Sitting volleyball
| Highest governing body | World ParaVolley |
|---|---|
| First played | 1956, Netherlands |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No |
| Team members | 6 players per side |
| Mixed sex | Yes (separate events) |
| Type | Indoor, Paralympic |
| Equipment | Volleyball, net |
| Venue | Indoor court |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | No |
| Paralympic | Men since 1980; Women since 2004 |
Sitting volleyball is a form of volleyball played from a seated position on the floor. It was created in the Netherlands in 1956 as a sport for people with physical disabilities.[1] The sport has been part of the Paralympic Games since 1980 for men and since 2004 for women.[2] It is run worldwide by World ParaVolley.
The sport uses a smaller court and a lower net than standard volleyball, and players must keep part of their body on the floor when they hit the ball.[3] The game is played by over 10,000 athletes in more than 75 countries.[3]
History
Sitting volleyball began in the Netherlands in 1956. The Dutch Sports Committee created the sport for soldiers who had been hurt in war. It combined regular volleyball with sitzball, a German sport for seated players that did not use a net.[1] The first international match was held in 1967 in Flensburg, Germany.[4]
The sport was shown as a demonstration sport at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto. It became a full medal sport for men at the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem, Netherlands. Seven countries took part in the first event, and the Netherlands won the first gold medal.[1]
For many years, the Paralympics also held a "standing volleyball" event for athletes with mobility problems who could still play upright. Standing volleyball was a medal sport from 1980 to 2000. The 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney was the last time standing volleyball was played at the Paralympic Games.[5]
Women's sitting volleyball was added to the Paralympic programme at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. Six countries took part in the first women's event.[1]
The international governing body, World ParaVolley, was founded on 24 April 1981 in Bonn, Germany. It was first called the International Sports Organisation for the Disabled (ISOD) Volleyball Section. Later it became the World Organisation Volleyball for the Disabled (WOVD) in 1994, and finally changed its name to World ParaVolley.[6]
After the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, a group called VolleySLIDE was started by Matt Rogers to help grow sitting volleyball around the world.[1]
Court and equipment
The sitting volleyball court is 10 metres long and 6 metres wide. This is smaller than the standard volleyball court, which is 18 metres by 9 metres.[3] The court is divided in half by the centre line, giving each team a playing area of 5 metres by 6 metres.
The net is much lower than in standard volleyball:
- Men's net height: 1.15 metres
- Women's net height: 1.05 metres[3]
The attack line is drawn 2 metres from the centre line on each side of the court. Back-row players cannot attack the ball from above the net if their body is touching or in front of this line.[7]
The ball is the same as the one used in standard indoor volleyball.
Rules
The rules of sitting volleyball are based on the rules of standard volleyball as set by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), with some changes for the seated game.[3]
Contact with the floor
The most important rule is that part of the player's body between the shoulders and the buttocks must be in contact with the floor when the player hits the ball. Players are not allowed to stand up, rise off the floor, or take steps during play.[7]
A short loss of contact with the floor is allowed in two cases:
- When making a defensive play in the back zone to save the ball
- When making a defensive play in the front zone[7]
Scoring
A match is played as the best of five sets. The first team to win three sets wins the match. The first four sets are played to 25 points. If a fifth set is needed, it is played to 15 points. To win a set, a team must lead by at least two points.[3]
Points are scored on every rally. This is called the rally point system. When a team wins a rally, it scores one point. If the team that did not serve wins the rally, it also wins the right to serve next, and its players rotate one position clockwise.[3]
Other key rules
- Each team has six players on the court.
- A team can touch the ball up to three times before sending it back over the net.
- Unlike in standard volleyball, players are allowed to block the serve.[3]
- Each team is allowed substitutions and time-outs during the match.
Classification
Sitting volleyball is open to athletes with physical impairments. These may include amputations, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, or the effects of a stroke.[4]
Players are placed in one of two sport classes:
- VS1 — athletes with a more severe impairment
- VS2 — athletes with a minimal impairment[4]
Each team can have up to two VS2 athletes on its roster, but only one VS2 player can be on the court at a time. This rule is meant to keep the competition fair.[4]
Major competitions
Paralympic Games
Sitting volleyball has been part of every Summer Paralympic Games since 1980 for men and since 2004 for women. At the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, eight men's teams and eight women's teams took part.[2]
Iran has been the most successful nation in the men's event, winning eight Paralympic gold medals — the latest at Paris 2024, where Iran beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3–1 in the final.[8]
In the women's event, China won every Paralympic gold from 2004 to 2012. The United States won its first Paralympic gold in Rio 2016 and has since won again at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.[2][9]
Men's gold medal winners
| Year | Host city | Gold medal |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Arnhem |  Netherlands |
| 1984 | New York / Stoke Mandeville |  Iran |
| 1988 | Seoul | Iran |
| 1992 | Barcelona | Netherlands |
| 1996 | Atlanta |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 2000 | Sydney | Iran |
| 2004 | Athens | Iran |
| 2008 | Beijing | Iran |
| 2012 | London | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 2016 | Rio | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 2020 | Tokyo | Iran |
| 2024 | Paris | Iran |
Women's gold medal winners
| Year | Host city | Gold medal |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Athens |  China |
| 2008 | Beijing | China |
| 2012 | London | China |
| 2016 | Rio |  United States |
| 2020 | Tokyo | United States |
| 2024 | Paris | United States |
World Championships
The Sitting Volleyball World Championships are run by World ParaVolley. The first men's event was held in 1983 in Delden, Netherlands. The first women's event was held in 1994 in Bottrop, Germany. The Netherlands won both first editions.[10]
The 2026 World Championships will be held in Hangzhou, China, from 10 to 17 July 2026, with 16 men's teams and 16 women's teams.[11]
Iran is the most successful nation in the men's World Championship. Bosnia and Herzegovina has also won three gold medals. Netherlands is the most successful nation in the women's event.[10]
Other events
World ParaVolley also runs Continental Championships in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. National teams qualify for the Paralympic Games and World Championships through these regional events.[3]
Notable players
- Morteza Mehrzadselakjani — Iranian player, one of the tallest people in the world at 2.46 metres (8 feet 1 inch). He has helped Iran win three Paralympic gold medals.[8]
- Lora Webster — United States middle blocker who took part in six Paralympic Games between 2004 and 2024.[12]
- Heather Erickson — five-time United States Paralympian and the Most Valuable Player at the 2016 Paralympic Games.[12]
Related pages
- Volleyball
- Beach volleyball
- Paralympic Games
- World ParaVolley
- Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
- Volleyball at the Summer Paralympics
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Sport Week: History of sitting volleyball". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Sitting volleyball". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Sitting Volleyball". World ParaVolley. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Sport Week: 10 things to know about sitting volleyball". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ↑ "Volleyball at the Summer Paralympics". Wikipedia. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ↑ "History". World ParaVolley. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "About Sitting Volleyball". USA Volleyball. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Paris 2024: Best sitting volleyball moments". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ↑ "Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: Team USA women win sitting volleyball gold". Olympics.com. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 "World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championships – History". World ParaVolley. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ↑ "Qualified teams for the 2026 Sitting Volleyball World Championships". World ParaVolley. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Sitting Volleyball". United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
Other websites
- Sitting Volleyball at World ParaVolley
- Sitting volleyball at the International Paralympic Committee
- Official Sitting Volleyball Rules 2022–2024 (PDF, World ParaVolley)