Okay, so you wanna know how to kick off a volleyball game? Here’s the deal, based on my own experiences playing and messing around with the game.
Getting Started: The Basics
First things first, you gotta have two teams. Doesn’t matter if it’s 6-on-6 like the pros, or just a couple of friends messing around in the backyard. The core idea is the same.
- Teams: Split up into two groups.
- The Net: Make sure you’ve got a net set up. The height depends on who’s playing, but there are official guidelines if you’re going for something formal. We generally played the regular net.
- The Ball: Duh, you need a volleyball!
The Serve: How to Get the Ball in Play
This is where it all begins. One team has to start with the serve.
We usually decide by some playing games for fun, like “Rock, Paper, Scissors”.
The server stands behind the back line (also called the end line) of their side of the court.
Then I tossed the ball up in the air and hit it over the net. The goal is to get it over the net and within the boundaries of the other team’s court. There are different types of serves:
- Underhand Serve: This is the easiest one. You basically just punch the ball with your fist. It’s great for beginners.
- Overhand Serve: This one takes more practice. You hit the ball with an open hand, and it’s a lot more powerful.
Playing the Game
Once the ball is served, the other team tries to get it back over the net. Here’s the basic flow:
- Bump (or Pass): You are supposed to use your forearms to pass the ball to a teammate. Don’t slap at it!
- Set: Usually the second touch, this is where a player sets the ball up high for a teammate to spike.
- Spike (or Hit): The fun part! A player jumps and hits the ball hard over the net, trying to make it land in the other team’s court.
You can’t let the ball hit the ground on your side. You also can’t hit the ball more than three times before it goes over the net. And, you can’t hit the ball twice in a row (unless it’s a block at the net…that’s a whole other thing).
Scoring
Then We played with Rally Scoring: Every time there’s a mess-up (a fault), the other team gets a point, no matter who served. Back in the day, you could only score on your own serve, but rally scoring makes the game move faster.
The most important thing is to have fun! It took me a while to get the hang of serving and bumping, but once you get the basic moves down, it’s a blast.
