The info campaign #365volley continues! Every day we will post interesting facts from the volleyball world, for 1 year, on our Facebook page. The materials have been researched by the international volunteers Alexandra (Portugal), Azer (Azerbaijan) and Alejandro (Spain) and prepared by Andreea (Romania). Follow us on Facebook to find out more about its history, variations, playing rules and more about this world!
Here are the July facts!
1. The libero only plays in the back row and cannot attack the ball, so these players are usually smaller than front row players and have impeccable ball control skills. Liberos are often asked to take the majority of the court in serve receive because they are the best passers and because they don’t need to worry about getting into position to hit. The libero's best skills are: Ball control, passing, digging and setting.
2. In volleyball, a down ball occurs when an attacker hits the ball overhand while standing on the ground, usually off the net.
3. A back row attack in volleyball occurs when one of the three back row players attacks the ball and contacts it at the top of the net. In a back row attack, the back row player jumps from behind the white line, also known as the ten-foot line, or the three-meter line and contacts the ball.
4. When it comes to Volleyball in Romania, it is administrated by the Romanian Volleyball Federation (FRV) which consists of several members in the headquarters (International Relations European Cups, 2 Federal coaches, general secretary and president)
5. Meanwhile, it would be better to mention about Romanian national volleyball teams. There are the Men National Volleyball Teams (U23, U21, U19) and Women National Volleyball Teams (U23, U21, U19). Similarly, there are other teams as well such as Men’s Military Team and Women’s Military Team.
6. Brilliant volleyball team names (part I)
it For Brains
Size Matters
Beavis and Bumphead
Ball Busters
Phantom Balls
Setsaholics Anonymous
Block Magic
ACME Roofing
Balls In Your Face
Safe Sets
7. There are 2 main divisions, one for each gender, with secondary divisions from which you can accede to the main one. The season starts in mid-October and generally ends in April.
8. In order to improve the contribution to the volleyball in Romania the lots of players have often transferred payers from other European and Non-European. There is no regulation regarding the number of foreign players that are allowed to play in a Romanian club
9. Volleyball started being practiced in Romania in 1920, being practiced by university students. The game evolves on all planes, the club teams and the national teams, both male and female, starting to have good results at the international competitions especially in the period of 1946-1980.
10. Internally, FRV is launched in 1931 together with the basketball federation. In the same year the first national male championship is being organised in the capital, Bucharest.
11. In 1932 appear the first volleyball rules and in 1943 a tournament with 8 male and 4 female teams is being organised in Ploiesti. In the same year, there is organised an inter-school championships and a university one in the capital.
12. From 1944 more regulate competitions are being organised and from 1948 more grassroots level competitions start to be organised, with the main aim to attract young people to practice volleyball
13. Brilliant volleyball team names (part II)
Practice Safe Sets
Where's My Beaches At
How I Set Your Mother
The Dirty Half Dozen
Hit Head
Sand Eaters
Donald Bump
Nine Inch Males
Heads In The Sand
Good Volley Ms Molly
14. The competitions organised after the appearance of volleyball in Romania were rather simple and few techniques. From 1949 and an internal reorganisation of the federation, from the local championships teams could be promoted to the central one, based on a pyramidal hierarchy, while after 1954 the division system is being introduced
15. The participation of the Romanian national teams in Olympic Games starts in 1964 with the first volleyball Olympics, where they finish on the 4th position. The evolution since then brings the following results: 1972 – males, 5th place; 1980 – males, bronze medallists; females, 8th place
16. The participation at World Championships has brought as well notable results with silver in 1956 and 1966, and bronze in 1960 and 1962 for the male team. The female team managed to bring silver in 1956 as well.
17. The European Championships brought the Romanian male team the gold medal in 1963, silver in 1955 and 1958, and bronze in 1971 and 1977. The female one had bronze in 1963. The male junior team got bronze in 1969 and silver in 1986, while the female one got silver in 1971 and bronze in 1988.
18. The European Champion Cup and the Supe rCup bring as well notable results for the Romanian clubs in the 70s. Yet, only in 2016 CSM Bucharest manages to win the first European Cup with the female team. The team wins the Challenge Cup after a clear victory with the Turkish Trabzon team (3-1, both rounds). Challenge Cup is the third European competition as value, after The Champions League and The European Volleyball Confederation Cup.
19. FIVB offers in 1974 the silver medal to FRV for the long and hardworking contributions to the volleyball activity in Romania.
20. You should know: During arguments with the referee, avoid using the words “moron,” “idiot,” or “kook.” Also avoid phrases that include the word “mother.”
21. Stiinta Explorari, our partner in this project, was the first club champion from Romania, outside the capital, that won the title in 1992-1993 season. Part of the team back then are the current coaches, Mr. Marius Botea and Mr. Sorin Pop
22. Other important titles won by Stiinta are Romanian Cup in 1979 and 1980, silver in 1994 and 2011, bronze in 1990, 1991 and 1992; Romanian A1 Division silver medallists in 1974 and 1980, bronze medallist in 1977, 1989 and 1995
23. In terms of international results, Stiinta Explorari was the Balkan vice-champion in 2010 (Kraljevo, Serbia), classifying in the first 16 of the European Champions Cup in 1993-1994, participated in the European Volleyball Confederation Cup in 1989-1995, has qualified in the final tournament of the Super Cup in 1975, and won the Balkan Cup in 1979, 1980 and 1982.
24. Azerbaijan’s best result so far was the gold at the 2016 European League after tour-retour with Slovakia in the final, with 3-1 in Nitra and 3-0 in Baku.
25. They came close to another medal in 2017, when they hosted the European Championship, reaching the semi-finals before losing to the Netherlands in 5 sets and then defeat in the bronze medal against Turkey.
26. Azerbaijan also ranked fourth in their debut appearance at the continental event, following straight-sets defeats to Italy in the semi-finals and then to Russia in the bronze medal match.
27. You should know: Practice like you want to play. Turn off your cell phone when you play.
28. Let’s see the top 5 volleyball countries, starting with Brazil.
Brazil didn't win its first Olympic medal (silver) until 1984, two years after its first World Championship medal (also a silver). Since then, however, the Brazilians have ruled. They own 10 Olympic indoor medals (second to the former Soviet Union), nine World Championship indoor medals (behind Russia/Soviet Union), a world-best 18 FIVB World League medals, and a world-best 17 World Grand Prix medals.
29. On the beach, Brazil dominates even more. It's won the most overall Olympic medals (13), by far the most World Championship medals (15 more than the second-place country), and it owns too many records to count on the FIVB World Tour.
30. In Rio, the host nation secured medals in three of the four disciplines: indoor gold for the men, beach gold for the men, and beach silver for the women. The most amazing thing, though, is that some would say that haul was a letdown.
31. The best American argument for volley supremacy comes from this fact: The U.S. has won six beach volleyball gold medals in six Olympics (compared to Brazil's three). After that, though, there's not much else to say other than the U.S. volleyball program is better than every other nation except Brazil.