Social sports club in Wimbledon, London

Volleyball Rules

The volleyball court is divided into 2 equal sides, divided by a net.

There are 2 teams of 6 players.

The players on each team spread themselves out on their side of the court. Usually 3 stand directly in front of the net (these are the "front row players"), and 3 stand further back away from the net near the back of the court (these are the "back row players").

One team starts with the ball. The back row player farthest to the right starts the game by serving from just behind the court line.

Serving involves hitting the ball either underarm or overarm so that it goes over the net into the opponents' side of the court.

Your team wins a point if the ball hits the ground within your opponents' side of the court.

Obviously your opponents want to prevent this, so they must try to hit the ball back over the net onto your side of the court where they would gain a point if it hit the ground within your side of the court.

Each team is allowed up to 3 touches of the ball before it goes over the net to the other side, and players can use any part of their body above the waist. Players are NOT allowed to use their legs. A player can't hit the ball twice in a row during your team's allowed 3 touches of the ball.

If a player from your team touches/hits the ball and it lands on the ground on your side of the court or on the ground anywhere outside the court then your opponents' team wins a point.

If the ball goes outside the confines of your side of the court then you are allowed to go outside the court lines and continue play as normal, as long as you don't go onto the opponents' side of the court. If you hit the ball over the net from outside the court lines then it will only be allowed if it passes clearly over the net (and NOT around the side of the net).

If a player from your team touches the net then your opponents' team wins a point.

If a player from your team interferes with opponent players either under or over the net then your opponents' team wins a point. It's essential to keep the game friendly.

When a team wins a point they rotate their positions one place clockwise, and they get to serve the ball. If that team already served for the previous rally then the team do NOT rotate their positions, and the same player serves again. To keep the game friendly a player can only serve a maximum of 5 serves in a row, after which the team rotates positions and the next player on that team serves.

The first team to win 25 points wins the game.

If both teams have 24 points during a game then they keep playing until one team gets 2 points ahead. (This is similar to the "deuce/advantage" system in tennis.)

Simple eh?!
Just a couple more things to know:

If your team serves & the ball touches the net then the opponents' team wins a point, even if the ball still goes over to the opponents' side. Note that it's ok for the ball to touch the net at any time after the serve.

When your opponents serve, your setters can't block the serve at the net so that the ball goes straight back over the net.

If your opponents are about to smash (hit) the ball downwards onto your side of the court then you can jump in front of them (on your side of the net obviously) with your hands raised to block the smash, and if the ball hits any part of you and stays in the air on your side of the court then that doesn't count as a touch (so your team still has 3 touches of the ball left before hitting the ball back over the net).

If a player from your team hits the ball so high that it hits the ceiling or any fixtures (regardless of above which side of the court) then your opponents' team wins a point.

Players can't hold the ball during play. Contacts with the ball must be quick & clean.

** Please also read our Safety + Disclaimer page. Click here to see it. **