Volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of six players divided by a net. Under regulated regulations, each team attempts to earn points by grounding a ball on the opposing team's court. It has been a part of the official Summer Olympic Games program since Tokyo 1964. Beach volleyball was added to the program in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics. Sitting volleyball is the modified variation of volleyball played at the Summer Paralympic Games. The complete set of rules is lengthy, but play essentially goes as follows: a player on one of the teams starts a 'rally' by serving the ball (tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand or arm) from behind the back boundary line of the court, over the net, and into the receiving team's court. The receiving team must not allow the ball to become stuck within their court. To return the ball to the opposite side of the court, the team may touch it up to three times, but individual players may not touch it twice in a row. The first two touches are typically used to set up an attack.
Volleyball World Championships
It is one of the biggest volleyball events that is held every four years. The tournament will be run by the FIVB, the sport's governing organization. The tournament includes a qualifying phase in which countries are qualified for the main event based on their results in the qualification rounds.
The majority of qualification rounds will be placed on a continent-by-continent basis. There will be 24 teams eligible to compete in the main event, with the host's country automatically qualifying.
World Volleyball League
To promote the game, the idea of holding a Volleyball World League developed in the late 1980s. With global championships and Olympic Games held every four years, it is critical for the sport to have a yearly event. The FIVB organized the inaugural volleyball global league in 1990.
Each country will be granted hosting rights for the tournament. The country should give live TV and media coverage of the event. The FIVB's proposal proved to be innovative, particularly in the East Asian area, where the game grew in popularity following this event.
Following this stage, the best teams from each round will advance to the final round, while the hosting nation will remain pre-qualified.
Volleyball Men’s World Cup
This competition is not to be confused with the FIVB world championships. The FIVB also holds this event every four years. The event will mostly take place in the year preceding the Olympics. The World Cup serves as a straight qualifier for the Olympics. The best teams will automatically qualify for the tournament. This event has 12 best countries, with the host (Japan) automatically qualifying. Since 1965, the tournament has been held to bridge the gap between the Olympics and the World Championships.
World Grand Champions Cup of the FIVB Volleyball Federation
The goal of including this competition was to have two major tournaments each year. The FIVB established the Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup in 1993. It is a six-nation event, and Japan, as the tournament's permanent host, will be automatically eligible. This event will include four teams who won the intercontinental championships, one that received a wild card admission from the FIVB, and Japan.
Along with the Olympics, these are the key events in the international volleyball arena, and they continue to attract a large audience while also generating cash through broadcasting and sponsorship.
