Rules for Junior High Volleyball

Junior high is one of the first levels at which volleyball is played competitively. The rules for junior high volleyball games are similar to all other levels of volleyball, but with a few minor differences to compensate for the smaller size and lower level of experience these players have with volleyball. Rules also sometimes vary from one junior high school to the next.

  1. Limited Games

    • Junior high school volleyball teams are limited in the number of games they are allowed to play per season, as schools don't want players distracted throughout the school year. There is also a limit on how much physical stress middle schoolers should put on their bodies throughout the season. In North Carolina, junior high players can play no more then 14 games in their regular season and up to two consecutive games before their conference tournaments. Tournaments have one single elimination with no more than eight teams total.

    Weekly Play

    • To limit the time away from school and strain on young player's bodies, there is a limited number of games that junior high players are allowed to play per week. Players can play no more then two games per week. However, in volleyball there are often doubleheaders, and two of these are allowed per week for junior high school volleyball players.

    Basic Rules

    • There are many basic rules of volleyball present in junior high school volleyball games. These rules include that players cannot touch the net, the ball is considered "in" when it lands on the boundary line, a ball being hit into the net can be kept in play as long as no one has touched the net, and the ball must be hit three times or more per point. By playing by these basic rules in junior high, players are taught how the actual rules in the game of volleyball work as they continue into more competitive levels of the sport or just play it recreationally in the future.