Play Sitting Volleyball
Don't be fooled by the name, Sitting Volleyball is far from stationary! It's fast-paced and, despite the court being smaller, the net lower, and the players closer together, requires agility of thought as well as movement.
While the game appears similar to other versions of Volleyball, there are some subtle differences, including: being able to block the serve and the requirement to have one buttock or an extension of the torso in contact with the floor when touching the ball.
As it is an adapted version of the indoor game, it means disabled players can also participate which makes it one of a small number of sports that is truly inclusive.
If you're new to the game and want to learn more about the history of the game and the rules, view the
Sitting Volleyball Starter Pack, produced in collaboration with the Volleyball England Foundation.
Watch an introduction to sitting volleyball...
Video courtesy of Paris 2024 Paralympics
Opportunities to get involved
Below will show a list of Sitting Volleyball opportunities which are run by Volleyball England and/or affiliated clubs:
East Midlands Come and Try Session
Come and Try session at Limehurst academy Loughborough on Saturday 14th March, click here to sign up.
Volleyball England Sitting Volleyball Cup and Shield
It's the perfect playing opportunity for new teams wanting to dip their toe into national competitions and also for established teams who want to win some silverware! Find out more here.
Nuneaton Volleyball Club - Come and Try Session
Come and Try session at George Eliot, Nuneaton on Sunday 22nd March 3-5pm.
Sitting Volleyball in England
At the Paralympics, the highest competitive outlet for international Sitting Volleyball, the sport is played between same-sex teams of athletes with qualifying disabilities. However, at club level in England, Sitting Volleyball is played between mixed-sex teams of disabled and non-disabled players – making it an incredibly inclusive sport!
The premium competition in England is the Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix. Split into two tiers, it sees teams from each group play in five round-robin format events throughout the season. League standings decide who plays in the semi-finals before a climactic final to crown the champion.
There is also an annual Sitting Volleyball Cup, which provides an additional competition for teams competing in the Grand Prix but also enables any sides who wish to take part in a one-off event to have a go. Both the Grand Prix and Cup strike the perfect balance of friendly but competitive rivalry played in a supportive and encouraging environment.
On the international scene, Great Britain has a men’s and women’s Sitting Volleyball team. There is also a UK team that competes at the Invictus Games, a multi-sport event created by Prince Harry for wounded, injured or sick armed forces personnel.
Key resources and links
Need funding to develop a Sitting Volleyball element to your affiliated volleyball club? Email fundingsupport@volleyballengland.org. Also check out the Volleyball England Foundation’s grant finder tool
Setting up a club can be very rewarding, it can also be very challenging. We have lots of information to support you setting up a sitting volleyball club or adding this as an extra offering to your already established club.
More information on what to consider when starting a club can be found here.
We have a Sitting Volleyball Starter Pack to support you in how to get started for your activity.
A beginner's guide to delivering Sitting Volleyball will also help you continue your sitting volleyball activity.
- Taster session flyer - promote your taster sessions with this editable A5 flyer
- Club flyer - promote your Sitting Volleyball sessions with this editable A5 flyer
- Club flyer version 2 - promote your Sitting Volleyball sessions with this editable A5 flyer
- Taster session social media graphic - promote sessions on social media with this editable graphic. Once you've added in your information, save the document as a PDF. Open the PDF and save it as a JPEG. You will then be able to post it on social media
- Club social media graphic - promote sessions on social media with this editable graphic. Once you've added in your information, save the document as a PDF. Open the PDF and save it as a JPEG. You will then be able to post it on social media
- Sitting Volleyball refereeing
- World ParaVolley's Official Game Rules
- Coaching disabled Sitting Volleyball athletes
- VolleySLIDE, a World ParaVolley site that's packed with useful resources
- Volleyball England Technical guidelines for Sitting Volleyball facilities
