Volleyball began as a sport in 1895, invented by a YMCA instructor in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It has since grown into an Olympic sport and it is enjoyed all over the globe. The basic premise of how to play volleyball consists of two teams made up of six players each that are separated by a high net. The object of the game is to score on the other team by causing them to ground the ball while it is on their side of the net. While the ball is in play, each team can touch it as many as three times before they must send it back over the net to the opposing team. Play begins when one team serves the ball to the other team while standing behind the back of the court boundary line. This begins the rally and the opposing team must not let the ball touch the ground while it is in their court. As stated earlier, they can hit or touch the ball three times before needing to send it back over the net. The first two of these touches are usually set ups for a more aggressive spike that is aimed to hit the ground of the opposing teams court. If the ball is grounded on the opposing court it is known as a kill, the rally is ended and the team that grounded the ball on their opponents court is awarded a point.

There are a few moves in volleyball that are considered faults. A fault occurs if the ball is caught or thrown, if the net is touched while the ball is in play and if the same team touches the ball four times in a row. A double hit of the ball by the same player is also grounds for a fault. While tradition holds that the ball is usually hit with the hands or arms, it can legally be struck and pushed by any part of the body. Spiking occurs when a player jumps very high and attempts to send the ball over the net quickly in a vertical fashion toward the opposing team. Spiking by one team brings about blocking by the other, when a player attempts to jump equally as high or higher in order to block the spike. These two moves require great skill and require teams to dictate positions to players who can specialize in high vertical jumps, while other players specialize in setting up the ball so these moves can occur.

Play is usually decided by a coin toss and then the chosen team serves the ball into play. The rally of play takes place until the ball is grounded, an error is made, or the ball lands outside of the predetermined boundaries of the court. If the ball passes over the side line boundary or end line boundary while still in the air, players are able to venture outside of the court to keep the ball in play. The average volleyball game is played until one team reaches twenty-five points and most competitive teams will play the best out of either three or five games.