So, I’ve been getting into volleyball lately, and it’s been a blast. But one thing that always got me scratching my head was the time. How long are these games supposed to last? I mean, I’d show up to watch a match, and sometimes it felt like it was over in a flash, while other times, it dragged on forever. So, I decided to do a little digging.
Getting Started
First, I hit up the internet, like we all do, right? I found out that volleyball games don’t have a set time limit, which makes sense when you think about it. The game goes on until one team messes up, either by letting the ball drop or hitting it out of bounds. I started watching some games and timing each set with my phone’s stopwatch.
The Process
I started by observing a few local games at the community center. These were mostly casual matches, and they went by pretty quickly. Most sets were wrapped up in about 20-25 minutes. Then, I moved on to some college-level matches. These were definitely more intense, and the sets were a bit longer, averaging around 25-30 minutes each.
- Casual Games: 20-25 minutes per set
- College-Level Games: 25-30 minutes per set
I also watched some professional matches on TV. Man, those were marathons! Some of those sets pushed past 30 minutes, and with the best-of-five format, a few matches went on for over two hours. I even timed one that lasted almost two and a half hours!
Diving Deeper
During my little investigation, I learned a bit about the technical side of things. Like, did you know a volleyball is supposed to be between 8.15 and 8.39 inches in diameter? Or that it should weigh around 9 to 10 ounces? I even found out the air pressure they’re supposed to be inflated to – between 4.26 and 4.61 psi. I noted all these down, just for kicks.
I also got into the scoring rules. Basically, you need to win three sets to win the match, and a set goes up to 25 points, but you gotta win by at least two points. If it goes to a fifth set, that’s the tie-breaker, and it’s usually first to 15 points.
Wrapping Up
So, after all this, I figured out that a typical volleyball game lasts between 60 to 90 minutes if it’s a best-of-three. But if it’s a best-of-five, you’re looking at anywhere from 90 minutes to over two hours, especially in those pro games.
It was a fun little project, and now I’ve got a much better idea of what to expect when I go to watch a game. Plus, I learned a bunch of random facts about volleyballs, which is always cool. Hope this little breakdown helps you out too if you’re ever wondering about the same thing!
