Outdoor Games
How to play Volleyball
Keep the ball off your floor and return it legally into the opposing court. Every rally earns a point; receiving teams rotate when gaining service.
What you need
Volleyball, net, marked 18×9-meter court and safe surrounding space; youth equipment may differ
Set up the game
- Make teams of six, with three front-row and three back-row positions. Record service order and toss for initial service/receive or side choice.
- The server stands behind the endline. Follow rotation order rather than letting whoever collects the ball serve.
Playing Volleyball
- Strike the tossed/released ball over the net to serve. A legal net-touching serve stays live.
- Use at most three team hits to return it, without catching or throwing. A block does not count among those three.
- Normally one player cannot hit twice consecutively; a blocker may take the next contact. First-contact allowances do not permit deliberately separate consecutive hits.
- A ball landing in the opposing court or an opponent’s fault wins the rally. Lines are in. An out ball last touching a defender loses the rally for that defender’s team.
- The rally winner serves. If previously receiving, rotate clockwise first. Win three sets: ordinary sets to 25, the deciding fifth to 15, always two clear with no ceiling.
A block leaves three hits
An opponent’s spike touches your legal block and rebounds onto your side. You pass it upward, a teammate sets, and another returns it. That is legal because the block was separate from the three team hits. If the original contact had been an ordinary defensive pass rather than a block, it would already have used one of the three.
Manage play near the net
Contact with the net between antennae during the action of playing the ball is a fault. Do not cross beneath and interfere with opponents. Only front-row players may complete a block, and an opponent’s serve cannot be blocked. Libero replacements and restrictions are separate; begin a practice with six ordinary rotating players before adding that specialist role. Mark positions so a new server can find the correct place.
Beginner decisions
- Pass high enough toward a teammate to organize the attack. A rushed return gives your side no opportunity to choose a placement.
- Call “mine” early when two players could receive. The call should prevent a collision, not claim balls beyond your reach.
- On an easy return look for an uncovered area. Keeping a controlled ball in often pressures a beginner defense more than a hard, inaccurate swing.
Common rule mix-ups
- Rotating after a point won while already serving.
- Counting a block as the first of the three hits.
Questions about this game
Can a foot contact the ball?
Yes, any body part may contact it legally, subject to the other playing rules.
May back-row players attack?
Yes, with restrictions. A completed above-net attack from the front zone by a back-row player is a fault.
Sources and edition notes
FIVB indoor six-a-side volleyball, 2025–2028. Beach and recreational school modifications are separate formats.
Sources and stated format checked October 14, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
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