Volleyball’s Original Name Was Mintonette

Volleyball was originally called Mintonette. William G. Morgan developed the game in 1895 while serving as director of physical education at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The FIVB’s history of volleyball identifies both Morgan as its inventor and Mintonette as its original name.

Why Morgan created Mintonette

Morgan wanted a competitive recreational game for the YMCA’s older members—a less intense alternative to basketball. He took inspiration from other sports, including the idea of a net from tennis, and developed a game in which players kept a ball moving over that net. It was intended for a gymnasium but could also be played outdoors, according to the FIVB’s account.

When did Mintonette become volleyball?

In 1896, Alfred T. Halstead suggested replacing Mintonette with “Volley Ball”, written as two words. The proposed name described the central action: players volleying the ball back and forth over the net. Morgan accepted it. Both the FIVB and Springfield College’s archival description of Halstead credit him with the suggestion.

The one-word spelling came later. In 1952, the United States Volleyball Association’s Administrative Committee voted to spell the sport’s name “Volleyball.” That was a spelling change, not the original switch from Mintonette to Volley Ball. Source: FIVB history.

Was Mintonette played like today’s volleyball?

Not exactly. The early game used nine innings, rather than today’s set-based format. It also allowed an unlimited number of players and ball contacts, with a net about 6 feet 6 inches high. Those details appear in the International Volleyball Hall of Fame’s account of the original game.

So an early Mintonette result should not be interpreted as a modern volleyball set score: its basic playing and scoring structure was different. For the present-day distinction between rallies, points and sets, see how volleyball scoring works.