Rules to Girls' Volleyball

The game of indoor volleyball has been around since the turn of the century. The non-contact sport can be fast paced especially when rallies begin to happen. Even though the rules have changed over the years, the basics of the game have not. While there are several variations to the rules for girls' volleyball depending on what type of competition is taking place, rules regarding the net, boundary lines and setup are all similar.

  1. Setup

    • Six girls are allowed on the court at a time, in a certain rotation. After every serve gained, the rotation moves clockwise. Substitutions are allowed but are regulated differently depending on what type of competition the volleyball game is being played in. Each side is allowed three touches. A touch off the block doesn't count as one of these touches.

    Scoring

    • Rally scoring is usually used unless it's a special tournament. Games are played to 25 points, and the winner must win by at least two points, with no score ceiling. Matches are usually made up of three or five games, with the winner being the best out of three or the best out of five.

    Net

    • Any ball that touches the net is still live. If a player serves the ball and it hits the net, it's still considered good. The same goes for any ball that touches the net, whether off a hit or set. A ball that hits the net on your side and stays on your side is still playable if you haven't hit your three touch limit yet.

    Out of Bounds

    • A ball is considered out if it lands anywhere outside the boundary line, whether on a serve, attack or shank pass. However, if the ball touches any part of the boundary line, it's considered in.

      The boundary lines are extended by two antennae which are rods that are 3/8 of an inch in diameter and are flexible. One antenna is attached to each side of the net, directly above each boundary line, extending 32 inches above the net. Play must happen between these two antennae. If a ball is hit or served outside the antennae, or hits the antennae, this is also considered out.

      If a player attacks a ball that is blocked and the ball goes outside the boundary lines on the attacker's side, this is considered out. The point goes to the attacker's team.

      If your side touches a ball coming from the other side and it's going to land outside the boundary line on your side, still play it. Because the player touched the ball, it's now live on your side no matter if the ball is traveling outside the boundary line or not.

    Violations

    • If a girl touches the net while the ball is in play, the point goes to the other team. If a team is out of rotation when the referee blows the whistle to serve then the point goes to the other team. If a server steps over the boundary line when serving, the point also goes to the other team. If the serve doesn't make it over the net, the point goes to the other team. If a back row player attacks the ball from in front of the 10-foot line, the point goes to the other team. These violations are standard but referees are subjective and will call certain violations but won't call others.

      Any kind of "carry" is also a violation. A carry is defined as a ball that has been held on to by a player. Rather than letting the ball bounce off the player's forearms or hands she might hold onto the ball longer.