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From a YMCA gym in 1895 to one of the world’s most-played sports: history, the FIVB, major competitions and every Olympic champion.
William G. Morgan, a YMCA physical-education director in Holyoke, Massachusetts (USA), invents a game called "Mintonette" — a less strenuous indoor alternative to basketball, mixing elements of tennis and handball.
At a demonstration at Springfield College, Alfred Halstead notices the "volleying" nature of the game and suggests the name "volley ball".
A dedicated ball is designed for the game. The sport spreads through the YMCA network to Canada, Asia and beyond.
In the Philippines, players develop the offensive pattern of setting the ball high for another player to hit hard — the "Filipino bomb", ancestor of the modern spike.
The rule limiting each team to three hits, and back-row attack restrictions, are introduced in the USA.
The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) is founded in Paris with 14 member federations. Today it is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and counts over 220 national federations.
The first men’s World Championship is held in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The Soviet Union wins. The first women’s World Championship follows in 1952 in Moscow.
Indoor volleyball joins the Olympic programme at Tokyo 1964. Japan’s women — the "Oriental Witches" — win gold in front of a huge home audience; the USSR wins the men’s title.
Men’s sitting volleyball becomes a Paralympic sport at Arnhem 1980; the women’s event follows at Athens 2004.
After a demonstration event at Barcelona 1992, beach volleyball becomes a full Olympic sport at Atlanta 1996.
The libero — a defensive specialist in a contrasting jersey — is introduced in international play to lengthen rallies and widen the game’s appeal.
The side-out scoring system (only the serving team could score) is replaced by rally-point scoring: every rally scores a point, and sets go to 25.
The VNL replaces the men’s World League (1990–2017) and women’s World Grand Prix (1993–2017) as the FIVB’s annual elite national-team competition.
France’s men win back-to-back Olympic golds; Italy’s women win their first Olympic title in volleyball.
The FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 edition takes effect, including more freedom of position for the serving team.
12 men’s and 12 women’s national teams. The most prestigious title in volleyball.
The FIVB World Championship — expanded to 32 teams per gender from 2025 and held every two years.
Annual elite competition: a preliminary round across several host cities, followed by finals.
The best professional clubs from each continent compete for the world club title.
European (CEV), Asian (AVC), African (CAVB), South American (CSV) and NORCECA championships.
The FIVB’s global beach volleyball tour, with Elite16, Challenge and Futures events.
| Year | Host | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Paris | France |
| 2020 | Tokyo | France |
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil |
| 2012 | London | Russia |
| 2008 | Beijing | United States |
| 2004 | Athens | Brazil |
| 2000 | Sydney | Yugoslavia |
| 1996 | Atlanta | Netherlands |
| 1992 | Barcelona | Brazil |
| 1988 | Seoul | United States |
| 1984 | Los Angeles | United States |
| 1980 | Moscow | Soviet Union |
| 1976 | Montreal | Poland |
| 1972 | Munich | Japan |
| 1968 | Mexico City | Soviet Union |
| 1964 | Tokyo | Soviet Union |
| 🏟️ Indoor | 🏖️ Beach | ♿ Sitting | ❄️ Snow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 6 per side | 2 per side | 6 per side | 3 per side (+1 sub) |
| Court | 18 × 9 m | 16 × 8 m | 10 × 6 m | 16 × 8 m |
| Net | 2.43 m (M) / 2.24 m (W) | 2.43 m (M) / 2.24 m (W) | 1.15 m (M) / 1.05 m (W) | 2.43 m (M) / 2.24 m (W) |
| Sets | Best of 5, to 25 (5th to 15) | Best of 3, to 21 (3rd to 15) | Best of 5, to 25 (5th to 15) | Best of 3, to 15 |
| Block touch | Does not count as a hit | Counts as one of the 3 hits | Does not count; blocking the serve is allowed | Counts as a hit |
| Substitutions | 6 per set + libero | None | As indoor | Allowed |
| Surface | Wood / synthetic | Sand | Indoor floor; pelvis must touch the floor when playing the ball | Snow |
The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) was founded in 1947 in Paris and is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It governs indoor, beach and snow volleyball worldwide through five continental confederations: