INTRODUCTION. Volleyball is one of the most successful and popular competitive and recreational sports in the world

Volleyball is one of the most successful and popular competitive and recreational sports in the world. It is fast, it is exciting and the action is explosive. Yet Volleyball comprises several crucial overlapping elements whose complimentary interactions render it unique amongst rally games.

In recent years the FIVB has made great strides in adapting the game to a modern audience.

This text is aimed at a broad Volleyball public - players, coaches, referees, spectators, commentators - for the following reasons:

- understanding the rules better, allows better play - coaches can create better team structure and tactics, allowing players full rein to display their skills;

- understanding the relationship between rules allows officials to make better decisions.

This introduction at first focuses on Volleyball as a competitive sport, before setting out to identify the main qualities required for successful refereering.

VOLLEYBALL IS A COMPETITIVE SPORT

Competition taps latent strengths. It exhibits the best of ability, spirit, creativity and aesthetics. The rules are structured to allow all of these qualities. With a few exceptions, Volleyball allows all players to operate both at the net (in attack) and in the back of the court (to defend or serve).

William Morgan, the game's creator, would still recognize it because Volleyball has retained certain distinctive and essential elements over the years. Some of these it shares with other net/ball/ racquet games:

- Service

- Rotation (taking turns to serve)

- Attack

- Defence

Volleyball is, however, unique amongst net games in insisting that the ball is in constant flight

- a flying ball - and by allowing each team a degree of internal passing before the ball must be returned to the opponents.

The introduction of a specialist defensive player - the Libero - has moved the game forward in terms of rally length and multi-phase play. Modifications to the service rule have changed the act of service from simply a means of putting the ball in play to an offensive weapon.

The concept of rotation is entrenched to allow for all-round athletes. The rules on player positions must permit teams to have flexibility and to create interesting developments in tactics.

Competitors use this framework to contest techniques, tactics and power. The framework also allows players a freedom of expression to enthuse spectators and viewers.

And the image of Volleyball is increasingly a good one.

THE REFEREE WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK

The essence of a good official lies in the concept of fairness and consistency:

- to be fair to every participant,

- to be viewed as fair by the spectators.

This demands a huge element of trust - the referee must be trusted to allow the players to entertain:

- by being accurate in his/her judgement;

- by understanding why the rule is written;

- by being an efficient organizer;

- by allowing the competition to flow and by directing it to a conclusion;

- by being an educator - using the rules to penalise the unfair or admonish the impolite;

- by promoting the game - that is, by allowing the spectacular elements in the game to shine and the best players to do what they do best: entertain the public.

Finally we can say that a good referee will use the rules to make the competition a fulfilling experience for all concerned.

To those who have read thus far, view the rules which follow as the current state of development of a great game, but keep in mind why these preceding few paragraphs may be of equal importance to you in your own position within the sport.

Get involved!

Keep the ball flying!

CHAPTER 1

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT