Have you ever watched a volleyball game and wondered why they hug each other so much. Literally after each point, even if they lose that point?
If so then in this short article, I breakdown couple of interesting reasons why they do so …
3 Reasons why volleyball players hug each other frequently?
The first reason is to simply keep the momentum. Volleyball is an explosive sport, a sport which requires constant movement and constant focus. After a point is scored, the team does not just stand around, it needs to keep going, it needs to keep moving around in order to keep up with the pace.
After a point is scored, the team goes into a hug and after that every teammate immediately takes his position and the game resumes. You can see in this example that the key here is to keep the movement constant, even if that includes hugging.
The second reason is some sort of intimidation. The intimidation tactic depends on the hug itself. If the team is winning then the hug will be explosive, full of energy, if the team is losing the hug will be a little bit blunt, but nonetheless, it is the spirit that matters.
The intimidation that I am talking about here is simple. If the opposing team sees the energy, the explosiveness of the hug, it can be shaken up, it can whether down in morale. The key is to show the opposite team that the team’s morale is high and that it is not shaken, even if the team is losing.
The third reason is to reinforce the interaction of the team. The team can have a small window for interaction during the hug, to point out some things, and to agree on the next plan of action. This is also crucial, because the hug allows the team to plan ahead, to establish the next step and to maintain the momentum of the game.
Quick Tip: To learn more about volleyball and what generally makes a team successful and another team not as successful, I highly invite you to check this comprehensive resource. You will surely learn a lot of useful information about the sport.
Should volleyball players hug each other after every point?
Yes, volleyball players should hug each other after every point, whether it is a losing game or a winning game. It may even seem like an unwritten rule that hugs are mandatory for volleyball teams, but it is quite the opposite.
Hugging helps the team regroup and gain morale especially when losing.
Is this practice more common in male or female volleyball?
The practice of hugging in volleyball is more common between women more than it is for men.
Men tend to celebrate points in a more „manly manner”. High fives, cheering and talking is the thing that can be seen in men’s volleyball.
That does not mean however that they do not hug at all. They do hug, but from time to time it may seem that they tend to avoid hugging, and prefer to high five the point.
Women on the other hand hug almost every time after a point. Of course there are individual high fives and hugs, but it is more common for women to hug and not to celebrate the points like men do (clumsy in a manner of speaking).
Keep in mind that most people consider volleyball as a girl or women sport …
Is this practice common in indoor or beach volleyball?
The practice of hugging is common in indoor volleyball, in fact in beach volleyball there is no point in hugging after a point is scored. There are only two players in beach volleyball, while in indoor volleyball there are six of them.
A team of six players is more vulnerable when it comes to demoralization and a lack of will to play when the team is losing.
A team of six needs constant boost’s, constant movement and action. The hugging plays a huge role when it comes to keeping the morale up and running. When two out of six players are wavering there is a chance that their morale may go up after a hug, when they feel the energy of the players.
What other sports is this also common?
There are many team sports where players hug each other after a point is scored, it is not native to volleyball, but volleyball takes the lead when it comes to hugging. Nonetheless here are 3 examples of team sports I would like to share below …
The first on our list is soccer: Soccer players usually celebrate a goal theatrically, and we all know how. A player scores a goal (in this case a very important one), and the second he does nearly all of his teammates run towards him, hugging him, jumping on him etc.
There is also the instance where the player who scored the goal starts running back to his side of the field, and the other players that he passes by, start hugging him and cheering, nothing unusual in hugging in soccer/football.
Hockey is one more example that can be associated with hugging: Players that play hockey also tend to hug after they score a point. There are no group hugs however, they tend to hug individually and celebrate the points with some chest bumps or high fives.
Besides hugging there is also the tradition in hockey that the player which scored the goal, skates to his bench and starts fist bumping/high fiving all of his teammates that are on the bench.
The third example is rugby: Rugby players, just like hockey players tend to hug each other after a point is scored. Those hugs may not include the whole team like in indoor volleyball, but they are surely present.
Besides hugging, there are the instances of chest bumps, fist bumps and high fives. Either way, hugging is present also in rugby. Other sports that include hugging, but not celebratory are judo, tennis, handball, karate etc.
Final Thoughts …
For people who are introverts or have serious problems interacting with others, volleyball is definitely a great way to handle that …
They will find themselves in a team where they have to cooperate, communicate, encourage and hug.
This will kick him out of his comfort zone and will help socialize him and build his personality!
Finally, I invite you to check this article on what kind of leggings you should wear for volleyball …