Rules

There are specific volleyball terms that are used by players and coaches. In fact, all sports have their own terminology. If you are going to learn to play volleyball, you must also learn the terms that go with this sport. Terms used by players can usually mean surprising things. Learn about them below.

Ace: This volleyball term means that the ball was served and it hit the floor on the other side without anyone touching it and you scored a point. It can also mean the other team miss-passed the ball on the serve.

Back Set: This is when the setter sets the ball over his head and to the opposite hitter.

Block: When the defensive team jumps up with their hands over the net and tries to stop the hitter from hitting it onto their side of the floor.

Dig: A dig is when a defensive player passes the ball off of a hard spike.

Dink: When the hitter tips the ball over the blockers so that it lands right behind them. Unless the back row is prepared for it, it usually results in a kill.

Dump: When a setter that is on the front row tips the ball over the net on the second hit.

Field Goal Block: This is a block where the blocker spreads his or her arms too wide and the hitter will hit the ball through the uprights. This usually results in the blocker getting hit in the face like this picture to the left.

Fish: A person that frequently hits the net while blocking or hitting.

Floater: A softer serve that is intended to surprise the defense much like an off-speed pitch in baseball.
Kill: When a hitter successfully hits the ball and it hits the floor in bounds on the other team’s side.

Pancake: This is a sexy defensive play. This is when the a player dives for a ball and puts his hand on the ground and the ball bounces off the hand without it touching the floor.
Penetration: It means reaching as far over the net while blocking as possible so that the ball will land on the other teams side when it hits your hands. Good penetration also reduces the angles that the hitter has to work with. Here is a picture of some players demonstrating good penetration of the net.
Pipe: A phrase used to signify that the back row hitter is prepared to hit from the behind the attack line.

Quick Attack: When the middle blocker makes their hitting approach right next to the setter and jumps as the setter sets it. This is a very quick attack.

Roof: A slang term meaning that a player was blocked. Dude, you roofed him!

Shank: A phrase that is used when a team miss-passes the serve.

Shoot: This volleyball term is a type of set that is quick to the outside hitter. The outside hitter is usually jumping at the time the setter gets the ball and the setter pushes it just barely higher than the net and the hitter hits the ball.

Side Out: When the non-serving team wins the point.

Tool: Intentionally hitting the ball off of the blocker’s hands which results in a point. As you can see in this picture to the left.

I hope that these explanations have helped you understand some of what you might hear on the court.

If there are additional volleyball terms you would like to see added to this page, please notify me here.

Volleyball court measurements are an important part of the information you need to play and coach volleyball. On this page, we are going to cover the court dimensions and the rules associated with the court.

The volleyball court measurements are as follows:

The length of the court from one end to the other is 18 meters long (about 59 feet 2 inches). The width of the court is 9 meters wide (29 feet 6 inches). This width and length both represent the measurements from the outsides of the line on each respective end.

The net is in the middle of the court which is 9 meters (29 feet 6 inches) from the ends. Each half of the court becomes a 9 by 9 meter square area.

For an example of how the court is laid out, take a look at this picture:

On each half of the floor, there is an attack line. This line is parallel to the net and it is 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches) away from the net. This is another one of those important volleyball court measurements. The attack line is a line that shows the back row hitters where they need to jump from in order to attack (spike) the ball over the net.

So, when a player is on the back row and they are going to spike the ball, they must jump behind the line in order to do so. If they step on or over the line while attacking, the referee will call a foot fault and the other team will get the point if you are playing rally point.

The purpose of the attack line is to ensure that there are only three front row attackers at any time. The game would be too confusing and difficult to run if all six players could attack at the net.

The attack line will then force your back row players to be athletic if they are going to hit the ball. They will need to jump high enough and far enough in order to be an effective attacker. If you your team is struggling to jump well enough to do this, I highly recommend taking a look at this program to increase your vertical jump.

Back row attackers are used to create some devastating plays. If your setter were to set a #1 for your middle blocker and then have the player in the back row in the middle position attack, it would be a difficult play to stop. Why? Because the players blocking in the middle on the other team are going to jump to block the front middle hitter, and then as they are landing from their block, the back row hitter would be the one to hit with virtually no blockers.

The back row attack is also frequently used by the setter as a backup plan. If the pass to the setter is bad, you will usually see the setter set the ball to one of the back row attackers because they cannot effectively deliver the ball to the front row. That is another reason you must be good at this play as it will make things easier for your setter when the pass is not where it should be.

When the setter is coming off of the back row to set, they cannot attack the ball over the net. The attack line also applies to the setter. So, when you are playing defense, call out where the setter is. If they are coming off the back row, you do not need to worry about blocking the setter. This is another reason that volleyball court measurements are important to know.

Volleyball court dimensions are important to your volleyball knowledge. Here we are going to review the proper measurements on the court and the rules pertaining to the attack line.

The volleyball court dimensions are that the entire court is 18 meters long (about 59 feet 2 inches) and 9 meters wide (29 feet 6 inches). That is the measurement from the outside of the line to the opposite outside of the line.

The net is in the middle of the court which is 9 meters (29 feet 6 inches). With these measurements, each side of the floor ends up being a 9M x 9M square. All volleyball nets should have these same measurements to cover the width of the court.

For an example of how the court is laid out, take a look at this picture:

On each side of the court, there is a line that is parallel to the net. This line is 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches) away from the net on each side of the court. This line is called the attack line. The attack line is a rule that applies only to the back row attackers. If someone on the back row wants to spike the ball over the net, they must jump behind this line when they attack the ball.

If they cross the line when attacking, it is a violation and the other team is awarded a point and the serve if they weren’t already serving.

The attack line is meant to even up the number of attackers that there could be.

The back row attack can be one of the more difficult hits to make as an attacker since it requires a pretty good jumper to do it. However, there can be some great offensive combinations made from this. As an example, a setter could call a #1 for the middle blocker (if you don’t know what a #1 is, click here to view the offensive plays) and have the middle back row attacker coming right behind the middle blocker. The middle blocker will pull the other team’s blockers and then the back row attacker will have an open court to hit at. This is a great combo play!

There are some other rules associated with the volleyball court dimensions, and so this is a good place to cover it. * Players must stand behind the baseline when serving. Rules used to state that the serving player had to be on the right side of the floor (if facing the net) but this has changed over the last few years. The serving player can now be anywhere behind the baseline.

* As mentioned above, back row attackers must jump behind the attack line or it is a violation.

* If any part of the ball lands on any of the lines, it is considered in bounds.

* A player that is serving is not considered out of rotation if they move on the baseline. They are considered out of bounds.

* As mentioned in the page about the net height, if the ball hits the antenna, it is considered out of bounds.

If you are looking for an indoor volleyball net system, it would be worthwhile to check out some of these options.

The right volleyball net height can have a significant impact on your game. As an example, I remember one time when I was playing that I seemed to be hitting every ball into the net. Although I didn’t get out a measuring tape, I could tell the net was at a different height than what I was used to.

Let’s talk about what the right net height should be, how to measure it, and some tips to make it as accurate as possible.

Here are the right measurements for the net height: The men’s height should be 7 feet, 11 5/8 inches from the floor to the top of the net. The women’s height is 7 feet 4 inches from the floor.

If you happen to be playing on a co-ed league, co-ed leagues usually are played at the men’s height. It would be too much of an advantage for the men to play on the women’s net height.

At each end of the net, there is an antenna. The antenna represents out of bounds and as such, is placed directly over each sideline on the net. If the ball contacts either antenna at any time, the ball is considered out of bounds. Here is a good picture of a net at the women’s height with the antennae in place:

One of the most important things when setting up a net is to ensure that it is the same height from the ends to the middle of the net. If the net is sagging in the middle, then the net isn’t set up properly.

Like most things in life, sagging is not a good thing and the net is no different. The easy solution to fix this is to make sure that the net is tight by turning the crank until it is level all the way across. It really is an easy fix to get the proper volleyball net height.

If you are trying to set up an outdoor net with one of those inexpensive sets you can find at department stores, it will be near impossible to have a tight, level net. Without the crank, it is very difficult to do.

The other important thing is to make sure that the bottom cords of the net are tightly tied to the poles. This ensures that when the ball hits the net, it is tight enough for the ball to come out of the net and be playable. A saggy, loose net will not allow a player to play the ball out of the net.

Net Rules

In order for the ball to be in bounds, it must pass between the antennae and go over the net. A player cannot touch the net with any part of his/her body. Doing so is a violation and the other team is awarded a point and gets to serve.

A ball may touch the net without any type of a penalty. As mentioned above, the ball may also be played out of the net if it is hit into the net (as long as it doesn’t result in a fourth hit).

A recent rule change also allows the ball to hit the net on the serve. If the ball hits the net and goes over on the serve and it hits the other team’s floor, it results in a point. The volleyball net height is an important aspect of the game. By having a net at the same height every time you play, it keeps your game consistent. I don’t want to teach you to be inconsistent and the volleyball net height will help you be consistent.

Using these volleyball positions descriptions, you will know where you fit into the game. One of the great things about volleyball is that regardless of how tall, short, or body type you are, there is a position for you. And no, that position isn’t on the bench!

Outside Hitter

The outside hitters have a few different responsibilities. When they are receiving the serve, they are usually those that pass the ball to the setter. With this position, the outside hitters are typically people that are good at passing the ball.

When the outside hitters are also the most accurate hitters on the team. When they are spiking, their place is on the left side of the court (if you are facing the net). Since they are hitting on the outside, their sets are usually higher and to the outside of the court.

There are usually two outside hitters on the floor at all times and they usually play opposite of each other in the rotation. That way, one of them will always be in the front row.

The characteristics for this position is that they must pass the volleyball well, they usually jump high, and are accurate hitters. This is one of the volleyball positions that people enjoy as they get to hit quite frequently.

Setter

The setter is to volleyball what the quarterback is to football. This volleyball position is often the most sought after. They are running the show and calling out the plays and running the offense for the team. It is their job to make sure the ball is where it needs to be so that a hitter can put it away.

The second hit is owned by the setter. Since each side can hit the ball three times before the ball goes over the net, a team member will pass it to the setter, the setter will deliver it to the hitter, and the hitter will spike the ball. The second hit is always for the setter and unless they call for help, the rest of the team should get out of the setter’s way.

A setter can also be a hitter depending on the type of offense that is being run. If the setter is on the front row, there is an option for the setter to “dump” the ball on the second net by just pushing it over the net. When done sparingly, it can catch the defense off guard. Also, depending on the type of offense that is being played, there could be one or two setters on the court.

Great setters are usually the smartest player on the floor. They usually have soft hands that allow them to take the spin off the ball when they set it, they can orchestrate the offense, and have great vision to see the defense when they are setting the ball. If they can see the defense when they are setting the ball, they can deliver the ball to their hitters that only have one blocker or no blockers.

Middle Blocker or Middle Hitter

The middle blocker is my favorite of all the volleyball positions. The middle blocker is the freight train in the middle of the front row. They often hit the ball right as the setter is setting it to quickly attack and catch the defense off guard. There is nothing sexier than a quick set that catches the defense looking and the middle blocker crushes it. What a great feeling.

While the other team has the ball, they are responsible for the block. They will follow the ball and block whether in the middle, if it goes to the outside hitter, or the opposite. The ideal situation for defense is to have as many blockers as possible, so the middle blocker must read the setter and move to the ball.

When the middle blocker goes to the back row, they will serve, and then once the other team sides out, the Libero will come in for the middle blocker. As a result, they don’t pass the ball a whole lot and it is not a requirement for them to be good passers.

The middle blockers are generally the tallest people on the team. If there is a tall person that passes well, it may be better to move them to the outside hitter. This is the position that I play, but that is mostly because I am 6’5″.

Opposite Hitter

Opposites are the last of the volleyball positions to discuss. In the rotation of players, they always play opposite the setter’s position and that is where this name comes from.

They are generally a third option on the offense at the net as a hitter. Their hitting position is on the right side of the court if you are facing the net.

In most cases, the setter will have to do a back set (set the ball over his head) to deliver it to the outside. These back sets can sometimes catch the defense by surprise and allow the opposite to get an easy kill.

As a blocker, they are responsible for blocking in the same position which means they are usually blocking against the outside hitter of the other team. A strong opposite blocker can offset the strength of the outside hitter from the other team.

They are also the player that will set the ball if the setter is unable to do so.

This person is usually a jack-of-all-trades as they are required to have all of the facet of skills for a volleyball player. They usually aren’t the best at anything, but can do everything.

Libero

The Libero is a relatively to the volleyball positions. The libero is a defensive specialist and only plays on the back row. When the middle blocker goes to the back row, the libero will come in and play for the middle blocker.

Their primary responsibility is to pass the serve, play defense, and dig spikes. To make identification of the libero easier, their jersey is a different color than the rest of the team.

Since the libero only plays on the back row, they do not need to be tall. Frequently, they are shorter and have fast reactions so that they can be in the right place when the other team attacks.

Hopefully, this summary of volleyball positions will help you know who is responsible for each part of the team’s success. I also hope it will help you decide what volleyball position you should be playing based on your characteristics and skill sets.

Volleyball scoring is done in several different ways. I want you to understand the scoring systems that are used. Since there are different methods, it is important to understand the volleyball scoring systems so that the team can adapt as necessary.

Basically, there are two different scoring methods. The first one is the older method of scoring called side-out scoring. In side out scoring, the team that was serving was the only team that could score. If the serving team won the rally, then they would get a point. If the defensive team won the point (side out) no point would be awarded and the other team would serve.

In this format, sets were to 15 points and the matches were either best of 3 or best of 5 sets.

If there was a violation (net violation, out of rotation, etc.) then it followed the same rules as with the points. If the violation was against the non-serving team, then the serving team would get a point. If the violation were against the serving team, then it would be a side out and the other team would serve.

Every time a rally was won by the serving team, the same player would continue to serve until there was a side out. Once a side out occurred, the team that won the serve would rotate one position clockwise and a new person would serve.

The other method is rally point. This is the most common method that is used today. Rally point is where a point is scored every time the ball is served regardless of who served the ball. Very simply put, every ball served is a point.

A match usually consists of 5 sets with the winner being the team that gets to 25 points first. The winner would be the team that wins 3 out of 5 sets. If the game goes to the final set, the set is typically played to 15 points. A team must be ahead by two points when they get to 25 or the set continues until a team is ahead by two points.

One of the reasons that volleyball scoring changed from side-out method to rally point is to make the game faster and more enjoyable for spectators.

Under the rally point method, your team MUST be careful on their serves. If they serve out of bounds or into the net, it is a free point for the other team. Serving accuracy is much more important for this type of scoring.

That is about it for volleyball scoring. Make sure that you know the rules of these two different systems.

Volleyball rules are an important place to start. You cannot expect to be proficient at a sport unless you know what the rules are.This page assumes that you know nothing so that you will know how to play the game.

This page will be dedicated to teaching those rules. Rather than posting an official rule book, I wanted to post the simple rules so that someone could learn the game quickly.

* Each team has three hits before the ball must travel to the other side of the net.

* The ball cannot be hit by the same player twice in a row (unless the first hit is a block).

* Indoor volleyball teams have six players on the court. Each of these six players play different positions.

To learn more about the different volleyball positions, click here.

* Most leagues now use a scoring system called rally point. Rally point is where a point is scored each time the ball is served regardless of which team served the ball. Details on the scoring systems can be found here.

* The ball is considered out of bounds if it lands outside the lines (of course), hits an antennae, or hits the ceiling and goes over the net. If the ball hits the ceiling and comes back down on the team’s side, the ball is playable unless they have already hit the ball three times.

* Coaches must also turn in a volleyball lineup sheet to identify the starting rotation of each player at the beginning of the set. If you need a volleyball lineup sheet, we have one you can download for free.

* The team that wins the point will serve.

* The height of the net varies depending on if it is a men’s game or a women’s game.

Volleyball net height details can be found here.

* Players must rotate each time there is a side out. A side out is when the team that did not serve wins the point.

* Players must stay in the some rotational order each time the ball is served. Failure to do so is a penalty on the team.

* The player that is serving must stand out of bounds behind the end line when serving. Today’s rules now allow the player that is serving to stand anywhere behind the end line.

* Players on the back row cannot attack the ball (spike) unless they jump from behind the attack line. What is the attack line? The attack line is explained here as well as volleyball court dimensions.

* Volleyball also has rules that pertain to the court dimensions. Click here to learn how the volleyball court measurements affect play.

As volleyball rules can change over time, check back here from time to time to see updates to the volleyball rules.

Heard a term and don’t know what it means? Be in the know with these volleyball terms.

You can also learn more about the history behind volleyball and how the game was created and started. Or if you are looking for some volleyball variations, you can get ways to adapt the game.

Although it may not have a lot to do with the rules, it is always a good idea to review volleyball safety and injury prevention tips. There is nothing worse than getting injured while playing the game.