Volleyball complements the sun, sand and surf at the beach because it is a basic game that gets everyone involved. For those who take it more seriously than simple camaraderie, it is important to know all of the rules. A shoulder shrug and calling "do-over" is fine on the beach among friends, but it's a no-go on the hardwood. The International Volleyball Federation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association set precise rules for league play.
Scoring
Teams can score points in three ways: faults, rallies and aces. a fault occurs when a player commits a rules infraction that negates their scoring opportunity, such as an illegal substitution or incorrect position change, and ends the play. However, if players on both teams commit a fault, it is called a "double-fault" and the rally is replayed.
Rallying is the game play that begins after the serve. A rally does not end until the ball has hit the ground or a fault has been committed. A point is awarded when a team hits the ball onto its opponent's floor. When a player hits a ball that lands out of bounds, the opposing team gets the point.
The final way to score a point is with an ace, which is a serve that lands in the opponent's court untouched by any player. The opposing team gains a point if the server commits a serving fault, which is a serve that lands out of bounds or does not clear the net.
Types of Faults
There are six different types of faults. If a team hits the ball three times without returning it over the net, it is a hitting fault. Hitting faults will also be awarded for one player hitting the ball twice in a row; one player assisting another in reaching the ball for a hit, catching and/or throwing the ball; and touching the net in an attempt to hit or block the ball. According to FIVB and NCAA rules, touching the opponent's court area underneath the net is permitted as long as it does not interfere with play and one foot is still in bounds.
Serving
The ball is put into play by hitting it underhand or overhand. However, once the ball is tossed into the air, you must hit it. Your feet must not touch the service line or the court before the ball is struck. Serving must occur no more than eight seconds after the referee blows his whistle signaling the serve. If the serve crosses the net in bounds and is returned, the server's team is forbidden to block or spike the return.
Substituting and Rotating
FIVB and NCAA rules stipulate that there must be six players on each side at all times: three in the front, three in the back.
The server continues to serve each point until her team loses a rally or she commits a serving fault. When the server's team fails to win the point during her service, the ball is given to the opposing team and all players remain in place. If the opposing team then fails to win the rally point, the ball is given back and the players rotate one position clockwise. The player in the front right location rotates backward to take the serving position. The previous server moves one position to the left. The FIVB and NCAA rules allow 12 player substitutions per team per set. There is no maximum for how many players can be substituted at once.
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