Official Volleyball Rules

Types

• For the most part, volleyball is played on a hard court indoors or in sand outside. On a hard court, teams consist of six players; in sand, there are usually two players per side. While coed games can be played in both versions, there aren't official rules as there are for men's and women's games.

Courts

• An indoor court measures 30 feet by 60 feet. A net divides the court lengthwise. In men's games, the net is set at a height of 7 feet 11 5/8 inches. Women play on a net that is 7 feet 4 1/8 inches high. There are boundary lines around the court, as well as lines parallel to the net and 10 feet back from it on each side.

  Beach (sand) volleyball's court is 52 feet 6 inches long and 26 feet 3 inches wide. The nets are the same height as in indoor games.

Basic Play

• Volleyball has gone through many changes since its invention in 1895, but many basics remain the same. A player on one team serves the ball from behind the baseline. The opposing team must return the ball over the net after no more than three hits. The other team must do the same. Play continues this way until one side wins the rally. The team that wins the rally serves.

Stipulations

• In indoor games, there are three front-row and three back-row players. Front-row players may spike from anywhere on the court and reach over the net to block an attack from the opposing team. Back-row players can spike only if they jump from behind the 10-foot line and can never block.

  In beach games, either player may spike from anywhere on the court and can reach over the net to block.

  In 1998, volleyball added the libero, a defense-only player who can substitute for any back-row player. He leaves the game before going to the front row.

  In 2000, the official rules were changed so that a ball that hits the net but goes over it into the receiver's court is good.

  The only time a player can make contact with a ball more than once at a time is if the contact is considered part of one play. This was another rules change in 2000 and basically meant that a player receiving a hard serve could make double contact because the serve was so difficult to play.

Scoring and Matches

• Most men's matches are best three-out-of-five, and most women's matches are best two-out-of-three. Games are typically played to 25, but often the final, deciding game is shortened to 19 or 15 points. You always have to win by 2 points.

  Rally scoring is fairly universal, though side-out can still be found. Rally means that whichever team wins the rally scores a point. Side-out means a point can be scored only by the serving side.