Athletes participating in volleyball benefit from the camaraderie that evolves from a team sport as well 
as the training that enables them to successfully serve and return a volleyball. As in all Special 
Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and 
gender. Volleyball, invented in the United States, has wide international appeal in Special Olympics. 
Today, there are 23,891 Special Olympics athletes from 78 Programs around the world participating in 
volleyball. 

WORLD GAMES HISTORY 
The 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, hosted 335 
volleyball enthusiasts. These athletes formed 17 female teams, 13 male teams and nine Unified Sports™ teams. Eleven other 
athletes participated in individual skills competitions. Compare that to the four female teams and 11 male teams in the 1987 
World Games! 

HIGHLIGHTS 
Volleyball is one of the sports that prompted the development of the Special Olympics Officials 
Program for Athletes. This program involves interested Special Olympic athletes who want to 
become certified volleyball officials. These athletes take the same course and meet the same 
requirements set forth by the United States Volleyball Association for all volleyball officials. 
After completing the requirements, they are then certified to officiate at volleyball competitions. 

Volleyball stars Karch Kiraly and Bryan Ivie have supported Special Olympics, as have many 
universities. The Big 10 Conference in the United States officially entered a joint partnership 
with local Special Olympics Programs. Every school in the Big 10 conducted a volleyball clinic, 
welcomed Special Olympics athletes to their matches and/or posed for pictures and signed 
autographs with local Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics volleyball is also supported 
by United States Volleyball. In 1996, Special Olympics International conducted the first Special 
Olympics Unified Sports Volleyball Invitational as part of the USA National Open Volleyball 
Championships in Dallas, Texas. 

The Official Special Olympics Sports Rules govern all Special Olympics Volleyball. As an international sports program, Special 
Olympics has created these rules based upon Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) and the National Governing Body 
(NGB) rules for volleyball. FIVB or NGB rules are employed except when they are in conflict with the Official Special Olympics 
Sports rules. In such cases, the Official Sports Rules apply. 
 

EVENTS OFFERED 

 1. Team Competition 
 2. Modified Team Competition 
 3. Unified Sports Team Competition 

 The following event provides meaningful competition for athletes with 
 lower ability levels: 

 4. Individual Skills Competition 
 5. Unified Sports Individual Skills Competition 
 6. Volleyball Juggle 
 7. Volleyball Pass 
 8. Volleyball Toss and Hit 
 9. Team Skills Volleyball