In indoor volleyball, each team must have six players on the court at all times. These players must rotate their positions on the court according to specific rules. If your team fails to follow position and rotation rules, you will lose points. The position and rotation rules outlined in the official rulebook of USA Volleyball, a member organization of the International Federation of Volleyball, provide a standard for play at competitive levels.
Basic Volleyball Rules
To win a set in volleyball, your team must win 25 points by a 2-point margin. To win a match, your team must win the best of three or the best of five sets, depending on the tournament. In a final third or fifth set, your team must win only 15 points to finish the match. Your team wins points by hitting the ball to the floor of the opponent's court within bounds. If the opposing team hits the ball out of bounds or commits a fault or violation, you also win the point. If you win a point on the opposing team's serve, you win a point and gain the serve.
Players
Each team must have six players on the court. The remaining players, referred to as substitutes, must sit on their team's bench or in their team's warm-up area. Each team must submit a starting lineup to the referee before each set. This lineup should indicate the team's six starting players and their rotational order. Your team must maintain the same rotational order throughout the set. If you substitute a player out of the game and then back into the game, he must return to his original position in the rotation.
Positions
Players on the court occupy six different positions, including three front-row positions and three back-row positions. The attack line, parallel to the net and 9 feet and 10 inches behind it, divides the front and back rows on each side of the court. The front row includes, from left to right, position numbers 4, 3 and 2. The back row includes, from left to right, position numbers 5, 6 and 1. Back row players must remain behind their corresponding front row players, and players in the same row must remain in order according to their position number. As soon as the server contacts the ball, players may move out of their rotational position and take up any place on the court.
Rotation
Each time a team gains the right to serve, its players must rotate clockwise one position. For example, the player in the front-row right position rotates to the back-row right position to serve, and the back-row right player rotates to the back-row center.
Position and Attacking the Ball
Front-row players can attack the ball at any height. Back-row players can attack the ball at any height from the back-row position behind the attack line. Back-row players cannot, however, attack a ball above the net from in front of the attack line.
Libero
The Libero player, a defensive specialist, must remain in the back-row throughout the match. The Libero can never block or serve the ball, and cannot attack the ball when it remains above the net. The team can make unlimited substitutions involving the Libero.
Violations and Penalties
If the rules official notices a player out of position before the serve, she can call a positional fault and award a point and the right to serve to the opposing team. If the rules official notices a player serving out of order, he can call a rotational fault and award a point and the right to serve to the opposing team. If the rules official notices a back-row player attacking the ball above the net and in front of the attack line, he can call an illegal attack and award a point and the serve to the opposing team.
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