Volleyball is played by two teams of six, separated by a high net, and the aim is simple: land the ball on the other team's side of the court. The rules that make it interesting are the scoring system, the rotation rule, and the way each position has a different job. This guide covers indoor volleyball, the six-a-side game played at the Olympics and in professional leagues.

How scoring works: rally points

Volleyball uses rally scoring, which means every rally produces a point for one team, no matter who served. If your team wins the rally, you score a point and you win the right to serve next. If you lose the rally, the other team scores and serves.

A set is normally played to 25 points, and a team must win by at least two points. So a set that reaches 24–24 is not over: play continues until one team leads by two, which is why you will sometimes see sets finish 27–25 or 32–30. A match is usually best of five sets, so the first team to win three sets wins the match.

The deciding set is the exception. If a match reaches a fifth set, that set is played to 15 points instead of 25, still with the win-by-two rule. Teams also switch sides partway through a deciding set, once the leading team reaches 8 points.

The three-touch rule

Each team may touch the ball up to three times before it must go back over the net. The classic pattern is bump, set, spike: the first touch controls a hard-driven ball, the second touch (the set) places it near the net for an attacker, and the third touch is the attacking hit itself. A team does not have to use all three touches, but it may not use a fourth.

One important detail: a block does not count as one of the three touches. If a player blocks an attack at the net, their team still has three touches to play the ball. Also, a single player may not touch the ball twice in a row, except when blocking or on the first contact after the serve or an attack.

Rotations: why players keep moving

Volleyball's most confusing rule for newcomers is rotation. The six players on court stand in two rows of three: three at the front near the net, and three at the back. Every time a team wins the serve back from the other team, its players rotate one position clockwise. That is why players seem to be constantly shuffling around the court.

Rotation matters because it decides who can attack from where. Back-row players may not attack the ball from in front of the attack line (a line marked three metres from the net) unless they jump from behind it. Front-row players have no such restriction. So a team's attacking options change with every rotation, and coaches plan their line-ups around it.

The other consequence is the serve order. Players serve in the rotation order, so each player takes a turn serving as the team rotates through the positions.

The six positions

Each of the six spots on court has a name and a job:

• Setter: the playmaker. The setter takes the second touch and decides which attacker gets the ball. Good setters disguise their intentions so blockers cannot guess where the attack is going.
• Outside hitter: usually the main attacker, hitting from the left side of the court. Outside hitters also receive serves and play defence, so they need an all-round game.
• Opposite hitter: attacks from the right side and is often the team's most powerful hitter. The opposite usually does not receive serves, which frees them to focus on attacking and blocking.
• Middle blocker: plays in the centre of the net. Their first job is blocking the other team's attacks, and their second is attacking quick, low sets in the middle.
• Libero: a defensive specialist who wears a different-coloured shirt. The libero replaces a back-row player, digs hard attacks, and cannot serve, block, or attack from above net height. A team is not required to use a libero, but almost all competitive teams do.
• Defensive specialist: a back-row substitute used to strengthen serve reception or defence, similar to the libero but with normal substitution rules.

Only six players are on court at a time, but teams use substitutes throughout a match, and the libero's free replacements do not count against the substitution limit.

Faults to watch for

A rally ends with a fault when a team breaks a rule. The common ones are: the ball lands outside the court, a player touches the net, a player crosses under the net into the other team's space and interferes with play, a team uses a fourth touch, a player touches the ball twice in a row, or a back-row player attacks illegally from the front zone. Foot faults on the serve (stepping on or over the end line) also cost the rally.

Questions, answered

Why does the score sometimes go past 25? Because a set must be won by two points, so a tied set keeps going until one team leads by two.

Why do players rotate? Rotation is the rule that forces every player to serve and to play both front-row and back-row roles over the course of a set.

What does the libero do? The libero is a back-row defensive specialist in a different shirt who digs attacks and receives serves, but cannot block or attack from above the net.

How long does a match last? There is no clock. A three-set match is usually the shortest outcome, and a five-set match with long rallies can run well over two hours.

What to watch next

Now that you know the rules, the best way to learn is to watch a match and follow one thing at a time: first the score, then the rotation, then the setter's choices. Head to the live scores section to see which volleyball matches are on today, and check the volleyball page for fixtures and results.