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The majority of volleyball matches need to be scheduled and controlled so the players don’t get overworked. If you’re a new player you might wonder how long a volleyball season is and how many matches are played during the year.
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How Long Is a Volleyball Season?
From the start of the pre-season until the end of the play-offs, the professional volleyball season lasts up to nine months. However, while players need to train during all these months, official competitions are often played during summer.
Though, there are many other levels of play where the seasons are different. Learning about them can help you understand the different rules of the competitions, and how they are commonly played.
What Are the Most Common Levels of Play in Volleyball
Like any other sport, different levels classify the type of athletes that play in them. This is done to make the competition fair and to separate the elite players from the beginners.
Here are the most common levels of play in volleyball:
- Middle School and High School Volleyball
- College Volleyball
- Club Volleyball
- Professional and International Volleyball
Middle School and High School Volleyball
This is often the first place where many athletes started playing this game. Most students begin to develop a liking for volleyball after watching a couple of games in school. Therefore, it is an essential place where a lot of elite players can be formed.
If you were accepted into your middle school or high school volleyball team, you might begin to play some matches against other schools. These seasons don’t last very long and they depend a lot on the country and the school you are attending.
However, on average, these seasons tend to last no longer than three months, and they often start in March.
College Volleyball
Playing college volleyball is the next big step for athletes that want to become the best professional players. Here, talented athletes start making money and playing competitively in high-paced games.
This is why some might consider it an essential experience for any volleyball player.
The seasons in college volleyball typically last four to five months. The women’s category starts in August or September and they end with a tournament in December. Their season consists of twenty to thirty games
The men’s category starts in January and lasts until May. The male players play the same amount of games, and they also end the season with a tournament.
Club Volleyball
These volleyball institutions offer a lot of opportunities to compete, which can teach the athlete many important things, such as teamwork and consistency. Also, most clubs will allow you to compete from a very young age, starting from eleven years old, up to eighteen.
Volleyball clubs tend to be very demanding since they take a lot of time from the athlete. Additionally, they can be very expensive since they need to travel and pay a lot of expenses. With that being said, most club volleyball seasons last between six to nine months.
During that time, the volleyball players might compete in at least six tournaments. In each one of them, you can play up to three matches a day. For the rest of the days, you might need to attend practice with your team up to three times a week.
Professional and International Volleyball
When the athletes reach professional volleyball, they need to practice drills and compete all year long. After all, it has probably become their job and they can dedicate all of their time to it. When you are in this category, most tournaments start in summer.
Since there is a lot of competition, the tournaments can start in one year, and conclude in the other. Regarding international volleyball, there are yearly events organized by the FIVB such as the Volleyball Nations League.
They also organize events every four years such as the Olympics and the Volleyball World Championships. These can be considered the most important volleyball competitions in the world. With that being said, elite players can play more than a hundred games a year.
Related Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about volleyball seasons:
How Long Is a Beach Volleyball Season?
Since beach volleyball is highly influenced by the weather, its season depends a lot on your locality. For example, if you live in a tropical country, then the seasons might last up to six months.
On the other hand, if you live in a country with a lot of weather changes (such as England), the seasons could only last as long as summer.
How Long Is a Snow Volleyball Season?
This type of volleyball is relatively new and it was showcased during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Just like beach volleyball, its seasons are highly dependent on weather. This means that it can only be played during winter climates.
For example, if you live in America, the seasons can only last as long as winter. On the other hand, if you live in Norway, the seasons might last longer.
Conclusion
Seasons in volleyball get harder and longer over time. After all, the athletes should also be able to develop their resistance and stamina over the years. If your objective is to play professionally, then you will need to work hard and practice volleyball drills as much as you can.
