Rules & Regulations of Volleyball
1. Starting a Match
- Before a match, captain of each team will participate in a coin toss that determines which team will serve first in game 1.
- The winner of the toss will choose to serve first or will choose which side of the court the team will start on, the loser of the toss will get the remaining choice.
- In game 2 of the match will be started with a serve by the team that did not serve first in game 1.
- For third or deciding game, another coin toss will be held to determine the serving team.
- The teams will switch sides of the net at the halfway point of the deciding game and will continue play of the game from their same rotational positions.
2. Player Lineups
- Every start of the each game, the coach/captain must submit a written lineup of the team’s starting players to the referee and scorekeeper.
- The lineup submitted determines the rotation of players throughout the game – called the serving order – and helps the referee and scorekeeper know if players are in their correct rotational order before each serve.
3. Serving Order and Player Rotation
- Team obtaining the serve, players rotate one position clockwise
- When a player is out of position, the referee stops play, the error is corrected, any points scored while the team was in error are canceled, and a point (and the serve) is awarded to the opponent.
- Players must always return to the correctional rotational order before the next serve.
- After the ball is contacted on the serve, players may move to any court position they wish during the rally.
4. Serving
- When the official blows the whistle for the serve, the server has eight seconds to serve the ball, if not, officials will awards the ball and a point to the opponent.
- The server may move freely in the service area, which runs the entire width of the court; however, she must be completely in the service zone and must not be touching the playing surface, include after a jumping serve.
- Tossing error is considered a serve fault
- Other serve fault occurs when the serve fails to pass over the net, hits the net antennae or fails to pass between the net antennae, lands out of bounds, or passes over a screen.
5. Ball Contact
- Legal contact is a touch of the ball by any part of the player’s body that does not allow the ball to visibly come to rest or involve prolonged contact with a player’s body.
- Illegal contact violation includes; catching, holding, throwing, lifting or pushing the ball.
- If the contact of more than one body parts as long as simultaneous, a double contact violation will occur, resulting in a point.
- After the serve, each team may take up to three contacts to return the ball to the opponent’s court.
- However, when the first touch by the defensive team is a block, the team will be allowed three additional contacts after the block to return the ball. And the blocker can touch it a second time without an intervening touch by another player.
- Simultaneous contact occurs when two players on the same team contact the ball at exactly the same time, this is counted as one contact for the team, and either player is allowed to make the next contact.
- If two teammates contact the ball on a block attempt, it is counted as only one hit for their team, and he team has three additional contacts available to them.
6. Net Play
- The ball may touch the net as it passes back and forth; however, player contacting the ball at the net may not touch the net.
- A player may not touch the net during play except for insignificant contact by a player not in the act of playing the ball.
- Feet are the only part of the body allowed to touch the opponent’s court (at least part of one foot must remain on or above the centerline at the time of contact).
- If a ball is not clearly crossing the net as a spike (such as when a set is traveling towards a spiker of attacking team) and it is blocked, this would result in an illegal block.
7. Substitutions
- Substitutions can only be made during a dead ball, and typically, you are limited to three entries per player
- Libero is allowed unlimited substitution into the back row for any back-row player. Essentially, liberos are considered to be back-row specialists whose responsibilities include receiving, passing and playing defense against the opponent’s attackers. The libero may not serve, play the front row to attack or block, or set to a hitter using an overhead pass when libero is in front of the attack line. Additionally, liberos may not attack and make contact with the ball from above the top of the net when in the back row.
8. Time-Outs
- Each team is allowed two time-outs per game and lasting for 30 seconds
- Time-outs are usually requested in order to communicate strategy to your players; to break the other team’s rhythm, concentration, or momentum; or to interrupt a strong server.
- Any delay in getting back on the court after the official blows the whistle, may be called for a delay of game penalty, resulting in a point for the opponent.
9. Violations
Violations of the playing rules will often result in the award of serve and a point to the opponent, common
violations as follow:
- Held ball. This occurs when the ball momentarily comes to rest in the hand or on the arms of a player.
- Double fault. It the ball is “held” simultaneously by two opposing players, it is a double fault and results in a playover.
- Serve fault. A serve fault occurs when the served ball touches a player of the serving team, fails to pass over the net, fails to pass completely between the net antennae, lands out of bounds, or passes over a screen (when one or more players wave arms, jump, or move sideways, hiding the server as the ball is being served).
- Net fault. This occurs any time a player contacts the net or its supports while in the act of playing the ball. Incidental contact with the net by a player not involved in the play is not considered a fault. Also, if the ball is driven into the net with such force that the net contacts an opponent, this is not considered a net fault on the opponent.
- Line violation. A line violation occurs if a player steps on or over the attack line when jumping and attacking from the back row; if a player step on or over the sideline or end line when serving; or if a player steps completely across the centerline under the net when blocking, attacking or digging a ball.
- Illegal block. An illegal block occurs when a back-row player blocks at the net, when a player blocks the opponent’s serve, or when a player reaches over the net to contact a ball that is not traveling toward the net. An illegal block will also be called when a player blocks a ball before the attacker has a chance to attempt to hit the team’s third contact.
10. Other actions that are unacceptable on the volleyball court and will result
in team penalty
- Making rude or vulgar remarks or gestures
- Engaging in disruptive or distracting behavior on the bench during the game
- Shouting or clapping at an opponent who is playing or attempting to play a ball
- Shouting or swearing in anger, even at your own play
- Questioning a judgment call of an official
- Talking to the officials (only the coach and captain may address the officials)
- Throwing, slamming, or kicking the ball in anger