About
About
Aim of the game
Two teams of six players separated by a net have to score points by hitting the ball on to the court of the opposing side
Why should you watch this?
It’s a sport that combines strength, agility and strategy. With serves and attacking shots that reach high speeds, the game is fast-moving and exciting
Venues
-
Ace
Serve where the ball hits the ground in the opposition court without the rival team touching it
-
Spike
A forceful shot in which a player jumps as high as possible and smashes the from above their head down into the opposition court
-
Dig
Receiving or defensive shot where a player puts their hands together and ‘digs’ the ball upwards
Impress your friends
Scoring
A game is contested in the best of five sets – the first team to win three sets wins. The first four sets are played to 25 points, and if a fifth set is necessary, it is played to 15 points. A set must be won by a two-point margin, continuing until this is achieved.
Service
The ball can be served from anywhere beyond the backline of the court, within the limits of the sidelines. A team can touch the ball no more than 3 times before sending it over the net.
Positions
Every time a team scores a point from the opposition’s serve, the players rotate their on-court positions clockwise.
Also known as the attack line, separates the defensive zone, at the back of the court, from the attacking zone, at the front of the court.
Liberos wear a different coloured uniform from their teammates and can only play in the back court. They can only play defensive roles and cannot complete an attack.
Equipment
Ball: is 65cm to 67cm in diameter and weighs from 260g to 280g.
Net: is 2.43m high in men’s matches and 2.24m is women’s matches.
Stats
Top Medalists
| Men | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
URS
URS
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |
|
BRA
BRA
|
2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
|
ITA
ITA
|
0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
URS
URS
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | |
|
JPN
JPN
|
2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
|
CHN
CHN
|
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
