Volleyball was invented in 1895 as a less strenuous option to basketball, and it was not included in the Olympic games until 1964. Rule variations are common among age groups and leagues, but the rules tend not to waiver from standard play to Olympic play. To understand Olympic volleyball rules, you must understand the basic rules of play, the governing body for Olympic and international play, and the differences between standard and Olympic play.
Basic Rules
Olympic volleyball might differ from standard volleyball only in its additions to the rules and regulations. Each team has six players on the court, is allowed three touches of the ball to achieve volley, and no play can touch the ball twice in one turn. The ball has to travel between the bounding antennae and over the net but can bounce of the net. A ref can call the ball out if it lands outside the bounding lines, if it hits the antennae, the poles or the ref stand. The first team to score 21 points by an advantage of two points is the game winner.
Governing Body
The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball or FIVB was founded in 1946 and helped lead volleyball to its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 1964. The FIVB is the governing body for Olympic volleyball as well as most international volleyball play. The rules dictated by the FIVB are reviewed, revised, copy-written, and published every year and are available for free on its website.
Olympic Variations
Olympic rules, as dictated by the FIVB, are captured in variations called FIVB's Rules of the Game. These variations are additions or limitations set to standard rules so that the rules for FIVB World and Official Competitions are more stringent. For example, regarding timeouts, the rules state "15.4.1 - All time-outs that are requested last for 30 seconds." But below this section it is noted "For FIVB, World and Official Competitions, in sets 1-4, two additional 60-second "technical time-outs" are applied automatically when the leading team reaches the eighth and 16th points." The variations are limited to 22 exceptions of the hundreds of regulations and rules that govern volleyball and, in nearly every case, pertain to something technical, gear, or court- or protocol-related.
Notes & Warnings
The Olympic committee and the FIVB draw a distinction between volleyball and beach volleyball -- rules for beach volleyball vary slightly to drastically from standard, indoor volleyball. Ensure that the rules you are referencing are current.
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