A team consists of 12 players of which one of the players other than the Libero, is the team captain.
Before the match, the referee carries out a toss in the presence of the two team captains to decide upon the first service and the sides of the court in the first set. If a deciding set is to be played, a new toss will be carried out.
Before the start of each set, the coach has to present the starting line-up of six players of the team on a line-up sheet. The team’s starting line-up indicates the rotational order of the players on the court. This order must be maintained throughout the set.
Court positions and rotation direction
- At the moment the ball is hit by the server, each team must be positioned within its own court, in the rotational order (except the server). The three players along the net are front-row players and occupy positions as— 4 (front-left), 3 (front-centre) and 2 (front-right); the other three are back-row players occupying positions 5 (back-left), 6 (back-centre) and 1 (back-right).
- Rotational order is determined by the team’s starting line-up and controlled with the service order and players’ positions throughout the set. When the receiving team gains the right to serve, its players rotate one position clockwise—the player in position 2 rotates to position 1 to serve, the player in position 1 rotates to position 6, etc.
- Each team is entitled to a maximum of three hits (in addition to blocking), for returning the ball.
- A player cannot hit the ball two times consecutively.
- A team scores a point by successfully landing the ball on the opponent’s court or when the opponent team commits a fault or receives a penalty.
- A rally is the sequence of playing actions from the moment of the service hit by the server until the ball is out of play.
- If the serving team wins a rally, it scores a point and continues to serve.
- If the receiving team wins a rally, it scores a point and it must serve next.
- Each team may request a maximum of two time outs of 30 seconds each and six substitutions per set.
- A player of the starting line-up may leave the game, but only once in a set. The player may re-enter, but only once in a set, and only to the previous position in the line-up.
- All intervals between the sets are of three minutes.
- To win a set: A set (except the deciding 5th set) is won by the team which first scores 25 points with a minimum lead of two points.
- In the case of a 24-24 tie, play is continued until a twopoint lead is achieved (26-24; 27-25; etc.).
- To win the match: The match is won by the team that wins three sets.
- In the case of a 2-2 tie, the deciding 5th set is played to 15 points with a minimum lead of 2 points. • Each team has the right to designate from the list of players up to two specialist defensive players—liberos.
- The libero on court is the Acting Libero. If there is another libero, than that person is the second Libero for the team. Only one libero may be on court at any time.
- The libero player(s) must wear a uniform which has a different dominant colour from the colour of the rest of the team.
- The libero is allowed to replace any player in a back row position. The player is restricted to perform as a back row player and is not allowed to complete an attack hit from anywhere (including playing court and free zone), if at the moment of the contact, the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net.
- They may not serve, block or attempt to block.
- Libero replacements are not counted as substitutions.
- They are unlimited but there must be a completed rally between two libero replacements.
