Volleyball is one of the most exciting and dynamic sports. Every match of volleyball requires coordination, strategy, and strong teamwork for an optimal performance.
To play well, players should master basic techniques in volleyball, such as serving, passing, smash, and blocking.
In addition to these techniques, understanding the rules of volleyball is also important to ensure fair play and avoid violations that may disadvantage your team.
Then, what are the rules of volleyball according to the FIVB standard? Let’s explore the following explanation.
Basic Rules in Volleyball
In volleyball, every player should understand basic rules to create an orderly and fair game.
These rules are used in various official competitions, both at the national and international levels, so it is important for players and supporters to understand. The following are some basic rules in volleyball you should know:
Number of Players in a Team
In indoor volleyball, each team consists of six players on the court. Each player has a different position and role, such as a tosser, spiker, libero, blocker, and defender.
In addition to the starting players, a team can also have substitute players who can be brought in through substitutions depending on the team’s needs and strategy.
Since volleyball relies on teamwork, every player should clearly understand their position and role. If a player is out of position or moving too slowly, the opponent may utilize this gap to score points.
Player Rotation Rules
In volleyball, player rotation occurs when a team wins the right to serve from the opponent. During player rotation, all players move clockwise to the next position.
This rule is applied so that every player gets the chance to play at the front and back positions. In addition to maintaining the balance in the game, the rotation system can also require each player to develop both defensive and offensive skills equally.
The Ball Must Cross the Net
Each attack must cross the net and land in the opponent’s court. If the ball gets stuck in the net or goes out of bounds, the attack is considered a fault, and the point is awarded to the opponent.
However, there is an exception during the serve. If the served ball makes contact with the net but still lands in the opponent’s court, a serve is still considered valid, and play continues.
Maximum Three Touches
Each team is allowed a maximum of three touches before returning the ball to the opponent’s court. If a team contacts the ball more than three times, then it is considered a violation.
In volleyball rules, a block does not always count as the first touch. After blocking, the team still has the three additional touches to return the ball over the net.
Scoring System in Volleyball
The scoring system in modern volleyball uses the rally point system. This means that every rally that occurs will result in a point, whether for the serving team or the receiving team.
Number of Points in a Set
A volleyball set is usually played up to 25 points. However, a team cannot win immediately after reaching that score. A team must have a minimum lead of two points to win the set.
It means that if the score reaches 24-24, the set continues until one team is ahead by 2 points, for example, 26-24 or 27-25.
Number of Sets in a Match
A volleyball match typically uses a best of five system, which means the team that first wins three sets becomes the winner of the match.
If both teams have won two sets each, the match proceeds to the fifth set, or known as a tie-break. In this deciding set, the match is only played up to 15 points, with a minimum two-point advantage required to win.
How to Score Points in Volleyball
In volleyball rules, you can score points through the following situations:
- The ball lands in the opponent’s court.
- The opponent commits a violation.
- The opponent’s serve fails to cross the net or goes out of bounds.
- The opponent’s smash goes out of the court.
- The opponent performs double touch or netting.
Since every rally scores points, the player is required to stay fully focused throughout the match to avoid giving any advantage to the opponent.
Types of Violations in Volleyball
Violations in volleyball can occur due to technical errors, incorrect positioning, and poor coordination between players.
If a violation happens, the referee will immediately stop the game and award a point to the opponent’s team. Below are the types of violations in volleyball that you should know.
Net Touch
One of the most common violations in volleyball is touching the net during the game. Players are not allowed to touch the net when they are attempting to hit the ball, perform blocking, smashing, or move near the net.
This violation often happens when the player is too enthusiastic to jump for a spike or block. Therefore, besides practicing the power of hitting, the player should also train their body control and balance to avoid touching the net.
Four Contacts
Every team is only allowed a maximum of 3 touches before returning the ball to the opponent’s court. If the ball is touched for 4 times, then it is considered a violation.
A block touch is typically not counted as one of the three touches, but players should understand the situation of the game properly.
Four contact violations often happen due to the lack of communication between players. For example, two players hesitate to take the ball, causing it to be contacted multiple times without clear direction.
Double Touch
Double touch occurs when a player contacts the ball two times in a row, except after performing a block.
This violation often happens when the player fails to execute a pass properly, causing the ball to touch the hand more than once.
Ball Out of Bounds
The ball is considered out when it lands outside the boundary lines of the court. However, if the ball touches the line, it is still considered a point. Therefore, the player should understand the court boundaries, especially when receiving the ball or directing an attack.
Stepping on the Line During Serve
The server is not allowed to step on or cross the back line before hitting the ball. If the player’s foot touches the line during serve, it is considered a foul, and the point is awarded to the opponent.
This mistake looks simple, it commonly occurs because the player is too focused on the power of the serve and not paying attention to the position of feet. Therefore, make sure the standing position is safe before executing a serve.
That is the explanation of rules and violations in volleyball. By understanding various rules, you can play more confidently and reduce the risk of mistakes during the game.
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