PENALTY

A penalty, or violation, is called by a referee on a player who breaks a rule during the volleyball game.

Violations result in a side out, which means possession of the ball and a point for the other team

• Service Errors

• Foot Faults

•Ball Handling Errors

•Reaching Violations

• Center Line Violation.

• Rotation Penalties

• Back Row Attacking/Blocking

•Libero Violations
SERVICE ERROR

There are a few things that can go wrong during a serve. A referee will call a service error if:

• the ball lands out-of-bounds

• the ball goes into the net and does not make it over

•the serving team serves out of order

• the ball hits a player on the serving team before reach the other team's side

•If any of these penalties occur, a serving error will be given to the player who commits the violation.
The team who committed the penalty will lose the serve and the other team will gain a point if using
rally scoring.

If the server steps on or over the service line while serving the ball, the line ref will call a foot fault. On a
jump serve, the server is allowed to land on or over the service line, but must start the jump before the
line. Once the ball is served, the server can then cross the service line and act as a regular player.

-Touching the ball two times in a row, or committing a double hit, is a common ball handling error. It will
most often be called when a player tries to set a ball with their hands but mis-hits it. This will cause the
ball to spin, making the double-touch easy to detect.

-There are several ways to commit ball handling errors in volleyball. If a player contacts the ball illegally,
the up or down. referee will call for a violation and that player's team will lose that point.

-Another form of a ball handling error is called a lift. This is when a player has elongated contact with the
ball and essentially lifts it instead of hitting it upward. This penalty will also be called if a player attempts
to underhand pass the ball with an open palm.

-Similar to lifting, players can be called for carrying or throwing the ball. Again, this is where the player
comes into contact with the ball and holds on to it, directing it instead of hitting it.
Reaching violations can happen both during blocking and hitting. Blocking players are not allowed to
reach across the plane of the net to touch the ball if the opposite team has not touched the ball three
times yet, and there is a player present who can get to the ball. Similarly, if there is an overpass, hitters
cannot reach across the net to hit the ball if the ball has not yet crossed to their side of the net. Instead,
they must wait for the ball to come to their side of the court before trying to hit it back over. If blocking
an opponent's third hit, a player is allowed to reach over the net once the opposing

There is a centerline underneath the net that divides the two halves of the court. Players cannot have
any part of their body cross this line, as if they do it will result in their team losing a point and they could
also possibly cause an injury to the other team. In the case of a hand or foot, the entire hand or foot
must cross the line for this violation to be called. This rule exists to ensure that players do not go under

the net and get in the way of a player who is landing from a hit or a block.

One exception to this rule is if a player is running to save a ball. If the ball is overpassed and is going out
of bounds, a player can go under the net as long as they stay out of the court bounds. They can return
the ball to their side, outside of the antenna, for a third player to send the ball

Before the beginning of a set, both team's coaches must show the referees their rotations. The players
on the court must stay in the order listed on that rotation throughout the whole set. If the players end
up in different positions and serve out of order, a rotation violation is called and that team will lose the
point and the serve.

There is a referee on the sideline who keeps track of substitutions and rotations to make sure that
players do not get out of order. This rule ensures that each player on the court serves, rather than one
player serving more often. It also ensures that teams cannot change their lineups in the middle of a
game to change matchups of players at the net. However, players can be substituted in and out, but the
player being substituted in must fulfill that player's spot in the

In the rotation, there are front row players. and back row players. These back row players are positioned
behind the ten-foot line on the court. When their team attacks a ball that is above the plane of the net,
these backrow players must attack from behind the ten-foot line. Similar to a serving foot fault, if the
player hits the ball with their foot on or over the ten-foot line, a back row attack will be called and that
player's team. will lose the point. Back row players are also not allowed to jump and block at the net.
This mostly applies to back row setters who play in the front row. They can set from the front row, but
cannot block or hit a ball with their hands or arms above the net.

Liberos are a unique position in volleyball, but have their own set of rules and violations. Libero
substitutions do not count as a regular substitution, but they can only play in the back row. Because of
this, they must adhere to all of the back row attacking. and blocking rules mentioned above. One rule
that liberos must follow that regular back. row players do not have to is in regard to setting. Liberos are
not allowed to overhand set the ball while standing in front of the ten-foot line. If this occurs, the player
who is being set is not allowed to attack the ball above the net, otherwise a penalty will be called.
Liberos are allowed to overhand set from behind the ten-foot line or bump-set from anywhere on the
court.

BASIC VIOLATIONS

-Stepping on or over the line on a serve.

-Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

-Hitting the ball illegally ( Carrying, Palming, Throwing, etc. ).

-Touches of the top of the net only with any part of the body while the ball is in play. Players may
contact the net below the top of the net (the tape) at any time. If the ball is driven into the net with such
force that it causes the net to contact an opposing player, no foul will be called, and the ball shall
continue to be in play.

-Reaching over the net, except under these conditions:

1 - When executing a follow-through.

2 - When blocking a ball which is in the opponents court but is being returned ( the blocker must not
contact the ball until after the opponent who is attempting to return the ball makes contact). Except to
block the third play.

-Reaches under the net ( if it interferes with the ball or opposing player ).

-Failure to serve in the correct order.

-Blocks or spikes from a position which is clearly not behind the 10-foot line while in a back row position.

-A players foot may not completely cross the midline at any time. However, if the rest of the body
crosses it is legal unless interferes with a player on the other side of the net

BALL TOUCHED
The ball is out of bounds when it touches any surface, object, or ground outside the court. A BALL

TOUCHING THE BOUNDARY LINE IS GOOD! The ball must pass over or between the side boundary lines
as it crosses the net.

BALL PASSING OUTSIDE THE CROSSING SPACE OR SERVER'S FOOT FAULT

A ball penetrating the opponent's side outside of the crossing space may be played back to a teammate,
provided it has not completely crossed the vertical plane of the net at the moment of contact. replayed.
If the fault occurs on a team's third contact, then it is a loss of rally

JUDGEMENT IMPOSSIBLE

•Raise and cross both arms and hands in front of the chest