Volleyball Rules: Essential Knowledge You Should Know
Volleyball is a fast-moving sport that requires effective communication among team members for success. Whether you're a fan, a beginning player, or someone looking to brush up on your volleyball knowledge, it’s important to know the basic rules, positions, playing area, and equipment to help you understand the nuances of the game. Below is a description of some key volleyball terms and rules.
Court Dimension & Equipment Essentials
Surrounding a volleyball court is the free zone. It’s an area outside the boundaries of a volleyball court that’s usually 10 feet wide where players can travel to return a ball. It’s legal to hit a ball outside the free zone as long as it hasn’t hit the floor. Below are the dimensions of an indoor volleyball court.
Court: A standard court is typically 59’ long and 29’5” wide.
Net: For men, the net size is usually 7’11 5/8” and for women it’s 7’4 1/8.”
Attack Line: The attack line, an ideal place for players to initiate winning shots, is usually 10 feet from the center line.
Ball: A regulation volleyball weighs between 9 and 10 ounces, and it should be around 26 inches in circumference.
Service Line: The service line is the last line at the end of the court.
Basic Rules for Beginners
In a volleyball game, a coin is flipped to determine the team that serves first. Having a good server is an advantage, so winning the coin toss can help a team get off to a good start. The first 2 games in a set are played to 25, and the final game is played to 15 in a 3-set match. In a 5-set match, the first 4 games are played to 25 and the final game is played to 15. Teams need to win each game by at least 2 points. A set is either the best of a 3- or 5-game series. Below are some other important volleyball guidelines.
Team Sizes: There are 6 players on each team in volleyball.
Rally: A rally is the back-and-forth between teams that occurs when the ball is successfully returned without hitting the ground or a fault occurring. A team wins a rally when it forces an unsuccessful return, or the other team commits a fault. In volleyball, the team serving and the team receiving the serve can both score on a rally. In side-out serving, only the team serving can score a point. The server continues to serve if their team wins a rally. However, if the team loses a rally, the opposing team serves.
Points: A point is awarded to the team that wins a rally.
Boundary: The boundaries of a volleyball court are the 2 endlines and the 2 sidelines. The ball is considered in play if it hits the boundary lines. The ball is out of play when it lands outside the boundary line.
Returns: A player can’t hit the ball twice in succession in a rally.
Hitting: Each side can use 3 hits to return the ball over the net. A player can return a volleyball that was hit into the net and bounced back into play. It’s illegal to catch or throw the ball over the net. The volleyball must be hit over the net with your hands.
Rotations: After each point, players rotate 1 position clockwise. The set up typically has the server at the top behind the serving line to start the play. After the ball is served, the server often joins 2 other players in the back row. The front row contains the other 3 players. A team on defense typically has a front and back row of 3 players. The middle player in the front row often moves in between the 2 rows in the middle of the court.
Substitutions: The number of substitutions varies. In high school, it’s usually 18, and in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), it’s 15. A player substitutes in for the player they’re replacing. The player that’s been replaced can reenter the game but only at the position they originally played. A player can only be substituted in and out of a game once. Coaches can substitute for injured players.
Volleyball Positions
Each team has a setter, a middle blocker, defensive specialist, outside hitter, opposite hitter, and libero. A seventh position is the server, who starts the action by hitting the ball over the net, and then typically transitions into a role as setter or an outside or opposite hitter.
Server: The server must serve behind the serving line. If the server touches the service line, it’s a fault and their team loses a point. Teams typically have serving specialists. They’re players with strong serves who are often substituted in at critical parts of the match to help win a point.
Middle Blocker: The middle blocker is the center player in the front row. Their main job is to block attacks from their opponents.
Outside Hitter: Outside hitters are a combination of an attacker and defender. They have to block shots that come to their lane and drift to the back to help on defense with shots that get over the front row. Often, teammates set the outside hitters up for spikes.
Setter: A setter often lines up in the middle of the court between the front and back rows. Their job is to deliver the volleyball to the hitters, who can then attack. They also can help block attacks. A setter will often rotate between the front and back rows.
Opposite Hitter: The opposite hitter plays on the right side of the court. They do a little of everything—blocking, attacking, and setting.
Defensive Specialist: A defensive specialist is a back row player who helps primarily with passing, receiving serves, and anything defense related.
Libero: A libero is a back row floater who can strictly play defense and pass. They wear a special jersey, and they can’t block or attack above the net.
Because players must rotate, they could play every position on the court. However, that’s where substitutions influence strategy. Coaches will often put their best players into their best positions by subbing them in at critical times during the game.
Learning about the rules, the positions, and the playing area for a volleyball match is a start to getting a deeper understanding of the sport.