How to keep volleyball score at your first match
Record the referees’ decisions, check the serving order and keep the record consistent with the scoreboard. Learn the workflow below before using your event’s official paper or electronic system.
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. Basic rulebook 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. The printed FIVB 2025–2028 rulebook retains the double-contact fault, but later FIVB setting interpretations allow some second-contact doubles when the ball stays on the same side. Clear separate contacts and catches/throws remain faults; see the dated scope note below.
- 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 gives the printed rulebook baseline; later interpretations and event tests are distinguished in the dated note below.
| Rule | FIVB rule | US note (NFHS, NCAA, USA Volleyball) |
|---|---|---|
| Double contact on the second touch (usually the set) | Printed baseline: double-contact fault; later setting interpretation has exceptions (see below). | Legal in one action if a teammate plays the ball next (see double contact) |
| Who must be in rotational order at the serve | Receiving team only (rule 7.4) | Both teams, except the server (NCAA men's, from 2026–27: players may leave their positions once the server's motion begins) |
| Libero serving | Not allowed (rule 19.3.1.3) | Allowed in one rotation (NFHS, NCAA women's, USA Volleyball); not allowed in NCAA men's |
| Substitutions per set | 6 (rule 15.1) | 15 (USA Volleyball, NCAA women's Division I) or 18 (NCAA women's Divisions II and III, high school); NCAA men's: 8 (National Collegiate, from 2026–27) or 12 (Division III) |
US school and college rules differ in a few smaller details too — if you play in a US league, check its rulebook.
Second-contact setting: check the applicable interpretation
A double contact during the second-contact setting action is not automatically a fault in current FIVB event instructions. The ball must stay on the same side. Two clearly separate consecutive contacts and catches/throws remain faults. Judge the actual contact: spin alone does not establish a double contact.
Source editions and event scope — checked 30 October 2026
The printed FIVB 2025–2028 rules retain the double-contact provisions (9.1.1 and 9.3.4). The 2025 Club World Championships regulations, version 2, section 8.2.2, describe the later setting interpretation, and the FIVB notice of 27 February 2026 confirms its continuation. This does not establish adoption by every national federation or local league: check your competition’s instructions.
The same 2026 notice separately announces tests of receiving-team release timing and eight substitutions in named events: VNL, U17 World Championships and continental championships. These tests do not replace the baseline rules for all competitions.
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
An indoor block is an action close to the net, reaching above its top to intercept the opponent’s ball. Part of the blocker’s body must be above the net at contact; the ball itself may be contacted lower. A block contact does not count as one of the team’s three hits, so three hits remain after it. See FIVB rules 14.1.1 and 14.4.
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 and you do not interfere with the opponent's play. 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.
Pause the rally: what would you decide?
These three situations use FIVB indoor rules. Decide before opening the explanation; a team agreement is different from a referee's rule.
1. Must a blocker wait for the third touch?
Situation: A first pass is drifting toward the other team's court. No teammate is close enough to play it. May the opponent reach over the net and block it?
Show the explanation
Explanation: Yes, in this situation. A ball directed toward the opponent can already be an attack hit, even on the first or second touch. The blocker must not interrupt an opponent's possible play on their own side. Do not reach across to steal a set that an opponent can still play. See FIVB rules 13.1.1 and 14.3.
2. Can the hitter attack this libero set?
Situation: The libero makes an overhand finger pass from the front zone. A teammate contacts the ball entirely above the net and the attack crosses the net. Is it legal?
Show the explanation
Explanation: No: that completed attack is a fault. The same height attack can be legal after an overhand finger pass from behind the front zone, or after a forearm pass by the libero from the front zone. Other faults can still apply. See FIVB rules 13.3.6 and 19.3.1.4.
3. Do we have to use all three touches?
Situation: The setter digs the first ball. A teammate calls “Mine!” and sends a controlled free ball over on the second touch. Must the team take a third touch first?
Show the explanation
Explanation: No. Three touches are the maximum, not a requirement. Calling “Mine!” and choosing who takes the second ball are team agreements, not required words in the rulebook. A controlled return can be a sensible choice when no attacker is ready. See FIVB rule 9.1 and the out-of-system guide.
Official rulebooks, casebooks and referee resources
Ask your league which organization, season and age-group rules apply before choosing a document. Start with its rulebook; use the matching casebook for worked rulings and referee guidelines for officiating procedures.
Resource list reviewed: . Publisher pages are in English; some offer documents in other languages.
FIVB: indoor six-a-side
The rulebook is the 2025–2028 edition. The referee index currently lists a 2024 casebook and 2024 guidelines, which predate that edition. The 2026 trials concern specified international competitions.
- Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028
- FIVB casebook and referee guidelines index
- Scope of the 2026 international rule tests
FIVB: two-player beach volleyball
Use the beach rules, not the indoor book. The rulebook is 2025–2028; the referee index lists the 2026 illustrated casebook and 2026 guidelines.
USA Volleyball: indoor and beach
The publisher lists separate 2025–2027 indoor and beach books, casebooks and 2026 indoor interpretations. Choose the discipline and read its updates with the book.
NCAA: US college indoor volleyball
Women’s and men’s rules are separate. Check the women’s 2026–2027 changes for the relevant division; men use the USAV book with NCAA modifications, including the 2026–2027 document.
NFHS: US high school volleyball
The official hub includes 2026–2027 changes and interpretations. Complete books may require purchase or digital access; also check your state association’s adopted rules.
Open the publisher’s page before each season to check for new editions, corrections and competition-specific changes. An older casebook does not override a newer rulebook; international trial rules do not apply automatically to your league.
Test yourself: Rules Quiz →
Practical coaching and player resources
Sitting volleyball: understand the game and try a first session
Sitting volleyball is a distinct form of the sport, played from the floor on a smaller court with a lower net. Start with an accessible, cooperative session and learn its rules separately from standing volleyball.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is a volleyball net?
Under the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules the net is 2.43 m (7 ft 11⅝ in) high for men and 2.24 m (7 ft 4⅛ in) for women. Youth nets are lower; see Court Dimensions.
What is a rotation or overlap fault?
They are two different faults. A rotation fault happens when the wrong player serves. An overlap (positional) fault happens when, at the moment of the serve, a player is out of order compared with a neighbor; under FIVB rules (since 2025) this applies only to the receiving team, and the serving team may stand anywhere on its own court. Either fault gives the point and the serve to the other team. After the serve is contacted, players may move anywhere.
Can you touch the net in volleyball?
Touching the net between the antennas while you are playing the ball (take-off, hit or landing) is a fault. So is using the net for support. Touching it when you are not involved in the play, or touching the net outside the antennas, is not a fault as long as it does not interfere with play.