Activity Observation: Volleyball

One - Zero. First Serve. He picked up the ball and lofts it over the net. Thud. Ugh, the opponent said as she missed the volleyball. Ok, service! Bummer, that one was a bit long, sorry! She goes to retrieve the ball which has now bounced past the chain link fence. "My serve" she says. The game continues with grunts and dives with sand flying as the contestants struggle to keep the ball in the air for just a little while longer. Soon it is tied at 5 points each, and even though neither one of the teams of three is very good, the fun they are having is quite evident in the laughter and smiles constantly flying with the volleyball. Soon the boundary lines drawn in the sand fade under the feet of the six players, but no-one seems to care because it is just another casual game of volleyball.

The game grinds to a halt momentarily as the score is questioned, probably due to the fact that no-one has called the score in several points. When the discussion fades to resumed play, the score is 13-10, with only two more points needed for a win. It seems the other side is going to make a comeback, but those hopes are dashed as the team on the closer side wins by a close two points. All six players chat after the game and decide to play again, with the addition of two more people who were standing around before. The play is still very casual and not too pretty, but they appear to be having alot of fun.

As for questions, I wonder how the games initially begin? Does a single person go out with a volleyball, or do two people go out and recruit two more people to get a game going? Sometimes the courts get quite full, so how does one begin play when there is a full court? Do they have to wait for the current people to get bored and leave, or is he/she entitled to play in the next game? It appears that since it is such a casual play style, there is little argument, and it sort of 'happens' on its own without many rules or regulations beyond the loose, tradition rules of volleyball.