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Volleyball
All you need to know
The Game
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organised rules. It has been a part of the official programme of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964.
Played by millions across the world, and with over 200 member National Federations, Volleyball truly is one of the globe’s biggest sports.
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Skills
Positions
The Setter is the tactical centre of any Volleyball team and must be good enough to keep the big blockers from dominating the net. The setter must feed his or her best hitters while also looking for opponent's blocking weaknesses (such as a short player on the front line or a slow centre middle blocker).
Outside-Spikers are key players in the team, often having two touches within one transition (a set of a team’s three touches). This is because they usually form part of the service reception unit, whilst also being a key part of the attack. There are two Outside-Spikers in any team, placed opposite each other in the line-up, and predominantly attack through the left side of the net or from the back part of the court.
The Opposite-Spiker is positioned opposite to the setter in the team line-up and attacks through the right side of the court. Whilst sometimes they are involved in the service reception, they are usually kept out to focus on their attack. It is quite common for the Opposite-Spiker to be the main attacking outlet and score the most points in a match.
The Middle-Blocker is often the unsung hero of the team. Their main focus is blocking, hence the name as opposed to “Middle-Spiker”, but they also offer a lot in attack either by spiking through the middle of the net or attacking at such a tempo that it confuses/delays the blockers on the other side of the net. Their main job is to move according to the set of the other team to present a double block (or even triple block) across the whole net.
The Libero is a defensive specialist with specific rules, adding an extra dimension to the backcourt part of the game. They are aimed at improving the reception of teams, lengthening the rallies and is a position more suited to shorter players, who are faster and more agile. This player wears a different coloured uniform from the rest of the team and can be substituted in backcourt for any player on the team. The libero cannot serve, spike the ball over the net or rotate into the front-line positions.