Paralympic Sitting Volleyball

Sport Summary:

The Volleyball (sitting) event was introduced at the Arnhem 1980 Paralympics.

A high level of teamwork, skill, strategy and intensity is needed in Volleyball.

Each team's goal is to pass the ball over the net and to touch the ball on the ground of the opposing team's side.

Male and female athletes with a physical disability are eligible to participate and must fulfil the conditions of a minimum degree of disability (see classification below).

At all times the athlete's pelvis must touch the ground and the service block is allowed. Because Sitting Volleyball requires a smaller court (10m x 6m) and lower net, the game is considerably faster than the standing event.

The game lasts up to five sets and the winning team is the first to win three sets. The team winning the set is the one to reaches 25 points, with at least a two-point lead.

Paralympic Events being contested at Beijing 2008:

  • Men’s eight team tournament
  • Women’s eight team tournament.

Rules & Equipment:

The Field:

The playing area consists of the court and the free zone, which together form a rectangular parallelogram.

The court is a rectangle measuring 10x6 metres, while the free zone extends at least 4 metres from the long side and 6 metres from the short side of the court.

The court is separated into two equal parts by a centre line, each part being 5 metres long and 6 metres wide.

The net (filet), which measures 1.15 metres high for men and 1.05 metres for women, is placed vertically along the central dividing line. Its length varies between 6.5 and 7 metres and its width is 0.80 metres.

The net is stretched on the net post supports, where the antennas (flexible rods, which determine the main playing area between the two sides), are also placed and are considered to be part of the net.

On each of the two equal parts, and at a distance of 2 metres from the centre line, there is a parallel attack line, which creates two zones, the attack zone (offensive) and the back zone (defensive).

The Ball:

The ball has a circumference of 65-67 centimetres and its weight varies between 260 to 280 grams, and can be of a single colour or a combination of several colours.

Both its component materials and colour must be in compliance with the rules and regulations of WOVD, as applied at every world championships or tournament.

Classification:

Sitting Volleyball is played by amputees and athletes with other disabilities (Les Autres). Each team may have a maximum of one minimum disability player on court at any one time; the rest of the team must all have a higher level of disability.

The Paralympics website has a more detailed explanation of Volleyball classification.

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