Summary of History in Volleyball Spikes

The set and spike style of offensive play was said to be invented in 1916 in the Philippines, where it was called “bomba” or kill, and the spiker was called a “bomberino”.

Soft spike (dink), forearm pass, blocking and defensive diving and rolling are considered relatively new methods that only came into play officially in the 1960s.

Summary of History in Volleyball Rules

Volleyball was designed for (but not restricted to) the indoors.

Initially, there was also no restriction on the number of players. However, the first game was played with 5 players on each side.

The objective of the game was (as it still is) simply to keep the ball in the air over the net.

Around 1920, the rules evolved to limit teams to 6 players and 3 contacts with the ball a side.

Summary of History in Volleyball: Beijing Olympics 2008

After the sand and dust has settled, here are the results of this year's Beijing Olympic Volleyball Games. The medal tally for volleyball is dominated by USA, Brazil and China. Some 12000 spectators turned up for each of the men's and women's beach volleyball finals.

Men's Volleyball
Gold - USA
Silver - Brazil
Bronze - Russia

Women's Volleyball
Gold - Brazil
Silver - USA
Bronze - China

Men's Beach Volleyball
Gold - USA
Silver - Brazil
Bronze - Brazil

Women's Beach Volleyball
Gold - USA
Silver - China
Bronze - China

Summary of History in Volleyball: FIVB

What is FIVB?

FIVB stands for The Federation Internationale de Volleyball. It is the international organisation responsible for promoting volleyball and beach volleyball. It stages all the major international volleyball competitions. It aims to develop volleyball as a major media and entertainment sport.

When was it formed?

FIVB was formed on 20 April 1947.

Where is it headquartered?

It was orginally headquartered in 1947 but in 1984, FIVB moved to Lausanne, Switzerland.

Why is FIVB so important?

FIVB organises the World Championships (once every 4 years) which is the biggest event in volleyball. It is also the largest sports organisation in the world in terms of the number of affiliated National Federations (218) and awards US$25 million in Prize Money every year.

Who formed FIVB?

The founding members are Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, France, Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Uruguay, USA and Yugoslavia. FIVB's first elected President was Paul Libaud, then president of the French Federation.

How is FIVB structured?

The World Congress has ultimate authority. It meets every 2 years to elect the President and members of the Board of Administration, who undertake overall management. The Secretariat (headed by the General Manager) implements projects and programs.

Summary of History in Volleyball Dramas

Volleyball dramas have helped promote the sports among school girls around the world. Japanese comics and dramas have been especially influential in this respect.

The Japanese comics ‘Attacker No. 1” (1969) was released in Germany and “Attacker You!” (1984) was popular in Italy, France and Poland.

The Japanese drama, “Moero Attack”, released in Southeast Asia in the 1980s, was also a hit on television. It subsequently inspired local versions of volleyball dramas.

Although the Japanese comics and dramas were not released in the United States, the MTV volleyball movie, “All You’ve Got” (2006) may yet create more interest in volleyball as a sport.

Summary of History in Volleyball Hall of Fame

When was it formed? 1978.

What is it? A living memorial to the sport of volleyball.

Who have been honored? The inventor of volleyball, the most outstanding volleyball players and coaches from around the world. Merit awards has also been given to organisations and teams. (The 2006 honorees are shown above.)

Where: 444 Dwight St., Holyoke, MA 01040.

When: Thursdays to Sundays 12pm to 4:30 pm or by special appointment.

Summary of History in Beach Volleyball

2-person beach volleyball started in Santa Monica, California, USA in the 1920s. However, the first tournament was held only in 1948 and beach volleyball was introduced to the Olympics only in 1996. Brazil, Australia and the United States have each won the highly popular Women’s beach volleyball Olympic so far. The game was later popularized in the 1990s and 2000s through the media.