KGV volleyball rules
Volleyball is played with a round ball and 2 teams of 6 active players on a court separated by a high net.
The object of the game is to hit the ball over the net scoring points by either grounding the ball on the other team's side of the court or when the opposing team makes an error.
Teams have contact with the ball no more than 3 times in a row before it must cross the net. Consecutive contacts with the ball on the same team must be made by different players. The ball is usually played with hands or arms but players can legally strike or push (short contact) the ball with any part of their body.
Serving
To start the game a player from the serving team (server) throws the ball up into the air and attempts to hit it so that the ball passes over the net (the serve), aiming for it to land in the opposing team's court. The opposing team defends their court by returning the ball using no more than 3 contacts in a row to the server's side of the net.
The game then continues rallying back and forth until the ball touches the court within the boundaries, or until an error is made.
The ball must be served from behind the "restraining line" (end line of the court) where the server must stay until they contact the ball in the serve. The ball can be served under- or over-handed and it must be clearly visible to the opposing team before serving.
The first game serve is determined by a volley with each following game being served by the losing team of the previous game. A served ball may "graze" the net and drop to the other side to score a point. The serve must be returned by a bump only. Setting or attacking a serve is not allowed.
When a team wins the serve, players rotate clockwise so that serving the ball is shared among team members. There are 4 to 6 players on each side.
Rallying
Three hits of the ball are allowed per side by different players. A player cannot hit the ball twice in a row. A block is not considered a hit.
If 2 or more players contact the ball at the same time it is considered 1 hit, but the players involved cannot participate in the next play of the ball. A legal hit is physical contact with the ball by a player's body that does not allow the ball to visibly come to a stop.
The ball may be played off the net during a volley or serve. Switching positions on your team's court is only permitted after the serve and only allowed between frontline players.
Errors
The basic violations of the game are:
- stepping on or over the line while serving the ball
- failing to serve the ball over the net successfully
- hitting the ball illegally by carrying, palming or throwing it
- touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play*
- reaching over the net except when executing a follow-through shot or when blocking a ball in the opponent's court that is being returned after contact
- reaching under the net if it interferes with the ball or an opposition player
- failing to serve in the correct order
- blocks or spikes from a position that is clearly not behind the 10-foot line while in a back row position.
* No foul is called if the ball is driven into the net with such force that it causes contact with an opposing player.
Scoring
Rally scoring is used with a point scored for every score of the ball. The offensive team scores on a defensive miss or an out of bounds hit. The defensive team scores on an offensive miss, out of bounds hit or a serve into the net.
The game is played in sets. Sets 1 and 2 = 20 points with the third set = 15 points or until the time of the game is up.
Links
Last updated: Friday, 24 May 2013