Essential Volleyball Rules and Fundamental Techniques

Volleyball Match Rules and Scoring

Basic Scoring Principles

• You score a point when the opponent team cannot return the volleyball over the net or prevent it from touching the court surface.
• You do not need to have possession of the ball to score.
• The first team to score 25 points by a margin of two points wins the set.
• The team that wins three out of five sets wins the volleyball match.
• There is no time limit for a volleyball match.

Match Structure and Setup

• There are two-minute breaks between each set; teams switch court sides after each break.
• Team captains flip a coin to determine which side will serve first.
• Each team has six players on the court, typically arranged in two rows of three players.

Volleyball Faults

A fault occurs when:

• The ball is held, thrown, or pushed.
• A team contacts the ball more than three times consecutively. (The exception is when the first contact is a block.)
• A player touches the ball twice in succession, or the ball touches the body twice in succession.
• Players are out of position at the moment of service.
• A player touches the net during play.
• A player attacks the ball above the opponent's court or steps into an opponent’s court.

Fundamental Volleyball Techniques

The Serve: Starting Play

The serve begins play and can be a decisive factor in a game. A missed serve counts as a fault.

There are many types of serves, including:

• Underhand
• Sidearm
• Overhand (standing or jumping)

The Forearm Pass (The Dig)

Use the forearm pass to receive a serve or a low hit ball. Proper technique is crucial:

• Place your body low, extend your forearms, and pass the ball up to the setter.
• Position is fundamental: Your feet must be shoulder-width apart. You must wait for the ball leaning forwards on your toes with a semi-flexion of your knees to react quickly.
• Join your hands together, making a fist with one hand and wrapping the palm of your other hand around it.
• Let the ball hit you in the middle part of your forearms simultaneously.
• Press the wrists and hands down to fully extend the arms.
• Bend your knees before the ball gets to you so that you can absorb the serve and keep the ball in your court.

A common mistake is to hit the ball with your wrists or hands. This often makes the ball bounce with an unpredictable trajectory and go out of your court.

The Set: Overhead Passing

The set is an overhead pass. With it, the setter passes the ball with a high arc to front-line players for them to spike.

There are many different types of sets: to the front, to the side, to the back, etc.

To execute a proper set:

• Raise your hands about 15 cm above your head with your thumbs on the bottom.
• Your thumbs and index fingers must form a triangle, and your hands must mimic the shape of the ball.
• Go to the ball and get under it, facing the direction to which you want to pass it.
• Bend your elbows and your knees.
• You must hit the ball with both hands together and simultaneously. Do not let the ball touch your palm. This is called a push, which is a violation. If you hold the ball or strike it unevenly, you will be in violation.
• Receive the ball over your head, and act as a spring.
• All the following parts of your body must extend with the ball when you are doing a set: first your legs, afterwards your upper body and arms, and finally your wrists and fingers.

The Spike (The Smash)

The spike is a powerful overhand smash into the opposite court.

• The spiker steps toward the net, jumps high in the air, and swings his or her arm powerfully toward the ball to smash it. The spiker must be careful not to touch the net.
• Front row players can attack the ball from anywhere on the court. Back row players can only attack from behind the three-meter line.
• Approach the net and in the last step, place both feet at the same time on the floor. Swing both arms back to help you with the jump.
• Jump with both feet, as you aim for the ball with your left hand (if you are right-handed).
• In the air, bring your right hand to your ear, and your elbow back. Bring your left arm down and hit the ball with your right palm. Your arm must be fully extended.
• You must hit the ball in front of your head, not above it, so it goes straight to the floor.
• Do not touch the net, and land on both feet.

Player Positions and Rotation

There are six positions in the court: three in the front line and three in the back line.

Players must keep their positions before the other team serves. After the server hits the ball, players can move freely.

Starting at the serving position and going counterclockwise, the positions are numbered 1–6. Number one is the server, and number two is the front line player.

The Server

The server stands with both feet in the “service area”: behind the baseline of the volleyball court. One player serves continuously until his or her team commits a fault, after which the opposite team rotates and serves the ball.