The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) is the international
governing body
A governing body is a group of people that has the authority to exercise governance over an organization or political entity. The most formal is a government, a body whose sole responsibility and authority is to make binding decisions in a taken ...
for the sports of
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 Summ ...
in
Northern America
Northern America is the northernmost subregion of North America, as well as the northernmost region in the Americas. The boundaries may be drawn significantly differently depending on the source of the definition. In one definition, it lies dir ...
,
Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
, and the
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. NORCECA is the continental confederation that represents its 35 member associations at the
International Volleyball Federation
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
(FIVB) level. It also has six associate members:
Bonaire
Bonaire is a Caribbean island in the Leeward Antilles, and is a Caribbean Netherlands, special municipality (officially Public body (Netherlands), "public body") of the Netherlands. Its capital is the port of Kralendijk, on the west (Windward an ...
,
Saba
Saba may refer to:
Places
* Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea
* Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras
* Șaba or Șaba-Târg, the Romanian name for Shabo, a village in Ukraine
* Saba, ...
,
Saint Martin,
Sint Eustatius
Sint Eustatius, known locally as Statia, is an island in the Caribbean. It is a Caribbean Netherlands, special municipality (officially "Public body (Netherlands), public body") of the Netherlands.
The island is in the northern Leeward Islands ...
,
Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten () is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean region of North America. With a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 on an area of , it encompasses ...
, and the
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and no ...
. The confederation is responsible for, among other things, the staging of Olympic and World Championship zone qualification tournaments, as well as continental championships for both men and women in indoor volleyball and
beach volleyball
Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two to four players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side o ...
. In 2022, NORCECA celebrated its fifty-fourth (54th) anniversary.
Origins and expansion
During the 1966 Caribbean and Central American Games held in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
,
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, the idea of the NORCECA concept was born. At that time it was known as the Caribbean and Central American Zone. The development of the NORCECA Confederation came from the visionary mind of today’s FIVB President, Dr. Rubén Acosta Hernández, in conjunction with several other sportsmen from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti. NORCECA was formally created by the FIVB and its President, Mr. Paul Liband in 1968, when Canada and the United States of America joined the confederation. Its first Senior Championship was held in Mexico from August 4–9, 1969 and the inaugural game featured
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
vs.
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
, with
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
winning 3-0. NORCECA’s first Junior Championship was staged in 1980.
NORCECA's presidents
*Dr. Rubén Acosta Hernández (1968–1984)
*Lcdo. Libertario Pérez, Esq. (1984–1988)
*Lcdo. Luis R. Mendoza, Esq. (1988–2001)
*Lic. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz (2001–present)
Affiliated federations
AFECAVOL (Asociación de Federaciones CentroAmericanas de Voleibol)
CAZOVA (Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association)
ECVA (Eastern Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association)
NCVA (North Central Americas Volleyball Association)
Note:
* Associate members of NORCECA.
FIVB World Rankings
Tournaments
Organised entirely by NORCECA
*
Men's NORCECA Volleyball Championship
The NORCECA Men's Volleyball Championship is the official competition for senior men's national volleyball teams of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, organized by the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation ( ...
(men)
*
Women's NORCECA Volleyball Championship
The NORCECA Women's Volleyball Championship is the official competition for senior women's national volleyball teams of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, organized by the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederati ...
(women)
*
Men's Junior NORCECA Volleyball Championship
The NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Championship U-21 is a volleyball competition for national teams, currently held biannually and organized by the NORCECA, the North America, Central America and Caribbean volleyball federation. The competition ...
(men)
*
Women's Junior NORCECA Volleyball Championship
The NORCECA Women's Junior Continental Championship U-21 is a volleyball competition for national teams, currently held biannually and organized by the NORCECA, the North America, Central America and Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is ...
(women)
*
Boys' Youth NORCECA Volleyball Championship
The NORCECA Boy's Youth Continental Championship U-19 is a volleyball competition for national teams, currently held biannually and organized by the NORCECA, the North America, Central America and Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a re ...
(men)
*
Girls' Youth NORCECA Volleyball Championship
The Girls U19 NORCECA Continental Championship is a sport competition for national volleyball teams, currently held biannually and organized by the NORCECA, the North America, Central America and Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a ...
(women)
*
NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit (men and women)
Current champions
Organised alongside the CSV
*
Pan-American Games
The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...
(men and woman)
*
Men's Pan-American Volleyball Cup
The Men's Pan-American Volleyball Cup is a men's volleyball tournament organized by NORCECA. Initially, only NORCECA teams participated, but CSV teams have been invited since 2010. The event served as a qualifier for FIVB Volleyball World League, W ...
(men)
*
Women's Pan-American Volleyball Cup (women)
*
Men's Junior Pan-American Volleyball Cup (men)
*
Women's Junior Pan-American Volleyball Cup (women)
*
Boys' Youth Pan-American Volleyball Cup (men)
*
Girls' Youth Pan-American Volleyball Cup The Girls' Youth Pan-American Volleyball Cup is a bi-annual Continental Cup organized by NORCECA for U19 teams from all over America ( North-, South- and Central America, and the Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle ...
(women)
*
Final Four Women’s Volleyball Cup (women)
Current champions
Sponsors
References
{{Volleyball
Sports organizations established in 1968
Central America and the Caribbean
Volleyball governing bodies
Fédération Internationale de Volleyball confederations