|
|
OLYMPICTIONARY
Volleyball is a team sport. The teams play on a volleyball court. They stand on different sides of a net, trying to hit a ball over the net with their bare hands. A team wins a point when the other team misses the ball and it lands on the ground. The winner is the team with the most points.
Players cannot ever hold the ball and they cannot hit it twice. They can use their hand or arms to hit the ball, and they usually pass the ball to each other before hitting it over the net.
There are two different kinds of volleyball played at the Olympics: Indoor Volleyball and Beach Volleyball.
Beach Volleyball takes place outside, on the sand at a beach. There are only two players on each team and these players can move around the court freely.
Indoor Volleyball is played, well, inside. Teams have six players on them. Unlike beach Volleyball, these players have set positions. A new position is being added to indoor Volleyball this year; this player is called the "Libero". The Libero will play in the back of the court and will wear a different color shirt than the rest of the team. This new player is a defense and passing specialist who can replace any player in the back row at any time.
Ones to Watch: Keep an eye on the Cuban team for women's indoor Volleyball, especially team members Mireya Luis and Magalys Carvajal. Other strong women's indoor teams belong to Russia, China, and Brazil. In the men's indoor competition watch Italy, the Netherlands, and Cuba.
As for beach Volleyball, watch for the Brazilian team in both the men's and women's competitions.
 Back
|
|
