HISTORY OF SITTING VOLLEYBALL

Sitting Volleyball is perhaps the most widely known form of ParaVolley thanks to its inclusion in the Paralympic Games since Arnhem in 1980. Played by over 10,000 athletes, in more than 75 countries worldwide it is a truly global game that anyone can play. The Sitting Volleyball rules are based on the FIVB rules for able-bodied volleyball, with a few minor modifications.  It requires a smaller court (10m x 6m) and a lower net (1.15m for men, 1.05m for women), and the game is considerably faster than standing volleyball. It’s played in a best-of-five set format, and the first to reach 25 points (with at least a 2-point lead) wins the set. Teams compete in male and female events, with six on the court at a time. At all times,  a portion of the athlete’s torso must be in contact with the ground, and service blocks and attacks are allowed. For the full rules including diagrams, please see 2017-2020 Sitting Volleyball Rules and Diagrams. Athlete Eligibility All athletes with physical impairments are eligible to compete at the international level, provided they go through the Classification process (see ‘Who Can Play’). Many players are athletes who are amputees. In addition, two players on each team may have ‘minimal impairment’, which means their impairment may appear minimal but it may prevent them from competing in the conventional version of the sport. Please see the Classification page for further details on Athlete Eligibility. If you or your club are interested in developing Sitting Volleyball within your club, please contact us here. Sitting Volleyball Short Resource