The History of Volleyball The History of Volleyball
Background
The sport of volleyball originated in the United States, by William G. Morgan, in 1895. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass., decided to created a game for his classes of businessmen, which combined elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, & handball. Since the businessmen demanded a sport with less physical contact than basketball, he created a game called mintonette. Morgan borrowed a net from tennis, & raised it 6 feet, 6 inches above the floor, just above an average man's head.
During a demonstration game at the YMCA, someone remarked to Morgan that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back & forth over the net, making the name "volleyball" a more descriptive name for the sport. On July 7, 1896 at Springfield College, the first game of "volleyball" was played.
Timeline
1900- A special ball was made for the sport.
1916- In the Philippines, the idea of setting & spiking the ball were introduced.
1920- 3 hits per side & back row attack rules were instituted.
1922- The first YMCA national championships were held in Brooklyn, NY. 27 teams from 11 states were represented.
1928- Since it became clear that tournaments & rules were needed, USA Volleyball, formerly known as the United States Volleyball Association (USVBA), was formed. The first U.S. Open was staged, as the field was open to non-YMCA teams.
1930- The first 2-man beach game was played.
1934- National volleyball referees received recognition & approval.
1937- At the AAU convention in Boston, action was taken to recognize the USVBA as the official national governing body in the U.S.
1947- The Federation Internationale De Volley-Ball (FIVB) was founded.
1948- The first 2-man beach tournament was held.
1949- The initial World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
1964- Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
1965- The California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) was formed.
1983- The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was formed.
1984- At the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the U.S. won their first medals. The men won the Gold & the women won the Silver.
1986- The Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) was formed.
1987- The FIVB added a Beach Volleyball World Championship Series.
1988- The U.S. Men repeated the Gold in the Olympics in Seoul, Korea.
1990- The World League was created.
1992- The 4-Person Pro Beach League was started in the United States. During the same year, both the men & women's national teams won the Bronze at the Barcelona Olympics.
1995- The sport of volleyball celebrated its centennial.
1996- 2-person beach volleyball was added to the Olympic Games in Atlanta.