In volleyball, a team of six players must return the ball to the other side of the net in three hits or fewer. If the team hits the ball four times, the team loses the point. With the exception of one defensive play, known as the block, any contact with the ball by a player in the game counts as one of his team's three hits, according to USA Volleyball rules. Blocking provides an important defense against attack hits.
Definition
A block occurs when players close to the net attempt to intercept an opponent's hit by reaching above the net. This defensive play only counts as a block if some part of the player's or players' bodies remains above the top of the net at the moment of contact with the ball, according to USA Volleyball rules. If players attempting to block do not reach above the net, the play counts as a hit.
Types of Blocks
A block attempt refers to an unsuccessful attempt to intercept an opponent's hit in which a blocker does not make contact with the ball. A completed block refers to any blocking action in which the blocker touches the ball. A collective block refers to a block executed by two or three players simultaneously.
Team Hits
Blocks do not count as one of the team's three hits. After a team makes a block, it then has three hits in which to return the ball to the other side of the net. Any player may contact the ball after a block, including a player who contacted the ball during that block.
Faults
If a back-row player completes a block, he commits a blocking fault and his team loses the point. Unsuccessful block attempts made by back-row players do not count as faults. If a team's Libero player, a back-row defensive player, attempts or completes an individual or collective block, she commits a blocking fault and her team loses the point. Blocking an opponent's serve or sending the ball out of bounds off a block also constitutes a fault.
Member Comments