Lesson 3:

VOLLEYBALL
AS A SPORT

Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students are able to;
familiarize common terms used in volleyball.
discuss the rules and regulations of the sport.
recognize the needs of having rules and regulations in spirit of fair play.

Below are the alphabetical lists of common terms used in volleyball. Knowing these
terms will help out your understanding of the game.
COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL
Ace - a serve that hits the ground before the receiving team has had a chance to
hit it back.
Attacking block - a block which attempts to hit the ball straight into the
opponent's court.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Back Court - the area of court between the attack line and the base line.
Back court spike - a spike or smash by a back court player

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Block - blocking is the action close to the net which intercepts the ball coming
from the opponent's side by making contact with the ball before it crosses the net,
as it crosses the net or immediately after it crosses the net. An attempt to block
does not constitute a block unless the ball is contacted during the effort.
Bump (pass) - a skill of volleyball using forearms, hands together, to direct the
ball.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Bump (set)- a forearm pass used as a set.
Carry/lifting/held ball- a fault called if ball comes to rest in the course of
contact by one player.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Court- the playing surface divided into two equal areas by a net. In its official
form, volleyball is played on a rectangular court 18 meters (59 feet 0.75 inches)
long and 9 meters (29 feet 6.475 inches) wide
Coverage - most often refers to backing up a partner's hit when the block is up the
ball comes back.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Cross Court - an offensive hit when a player, instead of hitting with power, slices
the ball just over and nearly parallel to the net.
Crossing or Penetration the Centerline - contacting the opponent's area with any
part of the body except the feet is a fault. Touching the opponent's area with foot
or the feet is not a fault providing that some part of the encroaching foot or feet
remain on or above the centreline and does not interfere with the play of an
opponent.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Dig - playing the ball from below the waist height with one or both hands.
Double Fault - a double fault occurs when players from opposing teams commit faults
simultaneously. In such cases, the referee will direct a play.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Double hit - any player contacting the ball more than once, with whatever part of
the body, without any other player having touched it between these contacts, will
be considered as having committed a double hit. Such contacts are fault.
Floater- a serve that "floats" through the air because it has no spin.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Foot fault - stepping on the court or out of bounds before serving the ball.
Free ball - a ball the opponent cannot attack and must yield by passing over the
net.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Kill - an attack that results in an immediate point or side out
Libero – a defensive player who can take the position of any backcourt player but
cannot block or return the ball when it is higher than the net.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Kill - an attack that results in an immediate point or side out
Libero – a defensive player who can take the position of any backcourt player but
cannot block or return the ball when it is higher than the net.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Net ball - a ball which touches the net (except on the service) is a net ball. It
is allowed to go into the opponent's side of court.
Net fault- contact with the net is only a fault when the ball is being played into
the attack zone.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Net serve - if a service touches the net, antennae or imaginary extension of the
antennae, it is a net service, and the serve goes to the other team.
Red card- a more severe sanction given by the first referee.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Screening- an attempt by a player to conceal the start of a teammate's serves by
obstructing an opponent's line of sight. Screening is illegal.
Seams - the space between the blockers and between backcourt defenders.
Switch - after the serve, player move around on court to the favored positions.

COMMON TERMS USED IN VOLLEYBALL

Yellow card- warning given by the first referee.
Team Captain- the player who steps up and demonstrates leadership, skills, both on
the control on the court and off the court.

BASIC RULES

BASIC RULES IN VOLLEYBALL

Players

Consists of 6 players, each of whom responsible for covering the playing floor in
his area of the court.
The 6 players are designated left forward, center forward, right forward, right
back, center back, and left back.
Players cover the front half of the court and the other 3 players cover the back
area.

BASIC RULES IN VOLLEYBALL

2. Playing Position on Court

• Prior to the serve each player must be in his relative court position.
• After the ball is served the players can switch to any position on their side of
the court.
• The only restriction after a switch is that a back lineman cannot spike the ball
inside the line 10 feet behind the center line.
• A player can leave the playing area to retrieve a ball provided he does not step
over the center line or an extension of the center line when he plays the ball.
• Substitutions can be made any time that the ball is dead.
• During the third game of a match, the teams automatically change playing areas
either (1) after one team has scored 8 points, or (2) as soon after 4 minutes of
ball-in-play time has elapsed and the ball becomes dead.

BASIC RULES IN VOLLEYBALL

3. Scoring Points

• Any team can score points (serving or receiving team).

• In the case of tie score, a team who first gained 2-points advantage wins the
game.
• The team first winning two games out of three wins the match (regular match).
• The team first winning three games out of five wins the match (championship
match).
• The winning team is the one first scoring 25 points in a set.

BASIC RULES IN VOLLEYBALL

4. Serving Rules

• Server must serve from within the serving area and must not touch the lines
bounding this area or the floor outside this area at the instant the ball is
contacted when hit for the serve.
• All players, other than the server, must be within their playing area and in
serving order.
• After the ball is contacted, when hit for the serve, the players can move from
their respective positions.
• If the serving team makes the error, it loses the serve.
• An error by the receiving team gives one point to the servers.

BASIC RULES IN VOLLEYBALL

5. Fouls and Penalties
• If a foul is committed by the serving team, they lose the serve; if a foul is
committed by the receiving team, the serving team scores a point.
• Foul is committed when any of the following occurs:
The server steps on or over the back line while serving.
A player crosses over the center line located under the net.
A player plays the ball twice in succession.
The ball is hit four or more times (the ball mist be returned over the net in a
maximum of three hits).
A player reaches under the net and interferes with the ball while his opponents
are playing it.
A player playing a back position spikes a ball and alights in front of the ten-foot
line. (However, a back court player can spike the ball in front of the ten-foot
line if the ball is below net level.)
Causing the ball to touch the ground outside the opponent's court or without first
passing over the net.
Catching and throwing the ball.
Net foul: When a player touches the upper part (colored white) of the net.

TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS

TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS
Composition - The refereeing corps for a match is composed of the following
officials:

• The first referee

• The second referee
• The scorer
• Four (two) line judges

TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS
2. Procedures

• Only the first and second referees may blow a whistle during the match.
• The first referee gives the signal for the service that begins the rally;
• The first and second referees signal the end of the rally, provided that they are
sure that a fault has been committed and they have identified its nature.
• They may blow the whistle when the ball is out of play to indicate that they
authorize or reject a team request.
• Immediately after the referee’s whistle to signal the completion of the rally,
they have to indicate with the official hand signals:

TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS
2. Procedures
If the fault is whistled by the first referee, he/she will indicate in order:
the team to serve,
the nature of the fault,
the player(s) at fault (if necessary) d. the second referee will follow the first
referee’s hand signals by repeating them.

• If the fault is whistled by the second referee, he/she will indicate:

the nature of the fault

the player at fault (if necessary)
The team to serve following the hand signal of the first referee