Volleyball Rules for Beginners

Volleyball is played by two teams of six players on an 18 m × 9 m court divided by a net. Each team may touch the ball up to three times to send it back over the net, and the aim is to land the ball on the opponent's court. Under rally scoring, the winner of every rally scores a point, a set is played to 25 points (win by two), and under FIVB rules the first team to win three sets wins the match. Many youth and recreational leagues play shorter matches, so check yours.

Players per side

6

Court

18 m × 9 m

Net height

2.43 m men / 2.24 m women

Set

25 points, win by 2

Match

Best of 5 sets (FIVB)

Touches per side

Up to 3

How a point is played

Every rally starts with a serve from behind the end line. The receiving team tries to control the ball in up to three touches — usually a pass, a set, and an attack — and send it back over the net. The rally continues until the ball touches the floor, goes out, or a team commits a fault. The team that wins the rally scores a point and serves next.

Scoring and sets

• Rally scoring: a point is scored on every rally, whichever team wins it — you do not have to be serving to score.
• A set is played to 25 points, and a team must lead by at least two points to win it (so a set can go past 25, e.g. 26–24).
• A match is best of five sets under FIVB rules. The first team to win three sets wins. Many youth and recreational leagues play best of three or a fixed number of sets.
• If a fifth set is needed, it is played to 15 points (still win by two).

Rotation basics

Each team has six players arranged in two rows: three in the front row (near the net) and three in the back row. When a team wins back the serve from the opponent (a side-out), its players rotate one zone clockwise, and the player who moves to the back-right spot serves. If the serving team wins the rally, nobody rotates and the same player serves again.

Common faults

• Double contact (double hit): one player touches the ball twice in a row, or the ball hits two parts of their body one after the other. Two exceptions: on the team's first contact (such as passing a serve) it's legal if it happens in one action, and a player who touched the ball on the block may play it again. US note (rules as of 2026): on the team's second contact (usually the set), high school (NFHS, since 2025–26), NCAA women's (since the 2024 season) and USA Volleyball (since 2025–26) rules allow multiple contacts in one action if a teammate plays the ball next. Under FIVB rules it is still a fault.
• Lift / carry: the ball comes to rest in the hands or is thrown rather than cleanly hit.
• Four hits: a team touches the ball more than three times before returning it.
• Net touch: touching the net between the antennas while you are playing the ball, including your take-off and landing.
• Foot fault: at the moment of the serve (or of take-off for a jump serve), the server is touching the end line or the court, or is standing outside the service zone.
• Blocking from the back row: only the three front-row players may block. The libero may not block or even try to.
• Blocking or attacking the serve: nobody may block the opponent's serve, and you may not attack it while it is in your front zone and completely above the top of the net.
• Overlap (positional fault): at the moment of the serve, a player of the receiving team is out of rotational order compared with a neighbor. The serving team may stand anywhere on its own court. The other team gets the point and the serve (see the overlap rule).

US rule notes: where US play differs from FIVB

This page follows the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028, the international rules used in the Olympics and most countries. In the US, USA Volleyball adapts them for club play and high schools follow the NFHS rulebook. In college, NCAA women's volleyball has its own rulebook, while NCAA men's volleyball plays the USA Volleyball rules with NCAA modifications, so NCAA rules differ between men and women and can also change by division and season. The FIVB column below is the rule; the US column notes the differences you'll notice in play:

US school and college rules differ in a few smaller details too — if you play in a US league, check its rulebook.

Rules on this page checked on 5 October 2026 against: FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028; NCAA women’s volleyball rules; NCAA men’s volleyball rules and modifications; USA Volleyball indoor rules; NFHS volleyball rules (not checked online: the rulebook is not freely available).

Deep dive: rules worth knowing next

Three touches — and the block exception

A team is allowed a maximum of three touches to return the ball. A block — contacting the ball above the net to stop an attack — does not count as one of those three touches, so a team that blocks still has three touches afterwards. For when one player may touch the ball twice, see double contact.

In, out, and the antennas

A ball landing on any part of a boundary line is in. To land in the opponent's court, the ball must cross the net between the two antennas (the thin rods on the sides of the net). A ball that touches an antenna, the ceiling or anything outside the court is out. A served ball that touches the net and still crosses over is legal and in play.

Crossing the net and the center line

You may not hit the ball while it is on the opponent's side of the net. You may follow through over the net after hitting the ball on your own side. Blockers may reach over the net, but they may not touch the ball on the opponent's side until the opponent has made their attack hit. Your foot may touch or cross the center line as long as part of it stays on, or directly above, the line. A foot that lands completely in the opponent's court is a fault.

Back-row attack rule

A back-row player may not attack a ball that is completely above the top of the net if they take off on or in front of the attack line (3 m from the center line under the net; in the US it is called the “10-foot line”). They may still attack if they jump from behind that line. This is why back-row attacks start further from the net.

The libero and substitutions

Most teams use a libero, a back-row defensive specialist who wears a contrasting jersey. The libero may not serve, block or try to block, and cannot attack a ball that is completely above the top of the net. Each team gets six substitutions per set, and libero replacements don't count toward that limit. For who stands where and does what, see Volleyball Positions Explained.

Test yourself: Rules Quiz →

Frequently asked questions