Volleyball Rules - Difference Between Indoor & Outdoor
The following paragraphs describe the basic rules of volleyball as well is the differences between indoor and outdoor matches.
The dimensions of the indoor volleyball court are 29'6" x 59', the net height is generally eight feet and the ball weighs between nine and ten ounces. Beach volleyball courts are slightly smaller and the ball is larger and lighter. Indoor games have six players per side and outdoor games have two. Indoor players rotate, but outdoor players do not.
Play is started by the serve. The server stands behind the end line and hits the ball. The ball may be served either over handed or underhanded, but it must reach the opponents side of the net in order to be in play.
The other team may pass the ball up to three times before they send it back over the net. The same player may not hit the ball twice in a row. The goal of each team is to keep the ball in play, by keeping it in the air, while attempting to make the other team miss the ball so that it touches the ground. See our previous post on volleyball drills for practice ideas.
No part of a player’s body may touch the net. Players may not hold or throw the ball. Balls are passed with a bump, set or spike. A bump is passing the ball by hitting it with the forearms, a set is passing the ball by hitting it with the finger tips, and a spike is hitting the ball over the net after a set. A spike is often a downward hit aimed at making the ball hit the ground on the other team’s side so close to the net that the other team has no chance to save it. The other team may defend against a spike by using a block. A block does not count as one of the three passes for indoor volleyball, but it does for beach volleyball. Rules for setting and spiking are more stringent for beach volleyball.
Scoring is determined after every serve. If one side misses the ball or causes the ball to go out of bounds on the opposing side, the opposing side gets the point. The team winning the point also wins the next serve. If the ball lands on a boundary line, it is considered good.
Indoor volleyball is played in five set matches. The first team to reach twenty-five points, with a two point lead, wins the set. The team that wins three of the five sets, wins the match. Beach volleyball teams must take two of three sets with a winning score of 21 points per set.
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