Rules and Regulations

Rotation - everybody gets to play in every position

Every time your team wins the serve from the other team all your players rotate their position on court - clockwise. If you loose the serve your team doesn't rotate. If you keep the serve your team doesn't rotate.

Substitution

Up to 6 substitutions per set Substitutions take place before the serve Once player A has replaced player B then player B can only be substituted by player A Up to 2 time-outs per set of 30 seconds each Time-outs take place before the serve The winner is the 1st team to reach 25 points (by 2 clear points) If you serve and get the point you keep the serve, if you don't get the point, the other team gets the serve AND also a point. (ie the score changes EVERY time there is a serve) Note: if the opposition only need one point to win and you mess up a serve, they win without even touching the ball

Time-Outs

Winning

Very Basic Volleyball Rules Violations

The back row player performs the attack front row. (It is ILLEGAL for the back row player to step on the attack line when hitting.) The back row player blocks the ball (the player having any part of the body above the net and touching the ball)

This referee just called a touch on the block or defender.

The player double contacts the ball when setting the ball (you CAN NOT double hit the ball when setting it) Player touches the net while the ball is in the play (EXCEPTION: if the ball is hit the net and it pushes the net to the opposing player)

Stepping on the back line when serving the ball.

Reaching over the net to block the ball is ALLOWED, if the other side as used all the three touches. It is a FALSE, if opposing team has not used all the touches (and there is somebody trying to make a play there.)

How to Play Volleyball Rules We go through some very simple rules of volleyball. If you are looking for more detailed information, go to the basic volleyball rules pages. Volleyball Match What is Yellow Card in Volleyball? An indoor volleyball match is usually played with the best out of five games system, which means who wins three games first is the winner of the game. On junior level games can be also the best out of three, which means you have to win two games to win the match. Volleyball Game An indoor volleyball match is usually played with the best out of five games system, which means who wins three games first is the winner of the game. On junior level games can be also the best out of three, which means you have to win two games to win the match. Volleyball Game Volleyball Game is played until 25 points, usually some leagues may use 30 point games to determine the winner. The deciding game, the fifth game (or the third game in the shorter match) is played until 15 points. Two Point Difference in the End of the Games Two point difference is required for the winning team to end the game which means the game can continue longer than 15, 25 or 30 points. The team which gains two point lead after 15, 25 or 30 points wins the game. In other words the game can end 26-24 or 27-25 or 16-14 or 17-15 it is not possible to end 25-24 or 15-14. How to Play Volleyball - How to Get a Point in Volleyball?

Scoring a Point / Sideout Team who wins the rally will score a point. Each rally begins with a serve - and ends when either team wins the rally.

Team can score a point after the own serve - or the opponent's serve. Before the recent rule changes a team would score a point ONLY after own serve. Before the rule changes it was called a sideout when team won the rally after opponents serve. You still hear the term sideout in the volleyball courts. Volleyball Team Volleyball team has 6 players on the court.

How to Play Volleyball - Rotation Players rotate on the court after each sideout (when team wins ball after the opponents serve) therefore new player goes to serve after each sideout.

Front Row and Back Row Players Three of the players are front row players. Other three players are back row players. Back row players can not spike/attack or block the ball inside 10-foot or 3 meter line. Libero Libero is a player who carries a different color jersey. Libero is a defensive specialist who enters the game without regular substitution. Libero goes into the back court to replace any player on the back court (usually libero replaces middle blocker/center). Libero is not allowed to serve in international volleyball. Substitutions When libero enters or exits the court, it is not calculated as substitution. Maximum of 6 substitutions per game is allowed in international volleyball. Notice that some volleyball leagues in USA allow unlimited substitutions. How to Play Volleyball Game Flow Rally and Scoring a Point How to score a point in Volleyball? Team scores a point after winning a rally. The rally starts with a volleyball serve. The player stands behind the backline and hits the ball over the net between the antennas. Volleyball Hits How Many is Allowed? Volleyball Team has a maximum of 3 hits to play the ball into the other side of the net.

A block doesnt count a touch in indoor volleyball therefore 3 hits are allowed after a block. How to Win a Rally? A player hits the ball into the opponents court (part of the ball has to touch painted lines or inside the painted lines). A player hits the ball off the opposing player. Opponent is not able to return the ball back into your side.

Opponent hits the ball out of bounds. If the ball hits antenna it is called out of bounds. If the ball hits the ceiling it is called out of bounds in international volleyball. Some leagues allow play continue after ball hits the ceiling. If a player commits a fault or violation when playing the ball. To read more details about the faults and violations, go to basic volleyball rules pages.

Official Volleyball Rules - in Easy to Understand Format

Volleyball player crossing the center line Player is NOT allowed to contact the opponent's court with any part of the BODY. Player is allowed to contact the opponent's court with the foot, if the part of the foot is on the own court side (either on the ground or above the court). In other words stepping to the other side is a mistake, only if the whole foot is on the opponent's court side.

Switching volleyball positions Players are allowed to switch the positions after the serve - they have to return to their own spot on the rotation after before the next serve. To read more about the positions, go to volleyball positions. You find them in the basic volleyball rules page.

Subs According to international volleyball rules: Maximum of 6 subs per game is allowed.

Player who has entered the game can be replaced only with a player who s/he replaced (If player #12 replaces player #6, #12 can come back one more time for player #6). No more subs are allowed

concerning player #6 or player #12 during the game. In case the player is injured, he should be substituted legally. If subs are used team is entitled to a exceptional substitution.

Timeouts Maximum of 2 time outs per game for a team is allowed. Time out lasts 30 seconds. In official international competitions two 60 seconds technical time-out are used when the leading team reaches the 8 or 16 point mark.

Official Volleyball Rules about Serving

Serve is performed by the player in position 1, the right back player.

Serve can be performed by hand or any part of the arm. (Kick is not allowed in serving). A ball has to be released from the hand before hitting it (common mistake, especially with underhand servers is to hit to ball without releasing the ball. However, remember that even quarter of an inch release is enough. It is correct as long as the ball is leaves the hand before hitting it.) At the moment of the serve (or when jumping on the jump serve), the player has to be in the serving area. In other words the player can not touch the back line or the ground outside the serving area. (For example jump server is not allowed to jump outside "the width of the backline".) After the serve, the player is allowed to land or step on the court. (For example jump servers are allowed to land inside the court after serve). Server has to hit the ball within 8 seconds after the whistle. Only one toss is allowed. (In the past two tosses were allowed and the limit for each was 5 seconds)

More Official Volleyball Rules

Screening Players of the serving team cannot form an individual or collective screen to prevent to receiving team from seeing the server of the path of the ball. Coach's position Now coaches are allowed the stand up and guide the game. (Earlier they had to sit on the bench).

Refereeing Referee's hand signals: first referees show the side who won the rally, following by the reason of the judgment. (In the past it was other way around.)

Yellow card: This depends again on the league rules. According to international rules, yellow card results a loss of rally, or a sideout and loss of rally. Two yellow cards results the player has to leave the playing area and stay in the penalty area for remainder of the set. Important:notice that the first "delay warning" does not result as a loss of rally. "Delay warning" is different from the regular yellow card. "Delay warning" is signaled by using yellow card -placing it towards palm of the up lifted hand. In some leagues in United States first yellow card doesn't result a loss of rally. Delays Inappropriate requests and actions which delay the game are notallowed.

For example illegal subs, prolonged subs or improper request are delaying the game. They result a delay "warning" or "penalty". Those sanctions remain in effect to the end of the match. Referee signals the delay "warning" or "penalty" by holding the yellow or red card on the hand - and placing it toward the palm of the other hand. Notice that the signals differ from the "regular" yellow or red card. First delay offense per team results as a "warning". The second one, "penalty" results a loss of rally.

Very Basic Volleyball Rules

Contacts: Each team is allowed to have maximum of three touches before hitting the ball over the net. (EXCEPTION: block does not count as a touch)

Same player can not hit the ball twice in a row (EXCEPTION I: block doesnt count a touch.)

Back Row Attack: Back row players can not attack the ball front row. If they attack, they have to perform the jump behind the attack line (10 feet line, 3 meter line).

o IMPORTANT! The ball has to be completely above the net for it to be an illegal attack

Antennas: It is ALLOWED to play the ball off the net. It is a fault, if the ball contacts net outside antennas.

The ball has to travel between the antennas (or the imagined extensions of them) when flying to the other side of the net.

In or Out? Referee calls the ball IN, if any part of it hits the lines. (Imagine the ball is painted. If the ball left a mark that touches the lines, the ball is judged IN) Referee calls the ball in if any part of it hits the lines.

o o o

Ball is ruled OUT, if the ball lands outside the boundary lines (without touching the opponent) The ball hits the antenna any of the net or cables outside the antennas

o a referee stand or poles or the ceiling (EXPECTION: in high school, club or college volleyball in United States it is allowed to play after ball hits the ceiling)

Contacting the Ball:

Players are NOT allowed to catch, hold or throw the ball.

Players are NOT allowed to hit or block the opponents serve.

Attacking ball which is coming over the net is ILLEGAL, if it has NOT broken the plane of the net.

In other words the player is ALLOWED to swing the ball when it breaks the plane of the net.

Recently changed basic volleyball rules Let Serve: Let serve is allowed. In other words the ball can touch the net on the serve.

Players CAN double hit the ball when digging it. Kicking is allowed.

Points: A point is followed after each serve. (Earlier you had a chance to get a point only after your own serve). Libero: One of the back row players can be substituted to a libero who is a back row specialist with unlimited subs. The libero can enter and exit the game between each serve without coach requesting a sub. Serve:

 Server is allowed to serve the ball any place behind the backline. (Earlier there was a serving area in the corner of the court) Contacting the Ball: Players are ALLOWED to double hit the ball on the first contact, for example when they 1) serve receive, or 2) dig the ball

(Since this rule change passing overhead has become commonly used method to pass the ball. Earlier it was often called a false hit, double hit)

Kicking: It is LEGAL to hit the ball with any part of the body, the foot and leg included. (Earlier it was a mistake to kick the ball.)

Very Basic Volleyball Rules Violations The back row player performs the attack front row. (It is ILLEGAL for the back row player to step on the attack line when hitting.) The back row player blocks the ball (the player having any part of the body above the net and touching the ball) This referee just called a touch on the block or defender.

The player double contacts the ball when setting the ball (you CAN NOT double hit the ball when setting it) Player touches the net while the ball is in the play

(EXCEPTION: if the ball is hit the net and it pushes the net to the opposing player)

Stepping on the back line when serving the ball.

Reaching over the net to block the ball is ALLOWED, if the other side as used all the three touches. It is a FALSE, if opposing team has not used all the touches (and there is somebody trying to make a play there.)

Basics of Volleyball Rules - Recently Changed Rules of Volleyball

Read about basic volleyball rules that have been changed recently. Simple and easy to understand rules for fans and players.

Volleyball Rules - Players in the team, Libero

The size of the team varies in different leagues, but most often team can have 12 players on the roster.

One of the players is called a libero, defensive specialist who is wearing different color shirt. (soon according to international rules roster can include 14 players in international matches, 2 of them being liberos).

The court is divided to front row and back row. 3 of the players are front row players and other 3 are back row players.

Players are rotating on the court clockwise (everytime team wins a rally after opponent's serve.)

Volleyball Rules - Scoring Changes

Scoring according to international volleyball rules:

Each game is played until 25 points, except the fifth game which is played until 15 points.

Difference of two points is required to the winning team, which means the game cannot end 25-24, or 15-14. The game is played as long as either team has a two point lead, which ends up the game.

Rally scoring is in use. Point follows after each rally to the winning team.

Rules of Volleyball - Ball Handling You must have read on very basic volleyball rules that same player can not hit the ball twice in a row. (EXCEPTION I: block doesnt count a touch.)

It is important to notice that double hit or even various contacts are ALLOWED on the first hit, for example on the defensive or serve reception play (for example when ball hits the player first to the arm and right after that to any part of the body).

Overhand serve receive or defensive play double hit is also ALLOWED.

Double hit on the set is ILLEGAL.

EXCEPTION: However, referee has a right to allow a "bad" set, if the player is setting from extreme position (for example setting while diving).

Volleyball Rules - Reaching over the Net

Rules of Volleyball that most often cause confusion are the reaching over the net situations.

 Attacker can hit the ball when is coming over the net, when it breaks the plane of the net (when a little piece of the ball is on attackers side) IMPORTANT! If the ball breaks the plane of the net and opponents setter is setting the ball, opponent is ALLOWED to play the ball. The reason is because the ball is on the plane, the ball is there for both teams to play. (It is never a false for a blocker to touch the ball, if the ball is on the plane of the net.) o In the last scenario if the setter is back row player and both players touch the ball at the same time, the back row setter performs an ILLEGAL back row block.

More Official Volleyball Rules

Yellow card: This depends again on the league rules. According to international rules, yellow card results a loss of rally, or a sideout and loss of rally. Two yellow cards results the player has to leave the playing area and stay in the penalty area for remainder of the set. Important:notice that the first "delay warning" does not result as a loss of rally. "Delay warning" is different from the regular yellow card. "Delay warning" is signaled by using yellow card -placing it towards palm of the up lifted hand. In some leagues in United States first yellow card doesn't result a loss of rally. Delays Inappropriate requests and actions which delay the game are notallowed.

For example illegal subs, prolonged subs or improper request are delaying the game. They result a delay "warning" or "penalty". Those sanctions remain in effect to the end of the match. Referee signals the delay "warning" or "penalty" by holding the yellow or red card on the hand - and placing it toward the palm of the other hand. Notice that the signals differ from the "regular" yellow or red card. First delay offense per team results as a "warning". The second one, "penalty" results a loss of rally.

Presented here are a simplified set volleyball rules to help beginners start enjoying the game without forcing them to go through the intricacies of the full rules. 6 players on court. 1st team to 25 points wins.
Positions

Of the 6 players 3 are to the front and 3 to the back, with the back player at the left being the server.
Serving

Serve from behind the back line. The serve must to be hit with the hand. After serving the server moves back onto court to help their team. The serve is allowed to clip the net on the way over, but must not touch the antenna nor pass over or outside the antenna. Once the ball has been served ANY player can move ANYWHERE on court and even chase the ball out of court if needed. If the serve is going out leave it to hit the floor - if you touch it before it lands then you must play the ball back. The serve is not allowed to touch the roof.

Serving Within the Antenna Hitting the ball

The ball may be hit with any part of the body (hand, head, chest, even the foot! . . .) with the exception of the serve which must to be hit with the hand. The hit has to be clean - no scoops, catch-and-rethrows, dunks etc. Your team have up to 3 touches to return the ball over the net although it can be returned by the 1st or 2nd touch. A player mustn't have 2 consecutive hits - but having the 1st and 3rd hit is OK.

The One in the Different Shirt

During the 2008 olympics I got several emails asking about the player wearing the different coloured shirt. Whilst this advanced technique not relevant to beginners I hope the following explanation would help spectators understand what is going on. The One in the Different Shirt is a new innovation in volleyball (from the year 2000) which allows a team to have one specialised defensive player called a libero. These players

need very quick reflexes and the ability to take most of the energy out of a fast moving ball and still be able to pass it, with high accuracy, to player that sets up the attack. Unlike the other players, the libero isn't permitted to:

serve attack the ball or block at the net.....

This means that these players need not have the height or the jump required of the attacking players, and so they aresometimes shorter or older than the rest of the team. The libero can be substituted much more easily and often than the other players so the distinctive shirt helps the referee's establish that the libero is in the correct rotation position and not trying to play a shot that he isn't permitted to. The use of a libero player is not compulsory, and only well established teams try it, which is why I'd not mentioned it in the simplified rules. From 2009 teams can have 2 lobero players
In the rally

Players mustn't touch the top of the net. The only part of a players body that is allowed to land on the opponents court is the foot, and then only if part of it is above the centre line. The ball mustn't touch the roof, walls or posts. The ball CAN touch the net on the way over providing it does not touch the antenna. The ball is allowed to go into the net and bounce out - the rally continues and this does not count as one of the 3 touches. If the ball touches the court floor on the opposite side your team wins the point. If the ball touches one of the opposition players and then the floor/wall your team wins a point. If one of your players hits the ball out of court, the others can chase the ball and hit it back into court or over the net. If the other team hits the ball more than 3 times your team wins a point.

Volleyball Court Zones Blocking

Blocking = jumping at the net with the arms up to stop the ball coming over the net. Remember, players mustn't touch the net. Blocking a serve isn't allowed. A back court player mustn't take part in a block - even if they don't touch the ball A block does not count as a regular hit - so your team still have 3 more hits, also if you block then you ARE also allowed to make the 1st hit. Attack = whilst in the attack zone, hitting the ball from above the height of the net towards the other side A back court player is not allowed to attack.

Attacking

A back court player IS allowed to hit the ball from BELOW the height of the net whilst in the attack zone A back court player IS allowed to hit the ball from above the height of the net whilst in the DEFENCE zone. If PART of the ball is over the net then it's OK to attack the ball (even if it's mostly on the other side). If ALL of the ball is on the other side of the net then the only shot that can be played is a block (ie not a hit)

Position of Ball for Legal Attack

The first referee is in charge from the beginning of the match until the end. The first referee has authority over all other members of the officiating crew. The first referee should talk to all the officiating crew members before the match starts, going over any questions officials might have about their responsibilities.

The first referee should have a talk with the second referee before the match starts discussing issues such as pre-match protocol and anything that will help the match run more smoothly. The second referee should establish a rapport with thescorekeeper and libero tracker. If the scorer and libero tracker have a problem or dont understand something, they should be comfortable enough to ask the second referee for help. ________________________________________ Scorekeeper - Volleyball officials The scorekeepers main job is to make sure the score is correct at all times. The scorekeeper uses a score sheet to keep track of the game. If there is a difference between the score on the score sheet and the visual score (flip score, electronic scoreboard, etc.) the visual score should be changed to match the score on the scoresheet unless the mistake on the scoresheet can be determined and corrected. One of the volleyball referees should check the accuracy of the scoresheet at the end of each set.

THE SCOREKEEPER Pre-match, Before the match starts, the scorekeeper should fill in the pre-match info team names, starting line ups, etc.

During the match, Records points when they are scored

Watches the servers and indicates immediately to the referees when a server has served out of order. It's also good preventive officiating to watch teamsvolleyball rotation in case assistance is needed for the second referee to determine the correct team alignment.

Records player substitutions and team timeouts

Records any sanctions

Records all other events as instructed by the referees

Records the final result of the set

In the case of a protest, after the first referee gives authorization, the scorekeeper lets the game captain write a statement for protest on the scoresheet.

After the match, Records the final result of the match

Signs the scoresheet

________________________________________ Assistant Scorer - Volleyball officials The assistant scorer (or libero tracker) sits at the scorers table next to the scorekeeper. The assistant scorers main function is to record libero replacements on to a libero tracking sheet.

THE ASSISTANT SCORER Notifies any fault with libero replacements

Operates the manual scoreboard on the scorers table

Checks the score on the scoreboard with the score on the scoresheet

________________________________________ Line Judges - Volleyball officials If only two line judges are used, theystand at the corner of the endlinethat is closest to the right hand of each referee, diagonally from the corner. The line judges watch the endline and sideline of their respective corners. For FIVB and Official Competitions, four line judges are used. Each line judgestands in the free zone 1 to 3 meters, lined up with the imaginary extension of their respective line. Line judges main responsibility is to make signals to help out the referees in making judgment calls. Line judges may be instructed to use flags to make the signals.

THE LINE JUDGES SIGNAL Ball in and out whenever the ball lands near the lines

Touches of out balls by players receiving the ball

Ball touching the antennae

A served ball crossing the net outside the crossing space (the space between the antennaes)

Any player standing off the court at the moment of service

Server foot faults