re the cheerleaders. When the rain got really heavy, the kind of stuff that ricochets up off the tarmac and soaks your knees, the cheerleaders ran screaming from the beach, a little like the Playboy bunnies when the soldiers charge the stage in Apocalypse Now.

It wasn’t just raining, it was lashing it down and had been for hours. Frankly, even to an Englishman who spent some miserable days at Weston-Super-Mare as a kid, the idea of going to the beach in this weather is preposterous. Outside the upper rim of the Chaoyang bowl, everything is invisible, lost in a thick soup of grey rain clouds.

And in the middle of it all were the four athletes, all barefoot, sinking ankle deep in the sodden sand. You’d struggle to play a game of rugby in this downpour, but beach volleyballers must be made of sterner stuff. "We play in all conditions," May-Treanor said afterwards, before pausing as a grin spread across her face, "it’s just another reason why we wear bathing suits." Besides which, there was the natural incentive that this was USA v China with a gold medal at stake.

Unlike the equivalent clashes in the basketball or water polo, this match didn’t have much bite. This wasn’t China versus the USA, it was China imitating the American way. The capacity crowd were marshaled into a series of Mexican waves by a break-dancing MC from California, the cheerleaders – half American, half Chinese – wore their cowboy hats and jiggled to Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) and It’s Raining Men. (No, no it’s not, it’s just raining.) At 11am, a lot of the Chinese were knocking back plastic cups of beer and guzzling popcorn and hotdogs on sticks. In the absence of any indigenous beach culture, the Chinese had brought some in wholesale from California.

Which, of course, is where May-Treanor and Walsh are from. More telling, though the Chinese won both the bronze and silver medals in this event, the pair playing May-Treanor and Walsh, Tian Jia and Wang Jie, made it abundantly clear both before and afterwards that they never felt they had a chance of winning this match, even though the head-to-head record between the pairs is 5-2 in favor of the US. Such is the ability and aura of the US pair that they have that champions’ ability to defeat an opponent before the game has even started. It was a case, perhaps, of having too much respect. "They are too strong, too competitive," said Tian, "so we knew that today we could just relax." Normally Tian plays the game the way her Chinese interpreter pronounces it, "bitch volleyball", but in the final she was strangely subdued, seemingly because she didn’t much reckon her chances of winning. "They have very strong skills, they are just a lot better than us."

Tian and her partner, Wang, had more power than their opponents, but considerably less skill and guile. Whereas the Chinese were able to keep themselves in the game through their vicious spiking and serving, May-Treanor and Walsh won their points through a series of tricks and feints at the net, dummy-moves and clever floated hits into the gaps. The score reached 17-17 in both sets, but on each occasion the Americans pulled away, sensing the crucial moment, reaching and winning match-point before the Chinese could rally themselves.

The US pair, after they’d finished whooping and hollering, were graciously keen to emphasize their amazement at the improvement in the Chinese team. Tian, playing, with a different partner, came ninth at Athens in 2004, China’s best-ever finish in the sport, though they do have an excellent record in the indoor version. As in so many events – and, it’s worth pointing out that Britain are currently doing so with their handball team – China have spent eight years manufacturing teams for the event. That they won both women’s bronze and silver is a remarkable vindication of their efforts. "I am from Xinjiang province, and we don’t have volleyball there," said the 23 year-old Wang, "I didn’t choose beach volleyball, it chose me."

It is a markedly different route to success from that taken by the Americans. May-Treanor, the daughter of Butch May who played for the US indoor team at the 1968 Games, and Walsh grew up with the game. They even played against each other in high school. They have a chemistry and understanding the Chinese couldn’t possibly match. As with the atmosphere at Chaoyang itself, though, it is clear who the Chinese are seeking to emulate, and in four more years the very least they will be expecting to do is take a set off the US.

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She has played in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. May-Treanor and her partner, Kerri Walsh, have won their last sixty-nine international matches. They won the Olympic beach volleyball tournament in 2008 and became the first team.

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