What Is Illegal Alignment?

Illegal alignment is a term used in volleyball to refer to players' positions on the playing field. The concept of what constitutes as illegal alignment is based on rules that volleyball players must follow, regarding foot placement, boundary lines and how players are aligned with one another before each initial serve of the ball.

  1. Proper Alignment

    • All six players -- three players up front on the left, center and right and another three players in the back on the left, center and right -- must be in their proper positions, relative to one another at the contact of the serve. Each player, except for the server, is to be within their team's playing area at the moment when the ball is served. Players are allowed to touch one foot to the boundary lines or center line, but are not permitted to have any part of the body touching the floor outside those lines.

    Player Placement

    • Each of the six positions have specific places on the playing field in relation to boundaries and other teammates. Right side players in both the front and back must be nearer to the right sideline than their center-positioned counterpart. Left side players must be nearer to the left sideline than their corresponding center player. Likewise, front row players must be nearer to the center line than their corresponding back row player.

    Illegal Alignment

    • The penalties for illegal alignment come about when the rules pertaining to proper alignment are not observed. If a referee makes an illegal alignment call, the opposing volleyball team will either receive a point or the ball. Illegal alignment occurs most prominently when players -- other than the server -- step out of alignment or "overlap" at the moment a legal serve occurs or else when players position one foot too far over the sidelines, out of bounds.

    Illegal Alignment and Referees

    • Refs most often call illegal alignment on the team receiving the ball, because teams on the defense try to position themselves in areas that are the most advantageous. Despite this, referees are encouraged not to patrol the sidelines to watch for overlapping. Refs are also encouraged to allow players to stand even with each other, even though its technically illegal for those in certain positions.