Volleyball

1 Overview

Volleyball is a team sport where two teams of six players are separated by a high net. Players use their hands and arms to hit a ball over the net, trying to land it in the opponent's court. Each team may touch the ball up to three times per side before it must cross the net.

2 Court & Net

An indoor volleyball court is 18m × 9m (59 × 29.5 ft). The net divides the court: men's net height is 2.43m (7'11¾"), women's is 2.24m (7'4⅛"). Each team occupies one 9×9m half.

The 3-meter attack line runs parallel to the net — back-row players cannot attack the ball from in front of this line above net height.

3 Gameplay

The serving team puts the ball in play with a serve from behind the back line. The receiving team attempts to pass, set, and attack the ball back over the net. Rally continues until the ball hits the floor, goes out of bounds, or a fault occurs.

Typical sequence: Receive serve (pass/dig) → Set (overhead touch for the attacker) → Attack (spike or tip over the net).

4 Key Rules

• 3 touches: Maximum 3 touches per team before the ball must cross the net.
• No carrying or lifting: Ball must be hit cleanly — no catching, holding, or throwing.
• Double contact: The same player cannot hit the ball twice in a row, except when blocking (first touch after the block can be the same player).
• Net fault: Touching the net during play is a fault.
• Crossing the center line: Completely crossing under the net with foot or body is a fault.
• Rotation: Teams rotate clockwise when they win the serve back from the opponent.
• Back-row attack: A back-row player may attack from behind the 3m line. They cannot attack from in front of it above net height.

5 Scoring & Sets

Volleyball uses rally scoring — a point is scored on every rally regardless of who served. Sets are played to 25 points (must win by 2). A match is typically best of 5 sets (first to 3). The deciding 5th set, if played, goes to 15 points (win by 2).

6 Rotations

When your team wins the serve, all six players rotate one position clockwise. The player who rotates into the back-right position becomes the next server. Starting positions must be maintained at the moment of serve — after the serve, players may move anywhere on their side.

7 Beach Volleyball

Beach volleyball is played 2-on-2 on a smaller court (16×8m). Rules differences: sets go to 21 (win by 2), deciding set to 15. Teams switch sides every 7 points. Libero position does not exist. Players switch sides of the court after each set. Wind and sun become major strategic factors.