Mini volleyball is the FIVB officially recognized discipline. Mini volleyball is a sport that’s intended for kids of 9 – 13 years old. The philosophy of mini volleyball is to make the game of volleyball simple and accessible for kids.

When children play the game of volleyball, it’s necessary to adjust the size of the court, the size of the ball as well as the size of the net. Also, it would be great to make changes to the rules of the game. Mini volleyball is a game of volleyball that’s adjusted to the capabilities of children.

Mini volleyball is one of the best ways for children to get involved in physical activity. When playing the game of mini volleyball, children have to jump, run and make a lot of movements.

Obviously, children find it a lot easier to learn and play mini volleyball rather than traditional volleyball. That’s why the game of mini volleyball has gained a huge popularity in schools of many countries all over the world. On the other hand, there are many people who don’t know about mini volleyball yet.

In this blog, we have decided to provide you with some insights into mini volleyball. So, you’ll be able to get the information on the history of mini volleyball sport, its rules and key benefits. But most importantly, we’ll outline the key differences between mini volleyball and traditional volleyball. This will help you understand the philosophy of mini volleyball.

History of Mini Volleyball

Mini volleyball is an independent sport with a rich history. The history of mini volleyball dates back to the 1960s. The game originated from the town of Taiki in Japan. Mini volleyball was invented by Hiroshi Toyoda. He is well-known as a volleyball player and coach.

Hiroshi Toyoda is the legendary volleyball coach, who worked with the Japan national team and prepared it for the Summer Olympic Games that took place in Tokyo in 1964. As a result, the Japan men’s national volleyball team earned the Bronze medal and the Japan women’s national volleyball team earned the Gold medal at the Olympic tournament.

It’s also important to note that Hiroshi Toyoda is an expert in weight training and exercise physiology. He used his knowledge as well as experience to invent the game of mini volleyball.

The FIVB recognized mini volleyball as a sport in 1971 and approved the rules of the game in 1972. And of course, it was a big day in the history of mini volleyball.

Mini volleyball conference took place in Sweden for the first time in 1975. It’s important to know that the representatives from 19 countries took part in the event.

The Top Benefits of Mini Volleyball

The reality is, the game of mini volleyball has many great benefits over indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. It’s a unique game like no other. Now, let’s try to dig deeper into the most significant advantages of mini volleyball and try to find out what makes the game so special.

The main benefit of mini volleyball is, of course, its simplicity. The simplicity of mini volleyball makes the game accessible. Mini volleyball is known for its simplified techniques. Children can easily master all the necessary skills and play the game of mini volleyball.

Mini volleyball is some kind of a competition. So, playing mini volleyball teaches young athletes how to win and how to lose.

There is no doubt that children and young volleyball players need physical activity. It’s important to note that mini volleyball contributes greatly to the child’s physical education. Mini volleyball is a dynamic game that involves a lot of physical activity. And of course, doing physical activity has a positive impact on the health of children.

There has been a lot of talk about the importance of social development for children. Mini volleyball is the kind of social activity. Playing the game of mini volleyball helps improve social development of children. Young players communicate a lot and make friends when playing the game of mini volleyball.

It’s fair to say that mini volleyball is a fun game. When playing the game of volleyball, athletes usually have a lot of fun. Playing the game of mini volleyball is so exciting. That’s why so many athletes find it interesting to play the game.

Rules of Mini Volleyball

Like any game, mini volleyball has its rules. The rules make it possible to organize matches between different schools and mini volleyball clubs. And of course, any volleyball player has to know and always follow the rules of the game.

Mini volleyball is a game that can be played by boys and girls. A team in mini volleyball consists of 3 – 4 players. It’s interesting to know that both boys and girls can participate in the game of mini volleyball. Both and girls can play for the same team in mini volleyball. The number of players, who participate in mini volleyball, depends a lot on the size of a court.

The durability of a match in mini volleyball depends on different factors. The game of mini volleyball is played until one of teams earns 15 points. A match of mini volleyball is played until one of teams wins two games.

Let’s say that the score in mini volleyball match is 14:14. In a situation like this, the match is played until one of teams has a 2 point advantage over the opponents.

Key Differences between Mini Volleyball and Traditional Volleyball

It’s worth noting that mini volleyball and traditional volleyball have many things in common. On the other hand, mini volleyball and traditional volleyball are two different sports. Keep in mind that there are many differences between two sports. It’s fair to say that mini volleyball is just a smaller version of traditional volleyball.

Traditional volleyball and mini volleyball are played with two different balls. Balls, which are used for traditional and mini volleyball, are different in types and sizes. It’s important to point out that a ball for mini volleyball is smaller comparing to the ball for traditional volleyball.

Bear in mind that lightweight balls are used in mini volleyball. Such balls are made composite material. The weight of such a ball ranges between 180 and 200 grams. The balls for mini volleyball are lighter comparing to the balls for traditional indoor volleyball.

As we have already said, the ball of mini volleyball has been invented with children in mind. It’s pretty clear that kids will find it much easier to play mini volleyball with a smaller ball.

Playing the game of mini volleyball with a big ball can be hard for young athletes. However, they find it comfortable to play the game of mini volleyball with a smaller ball. It’s also important to note that a small ball reduces the risk of injuries during the game significantly.

The height of net in traditional volleyball is 243 cm and 224 cm for men and women respectively. The height of net in mini volleyball varies between 190 cm and 200 cm.

A traditional indoor volleyball team consists of 6 players. However, a mini volleyball team consists of 2 – 6 players. In most cases, a team in mini volleyball consists of 4 players. Two volleyball players position themselves in the front row of the court and two other volleyball players position themselves in the back row of the court.

Children, who play the game of mini volleyball, may find it difficult to serve the ball. That’s the reason why the rules of mini volleyball allow young athletes to serve the ball from the distance of 3 meters.

Final Thoughts

Thank you so much for reading this article. We’ve just explained why mini volleyball is a great game for children. As you can see, mini volleyball gives parents an opportunity to introduce the sport of volleyball to their kids.

When playing mini volleyball, children take their first steps on the way of mastering the art of volleyball. The game of mini volleyball allows young players to develop basic volleyball skills and get their first experience.

If a child likes mini volleyball, then he/she will continue the journey in the future. Playing mini volleyball gives volleyball players a good chance to become professional volleyball players.

Do you see that your child has an interest in the sport of volleyball? If so, let your child try to play mini volleyball and then see what happens. There is no doubt that a young athlete will enjoy playing the game!

 

Best of luck!