BASIC RULES OF VOLLEYBALL (WITH PICTURES) - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The rules volleyball are a set of rules and parameters that are the essence of this sport; These regulations are mandatory when practicing it, since they allow to maintain order and discipline during the sporting match.

These rules include that there must be only six participants per team, that the playing field must be a rectangle 9 meters wide and 18 meters long, and that the net that separates both sides of the court must have a maximum height of 2.24 meters for women's teams and 2.43 meters for men's teams.

In volleyball the main objective is to pass the ball through the net and make it land on the ground of the opposing team. Source: pixabay.com

In general, volleyball or volleyball is a sport that is played with one ball and in which there are two teams. The main objective of this sport is to pass the ball over the net, making it reach the ground corresponding to the opposing team's area; the latter must prevent the ball from falling into their territory.

Volleyball rules

- The ball

Volleyball ball illustration. Angelo gelmi

Previously, the ball was a single color, however, starting in 1998, the combination of other colors was allowed. The volleyball ball must be spherical and its outer surface must be made of synthetic material or leather, seamless and lightly padded.

The volleyball ball is noticeably lighter and smaller than soccer or basketball balls, and inside there is a rubber chamber that remains filled with air.

The measurements are usually between 67 and 65 centimeters in circumference, while its weight remains between 260 and 280 grams. On the other hand, its internal pressure should be between 0.325 and 0.300 square centimeters.

As for the brand of the ball, it must be approved by the national volleyball associations according to their own jurisdiction. At the international level there are certain game balls that have been approved and that differ in some details, such as the material of manufacture and the color. In international games these balls will be used.

It is important to add that the general principles about weight and measurements are strictly the same for all these balls.

- Players

As for the players, each team must have six participants - numbered 1 to 6-, who can be substituted under certain conditions or parameters. Three of the players have to form the front line, whose task is to attack and block.

The three remaining players stand behind and must act as backs or defenders; In addition to defending and receiving the opponent's service, these players prepare new counterattacks.

In total, a complete team can be made up of 14 players, of which two are Liberos. They also have a trainer, a masseur, an assistant trainer and a doctor.

Similarly, each participant must be identified with a different number from one to twenty; this number appears on both the front and the back of the shirt.

One of the participants must be the captain of the team and must be identified with a visible band that will be placed under the number assigned to him. Liberos cannot be captains and must wear a different uniform, generally in different colors from the rest of the group.

Positions

There are 6 positions for volleyball players, which are placed on the front line and on the back line.

In the front line we find the attackers (they finish plays), blockers (they block opponent's plays) or setters (they place the ball to finish off). The positions for the players in front are, starting from the right, 2,3 and 4.

In the back line we find defenders (they move the ball in the back part of the field), defense specialists (they only act as defenders) and libero (they stand in the back central part and work defensively). In the back end the positions, starting from the left, are 5, 6, 1.

- Game

druchoy / Andrew Choy

The purpose of the volleyball game is for a team to pass the ball over the net so that it touches the ground where the opposing team is located. The objective is also to prevent the opposing team from doing the same on their own ground.

Each team can touch the ball three times to pass it to the opponent's court, in addition to the blocking contact. The ball enters the game through a service that must be propitiated by one of the players, who has to try to send the ball towards the opponent's court.

Play continues until the ball hits the pavement, goes out of bounds, or a team fails to return it. The team that scores the point is the one that wins the rally.

When the team that did not serve wins the point, they also get the service for the next point. After this, the players must rotate clockwise.

- Rotations

In this example the player from position 2 moves to position 1, where he will serve.

In volleyball, when the opponent loses the service, the team that has won the point rotates its players clockwise. In this way, all the players - except the libero - will have to go through all the positions.

Rotation fouls are committed when the service is taken without respecting the rotation order. In the example in the image, a fault would have been committed if the player in position 3 had served after winning the service to the rival team. In this case the point is lost and the order of rotation is rectified.

This rule of the rotation allows that all the players have to develop skills in the different positions and at the time of serving.

- Track

David martin

The court or field of play where volleyball takes place must be a ring of eighteen meters long and nine meters wide, divided in the center with a net that defines the territory of the teams.

The game also takes place in the so-called free zone or outside, on the condition that the ball does not touch this ground or another component. It must have at least three meters; however, it can go up to five meters for the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) world competitions.

As for the free territory on the track, it must have a height of seven meters. However, in international competitions it can rise up to twelve and a half meters.

The treatment of the participants with the floor has to be continuous, although it is allowed to use some protection in the joints. As for the surface, it must not be slippery or rough.

Runway lines

The center line must run under the mesh and separates the field into two equal areas measuring 9 x 9 meters, each one destined for one of the teams.

Three meters away from the mesh, a line must be drawn that delimits the attack area, where the actions of the participants who are in defensive work are restricted.

These lines must extend to the outside of the track with broken lines and the boundaries they represent must also be projected onto the center line, even well beyond the previously drawn lines. All stripes must be two inches wide.

Areas and zones

The playing court has a free area that is at least three meters wide and where you can play with the ball.

If the court will be built in a sports hall or gym, it is recommended that it have a height of 7 meters that are free from the playing surface. There should be no obtrusive objects or artifacts such as baskets or rings on this surface.

Network

The net is located on the center line that subdivides the track and must not be higher than 2.43 meters for men and 2.24 meters for women.

This net must be placed on poles that are 2.55 meters high; however, in the youth category these heights may vary.

It should be one meter wide and ten meters long, so each side can protrude up to 50 centimeters from the side stripes.

Also, the net must be kept taut during the game. If the ball touches the net, this is not considered a foul and can be played again if the ball bounced. As for the squares of the net, these cannot have a dimension greater than ten centimeters on each side.

- Punctuation

Volleyball games have five blocks or sets of points; these receive the Anglo-Saxon name of set.

When a team accumulates three victorious sets, this side wins the game and the game is over. A group wins the set when it manages to reach or exceed 25 points with a 2 point advantage; that is: 25-23.

If a minor advantage occurs, such as 25-24, you would have to wait for the score to reach 26-24. Consequently, there must always be a difference of two points.

If necessary, a fifth set can be started whose objective is the tiebreaker. In this case, fifteen points are achieved, maintaining the two advantage points. Likewise, the fifth set has a much shorter duration.

The duration of volleyball matches varies greatly: three to five sets may be needed, which can last more than 2 hours.

The location within the field of play is drawn just before the start of the game, as well as the kick-off must also be drawn. At the beginning of each set, a change of location takes place within the field and the first serve alternates.

If a fifth set or a deciding set is required, a draw must be performed again and, in addition, a change of location must be made if point eight is reached by either team.

Recent new rules

In 2015 the volleyball rules were updated. In this new version the following parameters were added:

- Contact with the net by one of the participants between the mesh antennas during the game will be considered as a fault. In addition, the action of playing the ball must include take-off, hitting or attempted hitting, and landing.

- The fact of generating an unfair advantage over the opponent if he touches the net will also be considered a fault.

- It will be counted as a foul to grab the net or hold on to it during the match.

Violations that result in points for the opponent

In certain cases, one of the teams will receive points if the opposing team commits one of the following infractions:

- If the ball touches the ground within the court itself.

- If the ball ends up out of the playing court, either due to a wrong attack or due to a mistake when defending.

- If the participants are badly positioned at the time of the kickoff.

- If a participant penetrates the opponent's territory below the mesh or if a foot manages to cross the center line.

- If some kind of contact with the net is made when playing the ball, regardless of whether or not this interferes with the game.

References

1. SA (2017) The birth of volleyball. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 from Fox Sports: foxsports.com
2. SA (2018) Basic Volleyball and Terminology. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 from The Art of Coaching Volleyball: theartofcoachingvolleyball.com
3. SA (nd) Definition of volleyball: what it is, meaning and concept. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 Definition: definition.de
4. SA (sf) New Rules in Volleyball. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 from Strength and Power for Volleyball: strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com
5. SA (sf) New rules of the game implemented successfully. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 from FIVB: fivb.org
6. SA (sf) Volleyball. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org