Pe 4 - Official Volleyball Rules
Pe 4 - Official Volleyball Rules
Pe 4 - Official Volleyball Rules
TO SCORE A POINT
Fault - A team commits a fault by making a playing action contrary to the rules (or by violating them in some other way).
RALLY - is the sequence of playing actions from the moment of the service hit by the server until the ball is out of play.
COMPLETED RALLY - is the sequence of playing actions which results in the award of a point.
If the serving team wins a rally, it scores a point and continues to serve
If the receiving team wins a rally, it scores a point and it must serve next.
TO WIN A SET
A set (except the deciding 5th set) is won by the team which first scores 25 points with a minimum lead of two points. In
the case of a 24-24 tie, play is continued until a two-point lead is achieved (26-24; 27-25; etc.).
The match is won by the team that wins three sets. In the case of a 2-2 tie, the deciding 5th set is played to 15 points with
a minimum lead of 2 points.
If a team refuses to play after being summoned to do so, it is declared in default and forfeits the match with the result 0-3
for the match and 0-25 for each set. A team that, without justifiable reason, does not appear on the playing court on time
is declared in default.
STRUCTURE OF PLAY
THE TOSS
Before the match, the 1st referee carries out a toss to decide upon the first service and the sides of the court in
the first set.
If a deciding set is to be played, a new toss will be carried out.
The toss is taken in the presence of the two team captains. The winner of the toss chooses:
POSITIONS
At the moment the ball is hit by the server, each team must be positioned within its own court in the rotational
order (except the server).
The positions of the players are numbered as follows: the three players along the net are front-row players and
occupy positions 4 (front-left), 3 (front-centre) and 2 (front-right);
the other three are back-row players occupying positions 5 (back-left), 6 (back-centre) and 1 (back-right).
After the service hit, the players may move around and occupy any position on their court and the free zone.
POSITIONAL FAULT
The team commits a positional fault, if any player is not in his/her correct position at the moment the ball is hit by
the server.
A positional fault leads to the following consequences:
the team is sanctioned with a point and service to the opponent;
players' positions must be rectified.
ROTATION
The rotational order is determined by the team's starting line-up and controlled with the service order and players'
positions throughout the set.
ROTATIONAL FAULT
A rotational fault is committed when the SERVICE is not made according to the rotational order. It leads to the
following consequences in order:
the scorer stops play by the buzzer; the opponent gains a point and next service;
If the rotational fault is determined only after the completion of the rally which started with a rotational fault,
only a single point is awarded to the opponent, regardless of the result of the rally played.
the rotational order of the faulty team must be rectified;
PLAYING ACTIONS
(STATES OF PLAY)
BALL IN PLAY - The ball is in play from the moment of the hit of the service authorized by the 1st referee.
BALL OUT OF PLAY - The ball is out of play at the moment of the fault which is whistled by one of the referees; in the
absence of a fault, at the moment of the whistle.
BALL”IN” - The ball is “in” if at any moment of its contact with the floor, some part of the ball touches the court, including
the boundary lines.
all parts of the ball which contact the floor are completely outside the boundary lines;
it touches an object outside the court, the ceiling or a person out of play;
it touches the antennae, ropes, posts or the net itself outside the side bands;
it crosses the vertical plane of the net either partially or totally outside the crossing space.
it crosses completely the lower space under the net.
Each team must play within its own playing area and space
TEAM HITS - A hit is any contact with the ball by a player in play. The team is entitled to a maximum of three hits (in
addition to blocking), for returning the ball. If more are used, the team commits the fault of “FOUR HITS”.
CONSECUTIVE CONTACTS - A player may not hit the ball two times consecutively
SIMULTANEOUS CONTACTS - Two or three players may touch the ball at the same moment.
When two (or three) team-mates touch the ball simultaneously, it is counted as two (or three) hits (with the exception of
blocking). If they reach for the ball, but only one of them touches it, one hit is counted. A collision of players does not
constitute a fault.
When two opponents touch the ball simultaneously over the net and the ball remains in play, the team receiving the ball is
entitled to another three hits. If such a ball goes “out”, it is the fault of the team on the opposite side.
ASSISTED HIT - Within the playing area, a player is not permitted to take support from a team-mate or any
structure/object in order to hit the ball. However, a player who is about to commit a fault (touch the net or cross the centre
line, etc.) may be stopped or held back by a team-mate.
Exceptions:
at blocking, consecutive contacts may be made by one or more player(s), provided that the contacts occur during
one action;
at the first hit of the team, the ball may contact various parts of the body consecutively, provided that the contacts
occur during one action.
1. FOUR HITS: a team hits the ball four times before returning it.
2. ASSISTED HIT: a player takes support from a team-mate or any structure/object in order to hit the ball within the
playing area.
3. CATCH: the ball is caught and/or thrown; it does not rebound from the hit.
4. DOUBLE CONTACT: a player hits the ball twice in succession or the ball contacts various parts of his/her body in
succession.
BALL CROSSING THE NET - The ball sent to the opponent's court must go over the net within the crossing space. The
crossing space is the part of the vertical plane of the net limited as follows:
The ball that has crossed the net plane to the opponent's free zone totally or partly through the external space, may be
played back within the team hits, provided that:
A ball driven into the net may be recovered within the limits of the three team hits. If the ball rips the mesh of the net or
tears it down, the rally is cancelled and replayed.
REACHING BEYOND THE NET - In blocking, a player may touch the ball beyond the net, provided that he/she does not
interfere with the opponent’s play before or during the latter's attack hit.
After an attack hit, a player is permitted to pass his/her hand beyond the net, provided that the contact has been made
within his/her own playing space.
PENETRATION UNDER THE NET - It is permitted to penetrate into the opponent’s space under the net, provided that
this does not interfere with the opponent’s play.
1. to touch the opponent's court with a foot (feet) is permitted, provided that some part of the penetrating foot (feet)
remains either in contact with or directly above the centre line;
2. to touch the opponent’s court with any part of the body above the feet is permitted provided that it does not
interfere with the opponent’s play.
Contact with the net by a player between the antennae, during the action of playing the ball, is a fault.
Players may touch the post, ropes, or any other object outside the antennae, including the net itself, provided that
it does not interfere with the play.
When the ball is driven into the net, causing it to touch an opponent, no fault is committed.
touching the net between the antennae or the antenna itself during his/her action of playing the ball,
using the net between the antennae as a support or stabilizing aid.
creating an unfair advantage over the opponent by touching the net
making actions which hinder an opponent’s legitimate attempt to play the ball,
catching/ holding on to the net
SERVICE
The service is the act of putting the ball into play, by the back-right player, placed in the service zone.
FIRST SERVICE IN A SET - The first service of the first set, as well as that of the deciding 5th set is executed by the
team determined by the toss. The other sets will be started with the service of the team that did not serve first in the
previous set.
SERVICE ORDER- The players must follow the service order recorded on the line-up sheet.
After the first service in a set, the player to serve is determined as follows:
when the serving team wins the rally, the player (or his/her substitute) who served before, serves again;
when the receiving team wins the rally, it gains the right to serve and rotates before actually serving. The player
who moves from the front-right position to the back-right position will serve.
AUTHORIZATION OF THE SERVICE - The 1st referee authorizes the service, after having checked that the two teams
are ready to play and that the server is in possession of the ball.
The ball shall be hit with one hand or any part of the arm after being tossed or released from the hand(s).
Only one toss or release of the ball is allowed. Dribbling or moving the ball in the hands is permitted.
At the moment of the service hit or take-off for a jump service, the server must not touch the court (the end line
included) or the floor outside the service zone.
The server must hit the ball within 8 seconds after the 1st referee whistles for service.
A service executed before the referee's whistle is cancelled and repeated.
SCREENING - The players of the serving team must not prevent their opponent, through individual or collective
screening, from seeing the server and the flight path of the ball.
ATTACK HIT
All actions which direct the ball towards the opponent, with the exception of service and block, are considered as
attack hits.
During an attack hit, tipping is permitted only if the ball is cleanly hit, and not caught or thrown.
An attack hit is completed at the moment the ball completely crosses the vertical plane of the net or is touched by
an opponent.
RESTRICTIONS OF THE ATTACK HIT - A front-row player may complete an attack hit at any height, provided that the
contact with the ball has been made within the player's own playing space.
A back-row player may complete an attack hit at any height from behind the front zone:
at his/her take-off, the player's foot (feet) must neither have touched nor crossed over the attack line;
after his/her hit, the player may land within the front zone.
A back-row player may also complete an attack hit from the front zone, if at the moment of the contact a part of the ball is
lower than the top of the net.
No player is permitted to complete an attack hit on the OPPONENT’S service, when the ball is in the front zone and
entirely higher than the top of the net.
BLOCKING
Blocking is the action of players close to the net to intercept the ball coming from the opponent by reaching higher
than the top of the net, regardless of the height of the ball contact.
Only front-row players are permitted to complete a block, but at the moment of the contact with the ball, a part of
the body must be higher than the top of the net.
Block attempt - A block attempt is the action of blocking without touching the ball.
Collective block - A collective block is executed by two or three players close to each other and is completed when one
of them touches the ball.
BLOCK CONTACT - Consecutive (quick and continuous) contacts with the ball may occur by one or more blockers,
provided that the contacts are made during one action.
In blocking, the player may place his/her hands and arms beyond the net, provided that this action does not
interfere with the opponent’s play.
Thus, it is not permitted to touch the ball beyond the net until an opponent has executed an attack hit.
BLOCKING FAULTS
The blocker touches the ball in the OPPONENT’S space either before or simultaneously with the opponent’s
attack hit.
A back-row player or a Libero completes a block or participates in a completed block.
Blocking the opponent’s service.
The ball is sent “out” off the block
Blocking the ball in the opponent’s space from outside the antenna.
A Libero attempts an individual or collective block