Court, net, and ball dimensions

Volleyball requires a minimum of equipment and space and can be played indoors or outdoors. The game is played on a smooth-surfaced court 9 meters (30 feet) wide by 18 meters (60 feet) long, divided by a center line into two equal areas, one of which is selected by or assigned to each of the two competing teams. Players may not step completely beyond the center line while the ball is in play. A line 3 meters (10 feet) from and parallel to the center line of each half of the court indicates the point in front of which a backcourt player may not drive the ball over the net from a position above the top of the net. (This offensive action, called a spike, or kill, is usually performed most effectively and with greatest power near the net by the forward line of players.)

A tightly stretched net is placed across the court exactly above the middle of the center line; official net heights (measured from the top edge of the net to the playing surface—in the middle of the court) are about 2.4 meters (8 feet) for men and 2.2 meters (7.4 feet) for women. Further adjustments in net height can be made for young people and others who need a lower net. A vertical tape marker is attached to the net directly above each side boundary line of the court, and, to help game officials judge whether served or volleyed balls are in or out of bounds, a flexible antenna extends 1 meter (3 feet) above the net along the outer edge of each vertical tape marker.

The ball used is around 260 to 280 grams (9 to 10 ounces) and is inflated to about 65 cm (25.6 inches) in circumference. A ball must pass over the net entirely between the antennae. A service area, traditionally 3 meters (10 feet) long, is marked outside and behind the right one-third of each court end line. At the 1996 Olympic Games the service area was extended to 9 meters (30 feet). The service must be made from within or behind this area. A space at least 2 meters (6 feet) wide around the entire court is needed to permit freedom of action, eliminate hazards from obstructions, and allow space for net support posts and the officials’ stands. A clear area above the court at least 8 meters (26 feet) high is required to permit the ball to be served or received and played without interference.

Positions

Informally, any number can play volleyball. In competition each team consists of six players, three of whom take the forward positions in a row close to and facing the net while the other three play in the backcourt. The positions are:

• Setter: leads the offense by setting the ball to a hitter and reading the opposing team’s defensive positioning
• Outside hitter/left side: operates in the forward-left position, receives serves and makes attack hits (striking the ball strategically over the net and into the opponent’s court)
• Opposite hitter/right side: attacks from the forward-right position and also blocks opponents’ shots
• Middle blocker/hitter: often among the tallest players, blocks opposing shots by jumping in the middle of the forward row with hands raised and also makes attacks
• Defensive specialist: positioned in the back row, helps to keep the ball in play for teammates by receiving serves and digging (handling aggressive hits from the opposing team)
• Libero: also a defensive specialist but one who does not rotate to the front line. The libero wears a different color from the rest of the team. In FIVB competition the libero does not serve, but other organizations, including the NCAA, allow the libero to serve under certain circumstances. The libero also may not complete an attack hit if the ball is above the net at the time of contact. The position was introduced to Olympic competition at the 2000 Olympics.

Gameplay, scoring, and rules

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Play is started when the right back (the person on the right of the second row) of the serving team steps outside the end line into the serving area and bats the ball with a hand, fist, or arm over the net into the opponents’ half of the court. The opponents receive the ball and return it across the net in a series of not more than three contacts with the ball. This must be done without any player catching or holding the ball while it is in play and without any player touching the net or entering the opponents’ court area.

The ball must not touch the floor, and a player may not touch the ball twice in succession. A player continues to serve until that player’s team makes an error, commits a foul, or completes the game. When the service changes, the receiving team becomes the serving team and its players rotate clockwise one position, the right forward shifting to the right-back position and then serving from the service area. Either team can score, with points being awarded for successfully hitting the ball onto the opposing side’s half of the court, as well as when the opposing side commits errors or fouls, such as hitting the ball out of bounds, failing to return the ball, contacting the ball more than three times before returning it, etc. Only one point at a time is scored for a successful play. A game is won by the team that first scores 25 points, provided the winning team is ahead by 2 or more points, except in the fifth set, when a team needs to score only 15 points and win by 2 points.