We'll talk about a sport whose Brazilian men's and women's teams are among the best in the world. Contrary to the first impression, this text is not football, but volleyball. Volleyball is a sport played on a court with two teams separated by a net, and its objective is to place the ball on the opposing team's floor. For this, its main feature is the use of hands. Currently, volleyball is widely practiced in schools and on the streets, which shows the sport's considerable popularity.
It was created in a club in the United States – the Young Men's Christian Association – by William George Morgan. For this, he tried to mix elements of tennis with some things from basketball, resulting in volleyball. The first rules were introduced in 1897 and allowed this sport to be practiced in open places, such as parks and beaches, and in closed places, such as courts and gyms. At that time, there were no limitations on the number of people on the court, but the appointment was to maintain the ball moving over a net from one side of the court to the other, even mixing tennis with Basketball. The game was started by throwing the ball to the side of the opponent's court and, without the opponent dropping the ball on the ground, they had to return it, until someone dropped the ball. The ball on the opponent's court floor was equivalent to one point for his team.
Today's official rules state that each team must consist of six players on each team. A team starts the game by serving and the opponent is allowed to tap the ball three times before returning it. Whoever wins three sets first, with 25 points each, wins the game. About the official structure, it should be said that the court is rectangular with dimensions of 18m x 9m. The ball is made of leather and has an approximate mass of 270 grams.
As we have seen, the objective of volleyball has always been to prevent the ball from touching the ground in its part of the court, so it is necessary to hit it using the body, especially the upper limbs. This leads to understanding that the main skills used in this sport are: jumping, running, throwing and hitting. In other words: to get to the ball you have to run; to cut the ball during an attack you have to jump; to put the ball in play (serve) it is necessary to throw; and to return the ball to the opponent's court, it is necessary to hit. But other skills are specific to this sport and must be developed by the Physical Education teacher: blocking, serving, heading and touching.
The main fundamentals of volleyball are:
- Headline: legs should be shoulder-width apart and slightly flexed, with a leg in front of the other and the arms must be joined by the overlapping hands, extended in front of the body. The ball must be hit with the forearms, which allows it to be cushioned and take another direction;
- Touch: Legs should be shoulder-width apart and semi-flexed. The arms should also be semi-flexed, directed above the head and in front of the body. The contact of the hands with the ball will be made gently through the inside of the fingers;
- Serving: The initial movement must happen with the feet in parallel and the leg opposite the arm that will hit the ball must be in front. The ball must be held in front of the serving hand, while the attacking arm moves back and forth to hit the ball;
- Cut: this is a hit with the ball, characterized by the high speed at which it hits the opponent's court.
Now just play you too!
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*Image credits: Pal2iyawit / shutterstock
**Image credits: muzzy / shutterstock
***Image credits: muzzy / shutterstock
By Paula Rondinelli
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Physical Education from the São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP
Master in Motricity Sciences from the São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP
PhD student in Latin American Integration at the University of São Paulo - USP
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/educacao-fisica/voleibol.htm
