Volleyball is the game of hearts and mind, where mental strength spikes.

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Volleyball was originally called mintonette and can be traced back to 1895 in the U.S.A. However, volleyball only gained momentum and became more popular in South Africa in the early 1990s. Now, volleyball is a common sport played at Durban's North Beach and on the Atlantic coastline. While most people are familiar with beachside volleyball, March to November is the best time to play indoor volleyball in South Africa as well.

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Playing Volleyball in South Africa

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UCT Volleyball Club

The UCT Volleyball Club is the largest volleyball club in the Western Cape and one of the biggest indoor volleyball clubs in Cape Town.

This year, in March, volleyball players in South Africa are invited to attend the National Beach Volleyball Trials at the University of Free State Beach Volleyball Courts. While playing the sport for Volleyball South Africa (VSA) is the ultimate goal, you may need to take a few basic steps before getting to represent VSA. There are a few options to start getting serious about volleyball:

Joining University Teams: When you join a team like the UCT Volleyball Club that welcomes beginner and advanced players, you have the chance of learning from experienced coaches. Aside from getting proper training, players of university teams get to compete on a wider scale.
Joining Official Clubs: It is always a good idea to get the needed training in the sport first. Once you are well-trained in the sport, you can always broaden your horizons and join official clubs or compete in volleyball leagues with more professional players.
Social Volleyball Groups: While joining university volleyball teams and official clubs may seem too extreme, an easier option would be to play volleyball with friends. Joining a social volleyball WhatsApp group is the easiest way to find out about volleyball games and matches that are happening, and playing the sport socially is a great way to learn more about the game while having fun playing.

When you join a team like the UCT volleyball club, you begin to realise that skills and tactics matter the most as teams are often divided and grouped based on their respective skills. While skills do matter, knowing the rules of volleyball may very well be the best place to start should you wish to become involved in the sport.

Can Anyone Play Volleyball?

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Even for beginner players, it is quite easy to play volleyball. The primary aim of the game is to score points by landing the ball into the opponent's court. You can also score points by using three hits to send the ball over the net of the opposing team. What makes the game so fun is that the opposing team has to force the serving team to commit various errors once play begins. When the ball touches the ground, it is considered a dead ball, and no further action can be taken to keep it in play. Volleyball is a fun team sport that can be tons of fun if each volleyball player knows the volleyball rules well and if each player is willing to communicate with other players while staying consistent during play. This article is meant to guide you to grasp the rules of volleyball so that you, too, can enjoy playing volleyball socially or more formally in South Africa. You may also benefit from learning all about the volleyball training centres in South Africa.

Volleyball on the beach sand with a net above the ball
Image Source: Unsplash | Miquel Teirlinck

One of the key rules when playing volleyball is that there can only be 6 players on the floor at any given time. Three in the front row and three in the back row.

Are you considering joining a volleyball social group or a volleyball club? Are you ready to learn some of the interesting rules of the game? If so, read on to find out some of the rules of the game.

Volleyball Rules That You Ought to Know

Volleyball rules are simple. If it is on the floor, pick it up and get it into the air. If its in the air, keep it off the floor.

John Kessel

For professional volleyball games, the number of players is usually restricted to 6 players on each side. The 6 players on one side is seperated from the other six players on the other side by a net. Six players are recommended as they take on the prescribed roles of the setter, middle blocker, outside hitter, opposite hitter, libero, and serving specialist.

Two volleyball players close to the net
The main idea of this sport is to keep the volleyball in the air. Image Source: Idar Gariullin

A volleyball game only begins when the serving team is chosen. The serving team can be chosen by flipping a coin to determine which team will go ahead and serve first. The idea is for both teams to continuously hit the ball back and forth over the net without either team making any errors that could cost them points or cause them to lose the match. Each team is allowed three hits to get the ball over the net. Each team needs to try their level best to ensure that the ball is hit over the net, but also to try and get the ball to land on the ground in the opponent's court. A volleyball match is performed in sets of 3 or sets of 5.

When playing volleyball, knowing the basic rules matters considerably, but it is equally important to know some key jargon related to this sport:

An Ace refers to a serve that results in a point as the ball hits the floor on the receiving team's side of the court, untouched or even if it is touched. If the ball is touched, the point is gained as the opposing team was unable to keep the ball in play.
An Assist refers to a team member who sets, passes, or digs the ball to a teammate who attacks the ball.
An Attack occurs when a player attempts to hit the ball onto the opponent's side of the court. The attack can be a spike, tip, roll, shot, or dump.
An Attack Error is the result of the ball landing out of bounds due to the attacker committing the error of net or center line violation, or making contact with the ball illegally, or even when the ball goes into the net.
Yellow and blue volleyball on the volleyball court
Image Source: Unsplash | Calgar Oskay

When playing volleyball, players must aim to keep the ball up and in play at all times, whilst avoiding attack errors at all costs.

Once each player becomes more aware of the volleyball rules, the respective player needs to become more comfortable with the volleyball positions and what roles the 6 key players on each side will adopt when playing the game. Do you think you understand the rules of the game better? Are you eager to start playing volleyball socially or for a team of your choice?

If you are keen on taking up volleyball lessons or on playing volleyball for a university club, you need to understand some of the volleyball positions. On Superprof, you can find a private coach to help guide you. Reach out to one of our Superprof volleyball instructors today if you are ready to begin playing.

Volleyball Positions to Keep in Mind

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How many main positions are there in volleyball?

There are 5 key positions that players take on during a volleyball match.

In every volleyball team, there are five main positions, and in these positions, players have specific duties to fulfill.

  • Setters: The setters set the offense play for the team, and they need to keep the ball in position for the attackers to spike the ball. The role of the setters is to wait for the ideal moment to set the ball up to be passed.
  • Outside hitters/left side hitters: The role of outside hitters or left side hitters is to attack or block from the left side of the court.
  • Right side hitters/opposite hitters: These hitters attack and block on the right side of the court. These hitters get lots of contact with the ball. These players form the wall to block the opponent hitters.
  • Middle hitters are players who need to perform fast attacks, and they are given the task of blocking and stopping the opponents' fast plays.
  • Liberos refer to the defenders who receive or serve, and players in this position can basically substitute any player.

Volleyball players need to be well-versed with the demands of their respective positions, and once they know the rules and the role of their respective positions, these players will find all the reasons why volleyball is the ideal sport to get involved in. If you are still undecided as to whether volleyball is the sport for you, you must remember that this is a team sport and thus requires coordination and teamwork. Running is also an important requirement for all players, and thus, all players need to be ready and willing to run. If you love to run, be active, and work in a team, this surely is the sport for you. One of the best aspects of volleyball is that it is fun to watch and even more fun to play, especially if you choose to play beach volleyball while visiting some of the best vacation spots in South Africa.

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Laila Abramjee

Laila is an enthusiastic English educator and a fun-filled freelance writer. She has accomplished her dream of getting her first book published and has managed to write over 1 000 000 words since beginning her freelance career. In her free time, she is a travel blogger who explores all South Africa has to offer.