Volleyball Rules
Here are the fundamental, must-know rules of a volleyball game:
• Only 6 players on the floor at any given time: 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row.
• Points are made on every serve for the winning team of the rally (rally-point scoring).
• Players may not hit the ball twice in succession (a block is not considered a hit).
• After three hits on the same side of the net/team, it is a dead ball and goes to the opposing team.
• If two teammates contact the ball simultaneously, it is counted as one hit and any player may play the ball next if it wasn’t the 3rd hit.
• The ball must be hit cleanly, not caught or thrown.
• Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.
• A ball hitting a boundary line is in/fair ball. The ball is “in” if the ball touches the floor of the playing court INCLUDING the boundary line (i.e. the ball is in bounds if it touches the court line).
• A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, or the ceiling.
• Hitting the ceiling is a dead ball and goes to the opposing team.
• A ball sent to the opponent’s playing area must pass over the net within the court sidelines and between the antennae if installed, without hitting the ceiling.
• The ball may touch the net while crossing it, if it falls in bounds.
• It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body, appropriately.
• A serve may be hit underhand or overhand, with the ball being hit with one hand. Serving a ball using a bump is not allowed.
o 3 rd -4th grade players can serve one line up from the back line.
o 5 th grade players must serve from the back line.
• The referee signals with a whistle blow when the server can serve after he/she has determined that the teams are in their proper positions and ready. A service before the referee’s whistle is canceled and repeated.
• After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.
• Rotating in Players: every time a rotation occurs, one player from the court rotates out of play and one player that was on the sidelines rotates into play of the game, at the designated position.
• Matches are made up of sets; Three-set matches are two sets to 25 points and a third set to 15 points. Each set must be won by two points. The first team to win two sets is the winner of the match.

Volleyball Rule Violations
Committing any of these volleyball rule violations results in a point for the opponent.
• Stepping on or across the service line when serving while making contact with the ball.
• Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.
• Ball-handling errors and contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)
• Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.
• Blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net if your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND has a player there to make a play on the ball.
• Attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court and contacting the ball when reaching over the net when the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.
• Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body, with the exception of a hand or foot. It is only considered a violation if the entire hand or entire foot crosses the court centerline.
• Serving out of rotation or out of order.