Is Volleyball a Hard Sport to Play?


The difficulty level of a sport can sometimes discourage many from even trying it. As an absolute fan of volleyball, I am writing this article for anyone who’s curious about this sport. I hope to help everyone get a better grasp on what exactly playing a game of volleyball entails. So, today we are tackling the very first question someone might ask about volleyball which is, is it hard to play?

Is volleyball a hard sport to play? Yes, volleyball can be hard. The higher the level of play you reach, the more challenging it becomes. If you are starting out, the main difficulty lies in understanding the rules and executing proper techniques. In general, volleyball is an easy sport to learn but a difficult sport to master.

Here are some more rapid-fire answers for you:

  • Should you play volleyball? Absolutely.
  • Why? Because volleyball is a fun sport available year-round, that involves many players, demands teamwork, and is a very rewarding and physically demanding activity.
  • Is it gonna be hard? It depends on how much and what level of volleyball you want to play.

Like many sports, volleyball can be very daunting at first with its many rules and techniques, but once you are familiar with the basics, volleyball is a laidback and fun game to play with friends or a challenging sport to play competitively. Now that you know that volleyball can be difficult, I’ll try to explain further why it is the case, how to avoid it or even better, how you can overcome that difficulty.

Why Volleyball Can Be a Difficult Sport

Volleyball is a sport with a learning curve. New players will likely develop an understanding of the rules quite easily but might struggle with the basic skills. This is a hurdle that every volleyball player must overcome to be able to perform better and up their enjoyment of the game. Unfortunately, knowing these basic techniques will not be the end of the curve since you’ll need to be able to execute them properly as well.

If you wish to become a competitive volleyball player, the hardships are only starting with technique. Once you have implemented these fundamentals, you will most likely be exposed to the various strategies and execution of high-level play in volleyball. But more importantly, you’ll have to get in shape.

At higher levels of play, volleyball is a sport where physical abilities must be sharpened. To perform, you will need to work on your agility, speed, and strength. Agility will help with jumping around and movement on the court. Speed will help with getting to the ball, blocking an incoming smash from the opposing team as well as bumping and receiving said smash. Strenght will help the force of your smash, so the ball can go through blocks and on the ground, it will also help the height of your jump.

Wait, What Exactly Is Volleyball?

For those of you that are not familiar already, volleyball is a game played on a rectangular court where two teams of 6 players are separated by a net in the middle. Players rally with a ball over the net in the attempt of making the ball fall to the ground on the other team’s side of the court. The ball is put into play by the scoring team with a “serve”, marking the start of a new rally. The first team to reach 25 points wins the game or set.

Each team is only allowed a maximum of 3 contacts with the ball before it must cross over the net. The sport as developed 3 main techniques for contacting the ball. The first is the bump (or pass/dig), the second is the set (or volley), and the third is the smash (or spike/attack). For a better understanding of all the rules in volleyball, I recommend checking the FIVB (International Federation of Volleyball) and their Rulebook.

Can Volleyball Be Easy?

Volleyball can be a fun and customizable game. You can always play for fun with any number of people and you can always adjust the rules to your liking and level of play. In a way, volleyball can be very easy to tailor for any crowd by keeping the core objective of the game; preventing the ball from touching the ground.

Here Are Some Examples of Easy Volleyball Games

Here are some fun rules you could institute to simplify the game. You can form a circle with your group and throw a volleyball. Try and pass the ball around using the bump or set techniques, without having the ball fall to the ground.

Up for a bigger challenge? You could play a regular game but allow one bounce before a point counts, or have more players on the court. You could also up the number of players on the court, allow for more than 3 contacts, or lower the score needed to win from 25 to 15.

How Can I Make Volleyball Easier for Myself?

Here’s a secret for you, volleyball is a sport where proper execution almost always surpasses great physical abilities. If you can master how to execute a proper bump/set/smash, you will perform better and make the sport a lot easier for yourself. If you would like to play volleyball, regardless of your physical abilities, my number one recommendation is and will always be to understand and master the execution of the core techniques. If you’d like to learn more and start now, I recommend checking out this great video on passing a volleyball.

Now, if you’ve mastered all the techniques already and still find volleyball hard, it might be time to focus on your physical abilities. Other than agility, speed, and strength, cardio is an important part of competitive volleyball. Drawn out rallies can be very demanding physically and cardio can help you stay in the game and perform a lot longer.

More Useful Skills to Help You Play Volleyball

If you mastered the techniques and you are in great physical shape, then maybe it is time to focus on more complex skills such as teamwork, hand-eye coordination, and communication. After all, volleyball is a team sport where effective communication will improve the performance of all players.

If all else fails, it might be time to look at your attitude and mental state for a solution. Volleyball can often be a sport where emotions overpower reason in the heat of the play. Focusing on a positive mental attitude is a skill that can differentiate a good from a great player.

Related Questions

How Hard Is Volleyball Compared to Other Sports?

Compared to most sports, volleyball has a steeper learning curve. The game can seem very difficult to pick up since proper techniques are needed to make the game enjoyable compared to sports like soccer or basketball where everyone can come with their personalized way of throwing or kicking a ball.

How to Start Playing Volleyball

To start playing right away, you can grab a ball and a couple of friends to either the beach or your local gym where you can find a net to play. If you are still in school, you could approach a gym class teacher who could help you learn the techniques. If you are no longer in school you could check your local community centers for volleyball clinics or camps to learn how to play. Otherwise, I would recommend researching some more on the basic techniques of volleyball and practice whenever possible.

Basic Equipment Needed to Play Volleyball

To play a game of volleyball you’ll need:

  • A volleyball
  • A pair of indoor court shoes (If playing indoor)
  • Sportswear (shorts and t-shirt)
  • A volleyball net
  • A team, friends and other players to play with

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