Volleyball rules for beginners

Scoring

• Every rally wins a point (rally point scoring), whoever served.
• A set is won by the first team to 25 points with a 2-point lead (25-23, 26-24...).
• A match is best of five sets; the deciding fifth set goes to 15 points, still 2 clear.

The court and the net

The court is 18 m x 9 m. The attack line, 3 m from the net, separates the front zone from the back zone. Lines are part of the court: a ball touching the line is in.

Playing the ball

• Each team may touch the ball up to three times before sending it over (a block does not count as one of the three).
• A player may not touch the ball twice in a row (except after a block).
• The ball must be hit cleanly, not caught or thrown.
• Touching the net between the antennas while playing the ball is a fault.

Rotation, serving and the libero

• Six players stand in two rows of three. When a team wins the serve back, its players rotate one position clockwise, and the player moving to the back right serves.
• Serve from behind the end line within 8 seconds of the referee's whistle; the ball must clear the net into the opponents' court.
• Back-row players may not attack the ball above the net from in front of the attack line.
• The libero is a defensive specialist in a different colour shirt who plays only in the back row and may not attack the ball from above net height.

Tips for beginners

• Use the forearm pass (dig) for low balls: arms straight, platform flat, move your feet to the ball.
• Aim for pass, set, hit: use all three touches.
• Call for the ball loudly ("Mine!") so team-mates don't collide.