Schools
Light Volley has been proposed in several schools in Trentino, as a simple activity to introduce, suited to classes with mixed skill levels.
Discover Light Volley at schoolLight Volley
A volleyball that's easy to start, fun to play, open to everyone.
A smaller court, a lower net, a lighter ball and five players per team: it only takes a few minutes to be out there playing.
What is Light Volley
Light Volley is a reinterpretation of volleyball: lighter, simpler, designed to get anyone on court from the very first rally, even without any technique. It comes from volleyball and reinterprets some of its elements: it doesn’t aim to replace it, or to be confused with it.
The court, the ball, the net: what changes
Four details, a completely different game to experience. Here's what makes Light Volley so immediate to play, and so hard to stop.
The ball
It is far bigger than a volleyball (25 cm in diameter) and much lighter (125 g): the result is a ball that's easier to intercept but harder to control precisely, letting anyone play even without having learned the basic techniques of volleyball, with plenty of touches and plenty of fun.
The net
The maximum height is 2.1 m (for men), the minimum is 1.9 m (for women); mixed play uses a height of 2 m. A height designed to let anyone, of any height, attack.
The court
It's smaller than a volleyball court (each team has a 6x6 court) hosting 5 people. Dimensions that look small but that, at the same time, build togetherness, cooperation, respect for space, and make it harder to score. Two metres from the net there's an attack line dividing the court into two zones: the attack zone and the defence zone. Contrary to what you might expect, the zone from which attacking is allowed is the one farthest from the net: the result is that the attack is less powerful, reducing the risk of injury from stepping on an opponent's feet.
Number of athletes
Five people play on court, but if more are present, an outside player can rotate in every time a point is won. The mixed-team format is expected and strongly recommended (at least two women must be present). Again to keep the game flowing and let everyone play, the team rotates clockwise on every point won (no one serves twice in a row). Two sets are played to 21, plus a possible deciding set to 15.
Why Light Volley
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Easy to learn
The essential rules can be explained in a few minutes, and you can start playing right away.
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Keeps everyone involved
A bigger, lighter ball means more touches, more chances to be part of the action.
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Works even if you don't play volleyball regularly
No prior technique is needed to start playing and having fun.
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Suits mixed groups
Different ages and skill levels can play together, on the same team.
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Easy to organise
Few rules, minimal equipment, adaptable to whatever space you have.
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Useful in different settings
Schools and sports clubs can each adapt the format to their needs.
How to play
As in traditional volleyball, the goal is to land the ball in the opponents' court, with a maximum of three touches per team.
- A lighter, bigger ball, easier to intercept but harder to control precisely.
- Five players per team, on a court about half the size of a volleyball court.
- Mandatory clockwise rotation on every point won: no one serves twice in a row.
- Attacking is only allowed from the back row, the one farthest from the net.
Light Volley and volleyball
Light Volley comes from volleyball and reinterprets some of its elements. Here's a purely informative comparison, not a competition between the two.
Who it can be proposed to
Clubs and sports associations
A different way to play volleyball, useful for engaging new participants and offering an alternative to traditional training sessions.
The promoters
Three people brought Light Volley to Italy, each with a different contribution: discovering the game, bringing materials from China, and spreading it across the territory.
Lihua Ma
Light Volley Promoter
Materials and ideas brought from China
Maurizio Napolitano
Light Volley Promoter
Discovered Light Volley and started the project
Matteo Zingaro
Light Volley Promoter
Spread Light Volley across the region
Want to know more about Light Volley?
For up-to-date information on how to propose an activity, write to or call Matteo Zingaro.
Contact Matteo Zingaro