Volleyball - a success story

The game of volleyball originated in the United States of America and, according to the idea of its creator, William J. Morgan, absorbed the most interesting elements of tennis, handball, baseball and basketball. The latter appeared just four years before, in 1891. Not surprisingly, the first volleyball was a camera from a basketball. Originally, the game was called "Mintonet". However, this name lasted for a short time, and after one of the demonstration speeches this sport received its modern, recognizable name.

A little later, as early as 1897, the first official rules appeared, which later underwent a whole series of changes, but after 28 years they were adopted on several continents in a form close to today's.

Volleyball - evolution

The ball, one of the main attributes of the game, also did not stay long in its original form. The first diminished its size, the camera was overgrown with winding and an external coating, which was originally made of leather. Since the adoption of a single standard regarding the size and weights of the balls (which differ somewhat depending on their purpose), all the changes in the design have been reduced almost exclusively to the modernization of the outer layer.

Initially, the outer cover consisted of six sections, each of which consisted of two panels, later replaced by three. This design existed long enough, until in 2008 one of the leaders in the production of volleyballs, the company Mikasa, did not present a new design of the upper layer, composed of eight panels. The joints between them were smoothed, which significantly improved the aerodynamics of the ball. These changes were approved by the FIVB. Since then, Mikasa's updated volleyball is a regular participant in official competitions. The natural skin, from which the outer coating was originally made, almost completely replaced synthetic, and the panels are joined together not by stitching, but by gluing together.

If we talk about the colors of this inventory, then they also changed with time. The first volleyball ball with an outer coating was white. This color has not lost its relevance today, but only for games held indoors. Most often, the outer coating is a combination of white, blue and yellow colors, although others are also appropriate, but not more than four.

For games played on open areas, balls of bright colors are usually used, which are clearly discernible even in sunlight.

Volleyball - technical specifications

The balls differ slightly depending on their purpose (official competitions, training games), age of participants (adults, juniors) and type of site (open, closed).

So, their diameter varies from 20.4 to 21.3 centimeters.

The minimum weight of a volleyball is 250 grams. This ball is used by young athletes, for adults it is 20 grams heavier. The pressure in the chamber is also different. The minimum values of this indicator are in balls intended for beach volleyball. All the characteristics described above form three standards: classic, junior and beach.

Balls used in official competitions, as well as in organizing the training process of professional athletes, are tested for compliance with these requirements. For fans of these standards are not so important, as the main aspects of the game - a good mood and well-being, and slightly different from the standard pressure in the camera, they are not a hindrance.