Scholastic, recreational and professional volleyball leagues have unique rules to help their organizations operate in the best interests of their players. For example, rules governing student athletes might focus more on eligibility, while recreational leagues may institute rules to encourage competitive games. Regardless of the unique rules different leagues institute, most start with the official, international rules of volleyball to govern games.
Governing Body
The governing body of volleyball worldwide is the International Volleyball Federation, also known as the FIVB. The FIVB sets the standards for court size, equipment, uniforms, scoring and other aspects of the game as they apply to international competitions, including the Olympic Games.
Court Size
For indoor volleyball, the court measures 52 feet, 6 inches long and 26 feet, 3 inches wide. For beach volleyball, or a two-player court, the court measures 59 feet long and 29 feet, 6 inches wide. You should leave 10 more feet around the court to allow players room to play safely.
Players
Teams playing indoor volleyball use six players on the court at a time, while beach volleyball uses a two-person team format. Indoor volleyball rules require that players rotate in a set order after each change of serve to prevent one or two dominant players taking over a game by playing the same position throughout. Two-person volleyball allows either player to either side of the court at the start of a point.
Uniforms
Uniforms must be similar for teammates, with the same cut, color and numbering. Indoor volleyball uniforms must have numbers, with the captain's uniform featuring an underlined number. Beach volleyball players must have a number on their jersey or shorts. Indoor players may wear matching warmup suits, while beach players may wear sand socks or shoes at the discretion of the umpire. If both teams show up wearing the same uniform, the umpire flips a coin to see who has to change into a new uniform.
Basic Play
Points start with a serve, hit from behind the court boundary line. The server must toss the ball and hit it out of the air, into the opponent's court without touching the net. A team may hit the ball a maximum of three times before they send it back to the opponents, but no player may touch the ball twice in a row. Players may not kick, carry, hold or spin the ball. Players may not cross the imaginary line from the net to the floor during a point in regular volleyball. Beach players may slide under the net if they do not interfere with an opponent. A team loses a point if the ball it hits lands out of bounds after a team member hits it or if a team member touches the net other than during a block.
Scoring
In traditional scoring, teams only score a point when they win a point during their service term. In rally scoring, teams score a point whenever they win a point, regardless of whether or not they have served. After the serving team loses a point, a side-out occurs, with the serve going to the team that won the point.
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