In court volleyball, each team has six players on the court at a time. The teams hit the ball to each other across a net, each team attempting to hit the ball in-bounds to the floor of the opponent's court. This article addresses the official rules of the United States Association of Volleyball (USAV), a member institution of the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB).
Standard Court
A standard volleyball court measures 59 feet long and 29.6 feet wide. The court's boundaries include sidelines along the sides of the court and end lines at either end of the court. The center line runs underneath the net and divides the court in half. The net measures about 7 feet, 11 inches for men's volleyball and 7 feet, 4 inches for women's volleyball. Each side of the court has an attack line running parallel to the net and 9 feet, 10 inches behind the net. This attack line divides the front row from the back row.
Players
Each team can have up to 12 players, with no more than six players on the court at any one time. The Libero player, introduced to volleyball in 1998, functions as a defensive specialist who must remain in the back row. While teams can make no more than 12 substitutions per set, substitutions involving the Libero do not count toward that total. Teams can substitute the Libero an unlimited number of times into back row positions. Players on the court rotate between front and back row positions. The team rotates one position clockwise each time it gains the right to serve. Only players in a front row position can attack or block the ball above the net and in front of the attack line.
Serving
If your team wins the coin toss before the match, your captain gets to decide whether your team serves or returns first or which side of the court it starts on. If the captain decides to serve first, the other team gets to decide which side of the court they want to play on first. If your team serves first in the first set, the opposing team serves first in the next set and the teams alternate serve from then on. The server must stand behind the end line to serve. The server must hit the ball out of the air after a toss.
Rallies
Each rally begins with a serve. Your team wins a rally if one of your players hits the ball to the floor of the opponent's court within bounds, if the opposing team makes more than three hits or if one of the opposing team's players hits the ball into the net or out of bounds. If your team wins a rally on one of your player's serves, your team earns a point and gets to continue serving. If your team wins a rally on the opposing team's serve, your team earns a point and gains the right to serve.
Violations
If a team or individual player commits a violation, that team loses the point. Common violations include back row players attacking the ball from in front of the attack line, one player hitting the ball twice in succession, any player carrying or palming the ball, a team making more than three hits or a team member touching the net with any part of the body.
Scoring and Winning
Your team must win 25 points to win a set, and the team must win by a two-point margin. Your team must win the best of five sets to win the match. If the match goes to a fifth set, your team must win only 15 points to win the match. Your team still must win by a two-point margin.
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