Have you ever wondered which sport is better? Is it easier to play basketball or volleyball?
Basketball is played with one hoop for each team on opposing sides of a court. Teams gain points by getting the ball into the other team’s hoop. Volleyball has one net stretched across the middle of the court dividing the two teams who pass the ball by hitting it over the net to the other team.
The great thing about playing sports is that basically any skill that you learn in one will somehow improve your skills in another because sports involve your physical coordination and your presence on the court or field. Basketball and volleyball may have some more things in common than you’d thought.
Their Similarities
Both sports are team-oriented. They both involve moving a ball over or through a net. And they both involve rules about pickup and passing. The two games are meant to be fast. They’re also both centered around building and improving a team. Now, that’s not an easy thing to do, getting a group of people to work seamlessly together to pass the ball.
Your team’s coordination is essential in both matches as well as the individual’s coordination and positioning. The two games are played primarily with the hands. So, that means that there is no kicking in basketball, and typically not in volleyball either. Volleyball and basketball can be played outside, but are competitively and professionally played indoors. The two sports can be played by men and women.
Basketball at a Glance
Basketball was invented in the late 1800s and has now become a sport played around the world. The basketballs themselves are hard and heavy for dribbling. They each weigh a little over a pound. They are made to be easy to grip because the ball needs to make contact with the palm of your hand to be used.
Basketball is played with a max of 5 players on the court for each team. Basketball differs from volleyball in that it is a contact sport. Teams will start out with every member on one side of the court and mix together as soon as the game begins to make for better passes and blocks. This mixing together usually involves plays that the team has previously memorized.
Proximity is one of the differences that distinguish between volleyball and basketball. Don’t be shy from getting up close and personal if you want to work well with your teammates. There is much more shoving and pushing than in volleyball, and usually more injuries.
Volleyball at a Glance
Volleyball was invented around the same time as basketball in Massachusetts. Volleyballs are made to be lightweight as to be easy to pass with the hands and arms. They only weigh 9-10 ounces. Volleyball has 6 players on each team.
Although volleyball is fast, it’s not as fast-paced as basketball where the direction is never sure and the ball can go from one team to another in seconds. Volleyball is a bit more relaxed, which makes it a great game to play with a mixture of friends who don’t need to be super athletic to make a difference.
Volleyball also has less running than basketball, but you will occasionally sprint or even dive to stop the ball from hitting the ground. The most that you will be doing is jumping for a ball that is hit toward you to hit it back.
The Rules of Basketball
As mentioned above, the game is won by throwing or shooting the ball into your team’s hoop. Points are scored two at a time unless the shot is from behind the three-point line. This will result in three points being added to the score.
The team with the most points will ultimately win the game. There are two types of players on each team: offensive and defensive. Offensive players make it their mission to get the ball in their team’s net, while defensive players defend the hoop from being scored on.
An offensive player must dribble the ball by bouncing it from the floor to their hand several times and by passing the ball from hand to hand so as not to have both hands on the ball at once. They may use both hands when ready to pass the ball or shoot it into the hoop. Once the ball is picked up, it cannot be dribbled again. Also while dribbling the player cannot take more than two steps without bouncing the ball.
The ball must stay in the bounds of the court and it should ideally stay with your team to win. The job of the defense is to essentially keep the ball out of their opposing team’s hoop. They do this hopefully without committing a foul against the opposing teammates and causing them to lose the shot.
The Rules of Volleyball
Volleyball is played by hitting the ball over the net, which divides the court, to the other team in a way that doesn’t count as a foul. You may hit the ball with your hand, arms, or even with your head. One team begins the rally by serving the ball to the other team. This is done by hitting it from one corner of the court, over the net, and into the opposing team’s side of the court.
The team then has up to 3 times that they can hit the ball or make contact with it on their side of the court before they have to pass it back to their opposing team. Each hit can result in a pass to another teammate or over the net. But the ball cannot touch the ground on their side or it is a point for the other team.
When a team allows the ball to hit the ground on their side, the ball is considered dead and the other team receives a point. The serve always goes to the team who won the point. Teammates will rotate the positions of who serves each time service rights are forfeited and then regained. The game is played up to 21 points and the teams generally trade sides when 7 points are scored or 7 rallys have happened.
