When comparing volleyball vs. basketball players, basketball players are more physically fit than volleyball players. However, avoid misjudging volleyball players in this regard because they require a certain level of strength and endurance, but they have rest spells during the game.
Basketball players have fewer breaks and cover nearly twice the distance than a volleyball court. Moreover, basketball is a contact sport, while a net separates the two teams in volleyball.
Read on to learn about the similarities and differences between the skills required by athletes to play the two popular sports.
What Does it Take to Play Basketball?
What Does it Take to Play Basketball?Anyone can play indoor and outdoor basketball, which is a fun and competitive game. Over the years, basketball players evolved, exhibiting athleticism, accuracy, and teamwork loved by legions of fans. No wonder it’s a popular sport played and watched by millions of people across the globe.
Nothing stops anyone from playing basketball, whether it’s a pick-up game or the fruition of a dream of playing ball and earning big bucks. The journey of a professional basketball player is long and tedious, either in the NBA or overseas tournaments.
There are many aspirants in the rookie draft, but only 60 players are picked by the 30 NBA teams each year. International players were invited to try out, significantly impacting the selection process. You must be at the top of your game to be counted as one of the vital few to wear an NBA jersey.
Certain conditions influence your hoops career, some are controllable, and others are not.
Height
The average height in the NBA is 6’6″ (198.6 cm) tall, and guards are the shortest players on a team, standing between 6′ (182.9 cm) and 6’3″ (190.5 cm).
Basketball rims are 10 feet high; shorter players need much effort to reach the hoop. Short players have a speed that tall players can match. Tall players can leap quickly to score more points, get rebounds, and block better.
Practice
What is seen as natural is developed through constant practice. It’s not enough to be good at offense; NBA players should have great defense, be team player, and have high basketball smarts.
Practice will make you good at dribbling, shooting, jumping, and passing. Playing games will increase your ability to read plays, hone your skills, and give you experience. Combining these activities will turn you into a well-rounded player.
Endurance
Basketball is a fast-paced game played for 48 minutes or more. It involves a lot of sprinting, leaping, physical contact, and body movements; athletes should be in top condition to play well.
Athleticism
Pro basketeers have bodies in superb physical shape. Athleticism boosts agility by adjusting speed quickly, shifting positions easily, and having the stamina to last the game. Possessing good leaping skills help players score, rebound, and block shots.
What Does it Take to Play Volleyball?
What Does it Take to Play Volleyball?Two opposing teams are composed of 6 players each in a volleyball game. The game’s object is to score points on the legal area of the opponent after a maximum of three touches.
The possibility of becoming a professional volleyball player is slight but possible. An athlete must possess vital qualities to succeed in a long and challenging journey.
Motivation
Success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years of blood, sweat, tears, and patience before an athlete can reach the competition level. Do your best to overcome difficulties and learn from your mistakes.
Sometimes opportunities take time before it swings in your direction.
Discipline
Manage your time with training and other activities, getting enough rest for recovery. Eat foods rich in nutrients. When you reduce time in useless pursuits, productivity creeps in, and achieving small tasks becomes meaningful. Your desire to attain success is more significant.
Training
Volleyball training is essential to acquire the basic skills of serving, spiking, setting, blocking, digging, and passing.
Jumping exercises boost the hip and leg muscles; the vertical clearance increases over time if done repeatedly. Blockers and attackers must have a high vertical to score points and help the team win.
Volleyball players must move fast in any direction to recover tossed balls. Agility training gives the players speed to recover balls flipped by the other side. The exercises strengthen the leg muscles and improve lateral movements.
A 2-of-3 set takes about 90 minutes to complete, and a 3-of-5 set runs about 2 ½ hours, depending on how the game is played. Endurance exercises increase an athlete’s cardio capacity and stamina to play the game throughout.
Including strength and conditioning in the training program improves a player’s striking and blocking skills. Strength training improves a player’s upper body strength and jumping ability to strike the ball with power. The same benefits are extended to hitters who must jump high to block a spike and return the ball successfully.
How Tall are Basketball Players vs. Volleyball Players?
How Tall are Basketball Players vs. Volleyball Players?| Sport | Position | Height |
| Basketball | Point Guard | 6’1.5” (1.87 m) |
| Shooting Guard | 6’4” (1.93 m) | |
| Small Forward | 6’7” (2.01 m) | |
| Power Forward | 6’9” (2.06 m) | |
| Center | 6’10.5” (2.10 m) | |
| Average Height | 6’6” (1.98 m) | |
| Volleyball | Libero | 5’11” (1.80 m) |
| Setter | 6’3” (1.91 m) | |
| Outside Hitter | 6’4.5” (1.94 m) | |
| Right Side Hitter | 6’6” (1.98 m) | |
| Middle Blocker | 6’8.5” (2.04 m) | |
| Average Height | 6’4.3” (1.94 m) |
The average height of NBA players is 6’6″ (1.98 m) in season 2022-23; point guards are the shortest, and centers are the tallest. The average height is only part of the story, and it can’t be used as a reference to determine the position of a player during game time.
Kevin Durant (6’10) of the Brooklyn Nets and Giannis Antetokounmpo (7′) from the Milwaukee Bucks have heights suitable for a center position, but both play all positions. Luka Doncic plays point guard for the Dallas Maverick, but his height is 6’7″.
Men’s volleyball net height is 7’9″ (2.36 m), and tall players have the advantage when attacking or blocking to get the ball to the other side.
Wuttichai Suksara from Thailand is the tallest men’s volleyball player at 7’3.5″ (2.24 m) and plays middle blocker. Iranian Farhad Zarif is the shortest at 5’4.1″ (1.65 m); he’s a libero. However, height is not the be-all in Volleyball; short players are quicker with great speed to retrieve tossed balls perfectly.
NBA players’ average height of 6’6″ (1.98 m) is more than the average height of 6’4.3″ (1.94 m) of volleyball players. Tacko Fall is a Senegalese baller playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China and is 7’6″ (2.29 m) and is taller than Wuttichai Suksara.
Who Jumps Higher? Volleyball or Basketball Players?
Who Jumps Higher? Volleyball or Basketball Players?Basketball players jump higher than volleyball players.
The average vertical of NBA players from a standing position is 28 inches, but many players exceed the average. Michael Jordan and Darrel Griffith can clear 48 inches.
Volleyball players’ average vertical leap depends on their position; hitters and blockers humps between 19-20 inches, setters at 18-19 inches, and defensive specialists and liberos has a vertical of 18 inches.
Volleyball and Basketball Players Skills Similarities and Differences
Volleyball and Basketball Players Skills Similarities and DifferencesVolleyball and basketball are played and watched by millions of people around the globe. But they are two different sports played by athletes with skills that are similar and different in many ways.
We picked out two common skills in volleyball and basketball athletes and compared them.
Shooting (Basketball)/Spiking (Volleyball)
Similarity
Both sports are scoring games; the team earning the most points wins.
Difference
Any player on the basketball court can score. Points can be three, two, or an And-1, depending on how the shooter makes the shot.
It’s usually the front players that execute the volleyball attack. The ball is hit hard at the highest point and spiked across the net, hitting the legal zone for a point.
Defending (Basketball)/Blocking (Volleyball)
Similarity
The goal is to limit the opponent’s point production and to create opportunities for your team to score.
Difference
A good basketball defender can steal the ball, force the offensive player to commit a violation, or block the shooter.
Blocking in volleyball deflects the ball from an opponent’s attack hit and sends it back. Front-row players are involved that can take up to three players to block.
Wrapping Things Up: Volleyball vs. Basketball Players: A Comparison of Skillsets
Basketball is played with two hoops, one for each team, and points are made by sinking the ball into the opponent’s hoop. Volleyball has a net separating the two teams, and points are made by hitting the ball on the legal zone of the other side. Although the two sports have similarities and differences, skills in volleyball and basketball players make the game fun and exciting to watch.
We hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, be sure to check out our other basketball FAQ articles here.
