Which popular sport was once known as “Mintonette”?

Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, who, at the time, was the director of the YMCA (a worldwide organization which provides athletic facilities) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Morgan was looking for a game to provide indoor exercise during colder months, like basketball (which had been invented by his friend, James Naismith). However, Morgan wanted something less strenuous; he wanted a game which would be better suited to older YMCA members.

Morgan studied the rules of basketball, baseball, handball, and badminton, taking bits from each to create a game he called ‘mintonette’, after badminton. The game he came up with initially used a lower, 6’6” (1.98 m) net. Much like today, teams of players on either side would hit a ball back and forth across the net, and points were scored when one team could not return the ball. Unlike today, teams could have any number of players. The game involved lots of running around, but there was no (deliberate) physical contact. Over time, Morgan tweaked the rules a bit. A smaller ball was used, the net was raised, and (smaller) teams were restricted to touching the ball just three times before sending it back across the net.

Even the name was changed; Alfred T. Halstead, one of Morgan’s old professors, suggested that the sport be named ‘Volleyball’, since the players volleyed the ball back and forth. Halstead pointed out that his term was more descriptive; Morgan agreed, and volleyball became an official sport in 1896.