History
of
Volleyball

The Volleyball game was invented by William G. Morgan in the year 1895 in Holyoke, Massachusetts YMCA . When Morgan went to Holyoke after leaving Springsfield school in 1894, he found that many people didn't want to play basketball. So he thought of developing a new game which was more recreational than any thing else and would involve people . The game of volleyball was thus invented as a recreational game.

Initial stages of the Game

At first a basketball was used without a net throwing the ball from one group to the other. Then a net was introduced which was at a height seven feet high. Since the basketball was quite heavy, a ball made of soft calf skin was developed and used but this ball did not last long during play.
The first demonstration of Volleyball was given at Springfield School in 1896. The rules were given by Morgan written in longhand. The game was named as 'Minotonette'. The name was changed to 'Volleyball' in the year 1896 (as the purpose of this game was to volley the ball back and forth over the net) after a demonstration at School of Christian Workers presently Springfield College.

DEVELOPMENT OF VOLLEYBALL INTERNATIONALLY
DEVELOPMENT OF VOLLEYBALL IN INDIA
RISE OF INDIAN VOLLEYBALL






Development of Volleyball on the international front
1947 The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was formed.
1949 The Head Office of International Volleyball Federation established in Paris (France).
1954 Asian zone confederation was formed .
Japan, China, Korea, India, Iran are some of the prominent members.
1964 The game was first introduced in the Olympic at Tokyo.

Volleyballs gaining popularity can be judged by the fact that through out the world more than 200 member countries are affiliated with FIVB and also as at present more than 200 million players are registerd.



Development of Volleyball in India

The game of Volleyball was brought to India more than 70 years ago when some Physical Education teachers who had been abroad, were trained in different games including Volleyball. Y.M.C.A., College of Physical Education, Madras took this game seriously and started training of Volleyball in India. The students trained here took the sport to other parts of the country. The formation of V.F.I. has been one of the main factors in the development and popularization of the game of Volleyball in India.




Rise of Volleyball in India



Since the formation of the V.F.I. the Indian team started to participate in World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championship, Commonwealth Championship and many other International Tournaments held in India and abroad. India won the Gold medal at the Invitation Asian Meet at Japan in 1955. In the third and fourth Asian Games held at Tokyo and Djakarta in 1962, India won the bronze and Silver medal respectively.
India got a major set back when no player was Honored with the Arjuna Award from 1963 to 1971. India also did not take part in any class of competition from 1964 to 1973. In the year 1974 when India participated in the Asian Games at Tehran it got 5th place and it was felt that India had lagged behind. In the year 1980 in the first Commonwealth Games for Men, India got 3rd place in the Championships. Moreover the Indian team won many matches against visiting teams in India and also out of India in International meets.