Volleyball General Rules

How is volleyball scored? 
Club volleyball follows the rule of  “all rally scoring” which means a point is awarded at the conclusion of each “rally” or “volley” – meaning when the ball is no longer in play.  An easy way to know who receives a point – whoever gets the ball for the next serve also gets the point.   What is the difference between a set/game and a match? A match consists of a series of individual sets/games. An individual game consists of the first team that reaches 25 points, with a 2 point advantage. If both teams are tied and both reach 25, the game continues until one team wins by 2 points.  A match can consist of the best 2 out of 3 games, or best 3 out of 5 games.  

Where are the volleyball court boundaries? 
The volleyball court is 30’ x 60’ with each side being 30’ x 30” for each team.  Before the ball is put into play by a serve all players must be within the boundary lines of the court. Once the ball is served players may move freely within the court and exceed the boundary lines to play the ball.  

What are those poles on the volleyball net? 
The red and white “antenna” are a vertical extension of the side court line. The ball may not touch or go outside of the antenna.  

I thought a served ball must clear and not touch the net to be considered a good serve, yet I don’t see that happening. Why? 
Any serve that makes it over the net is a playable serve. The ball is allowed to touch the net during any play, however a player or any part of the player may not touch the net if they are involved in playing the ball.  

I am confused by what is considered “in” and what is “out.” 
The line on the floor of the volleyball court is considered PART of the court. If a ball is inside of that line or any part of the ball touches that line, it is considered “in.” If the ball is outside of the line and does not touch the line it is considered “out.” The official sign for a ball that is in bounds is both hands palms down facing the court.  The official sign for a ball that is out of bounds is both hands up palms facing inward. It is required for referees and line judges to exaggerate (make very clear) these hand signals.  

I see two official referees and two players on the court when a game is in session. Who are they? 
There are two official referees and two line judges for each game. The referee that is on a stand is the Head referee (also known as the First or “Up” referee). The referee that stands opposite him/her is the Second or Down referee. There are also two line judges that are teammates, (can also be coaches or parents who are familiar with the rules and hand signals) to assist the official referees with line calls.  

What does the Head Referee do? 
The head referee is in charge of the entire game and all the calls. He/she will determine the call and make the appropriate hand gesture. The second/down referee follows his/her lead and makes the same hand gesture call. The head referee will look to the second referee and the line judge to assist him/her in the call.  The head referee is the only one who can override a call.   

What does the Second referee do? 
The second/down referee has a very important function. This referee checks the team line up prior to the start of the game, monitors the score table, handles and executes substitutions, but most of all watches the activity at the net. This referee is constantly focusing on the net to make sure the players do not touch the net in any manner (body or clothes) as well as making sure players feet do not cross the center line underneath the net.  

What do the girls/officials standing at the corners of the court do? 
The two players at the corners of the court are official line judges and play a very important role in the game. Each line judge stands to the right of each referee. Their duties are to watch the two court lines where they are standing, the short line – which is the back line or serve line, and the long sideline all the way to the end of that line to the opponent’s side of the court.  The line judge’s duties are to watch for foot faults on a serve (the servers foot must not touch the line) and determine if the ball is in or out on their respective lines.  The line judge is to make the appropriate hand signal to the head referee. The head referee will look to the line judge for their determination of call.  The head referee, and only the head referee, has the right to override their decision.    

I notice the players change their positions and run all over the court, what does that mean? 
At the start of every serve every player must be in their respective positions (designated from 1 to 6) however once the ball is in play they will move into defensive or offensive positions as they have been trained.   

Is there a definite position where a server can serve from? 
No.  A player serving the ball can serve from anywhere across the entire back line of the court.   

Where can I learn more information about volleyball? 
Go to your search bar and plug in volleyball…..you will find a vast array of information.  Sites you may also want to visit are: www.usavolleyball.orgwww.chrva.org. Also, BAVA offers practices in the beginning of the season for parents wishing to learn specifics.