The 2014 season of the Volleyball World League was the 25th edition of the competition. It started on May 23rd and ended on July 20th. For the first time, 28 instead of the previous 18 teams took part.
Since this year, the teams have played in three divisions, with promotion and relegation. Each division had two phases - Preliminary Round and Final Six (Division I) or Final Four (Division II and III).
The preliminary round ("intercontinental round") was held in two groups (Division II had three) with four teams each. In Division I and II, each team played two home and away games against each group opponent. The group winners and runners-up, as well as the host and the winner of the Final Four from Division II qualified for the final round of Division I. In the final round, the teams were divided into two groups of three and played "everyone against everyone". The two best teams in each final group reached the semi-finals. In Division II, the group winners and best runners-up played in the Final Four; in Division III, the group winners and runners-up were there after they carried out two independent tournaments in the preliminary round.
The number of wins was decisive for the placement after the group games. If the match was 3-0 or 3-1, there were three points for the winner and none for the loser. If the score was 3: 2, the winner received two points and the opponent one point. If two or more teams had the same number of wins, the order in the table was determined according to the following criteria: First, the number of points decided, in case of equality the quotient of the sets and finally the quotient of the ball points.
The preliminary round match between Iran and Italy was overshadowed by the arrest of Ghoncheh Ghavami. The 25-year-old student and other women in front of the Azadi Stadium requested to be allowed to watch the game. In Iran, women are not allowed to look at men in sportswear. She was detained in Evin Prison , notorious for its torture practices, for “propaganda against the regime” . The court released her on November 23, 2014 due to international protests on bail of 25,600 euros. However, she was not allowed to leave Iran for two years.
Final round
The final round was held in Florence ( Italy ) from July 16-20.
Iran
United States
Brazil
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Czech Republic
South Korea
Belgium
France
Australia
Cuba
People's Republic of China
Turkey
Slovakia
