FIVB Rules for Volleyball

The Federation Internationale de Volleyball is the world governing body for the sport of volleyball. Its rulebook is generally accepted as the standard for major national and international competitions. The sport is highly regulated, and players on all teams would be advised to study the FIVB rulebook so that there is no confusion on what is permitted and what is prohibited.

  1. Team Rosters

    • In FIVB play, a team may have up to 12 players, along with a coach, an assistant coach, one trainer and one medical doctor. Only players included on the roster sheet may enter the court and play, and once the coach and team captain have signed it, there can be no further changes. Players may only wear jerseys numbered from one to 18 except in the case of a FIVB World Championship, when the rule is extended to numbers one through 20. There must be three players in the front row and three more in the back, with players rotating in a clockwise fashion each time their team regains serve.

    Game Rules

    • The serving player must hit the ball before entering the court. Once the ball clears the net, the receiving team must return the ball in three or fewer hits. The serve may not be played with a set or spike. It can only be hit with a bump. The ball may hit the net cord on one side and cross over to the other side without the rally being halted. Players are also permitted to hit the ball while it is out of bounds, as long as the ball is returned between the posts used to hold the net up. Play stops when the ball hits the floor, is hit into the net or out of play. It is also stopped when a team makes illegal contact or hits the ball more than three times without returning it to the other side of the net.

    Scoring

    • A team earns a point when the ball successfully hits the opposing team's court, or if the opposing team hits the ball into the net or out of bounds or commits a foul. Game fouls include service faults, four hits and illegal hits. Points are earned on every play, so a team can score whether it is serving or receiving. In the first four sets, the first team to reach 25 points wins. A team must win by two points, so if the score is tied 24-24 the first team to go ahead by two points takes the set. In the case of a fifth and deciding set, the teams play to 15 points rather than 25, though the same scoring rules apply.