GUIDE FOR BEGINNER VOLLEYBALL REFEREES Chapter 3: Basic Volleyball Rules

THE COURT: RULE 2-1  Lines = 2” (5cm) wide  Free space = at least 6’ (2m) around court  Attack line = 10’ (3m) from center line  Service area = width of court, defined by hash marks

3 Bench Benches & Substitution Zone SK Table

4 Bench Libero Replacements SK Table

OVERHEAD OBSTRUCTIONS: RULE 2-2  Ceiling/overhead obstruction is playable provided the team has a hit remaining  Ball hits ceiling then crosses net = OUT  Ball crosses net then hits ceiling = OUT

VERTICAL BACKBOARD: RULE 2-3-1H  Raised horizontal = overhead obstruction; playable  Vertical position = dead ball; possible replay

THE NET: RULE 3-1  Net, including antennas  Referee stand/platform  Proper padding on equipment

OTHER GAME EQUIPMENT  Game balls  Scoreboard or flip score  Game clock or timing device  Scoring materials

POINT, SET AND MATCH  “Rally scoring” is used – a point is scored each serve  Sets are played to 25 points, win by two; no point cap  Deciding sets are played to 15 points (best of 3, the deciding set is played to 25), win by two; no point cap  A match consists of best three of five sets; first team to win three sets wins the match  Best two of three sets may be played in regular-season tournaments or sub-varsity matches

TEAM COMPOSITION: RULE 6-1  Coach(es)  Players and substitutes  Team personnel:  Team manager(s)  Athletic trainers  Statisticians  Roster and lineups

COACHES: RULE  Head coach may:  stand during play at least 6 feet from sideline in the libero replacement zone  request substitutions, time-outs, lineup checks  may ask for rule clarification  Assistant coaches and other personnel sit on bench, except to:  participate in timeouts  greet players at bench  spontaneously react to outstanding plays

PLAYERS & SUBSTITUTES: RULE 6-2 & 6-3  Six players on the court at a time; may play with fewer than six due to injury/illness  One player is designated as the team captain; if captain is not on the court, another player is designated as game captain  Substitutes must be seated on the team bench or may stand in a non-playable area to warm-up before entering court  Substitutes may stand briefly to react to an outstanding play or to greet a player leaving the court

THE LIBERO: RULE  Back-row defensive specialist  Different jersey than rest of team; shorts must be the same  May replace a back-row player; does not count as a substitution  Replacements occur between end line and attack line when ball is out of play  May serve in one position in service order for any player or substitute in that position  May not block/attempt to block  May not “set” the ball to a teammate while in front zone  Completed rally must occur between replacements except when on-court libero’s next action is to serve

PLAYER POSITIONS: RULES &  Three front-row, three back-row players  Right-back is serving position  Right Back (pos 1), Right Front (pos 2), Center Front (pos 3), Left Front (pos 4), Left Back (pos 5), Center Back (pos 6)  Players may move after service contact but must be in service order at moment of serve  Front row players must be closer to center line than corresponding back-row player (RF-RB, CF-CB, LF-LB)  Left-side players must be closer to left sideline than adjacent center players (LF- CF, LB-CB)  Right-side players must be closer to right sideline than adjacent center players (RF-CF, RB-CB)

ROSTERS & LINEUPS: RULES 7-1-1, &  Rosters  Due at least 10 minutes before end of timed pre- match warm-ups  Liberos may be listed with two numbers  Accuracy verified by referees and/or scorer  Lineups  Pre-match: Due at least two minutes before end of timed pre-match warm-ups  During match: Due at least one minute before the expiration of the interval between sets

TIME-OUTS, SUBSTITUTIONS & SET INTERVALS: RULES 10 & 11  Time-outs  Two per team per set  60 seconds each  Substitutions  18 per team per set  Requested by the head coach OR when a substitute enters the substitution zone  Set intervals  3 minutes between sets  Extended interval permitted between Sets 2 & 3, maximum of 5 minutes

CONDUCT SANCTIONS: RULE 12  Unsporting conduct includes actions considered unbecoming to an ethical, fair and honorable individual; includes taunting, tobacco use (See Rules & )  Sanction levels:  Yellow card (warning) – first minor offense  Red card (penalty) – first serious or second minor offense; loss of rally/point awarded to opponent  Disqualification – first flagrant, second serious or third minor offense; loss of rally/point awarded to opponent; offender may not participate in remainder of match  Conduct sanctions are recorded on the scoresheet

UNNECESSARY DELAY SANCTIONS: RULE  Delays to the resumption of play, such as:  Repeated improper substitution procedures  Illegal substitution or libero replacement  Player wearing illegal uniform or equipment  Unnecessary delay warning – first occurrence in a set  Unnecessary delay penalty – subsequent occurrence in a set; loss of rally/point for the opponent  Unnecessary delay/administrative sanctions are recorded on the scoresheet

PLAYING ACTIONS  Serving  Screening  Team hits & contacting the ball  Blocking  Play at the net

THE SERVE: RULE 8  Takes place in the service zone, anywhere behind the end line, by the player in right-back position  Occurs after the first referee whistles and beckons  5 seconds to contact the ball  Re-serve permitted; one per player per term of service; 5 seconds  Served ball touches net and crosses – LEGAL  Serving before the authorization for serve – no penalty, re-authorize  Server may not touch end line or outside service zone hash marks at moment of contact with the ball for service  Jump serve – take off behind end line, may land inside court

SCREENING: RULE 6-5  Action that prevents opponent from seeing the contact of the serve or flight path of the served ball  Potential screen exists when:  a group of two or more players stand close together and the ball is served over them  players from serving team wave arms, jump, move sideways or stand close to server, AND the ball is served over these player(s)

CONTACTING THE BALL: RULE 9-4  Maximum of three team hits to return ball to the opponent; block does not count as a team hit  Ball may touch any part of the body  Ball cannot be caught/thrown; no prolonged contact; may not come to rest  Multiple contacts – only permitted during blocking or first team contact  Simultaneous contact by teammates – LEGAL, and either player may make next team hit  Successive contacts

BLOCKING: RULE  Deflect the ball coming from the opponent  Player(s) must be near the net, reaching higher than top of the net  Does not count as one of team’s three allowable hits  Blocker may make team’s first contact after blocking the ball  Completed block – a blocker touches the ball  Back-row players may NOT participate in a completed a block  Libero may NOT attempt to block or participate in a completed block

PLAY AT THE NET: RULES 9-5 & 9-6  Ball must cross net entirely between antennas  Fault for player to touch any part of the net, cables or antennas during play  Center line – legal to touch floor beyond center line with foot/feet/hand(s) provided part of foot/feet or hand/hands remains on/above center line  Fault to touch opponent’s court with any other body part  Legal for player to cross center line extension outside court  Back-row player may not complete attack-hit in front of attack line when ball is completely higher than top of net

SUMMARY  Study, study, study  Be a Student of the Game  Review rules book and case book throughout the season  Have rules discussions with fellow referees  Challenge yourself with quizzes, exams and online resources