Volleyball (sitting): Then and now

Volleyball (sitting) was introduced in 1956 by the Dutch Sports Committee. The sport was adapted from a game of German origin called ‘Sitzball’, and from Volleyball.

International competitions began in 1967, but it wasn’t until 1978 that the International Sports Organisation for the Disabled (ISOD) accepted Sitting Volleyball into its programme. Until 1993, Sitting Volleyball was only played by men.

How to play – and win

Each game consists of a maximum of five sets. During the first four sets, the team which reaches 25 with a two-point advantage wins, while the fifth set is played to 15 points, again with a two-point margin.

The aim is to hit the ball over the net and land it within the playing boundaries of the opposition.

Each team has three hits to get the ball over the net. Players can block the ball at the net, and this does not count as a hit.

Volleyball at the Games

Volleyball was a demonstration sport in Toronto in 1976, and the sitting discipline made its debut at the Paralympic Games in Arnhem in 1980, when seven teams took part.

Until the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, the sport had consisted of two disciplines: Standing and Volleyball (sitting).

The standing discipline was removed following a decision by the International Paralympic Committee that it did not meet the criteria set to be a part of the Paralympic programme.

Get involved

For information about how to get involved, contact the English Volleyball Association (see 'related websites').