APPLETON NORTH
VOLLEYBALL STUDY GUIDE
HISTORY
William J. Morgan invented the game of volleyball in 1895. He developed the game to provide
an indoor game for the winter months in which relatively large groups could participate in a small
area. The principle features of tennis were employed, but the net was raised and the players
struck the inside of a basketball with their hands instead of a racket.
COURT AND EQUIPMENT
The game of volleyball, for men and women, is played on a rectangular court divided by a tightly
stretched net. The top of the net is 7 feet 11 inches from the floor for men and 7 feet 4 inches for
women. A backcourt spiking line is drawn across the court, 10 feet or 3 meters from and parallel
to the centerline (the line directly under the net). The entire court measures 60 feet long and 30
feet wide.
3 meter line
30
feet
wide
Net
3 meter line
60 feet in length
THE GAME
Six players constitute a team: three frontline players and three backline players. In a basic 5-1
offense, there are 5 hitters and 1 setter. The left front is called the strong side hitter; the center
front is called the middle hitter or middle blocker; and the right front is called the weak side
hitter. When the setter is in the front row, she/he plays in the right front position
Play begins with a serve by the person in the right back position. The server stands with both feet
behind endline. The serve consists of hitting the ball out of the hand or off of a toss (it may not
be bounced) over the net into the opponent’s court. Players on both the receiving team and
serving team must be in proper service rotation at the time of the serve. The receiving team must
return the ball over the net before it touches the floor. Each team may hit the ball a maximum of
three times while trying to return the ball into the opponent’s court. The ball is volleyed back and
forth over the net until one team commits a fault or is unable to return the ball under the rules of
the game. When the serving team commits an error, a “side-out” is awarded to the receiving
team. Both the serving team and receiving team can score a point following the conclusion of the
volley when using the rally scoring system (you do not have to serve to score a point).
The ball must be cleanly hit in volleyball. The ball may not come to rest momentarily in the arms
or hands. A player may not hit the ball twice in succession (except after a block or when playing
a hard driven spike). Following a side-out, the team winning the serve must rotate clockwise
before serving. Once again, each player must be in the correct position at the time of the serve.
However, after the serve the players may exchange positions. Back row players may play a ball
in front of the ten-foot line (attack line). In fact, they may return the ball over the net in front of
the ten-foot line, but they may not return the ball in front of this line if the ball is higher then the
net or they may not participate in a block in front of this line.
SIMPLIFIED RULES OF THE GAME
The penalty for practically every foul is a point awarded to the opposing team and a loss of the
serve (side-out).
1. Volleyball is a game played by two teams of six players each. One team serves the ball over
the net, trying to make it land within the opponent’s court. The receiving team tries to return
the ball over the net in such a manner that it will land within the serving team’s court.
2. A point is awarded to a team when the opponent violates a rule or is unable to return the ball
over the net under the rules.
3. A side-out shall be declared when the serving team is unable to send the ball over the net
under the rules stated. The ball is given to the receiving team and a point is awarded to them.
4. A game is played to 25 points and the winning team is ahead by at least 2 points. A match is
either the best out of three games or the best out of 5 games.
5. Out-of-bounds include: a) the walls, floor, or objects outside the court b) the net and net post
completely outside the vertical tape markers, which hang above the side boundary lines c) the
ceiling or objects suspended from the ceiling.
6. A ball striking the ceiling or an overhead obstruction, above a playable surface, shall remain
in play, provided the ball contacts the ceiling or obstruction on the side of the net occupied by
the team which played it last and provided the ball is legally played next by the same team.
7. The positions of the players in order of serve shall be: right back, right forward, center
forward, left forward, left back and center back. All players, except the server, shall be
within the team’s playing area and may have any part of the body on the boundary line, or
center line, but no part of the body shall be touching the floor outside those line at the time of
the serve. After the serve players may move from their positions.
8. The serve initiates play. The server may hit the ball with one or both hands. He/she may use
his/her fist, open hand, or arms to contact the ball, while it is held or after it is tossed or
dropped. It is illegal to serve after the ball has bounced. After the referee signals for the
serve, the server has 5 seconds to initiate the serve. The server continues to serve until
his/her team commits an error or the game ends.
9. A served ball is illegal and becomes dead if:
a. Touches the floor on the server’s side of the net
b. Touches a teammate
c. Crosses the net completely outside of the boundary lines
d. Touches the ceiling or and overhead obstruction
e. Contacts the ball outside of the service area
f. Server swings and misses the ball
g. Not served in 5 seconds
**Reminder: a ball that hits the net and lands in is called “in bounds”
10. Player positions
a. Front line players may contact the ball from any position inside or outside the court.
b. Back line players, while positioned behind the spiking (attack) line, may contact and
return the ball from any position inside or outside the court.
c. A back line player may not participate in a block or spike; and may not return a ball
that is higher then the net when they are on or in front of the spiking line.
11. A ball is dead if it:
a. Crosses the net outside the out of bounds markers
b. Passes under the net
c. Land out of bounds
d. Contacts the ceiling or an obstruction (and is not legally played by the offending
team)
e. Contacts the ceiling or an obstruction after the third hit
f. Becomes motionless (this results in a replay)
12.
13.
14.
15.
g. Touches the floor
h. Touches a player below the waist
A legal hit is contact with the ball by a player above the waist which does not allow the ball
to visibly come to rest or make multiple contacts (there are some exceptions to multiple
contacts).
a. Blocking is a play about arms length from the net, in which, the player’s hands are
raised above the head in an attempt to:
i. Prevent the ball from crossing the net
ii. Deflect the motion of the ball in order to make an easier play for a teammate
iii. Make the hitter change his/her hitting angle
b. Passing/Setting are plays in which the ball is hit into the air so teammates can get
into position to make the next hit.
c. Spiking is a play, in which, the ball is hit forcibly downward into the opponent’s
court. Footwork approach includes the following for a right handed swinger (Left,
right , together, up)
Contacts – A team shall not play the ball more than three times before it crosses the net into
the opponent’s court except:
a. when the first contact is a block (a block does not count as one of your three hits
b. when there are simultaneous contacts by teammates or opponents
Player contacts:
a. Simultaneous contact include:
i. Hitting two body parts at the same instant
ii. Teammates contacting the ball at the same instant
iii. Opponents contacting the ball at the same instant
b. Successive contacts of the ball are two touches of the ball by one player with no
interrupting touch by a different player between touches. A player may not touch the
ball twice in a row unless there is:
i. Simultaneous contact with a teammate or opponent
ii. Successive contacts of the ball by a player whose first contact is a block
c. Multiple contacts of the ball are multiple touches by a player during one play on the
ball. Multiple contacts are illegal except:
i. When the ball rebounds from one body part to another in an attempt to save a
hard driven spike, not previously touched. (This will count only as one
contact)
ii. When the ball rebounds from one body part to another in an attempt to block.
(Remember a block does not count as one of your three contacts).
Net play – Reaching over the net during play is permitted on a follow-through of a hit and
during an attempted or successful block.
a. Blocking – A ball, which is entirely on the opponent’s side of the net, is permitted
when the opposing team has had an opportunity to complete its attack. An attack is
completed when:
i. Opposing team has used all their contacts
ii. Opposing team is spiking the ball or it is obvious they are attempting to send
the ball over the net
iii. No member on the opposing team can make a play on the ball with
reasonable effort
***You can not block or spike a served ball.