Over 125 years have passed since volleyball was invented! It was a YMCA in the United States that invented volleyball, just like basketball. Mintonette, today known as volleyball, was created by William G Morgan. It was originally designed for businessmen who wanted a sport that didn’t involve as much contact as basketball and was created on February 9th, 1895.
The History of Volleyball
In Holyoke, Massachusetts, a YMCA named the YMCA of Holyoke was where William G. Morgan invented volleyball. Originally, the sport was called Mintonette and it had been around since 1895. Several sports were combined to create the sport, including tennis, basketball, baseball, and handball.
The sport’s name was changed to volleyball after a fan watching a game suggested it would be more appropriate to call it volleyball as teams volleyed back and forth over the net. It was proposed by a professor at a neighboring college in the state that “volleyball” might be a good name for the sport. In 1897, the YMCA published its first rule book for the sport.
North America and the United States have not yet been as popular with volleyball as the rest of the world even though volleyball was invented in the USA. The sport of volleyball is played regularly by more than 46 million Americans. Over 800 million people play the sport weekly around the world, in comparison.
What Year Was Volleyball Invented?
In a Massachusetts YMCA, a man invented volleyball on February 9th, 1895. William G. Morgan sought a contact-free sport for businessmen. Basketball, tennis, handball, and baseball were all used as inspiration for volleyball concepts. The first game of volleyball was played without volleyballs, since they did not exist at the time
Also, read How Tall is Men’s Volleyball Net?
Timeline Of Volleyball
Throughout the last decade and a half, there have been some major volleyball events that have taken place. Since the sport was invented over 125 years ago, it has undergone many changes. The sport became popular as a result of some major events
1895- American scientists invented the sport of Mintonette
1896- Volleyball becomes the official name of the sport
1900- Volleyball becomes an exclusive sport with the invention of the first ball
1916- The game was modified to include variations on the set and hit
1920- The Beach Volleyball game is invented in California
1920- Three hits per side were introduced and the back row was allowed to attack
1928- The USAV was formed for the purpose of facilitating rules
1948- Two-player beach volleyball tournaments were held for the first time
1949- Volleyball’s first world championship was held
1964- The Olympic Games added indoor volleyball
1978- The AVP was established
1996- Beach volleyball was added as an Olympic sport for two players
2001- rules amended to remove side out scoring and replace it with rally scoring
2020- Volleyball is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and is 125 years old. Boys volleyball is currently the fastest growing sport in North America and the third most popular sport in the world.
How Many People Play Volleyball In The World?
The sport of volleyball is played by over 800 million people worldwide today!
What Countries Is Volleyball Played In?
Every country in the world plays volleyball! Brazilian, Russian, Polish, American, French, Italian, German, and Japanese are among the top places where volleyball is popular. It is a sport that is played everywhere in the world! Find out which volleyball countries are popular below.
Also, read Positions In Volleyball
Where Are The Best Volleyball Teams In The World
Brazilian, Polish, Russian, French, and American volleyball teams are currently ranked first in the world by the FIVB. It is no secret that all of these teams are world powerhouses in volleyball. The volleyball players from these five countries are some of the best in the world.
| Rank | National Team |
| 1 | Brazil |
| 2 | Poland |
| 3 | Russia |
| 4 | France |
| 5 | USA |
| 6 | Slovenia |
| 7 | Serbia |
| 8 | Argentina |
| 9 | Italy |
| 10 | Canada |
| 11 | Japan |
| 12 | Iran |
| 13 | Cuba |
| 14 | Germany |
| 15 | Netherlands |
| 16 | Tunisia |
| 17 | Egypt |
| 18 | Bulgaria |
| 19 | Korea |
| 20 | Belgium |
Where Did Volleyball Originally Come From?
Business professionals wanted a less contact-heavy sport to play, so a YMCA employee invented volleyball in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
In order to find an alternative to basketball, many people complained about how rough it could be. As a result of combining elements of tennis, basketball, baseball, and handball into volleyball, which was originally known as Mitonette, volleyball became a unique sport.
Also, read Volleyball Rotation and Substitutions
