Ecua-volley is a
variant of volleyball invented and played in
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
. Its official name is Ecuavoley, however it can be informally be called ecuavolley, ecuavoly, ecuabol, or simply boly. Its popularity has also spread to
Colombia, the United States, and Europe.
History
The beginning of this variant volleyball game is unclear. It is believed that some type of game similar to this already existed prior to European contact. While it is adherent that
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. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
was invented in 1895, and the first world tournaments were held 1949, organized tournaments of Ecuavolley were held in 1958, suggesting it could not have spread throughout the world that quickly, which would mean that the national volley game was developed independently and had a
convergent evolution
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last com ...
. Ecuavoley tournaments in neighborhoods were held by different organization since 1944.
Rules of the game
The setup of the game is similar to volleyball, with a few key differences:
* Each team is made up of three players: the setter (Spanish: ''colocador''), the flyer (''volador''), and the server (''servidor'').
* The net is higher and tighter: 2.80 meters high and 60 centimeters wide.
* The court is made of cement and has the same dimensions: 18 meters long and 9 meters wide.
* The game is played with a ''mikasa ft-5'' soccer ball.
* Games consist of two sets of 15 points. If both teams agree, they can alternatively play two sets of 15 points with the option of a third tie-breaking set.
* The ball can be held each time it is received, as long as the holding lasts less than one second.
Gameplay
The flyer plays behind the setter and server, and runs quickly from one side to another recovering balls. Usually the flyer recovers the ball for the server. The server sets the ball in the air so that the setter can pass the ball over the net. The setter places the ball on the opposite court in a strategic manner, in an attempt to deceive the other team of where it will land. The referee is called the judge.
References
External links
Reglamento Campeonato Nacional de Ecuavóley
Reglamentos juegos CIEEPI
Ecuavoley App
Volleyball in Ecuador
Ecuadorian culture
Volleyball variations
{{Ecuador-sport-stub