With the PFA Youth/Adult Volleyball Tournament on the horizon, I wanted to share some interesting information that I have found about volleyball and its origins…
A man named William G. Morgan invented the game in 1895 in Holyoke, Mass. This happened at around the same time James Naismith invented the sport of basketball. Morgan wanted to find a sport that was less violent and intense than basketball. So originally, he called it “Mintonette.”
His first attempt at the sport was to think about tennis, but he raised the net to just above the head of an average man. Then, he had to find the correct type of ball to use. He had the Spalding company make a leather-covered ball with a rubber inner tube. He and two of his friends drew up the first 10 rules of the game.
Morgan arranged to make a presentation of the game to the YMCA Directors of Physical Education and the International Committee of YMCA’s. He proposed that the object of the game was to keep the ball in movement over a high net from one side to the other. At this time, one of the directors suggested that the name be changed to “Volley Ball.” The only other change to the name was to make it one word – VOLLEYBALL!
A handwritten copy of the rules was presented to the YMCA Directors, and a committee was appointed to study and produce suggestions to promote the game. These rules were included in the 1897 edition of the 1st Official Handbook of the North American YMCA Athletic League.
In 1916, the YMCA convinced the NCAA to publish the Volleyball rules and a series of articles the contributed to the growth of the sport in college.
In 1918, the rules were amended to limit the number of players to 6, and in 1922 they were amended to set the number of hits per side to 3, which is how the game is played today.
Volleyball, according to the Olympic Program Commission, is the most widely played sport in the world. It has over 900 million fans and more professional leagues than any other sport.
I hope you will jump on the band wagon and join us for the Youth/Adult Volleyball Tournament in La Porte, Ind. the weekend of November 5-7, 2021. All the information you need can be found by clicking here. The Early Registration Deadline is October 4, 2021. You can save $5 per participant if you register early. Remember that you do not need a full team, as we can always put you on a team. So, gather your friends, Members or not, and join us for the fun!