A volleyball is a ball used to play indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, or other less common variations of the sport. All volleyballs are round and consist of eighteen nearly rectangular panels of leather (synthetic or genuine) wrapped around a bladder; the panels are arranged in six identical sections of three panels each. A valve permits the internal air pressure to be adjusted.

Indoor volleyballs are designed for the indoor version of the sport, and beach volleyballs for the beach game.

Indoor volleyballs may be solid white or a combination of three different easily distinguishable colors. They are made in two versions: the youth version is slightly smaller than the standard version to accommodate children's use.

Beach volleyballs have the same weight as standard indoor balls, but they are slightly larger, have a rougher external texture, and a lower internal pressure. They are brightly colored.

Brands

Major brands

There are several brands of competitive volleyballs in use, including, but not limited to:

• Tachikara
• Molten
• Wilson
• Mikasa
• Baden
• Spalding

Most of these brands also make cheaper variations for recreational (non-competitive) use.

Adopted use

• Mikasa makes the official balls of FIVB (beach and indoor).
• Molten makes the official ball of USA Volleyball (indoor).
• Wilson makes the official ball of the AVP (beach).

References