Is Volleyball An Olympic Sport?

Yes, Volleyball is an Olympic Sport. Volleyball got its start in the Olympics as a demonstration sport. This happened in Paris in 1924 when the first matches of this discipline were played in the event of this magnitude. Being a sport that began in the United States in 1895, the first world championships were not held until 1949 (men's category) and 1952 (women's category). Coincidentally, the year when Volleyball began to form part of an Olympic sport was from the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, where the event is held in this edition. The fifteenth edition of this sport will be within the Olympic Games, varying its format overtime to make it more attractive. In 1998 the Libero was introduced, and in 2000 the duration of the matches was reduced. Other changes were also proposed, such as the touch of the net, establishing as a rule in 2010 that the upper tape could not be played in the part of the net. In addition to this, two liberos were introduced. 

Indoor Volleyball in the Olympic Sports

Indoor volleyball teams play with six players on each side. On the other hand, Beach volleyball is made up of a group of two on each side. There's no doubt that indoor Volleyball has grown in popularity in recent years, thanks mainly to Olympic beach volleyball. On the other hand, indoor Volleyball has been an Olympic sport since 1964— the International Olympic Committee awards medals in Volleyball to men and women for Volleyball is played both indoors and outdoors. The game is played by two teams simultaneously, with each team attempting to win a match by winning three of five sets in indoor Volleyball and two of three sets in beach volleyball. The Olympic Volleyball Association follows the same rules as the International Volleyball Federation. The indoor volleyball court measures 18 meters by 9 meters (59 by 29 feet). In the middle of the court, a net divides the court, with the top of the net measuring 2.43 meters (about 8 feet) in the men's game and 2.24 meters (about 7 feet) in the women's game.

Beach Volleyball in the Olympic Sports

Beach volleyball in the Olympics is one of the most popular recreational activities in the world. It made its debut in Olympics in Barcelona 1992, as an exhibition sport, before becoming part of the Olympic program in Atlanta in 1996. Teams qualify based on their performance in FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) events 18 months before the Olympic Games. There is a limit of two teams per country, and one spot apiece is reserved for the host country and a randomly chosen wild-card country. In the six Olympic Games since Atlanta 1996, the United States has won 10 medals, of which six have been gold, while Brazil has since collected 13 awards, and three of them have been gold. However, the FIVB World Championship results indicated that the distance from the rest of the nations is closing.

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