Volleyball, the object of the game is for each team of 6 players to send the ball repeatedly over the net to ground it on the oponent`s court, and to prevent the ball from beign grounded on its own court. The balli s put into play by the right-hand back-row player who serves the ball by hitting it over the net to the oponent`s court. A team is allowed to hit the ball 3 times (in addition to the block contact) before returning it to the opponent`s court. A player is not allowed to hit the ball twice consecutively, except when attempting a block. The playing court measures 18x9m, and is dividend into 2 halves by a net 91,4m wide, the top border of which much be at a height of 243cm for men and 224cm for women, The mesh is 10cm2. The ball can only be played with the hands, however, it cannot be caught and held. A seti s won by the first team to score a determined number of points, with a 2-pt. advantage; 3 or 5 sets ar played. Points are scored when 1) the ball touches the floor; 2) the ball goes „out” or the oponents commit a faul (e.g. touch the net during play).
For the first hundred years from the origin of the game teams had to score 15pts. to win a set. At the meeting of the Internacional Volleyball Federation in autumn 1998 it was decided that in a 5-set match each of the first 4 sets will be played until one team scores 25 points and the 5th set will be played to 15 points. The principle of the 2-pt. advantage (e.g. 25:23 or 15:13) needed to win a set has been retained. At the same meeting the principle, according to which only the team serving could score, was replaced with the principle by which points can be scored by both the serving and receiving teams in any successful rally. These regulations were implemented by national vollayball federations in Jan. 1999 and govern also the Men`s World Volleyball League, Women`s Grand Prix, W.Ch. and championships of individual continents. The new regulations were implemented internationally beginning with the Ol.G. in Sydney 2000.
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