Sitting volleyball is an adapted sport in which volleyball is played on a smaller court with a lower net and all players are required to sit on the ground.
Sitting volleyball is a form of volleyball in which all players participate while sitting on the field. Its purpose is to enable disabled people to participate in the sport despite the lack of movement in their lower extremities. It has been a Paralympic sport for several decades.
Apart from the seated players, the other major differences are the smaller court, the lower net and the players must always maintain contact with the floor, except when playing defensively in the back or front zones. This is different because in indoor volleyball, each player’s position is determined and controlled by the position of their feet.
Starting Positions for Players in Indoor Volleyball
The starting positions of players within the playing area are specific. Each team consists of six players at a time, and teams can be mixed, men’s and women’s. Each team can have six players and five reserve players at the same time. Teams are allowed a maximum of two VS2 athletes, but only one athlete can be on the field at a time (US Team Kaleo Maclay is a VS2 athlete).
Teams participating in official international competitions can have up to two MDs, and only one can participate at a time. For international games, teams may only have two VS2s in their lineup, and only one VS2 is on the field at a time. A team does not need to have VS2 and may have a full roster of VS1 athletes. Only two MDs are allowed on the Paralympic roster, and only one can be on the field at a time; this is done to maintain a level playing field between opposing teams.
Sitting Volleyball in the Paralympics
The Paralympic Games feature men’s and women’s volleyball matches between eight teams. At the Paralympic Games, the highest competitive venue for international volleyball, the sport is played by same-sex teams of athletes with disabilities.
Over the years, seated volleyball has evolved from being a simple sport for rehabilitating wounded soldiers to being the primary sport at the Paralympic Games played by seated players. Today, seated volleyball has Paralympic status (1980 for men; 2004 for women) and seated volleyball continues to grow in popularity as it offers a unique and exciting twist on traditional volleyball.
Who Can Play Sitting Volleyball?
Youth, the elderly, men, women, girls, boys, the disabled and able-bodied are invited. Sitting volleyball is a very popular sport as sitting volleyball can be played by disabled and able-bodied athletes together as long as they are all seated.
However, on a recreational level, seated volleyball is a fantastic inclusive game, as even able-bodied athletes play it. Sitting volleyball requires a smaller court (10m x 6m) and a lower net (1.15m for men, 1.05m for women) and is played significantly faster than standing volleyball.
Seated volleyball is played with the lower body part of the players in contact with the ground, while indoor volleyball is played with the players in a standing position. Paralympic volleyball is played by a team of six, but the net is lower, about 1 meter high.
A common factor in Men’s and Women’s Para Volleyball, both in the MD and D categories, is a small court of 10 m x 6 m (32.8 x 19.6 ft) with a 2 m (6.6 ft) attack line. feet). For indoor volleyball, the net height for men is 2.43 m (8.0 ft), while the standard height for female players is 2.24 m (7.3 ft).
Team and Player Choice in Sitting Volleyball
Two teams of 6 players are separated by a low net (1.05m for women and 1.15m for men) and try to score points by landing the ball on the court of the opposing team. According to The World ParaVolley, all participants, regardless of physical limitations, can play seated volleyball.
Sitting volleyball combined the characteristics of regular volleyball and the German sport known as sitball, which is played by seated players but without a net on the field. First, “standing volleyball” (for athletes with walking difficulties, which can be played standing up) appeared at the Toronto Paralympic Games in 1976 as an exhibition sport.
Some Background on Sitting Volleyball’s History
Sitting volleyball first appeared at the Toronto Paralympics in 1976 as a demonstration sport for athletes with limited mobility, while standing and sitting volleyball was officially included in the Arnhem Paralympic Games medal list in 1980.
Today, Paralympic volleyball welcomes players with various disabilities. decrease in their muscle strength and flexibility. Under the proposal, players with disabilities participate in their own category of games known as the Paralympic Games, the most popular of which is seated volleyball, also known as Paralympic volleyball.
Since the game is an adapted version of indoor play, this means that players with disabilities can also participate, making it one of the few truly inclusive sports.
To form the seated volleyball team for the Tokyo Paralympic Games, there are eight men’s teams – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Egypt, Germany, Japan, Iran and China – and eight women’s teams – Brazil, Canada, China , Italy, Japan, Russia (aka the Russian Paralympic Committee), Rwanda and the United States. Regarding seated volleyball, Greg Walker said that everything is the same as stand-up volleyball, except that the court is smaller, the net is lower, and the players sit on the floor.