It is currently off-season for volleyball, but what better time to start learning about this beautiful sport than now? Here are four basics for anyone interested in learning the ropes:
- The Court
The court is split in two sides with a net in between that for men it stands at 7'11 tall, 7'8 for coed, and 7'4 for women. The court will have 6 different positions all numbered 1-6. It starts with number 1 in the back right corner, in front of it in the upper right corner will be 2, next to two is 3, and so on. The rotation on the courts will take place after a point is recovered and takes place clock-wise even though the numbers on the court go counter-clockwise.
- The Players
There are only six players on the court allowed at one time but seven starters. The different positions in volleyball are: Libero (defensive specialist), right side hitters, outside hitters, middles, and other defensive specialists that are not liberos and might switch on and off on the court with the middles or right sides. The libero will always wear a different colored shirt from the rest and will only play in the back row. That is, positions 1, 5, and 6. These positions are considered back row and position 2, 3, and 4 are front row. There is a line that will differentiate the front row from the back row called the 10 foot line or 3 meter line.
Golden rule: if you are a back row player, you cannot attack (jump and hit the ball above the net) on this line or in front of it. It isn't always the case but coaches might try to switch right sides with outside hitters to see where they fit better and what dynamic works best for the team as well.
Related: Why Being Flexible with Your Current Position in Volleyball Is Important
- The Scoring
An NCAA match will be best of 5, meaning the first team to reach 3 out of 5 sets will win the match. Each match is played up to 25 points but that may not always be the case. A team has to win by a difference of two points. That can be 27-25, or 30-28, or even 35-33. If two teams reach a point where they stand 2-2 on sets, the fifth set is only played out to 15 points but the same 2-point-difference applies. There are only three touches allowed on each side of the court. The pass, the set (bump set or overhand set), and the spike (attack, tip, push). If a team has a double contact with the ball on their second or third touch on the ball, it will be called out and it will be a point given to the opposite team.
- The Subs
Each set, each team is allowed a total and maximum of 15 substitutions. Normally these subs are used to switch front row attackers when they get to the back row and sub-in defensive specialist to play defense and vice versa. A libero sub does not count and the libero can come in and go out as many times as they want on the court without having to wait for the ref to pause the match and continue with the sub process.
The main objective of the game is to reach the 25 points first and win the match. During play, not letting the ball drop is essential to not lose a point. Moreover, making the other team make the most mistakes is a key insight to know and do.
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* Originally published on June 1, 2022, by Lilia Farach
