Paralympic volleyball
Encyclopedia
Volleyball for disabled athletes entered the Paralympic Games
as a "demonstration" sport for amputees in 1976 in Toronto
Canada
. In sitting volleyball
, the net is about 3 feet high, and the court is 10 x 6 meters with a 2-meter attack line. Players are allowed to block serves, but one “cheek” must be in contact with the floor whenever they make contact with the ball. In standing volleyball, a mix of disabilities must be represented on the court at all time to equalize the level of play. Athletes with the following disabilities can compete in sitting or standing volleyball: Amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy
, brain injuries
and stroke
.
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
as a "demonstration" sport for amputees in 1976 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In sitting volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, the net is about 3 feet high, and the court is 10 x 6 meters with a 2-meter attack line. Players are allowed to block serves, but one “cheek” must be in contact with the floor whenever they make contact with the ball. In standing volleyball, a mix of disabilities must be represented on the court at all time to equalize the level of play. Athletes with the following disabilities can compete in sitting or standing volleyball: Amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, brain injuries
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
and stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
.
External links
- Sittingvolleyball.org
- http://www.usolympicteam.com/paralympics/
- http://www.usavolleyball.org/disabled/
- http://www.ricsports.org/
- Beijing 2008 Paralympic Sitting Volleyball Information with an Australian slant from accessibility.com.au - includes nomination criteria for the 2008 Australian Paralympic Volleyball squad.