Special Olympics volleyball is offered in every US program and in over 30 countries around the world. Athletes in volleyball benefit from the camaraderie of a team sport, and the athletic training enabling them to successfully serve and return a volleyball. As in all Special Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to the athletes’ ability level, age and gender. Volleyball, invented in the United States, has wide international appeal in Special Olympics. Take, for example, participation in the 1995 World Games: 

Over 500 athletes 
27 countries 
23 female teams 
20 male teams 
11 Unified Sports® teams 

Compare that to the four female teams and eleven male teams in the 1987 World Games!  Volleyball is one of the sports that encourages the development of Special Olympics Officials Program for Athletes®. This program involves interested Special Olympic athletes who want to become certified volleyball officials. These athletes take the same course and meet the same requirements set forth by the United States Volleyball Association for all volleyball officials and are then certified to officiate volleyball competitions. 

Volleyball stars Karch Kiraly and Bryan Ivie have been involved with Special Olympics, as have many universities. The Big 10 Conference in the United States officially entered a joint partnership with local Special Olympics Programs. Every school in the Big 10 conducted a volleyball clinic, welcomed Special Olympics athletes to their matches, and/or posed for pictures and signed autographs with local Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics Volleyball is also supported by United States Volleyball. In 1996, Special Olympics International conducted the first Special Olympics Unified Sports® Volleyball Invitational as part of the USA National Open Volleyball Championships in Dallas, Texas. 

The Official Special Olympics Sports Rules govern all Special Olympics Volleyball. As an international sports program, Special Olympics has created these rules based upon Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) and the National Governing Body (NGB) rules for volleyball. FIVB or NGB rules are employed except when they are in conflict with the Official Special Olympics Sports rules. In such cases, the Official Sports Rules apply. Special Olympics is the first organization, other than a National Olympic Committee, to be officially recognized and endorsed by the International Olympic Committee. 

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