Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William Morgan in the United States to be a less physically demanding alternative to basketball. Morgan created the game to have teams play without contact by using a net and lighter ball. Originally called mignonette, the sport expanded from Holyoke, Massachusetts and the rules and equipment have evolved, with the ball becoming leather-covered and lighter and the court increasing in size. Volleyball became an Olympic sport in 1962 and debuted in the 1964 Olympics.

1. Volleyball
Volleyball was invented by William George Morgan in the United States of America
in February 9th 1895.
William´s goal was to create a sport played by teams with no physical contact
between opponents so as to minimize the risks of getting injured.
The original name of this game was mignonette.
The fashionable sport at the time was basketball because it was really energetic
and tiring, made for adult and strong men. So, by Lawrence Rider suggestion
William invented a less tiring game by placing a net at a height of 1.83cm similar to
tennis, where a ball was thrown. Later this game came to be known as volleyball.
In the beginning, volleyball was restricted to the city of Holyoke and to the gym
where Morgan worked as director, until two teams from Holyoke made a
demonstration of this sport. After that volleyball expanded to Springfield and
many other cities.
The first ball used in volleyball was very heavy, and that´s why Morgan asked the
Company A.G Staling & Brothers to make a ball which would meet Morgan´s
requirements.
The ball was made from rubber covered with leather or colored canvas, its
perimeter was 67,5cm and its weight was from 255 to 340g.
Actually the ball is made from leather or synthetic leather, its perimeter is 65cm
and weighs about 270g.
The first volleyball field had a length of 15,35m and a width of 7,625m. The net
was placed at a height of 1,98m.
Actually the field is 18m long and 9m wide and it´s divided by a central line which
divides each team´s field.
In September 1962 at the Sofia Congress, volleyball was considered an Olympic
sport, and the first performance happened in 1964.
Cláudia Pinto 7ºA nº8