Volleyball Rules

Playing Area
Court: 60’ long * 30’ wide
lines: 2" wide measured from outside for boundaries & spiking line. boundary lines are inbounds.
center line: 2" wide beneath net from sideline to sideline dividing court into 2 areas measured from middle
Attack line: 10’ from center line on both sides; extendes indefinitely beyond sidelines

NET
- net not less than 32’ in length; 39’ in width throughout full length when stretched
- height from center of court 7’ 11 - 5/8" for men 7’ 4 - 1/8" for women. 2 ends of net must be at same height from playing area & can’t exceed regulation height by more than ¾"

Ball
ball: spherical w/ laceless leather or leather-like cover of 12 or more pieces of uniform light color w/ or w/o separate bladder

Rights & Duties of Players & Team Personnel
- all players are to know & abide by rules of game
- team discipline: captains responsible for discipline & proper conduct of their team
- spokesman: captain is only player who may address referee & is spokesperson of team

Time-Outs: requests for time-outs may be made by captain when ball is dead
- each team has 2 time-outs in each game; consecutive time-outs may be taken w/o any play; length of time-out is 1 min.
- If captain inadvertently calls 3rd time-out, time-out denied & pt. awarded to other team.
- Players aren’t allowed to leave gymnasium during time-out

Penalties: following acts of coaches, substitutes & team members subject to sanction
- addressing official concerning their decision
- making profane or vulgar remarks or acts to officials, opponents or spectators
- commiting actions to influence decision of officials
- crossing vertical plane of net w/ any part of body to distract opponent while ball is in play
- shouting or yelling to distract opponent who’s playing or attempting to play ball
- clapping hands at instant of contact w/ ball by player, particularly during reception of service
- shouting or taking any action conducive to distracting referee’s judgment concerning handling of ball

Improper Requests: any improper request for substitution is penalized w/ time-out ex.
- requesting time-out, substitution, lineup check after referee’s whistle for service
- not following proper substitution
- 2nd request for substitution during same dead ball period w/o intervening time-out
- request for extra time-out

Delay of Game Penalty: charged time-out
- delay in completing substitution
- delay in returning to play after time-out
- delay in moving to positions for serving or receiving after completion of rally
- action by player which creates unnecessary delay in start of play
- player on court wearing jewelry

Teams
Players Equipment
- no jewelry. medical or religious medallions must be removed from chains & taped or sewn under uniform
- hair barrettes permitted as means of securing hair. head sweatband or bandanna worn as sweatband is permitted. hats & other bandannas aren’t.
- guard, cast or brace made of hard & unyielding leather, plaster, pliable plastic, metal, or any other hard substance, even though covered w/ foam padding isn’t permitted on finger, hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow.
- supports permitted on other parts of body as long as they are soft & yielding or all exposed metal & hard parts padded w/ atleast ½ " foam rubber (or ¼" closed cell, slow recovery foam rubber)

Composition of Teams & Substitutions: team shall consist of 6 players max. on court
- substitution of players may be made when ball is dead on request of referee or umpire. team has unlimited # of substitutions
- player starting game may be replaced & subsequently reenter game, but in original position in serving order in relation to other teammates. starter & substitute may replace each other 3 times throughout game. there may be unlimited # of players participating in any 1 position in service order. if illegal substitution request is made request is refused & team charged w/ delay
- if player becomes injured & can’t continue playing w/ in 1 min. such must be replaced. after that period if team desires player to remain in game & if player can’t continue to play immediately team must use charged time-out. If player is replaced regardless of time required to safely remove player from court, no time-out will be charged.
- if through accident or injury player is unable to play & substitution can’t be made under last one such player may be replaced in following priority w/o penalty (injured player can’t participate in rest of game) 1) by any substitute who hasn’t participated in game 2) by player who played in position of injured player 3) by any substitute regardless of previous position.

Error In Position Or Illegal Player In Game: when player is found to be illegally in game or has entered in wrong position in service order, play must be stopped, player(s) removed & error corrected
- if team at fault is serving at time of discovery of error, side out declared & all pts. scored during term of service canceled.
- if team at fault is receiving & discovery is after opponents have served, all pts. scored by offending team is retained. serving team shall receive pt. unless discovery of error is immediately following play in which serving team scored pt. in such case no additional pts. will be awarded. wrong position will be corrected & play continued w/o further penalty.
- if it isn’t possible to determine when error 1st occurred, team in error shall resume correct postion(s). if offending team is serving, side out shall be declared & only last pt. removed. If other team is serving, it shall be awarded a pt. unless play immediately preceding discovery of error in position or player illegally in game resulted in pt.

Team Areas, Duration Of Matches And Interruptions of Play
# Of Games: all matches will consist of best 2 of 3 games or best 3 out of 5 games, depending on league rules

Choice Of Playing Area & Serve: captains will call toss of coin. winner of toss chooses 1) 1st serve 2) receive 1st serve 3) choice of court for 1st game. loser may choose 1 of remaining options.

Choice of Playing Area For Deciding Game: before beginning of deciding game of match, referee makes new toss of coin w/ options described above. captain of visiting will call toss.

Change Of Playing Area Btwn. Games: after each game of match, except when deciding game is required, teams will change playing areas & benches.

Time Btwn. Games Of Match: max. of 3 min. is allowed btwn. games in match

Interruptions Of Play: as soon as referee notices injured player or foreign object on court which could create hazard, play will be stopped & play-over will resume.

Commencement Of Play & Service
Service: service is act of putting ball into play by player in right back position who his ball w/ hand (open or closed) or any part of arm in effort to direct ball into opponent’s area.
- server has 5 sec. after referee’s readiness to serve whistle in which to realease or toss ball for service
- after being clearly released or thrown hand(s) of server, ball shall be hit cleanly for service
- at instant ball is hit for service, server can’t have any portion of body in contact w/ end line, court or floor outside lines marking service area. at instant of service, server may stand on or btwn. 2 lines or their extensions which mark service area.
- serve is good if ball goes over net btwn. antennae or their indefinite extensions w/o touching net or other objects.
- if ball is served before whistle, server shall be canceled & reserve directed. referee won’t allow more than 1 time for player to delay game in this manner.
Serving Faults: referee will signal side-out if & direct change in service to other team when 1 of following occur 1) ball touches net 2) ball goes under net 3) ball touches antennae or doesn’t pass over net completely btwn. antennas or their indefinite extensions 4) ball touches player on serving team or any object before entering opponent’s playing area 5) ball lands outside opponent’s playing area

Duration Of Service: player continues to serve until fault is committed by serving team

Serving Out Of Order: if team serves out of order, team loses serve & any pts. gained during such out of order service. players must immediately resume their correct positions on court.

Service In Subsequent Games: team not serving 1st in preceding game of match shall serve 1st in next game of match except in deciding game.

Change of Service: team that receives ball rotates on their 1st opportunity to serve.

Screening: player(s) of serving team must not, through screening, prevent receiving player from watching trajectory of serve. screening is illegal & fault.

Positions Of Players At Service: at time ball is contacted for serve, placement of players on court must conform to service order as followers
- in front line, center forward (3) can’t be as near right side as right forward (2) nor as near left side as left forward (4). in back line, center back (6) can’t be as near left side as left back (5) or right side as (1). no back line player may be as near net as corresponding front row player. After ball is contacted for serve players may move.
- serving order must remain same until game is completed.
- before start of new game, serving order may be changed.