Discipline's origin

   In 1892, at a YMCA in the US state of Massachusetts, Dr Naismith hung up the peach baskets that gave birth to the game of basketball. William Morgan, his friend, studied the game and deemed it perhaps too strenuous for a middle-aged businessman. Thus, three years later, Morgan invented his own game. Another century later, his invention, volleyball, has emerged along with basketball as one of the fastest, most powerful sports of the Olympic Games.

   Morgan called his game "Mintonette". However, a local professor quickly noted the ball being volleyed over the net, and the sport almost immediately changed names.

   From the outset, volleyball has been a game unafraid of change from any direction. And it quickly went in many directions. Thanks to the long tentacles of the international YMCA network, Japan was playing the game by 1896, followed closely by other Asian countries. A specially designed ball came into play in 1900, and, over the next 20 years, the game developed to closely resemble the game of volleyball as we know it today.

   The set and spike originated in the Philippines in 1920. Six-a-side play became standard in 1918. In 1920, the rules mandating three hits per side and back-row attacks were instituted.

   Olympic history

   Volleyball made its Olympic Games debut in Tokyo in 1964, with the Soviet Union winning the men's gold medal and the Japanese women being crowned as champions in front of their home crowd. Since then, volleyball has continued to witness the rise and fall of great international teams, with countries as diverse as Cuba, Brazil, the Soviet Union, China, the United States, the Netherlands, Poland and Japan collecting gold medals. While power and height have become vital components of international teams, the ability of teams and coaches to devise new tactics, strategies and skills have been crucial for success at the Olympic Games.

Credit: IOC

For further info., please visit http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=VO.