Handball Games Volley Ball
( Handball, Physical Contest, Team Wars and Battle, Volleyball )This game consists in keeping a large ball in motion back and forth across a high net by striking it with the open palm. The ball must not be allowed to touch the floor.
GROUND.–For large teams this game should be played on a ground measuring fifty feet long and twenty-five feet wide. For smaller teams a smaller ground will answer.
A tennis net or net two feet wide preferably the latter is stretched across the center of the ground from side to side extending one or two feet beyond the boundaries on either side. The upper edge should be from six feet six inches to seven feet six inches above the ground.
PLAYERS.–Any number of players up to thirty may play. The players are evenly divided into two parties which scatter over their respective courts without special arrangement. There is a captain for each side. An umpire is desirable.
OBJECT OF THE GAME.–The object of the game for each party is to keep the ball in lively play toward its opponents court as each party scores only on its opponents failures to return the ball or keep it in the air.
The ball is put in play by being served by the party which is to score. The service of the ball and with it the privilege of scoring pass to the opponents according to the rules described hereinafter.
START RULES FOR SERVICE.–The ball is put in play by being served by a member of one side who should stand at the rear of his court with one foot on the rear boundary line and the other behind the line. From this position the ball is tossed upward lightly from one hand and batted with the palm of the other hand toward or into the opponents court.
Each server has two trials in which to send the ball into the opponents court. The service being over a long course with a comparatively heavy ball the following privileges are allowed a served ball may be assisted on its course by any two other players on the servers side no player so assisting the ball on the serve may strike it more than twice in succession and the server under such circumstances may not strike it more than once but should the ball then fail to land in the opponents court the server loses his second serve.
In serving the ball must be batted at least ten feet by the server before being touched by any other player on his side.
No “dribbling” is allowed in serving.
A successful server continues serving until his side allows the ball to touch the floor knocks it out of bounds or fails to return it to the opponents. A server may also lose as follows
If a returned ball hits a player on the servers side and bounces into the opponents court it is considered in play. If it hits such a player and does not bounce into the opponents court the server is out losing his second trial.
If the ball hits the net during service it is counted a dead ball and loses the server one of his trials.
If a served ball falls outside the opponents court the server loses his turn.
The players on a side take turns in serving.
RULES OF PLAY.–The ball must always be batted with the open palm. The ball should be returned by the opponents before it can strike the ground. Any number of players may strike the ball to send it across the net but no player may strike more than twice in succession. Having struck the ball twice a player may resume his play only after some other player has struck it. The ball is thus volleyed back and forth across the net until one side fails to return it or allows it to touch the floor or until it goes out of bounds. A ball is put out of play by hitting the net in returning after a serve. A ball which bounds back into the court after striking any other object except the floor or ceiling is still in play. It is permissible to strike the ball with both hands at once (open palms).
If a player touches the net at any time the ball is thereby put out of play. Should this player be on the serving side his side loses the ball and it goes to the opponents. Should this player be on the receiving side the serving side scores one point. Should the net be touched simultaneously by opponents the ball is thereby put out of play and the serving side serves again.
No dribbling is allowed at any time through the game i.e. no keeping the ball in the air by one player hitting it quickly and repeatedly.
In sending the ball across the net players should aim for an unprotected part of the opponents court or try in other ways to place them at a disadvantage.
SCORE.–This is entirely a defensive game the score being made on opponents fouls and failures. Aside from fouls only the serving side scores. A good serve unreturned scores one point for the serving side. A point is similarly scored by the serving side at any time when the opponents fail to return a ball which is in play. Failure of the serving side to return a ball to the opponents court merely puts them out that is the serve passes to the opponents but no score is made on the failure. Should a player touching the net be on the receiving side the serving side scores one point. A ball sent under the net is out of play and counts against the side which last struck it their opponents scoring one point. If the ball strikes any object outside the court and bounds back although it is still in play it counts against the side which struck it out their opponents scoring one point. A ball sent out of bounds by the receiving side in returning a service scores one point for the serving side. One point is scored for the opponents whenever a player catches the ball or holds it for even an instant. The game consists of twenty-one points.