Outline for Research Paper
I. Introduction
A. Background- statistics about number of people who play volleyball, number of
countries have professional volleyball teams, ect.
B. Thesis Statement - Volleyball has become increasingly popular among all age
groups and skill levels in recent years due to the constant evolution of the game.
II. When volleyball was first invented (First subtopic)
A. Who, Where, and When it was invented (First Point)
1. Volleyball was invented at a YMCA in 1895, in Holyoke,
Massachusetts by William G. Morgan and was originally called mintonette.
2. It was initially created for businessmen as a game that was an
alternative for a more physical game such as basketball. The game was developed by
combining elements of badminton, baseball, basketball, tennis, and handball.
B. Original Rules (Second Point)
1. The net was taken from tennis, but it was raised to 6’6”
2. The game also had nine innings, just like baseball. Each side was
allowed three serves and an unlimited number of hits to return the ball
3. The concept that was taken from basketball was dribbling. The players
could “dribble” the ball with their arms, but unlike basketball it had to stay in the air
III. Early Changes and Spread of the Game (Second subtopic)
A. Early Problems (First Point)
1. Used a basketball at first, but it was too heavy.
2. Then used the rubber from inside a basketball, but it was too
light.
3. They approached Spaulding Brothers and asked them to
develop a ball specifically for the game.
B. The game spreads
1. The first official game of volleyball was played at Springfield
College in 1896, only a year after the game was invented
IV. First Major Changes (Third subtopic)
A. Technical Changes
1. The net was raised to seven feet instead of 6’6”
2. Players could not “dribble” the ball to themselves
3. The nine inning game was replaced with another method of
timing the game. Instead of the winner being declared after nine innings, the
winner would be the first team to reach twenty-one points
V. The Game Spreads Quickly (Fourth subtopic)
A. The Game Grows Within the Country
1. Volleyball began being played in a variety of colleges all over the
United States.
B. The Game Grows Internationally
1. In 1905, it spread to Cuba.
2. In the following ten years, it also spread to Brazil, Puerto Rico,
and Uruguay.
VI. Another Wave of Changes
A. Changes in 1916
1. The net was raised from seven feet to eight feet
2. Instead of playing one game to twenty-one points, they now
played the best two out of three games to fifteen points.
3. The rotation of the server was enforced. The servers had to
serve in a particular order, which assured that every player served.
B. Changes in 1920s
1. The size of the court was officially established at thirty by sixty
feet.
2. Rules concerning how the players could contact the ball were
also established.
3. The USA Volleyball association, which still exists to this day, was
created. It was formed in 1928 and was the first governing body in the sport of
volleyball.
VII. Competition
A. Tournaments Begin
1. The Men’s US Open was held every year after the creation of the
USA volleyball association, with the exception of 1943, 1944, and 1989.
2. In 1957 volleyball was designated as an Olympic sport.
3. In 1968, beach volleyball was added to the Olympics.
4. The men won the gold medal and the women won the silver
medal in the 1984 Olympics.
5. In 2008, both the men’s and women’s Olympic beach volleyball
teams won the gold medal.
VI. Conclusion: A restatement of the main points of your paper.