Basic Volleyball Rule Violations

Picture 6: Prisilla Rivera, a volleyball player from Dominican.

·         When serving, the player steps on or across the service line as while making contact with the ball.

·         Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

·         Ball-handling errors. Contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)

·         Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.

·         When blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, it’s illegal to contact the ball when reaching over the net if both your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND they have a player there to make a play on the ball.

·         When attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, contacting the ball when reaching over the net is a violation if the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.

·         Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body is a violation. Exception: if it is the hand or foot. In this case, the entire hand or entire foot must cross for it to be a violation.

·         Serving out of rotation/order.

·         Back-row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of contact, the back-row player is near the net and has part of his/her body above the top of the net. This is an illegal block.

·         Back-row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line) when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.