Volleyball for beginners. All you need to know about volleyball to get started

Everybody can play volleyball. At least that is what majority of people will tell you. If we ask a group of 10 year old kids if they can play volleyball 9 out of 10 will tell you they know how to play volleyball because they played with their parents on holidays on the beach or because they have seen other people playing volleyball on the beach. If you ask your friends or colleagues 9 out of 10 will tell you they know exactly how to play volleyball because they played in the schools or occasionally with friends.

Indeed volleyball is a very popular game and ranked 5th most popular sports in the world. Its widely played in Brazil, USA, China, Italy, Russia and many other countries. No wonder most of people played volleyball at least once in their lives.

Though volleyball is a very popular game and can be widely played at recreational level it is also one of the most technical sports in which you cannot improve and progress to a competitive level without a proper training. Some people can naturally progress to a certain level by just playing on the beach but the chances of acquiring bad habits and techniques are so high that it will take too long after to re-learn the right technique. If you ever decide to start playing volleyball to fully enjoy the game whether indoor or on the beach we strongly recommend you to start learning with professional coaches from the very beginning. Check out our classes for beginners volleyball in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You do not need to have any prior experience. You will be in the hands of qualified professional coaches who will introduce you the right technique and all basic skills from the very beginning. You will be able to build up solid fundamentals of volleyball which will help you to take your game to the next level.

Let us introduce you to the basic skills and equipment in volleyball. We will start from a very brief history of volleyball.

History of Volleyball

The game of volleyball originally called mintonette. It was invented by William G Morgan in 1895 in the USA after invention of basketball. William Morgan was searching for something physical in nature but perhaps not as rough as a game of basketball. So he blended together the rules and regulations of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball.

Though the rules and regulations have changed over the years, the basic physical rules of the game remain the same.

It wasn’t long before volleyball spread in the USA and then spread rapidly to other countries. Volleyball became an official sport of the summer Olympics in 1964.

Basic Rules of Volleyball

There are 6 players in a team on a court with up to 6 substitute players off the court. Depended on a tournament or a league you participate you may make a team with your five friends or if you don’t have enough friends for a team you may join another team which is missing players. Contact our academy for both options if you want to take part in the Dubai Volleyball League or other tournaments.

Your team set up will be in two lines – three players in the front and three on the back. After you win a serve your team will rotate one position clockwise. Every player will serve a ball.

There is a maximum of three touches per team (block doesn’t count as a touch). A player cannot touches twice in a row. You may touch the ball with any part of your body and you may play the ball off the net.

A ball is out if it hits the floor completely outside of a court. A ball is out if it hits a ceiling, antennae, net poles or a referee. A ball is in if it hits the court line.

It is not allowed to step on the line while serving. It is not allowed to touch the net at any time during play. Any part of the body crossing the central line will result in violation and a lost point. It is not allowed to block a ball over the net on the other side of the court. And it is not allowed to block a serve.

These are the basic rules and violations. You will learn more rules once you progress to an advance level and then the game will become very technical.

Volleyball Equipment

The Ball

Obviously to play volleyball you will need a ball. Volleyballs are typically made of leather. Professional volleyballs are made by Mikasa. We use Mikasa balls at all our trainings. It is advisable to acquire a Mikasa ball which you can use to maser the skills at home. You can buy a ball both indoor and beach at our online shop.

Kneepads

If you are serious about volleyball you may want to get knee pads before you start practicing. Not only kneepads will protect your knees from physical impact they will also keep your knees safe from strain or injury. Check out our shop for a variety of kneepads.

Shoes

The right shoes are important for your game in order to maximise the comfort while you play while minimizing the chances of injury.

When choosing you shoes make sure the shoe move comfortably with your foot. Your foot should be able to move inside the shoe. There should be less than a finger width between the longest toe and the tip of the shoe.

Finally, we will introduce you to the basic skills and positions in volleyball in our next blog. Meantime check out our beginner volleyball classes and the shop for anything you need and start playing volleyball with us today!