The reason Morgan named it first mintonette was from a sport, minton that used a raquet to hit a worsted ball over a net. The innings and 3 servers came from baseball. Walls and ceilings contact were allowed like American handball, and now wallyball. The air dribble came from basketball. Tennis gave over the net. He really borrowed lots of ideas, and the game continue to borrow and evolve even today...
Early in the game the concept of the honor call was part of the rules, especially as it was played at the YMCAs. At the international level this call died. Blocking was the other dilema, as to how many can block. First mention in the rules was 1938. It evolved to the point of 1952 any number could block, but in 1969 with FIVB rules it went back to the front row only. The question that I thought most interesting, one that would have been a hot topic of RSV if it had existed back then, was whether 2 blockers is perhaps unethical on one spiker during the first half of the century...
Jim said we owed a lot to YMCA staffer Harry Schmidt, who he knew nothing of until researching. Back then YMCA centers each created its own set of rules and the sport was destined death by confusion. In 1912 he collected all rules and suggested a ruleset, and the YMCA council accepted his standardize set.
The continuation rule, in that a foul took precedence over the errors, existed until mid-60s when faults ended the play. The men's net went in 1916 to 8 feet, from 6.6". The women's net was 7'6" until international rules were added and dropped to 7'4".
In 1955 the ball had to cross the net between the sidebands. At the 1965 World Cup in Warsaw this area of play was miscalled most often and resulted in the creation of the antenna...Jim Coleman said why not put fishing poles over the sidebands and then Horst Baacke from East Germany did so...and in time the antenna...
Until 1964 you could block over the net. Jim said inadvertent straying of the fingers over the net, the struggling to see it from a ref's point of view on the stand was part of the reason for changing. Now we think that in time, free blocking will happen (anything you can put your hands on you can block).
What about the 3 meter line attack being so darn powerful at the men's level? In the 1950s had to land _behind_the 7.5 foot line. Why not return to this with the 3 meter line as observation of the take off person is harder than that of the landing player. Or, why not have a 4.5 meter line for the men or pros and 3 meter for others. As Doug Beal points out, the hoops folks put up differing lines and rules for the pros and college/high school, as do the football rules. Why not have "different" rules for the TV/professional game than that used by others recreationally...While I am at it we need to say to reverse coed to land behind the line not, not hit down...
Likely that the jump serve, where 40% of the plays end in an ace or a service error -that is not very crowd pleasing, should be regulated in some way. It is like when prior to 1984 the serve could be blocked, and that too was NOT VOLLEYball, but serve and block, 2 contacts total. This is going to see some change. I say jump serve all you want, just keep one foot on the floor. Others say maybe a 3 meter line for service too, but most our gyms don't have that kind of space.
Perhaps (hotly debated) the concept of allowing a normal sized sensational player to play (Eric and Lianne Sato). The idea of the Lions Cup. This concept of a Libro player, a player who cannot serve, spike, block or set in front of the 3 meter line. This player has unlimited subsitutions, coming in for 2 or more different players in the back line after the serve. The ramifications need to be discussed, from stalling the game to having the setter never go to the front row, in that the rule will need to be written to achieve the goal, that of a rally enhancing player...
Bonus scoring may happen. There may be 2 out of 3 game to 25 point matches with longer games may happen at the international level not 3 out of 5 as the 3,4,5 game options are so varied in time . In the next 4 years something major will happen to the scoring of the game.
Make the rulebook in 1997 a two year book and enhance the casebook.
- - - - - - lines to be added at 3 meter line, for Nationals on the Open and A courts. This is needed at the higher levels where the back row attack is used often.
Hands be treated the same as feet when you touch the centerline, the wrist may not cross the centerline.
Discussed, but NOT adopted, is if the first balls is passed out of bounds past the centerline a player can get it as long as they come back out of bounds the same way. (let setters better chase errant passes). This is the rule added back in the 60's when a player in international competion hit the guy wires used back then, now most poles are free standing. This is the outdoor rule, the chance to go past the centerline outside the court, but the decision was made to wait and see how it goes internationally for a season before making the change. What if a player said their attack approach started at the 3 meter line area outside the court? If there are guy wires we would not permit pursuit on that court.
Well, there you have some food for thought and RSV discussion. Not the official word, that will come from Neil Luebke Rules of the Game Commission types...From Newark, where records were set, my hotel filled with halloween type characters, and the places to get food were all closed - but at least I was not sleeping in a bass cello case in an airport...regards
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