Volleyball: Alternative Title: Mintonette Volleyball, Game Played by Two Teams, Usually of Six Players On A
Volleyball: Alternative Title: Mintonette Volleyball, Game Played by Two Teams, Usually of Six Players On A
Volleyball: Alternative Title: Mintonette Volleyball, Game Played by Two Teams, Usually of Six Players On A
HISTORY
In 1916 rules were issued jointly by the YMCA and the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The first nationwide
tournament in the United States was conducted by the National
YMCA Physical Education Committee in New York City in 1922. The
United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) was formed in 1928 and
recognized as the rules-making, governing body in the United States.
From 1928 the USVBA—now known as USA Volleyball (USAV)—has
conducted annual national men’s and senior men’s (age 35 and
older) volleyball championships, except during 1944 and 1945. Its
women’s division was started in 1949, and a senior women’s division
(age 30 and older) was added in 1977. Other national events in the
United States are conducted by member groups of the USAV such as
the YMCA and the NCAA.
THE GAME
6 players on the floor at any one time - 3 in the front row and 3
in the back row
Maximum of 3 hits per side
Points are made on every serve for winning team of rally (rally-
point scoring).
Player may not hit the ball twice in succession. (A block is not
considered a hit.)
Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.
A ball hitting a boundary line is in.
A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside
the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the
referee stand or pole, the ceiling above a non-playable area.
It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.
It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.
A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the
10-foot line.
After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the
net.
Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of
play. 3-set matches are 2 sets to 25 points and a third set to 15.
Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the first
team to win 2 sets. 5-set matches are 4 sets to 25 points and
fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2 unless tournament rules
dictate otherwise. The winner is the first team to win three
sets.
Basic Volleyball Rule Violations
Rule violations that result in a point for the opponent
Ace: A serve that results directly in a point, usually when the ball hits
the floor untouched on the receiving team’s side of the court.
Assist: Helping a teammate set up for a kill.
Attack: The offensive action of hitting the ball.
Attacker: Also “hitter” and “spiker.” A player who attempts to hit a
ball offensively with the purpose of terminating play.
Attack Block: The defensive team’s attempt to block a spiked ball.
Attack Error: An attack botched in one of 5 ways: ball lands out of
bounds; ball goes into net; attacker commits center line or net
violation or attacker illegally contacts ball.
Attack Line: A line 3 meters/10 feet away from, and parallel to, the
net. Separates the front-row players from the back-row players. A
back-row player cannot legally attack the ball above the net unless
he takes off from behind this line.
Center line: The boundary that runs under the net and divides the
court into two equal halves.
Closing the block: The responsibility of the assisting blocker(s) to
angle their body relative to the first blocker.
“Cover”: Refers to the hitter having his/her teammates ready to
retrieve rebounds from the opposing blockers.
Cross-court attack: An attack directed diagonally from the point of
attack. Also called an angle hit.
Cut shot: A spike from the hitter’s strong side that travels at a sharp
angle across the net.
Deep: Refers to sending the ball away from the net, toward the
baseline of the opponent’s court.
Defense: One of the 6 basic skills. The key skills used to receive the
opponent's attack are digging and sprawling. The dig resembles a
forearm pass from a low ready position and is used more for balls
that are hit near the defender. The sprawl is a result of an attempted
dig for a ball hit farther away from the defender. It resembles a dive.
Dig: Passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball and low to ground. Defensive
play. Slang for retrieving an attacked ball close to the floor.
Statistically scored on a 3.0 point system.
Dink: A one-handed, soft hit into the opponent’s court using the
fingertips. Also called a tip.
Double block: Two players working in unison to intercept a ball at
the net.
Double hit: Violation. Two successive hits by the same player.
Down Ball: Type of attack. “Down” refers to the blockers who
neither jump, nor raise their hands above the net.
Dump: Usually performed by the setter, who delivers the ball into
the opponent’s court on the second contact.
Five-One (5-1): An offensive system that uses five hitters and one
setter.
Floater: A serve with no spin so the ball follows an erratic path.
Follow: To move with and block an attacker. Athletes may change
positions with another blocker in the process.
Forearm Pass: Sometimes referred to as the “pass,” “bump” or “dig”.
Four-Two (4-2): An offensive system using four hitters and two
setters.
Free ball: Returning the ball to the opponent without the intent to
get a kill. Usually a slow, arcing pass or “roll” shot rather than a spike.
Front: Position of a blocker so that she/he can block the attacker.
Front-row: Three players whose court position is in front of the
attack line (3M/10 Foot), near the net. These players are in positions
2, 3 & 4 on the court.
Middle back: A defensive system that uses the middle back player in
6 to cover deep spikes. Also called “6 back” defense.
Middle blocker: Usually plays in the middle of the net when in the
front row and moves laterally to her blocking assignments.
Middle Up: A defensive system that uses the middle-back player in 6
to cover tips or short shots along the 3 meter/10 foot line. Also
called a “6 up” defense
Mintonette: The original name of the game of volleyball, created by
William Morgan.
Pass: One of the 6 basic skills. Receiving a serve or the first contact of
the ball with the intent to control the ball to another player. Also
called a “bump”.
Pancake: One-hand floor defensive technique where the hand is
extended and slid along the floor palm down while the player dives
or extension rolls so the ball bounces off the back of the hand and is
considered legal.
Party ball: When the ball is passed across the net in front of attack
line so the front-row attacker can immediately hit the ball on the first
contact.
Penetration: The blocker’s ability to reach over the net above the
opponent’s court.
Perimeter: Backcourt defense where 4 players arrange themselves
near the boundaries of the court.
Pipe: A back-row attack from the middle of the court. Position 6.
Play: An attack with a planned fake, usually including 2 or more
hitter.
Quick set: An extremely low vertical set used to beat the opponent’s
block. Can be set at any position on the net.
Center Line
Attack Line
Service Line
A service line, the area from which the server may serve the
volleyball, is marked 10 feet inside the right sideline on each back
line.
The Net
The net is placed directly above the center line, 7 feet 4 inches above
the ground for women and 8 feet above the ground for men.
Poles
The Ball
Lines
The playing court is marked by two sidelines and two end lines. All
lines must be 2 inches wide and must be created with a light color
that is easy to discern from the playing court. An attack line should
be placed three meters from the center line. The center line divides
the court into two 9 x 9 meter courts.
The volleyball net structure is held together with metal cables and
posts. Posts are placed 0.5 to 1.0 meter outside the sidelines and
2.55 meters high. Posts should be round, smooth and padded, to
prevent injury to the players should they dive or crash into them.
Metal wires and cables may need to be covered if it is determined
that they present a danger to the players.
Antenna are flexible rods that are 1.8 meters long made of fiberglass,
fastened at the outer edge of each side band. Side bands are two
white bands attached vertically to the net and placed above each
sideline.
Knee pads
Knee pads should be sturdy enough to protect your knees from falls,
slides and dives, but flexible enough to allow you to bend
comfortably. Your volleyball knee pads must be made of fabric that
breathes and manages moisture. Good quality pads have a gel or
foam shock-absorbing material that will cover and protect your
patella. It is best to purchase your pads from a reliable sporting
goods store that will allow you to try them on. If you have difficulty
finding the right fit, have the store professional measure you and
order custom-fit pads. Popular volleyball knee pad brands include
Asics, Mizuno, adidas, Nike and Mikasa.
Shoes
Men's Nets
The standard net height for men is 7 feet, 11 5/8 inches. Men playing
in events for ages 55 and over are allowed to lower the net to 7 feet,
9 5/8 inches. Events for men 70 years and older are permitted to use
a net that is 7 feet, 6 inches. Co-ed events are played with the same
nets used by men.
Women's Nets
The typical net height for women is 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches. Age
adjustments are permitted, with events for women ages 45 to 60
allowed to lower the nets to 7 feet 2/18 inches. Events for women
ages 60 and over are permitted to lower the net to 7 feet.
Youth Nets
The net height for boys or girls ages 13 and 14 is 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches.
Boys and girls ages 11-12 is 7 feet. The lone difference is for youth 10
and under, as the boys will use a net that is 7 feet, while the girls can
use a 6-foot, 6-inch net. USA Volleyball allows additional net
reductions for youth programs of two through four players per team,
stating the net height may be lowered to 5 or 6 feet for younger
players.
Beach Volleyball
The standard net height for women in beach volleyball for adult
players is 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches, while the men will use a net that is 7
feet, 11 5/8 inches. There are minor adjustments allowed for players
14 and under, as well as 12 and under. For boys and girls 14 and
under, the net may be lowered to 6 feet, 11 1/2 inches, while boys
and girls 12 and under may use a 6-foot, 6-3/4 inch net. The net
height measurement is taken at the sand-raked level.
Outdoor Volleyball
Outdoor volleyball, played on grass, will use the standard net heights
of 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches for women, with men and co-ed teams using
the height of 7 feet, 11 5/8 inches. The net height measurement is
taken from the ground, as opposed to the top of the grass blades.
VOLLEYBALL
BTTE FSM II
and
BTTE AUTO II
Volleyball Scoring Rules
There are two scoring methods used for volleyball. The first is known as side out scoring,
which basically means the only team that can score is the team that is serving. If the non-
serving team hits the ball in the opponents' court or their opponents make an error, they earn
the right to serve only. With rally scoring, either team can score regardless of who the serving
team is. Games typically must be won by a minimum of two points with both scoring
systems.
Rally Scoring
With rally scoring, teams score a point when the other team fails to return the ball over the
net, hits the ball out of bounds, commits an infraction or makes a service error.
Sideout Scoring
In sideout scoring, the serving team scores a point when the opponents fail to return the ball
over the net, hit the ball out of bounds or commit an infraction. The non-serving team will
earn the right to serve when the opponents fail to return the ball over the net, hit the ball out
of bounds, commit an infraction or make a service error.
In rally scoring, games are played until a team scores 25 points, provided there is at least a
two-point margin of victory. Matches are typically decided by the best three-out-of-five
games format. If a fifth game is played, the team that scores 15 points first is the winner,
provided there is a two-point margin of victory.
With sideout scoring, all games are played to 15, provided there is at least a two-point margin
of victory. Some organizations will put a cap on sideout scoring, so that the first team to
reach 17 points is the winner of a game, even if the two-point margin is not present.
VOLLEYBALL EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS
BALL
NET
SHOES
VOLLEYBALLCOURT
SCOREBOARD
JERSEY
WHISTLE
The referees must indicate with the official hand signal the reason for their whistle (the nature
of the fault whistled or the purpose of the interruption authorized). The signal has to be
maintained for a moment and, if it is indicated with one hand, the hand corresponds to the
side of the team which has made the fault or the request.
The line judges must indicate with the official flag signal the nature of the fault called, and
maintain the signal for a moment.
Volleyball: Rules and
Regulations
A point or rally is started when one team serves the ball. The player
serving the ball must stand behind the end line or restraining line at
the back of the court until after they have contacted the volleyball.
To serve a player hits the ball with their hand over the net and into
the opposing team's side. If the ball doesn't go over the net or hits
the ground, the point is over. The opposing team must now return
the ball without letting it hit the ground. They can hit the ball up to
three times. No single player can hit the ball twice in a row (blocks
don't count). Typically a team will try to set up an attack. They use
the first two hits to set the ball for a spike or hard hit over the net.
The two teams continue hitting the ball back and forth until the point
ends. A point can end by one team hitting a winning shot that hits
the ground within the opponent's court or by one team causing a
fault and losing the point.
Although players play certain roles on a volleyball team, they all must
play all positions. There are three players on the front line and three
in the back. Each time a team gains the serve they must rotate. The
entire team rotates in a clockwise manner with one player moving to
the front line and another player moving to the back line. This way
each player plays each spot.
Scoring
It used to be that only the volleyball team serving could score a point
on a won rally. Also, sets were typically played to 15 points. This was
changed in 1999.
Volleyball Faults
There are several ways to fault and lose the point. Here are some
examples:
William G. Morgan
The first rules, written down by William G Morgan, called for a net
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high, a 25 ft × 50 ft (7.6 m × 15.2 m) court, and any
number of players. A match was composed of nine innings with three
serves for each team in each inning, and no limit to the number of ball
contacts for each team before sending the ball to the opponents' court.
In case of a serving error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the ball
into the net was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-
out)—except in the case of the first-try serve.
Japanese American women playing volleyball, Manzanar internment camp, California, ca. 1943
The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say
Spalding created the first official ball in 1896, while others claim it
was created in 1900.The rules evolved over time: in 1916, in the
Philippines, the skill and power of the set and spike had been
introduced, and four years later a "three hits" rule and a rule against
hitting from the back row were established. In 1917, the game was
changed from requiring 21 points to win to a smaller 15 points to win.
In 1919, about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by the American
Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies, which sparked the
growth of volleyball in new countries.
The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was
Canada in 1900.An international federation, the Fédération
Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and the
first World Championships were held in 1949 for men and 1952 for
women.[12] The sport is now popular in Brazil, in Europe (where
especially Italy, the Netherlands, and countries from Eastern Europe
have been major forces since the late 1980s), in Russia, and in other
countries including China and the rest of Asia, as well as in the
United States.[7][8][12]
Nudists were early adopters of the game with regular organized play
in clubs as early as the late 1920s. By the 1960s, a volleyball court
had become standard in almost all nudist/naturist clubs.
Rules of the game
Volleyball court
A line 3 m (9.8 ft) from and parallel to the net is considered the
"attack line". This "3 meter" (or "10-foot") line divides the court into
"back row" and "front row" areas (also back court and front
court).These are in turn divided into 3 areas each: these are numbered
as follows, starting from area "1", which is the position of the serving
player:
Rotation pattern
After a team gains the serve (also known as siding out), its members
must rotate in a clockwise direction, with the player previously in area
"2" moving to area "1" and so on, with the player from area "1"
moving to area "6’’ Each player rotates only one time after the team
gains possession of the serve; the next time each player rotates will be
after the other team wins possession of the ball and loses the point.
The team courts are surrounded by an area called the free zone which
is a minimum of 3 meters wide and which the players may enter and
play within after the service of the ball. All lines denoting the
boundaries of the team court and the attack zone are drawn or painted
within the dimensions of the area and are therefore a part of the court
or zone. If a ball comes in contact with the line, the ball is considered
to be "in". An antenna is placed on each side of the net perpendicular
to the sideline and is a vertical extension of the side boundary of the
court. A ball passing over the net must pass completely between the
antennae (or their theoretical extensions to the ceiling) without
contacting them
The ball
Main article: Volleyball (ball)
FIVB regulations state that the ball must be spherical, made of leather
or synthetic leather, have a circumference of 65–67 cm, a weight of
260–280 g and an inside pressure of 0.30–0.325 kg/cm2. Other
governing bodies have similar regulations.
Game play
The game continues in this manner, rallying back and forth, until the
ball touches the court within the boundaries or until an error is made.
The most frequent errors that are made are either to fail to return the
ball over the net within the allowed three touches, or to cause the ball
to land outside the court. A ball is "in" if any part of it touches a
sideline or end-line, and a strong spike may compress the ball enough
when it lands that a ball which at first appears to be going out may
actually be in. Players may travel well outside the court to play a ball
that has gone over a sideline or end-line in the air.
A point is scored when the ball contacts the floor within the court
boundaries or when an error is made: when the ball strikes one team's
side of the court, the other team gains a point; and when an error is
made, the team that did not make the error is awarded a point, in
either case paying no regard to whether they served the ball or not. If
any part of the ball hits the line, the ball is counted as in the court.
The team that won the point serves for the next point. If the team that
won the point served in the previous point, the same player serves
again. If the team that won the point did not serve the previous point,
the players of the serving team rotate their position on the court in a
clockwise manner. The game continues, with the first team to score
25 points by a two-point margin awarded the set. Matches are best-of-
five sets and the fifth set, if necessary, is usually played to 15 points.
(Scoring differs between leagues, tournaments, and levels; high
schools sometimes play best-of-three to 25; in the NCAA matches are
played best-of-five to 25 as of the 2008 season.)[20]
Before 1999, points could be scored only when a team had the serve
(side-out scoring) and all sets went up to only 15 points. The FIVB
changed the rules in 1999 (with the changes being compulsory in
2000) to use the current scoring system (formerly known as rally
point system), primarily to make the length of the match more
predictable and to make the game more spectator- and television-
friendly.
The final year of side-out scoring at the NCAA Division I Women's
Volleyball Championship was 2000. Rally point scoring debuted in
2001, and games were played to 30 points through 2007. For the 2008
season, games were renamed "sets" and reduced to 25 points to win.
Most high schools in the U.S. changed to rally scoring in 2003, and
several states implemented it the previous year on an experimental
basis.
Libero
The modern day libero often takes on the role of a second setter.
When the setter digs the ball, the libero is typically responsible for the
second ball and sets to the front row attacker. The libero may function
as a setter only under certain restrictions. To make an overhand set,
the libero must be standing behind (and not stepping on) the 3-meter
line; otherwise, the ball cannot be attacked above the net in front of
the 3-meter line. An underhand pass is allowed from any part of the
court.
The libero is, generally, the most skilled defensive player on the team.
There is also a libero tracking sheet, where the referees or officiating
team must keep track of whom the libero subs in and out for. Under
FIVB rules, two liberos are designated at the beginning of play, only
one of whom can be on the court at any time.
The Official Volleyball Rules are prepared and updated every few
years by the FIVB's Rules of the Game and Refereeing
Commission.The latest edition is usually available on the FIVB's
website.
Skills
Competitive teams master six basic skills: serve, pass, set, attack,
block and dig. Each of these skills comprises a number of specific
techniques that have been introduced over the years and are now
considered standard practice in high-level volleyball.
Serve
Play media
3D animation floating serve
A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball, in an attempt to
drive it into the opponent's court. The main objective is to make it
land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's direction,
speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to
handle it properly.A serve is called an "ace" when the ball lands
directly onto the court or travels outside the court after being touched
by an opponent; when only the only player on the server's team to
touch the ball is the server.
Set
Jump set
The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball.
The main goal of setting is to put the ball in the air in such a way that
it can be driven by an attack into the opponent's court. The setter
coordinates the offensive movements of a team, and is the player who
ultimately decides which player will actually attack the ball.
Attack
See also: Volleyball Offensive Systems
A Spanish player, #18 in red outfit, about to spike towards the
Portuguese field, whose players try to block the way
The attack, also known as the spike, is usually the third contact a team
makes with the ball. The object of attacking is to handle the ball so
that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be defended. A player
makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps, and swings at the
ball.
Ideally the contact with the ball is made at the apex of the hitter's
jump. At the moment of contact, the hitter's arm is fully extended
above their head and slightly forward, making the highest possible
contact while maintaining the ability to deliver a powerful hit. The
hitter uses arm swing, wrist snap, and a rapid forward contraction of
the entire body to drive the ball.A 'bounce' is a slang term for a very
hard/loud spike that follows an almost straight trajectory steeply
downward into the opponent's court and bounces very high into the
air. A "kill" is the slang term for an attack that is not returned by the
other team thus resulting in a point.
Block
Successful blocking does not always result in a "roof" and many times
does not even touch the ball. While it's obvious that a block was a
success when the attacker is roofed, a block that consistently forces
the attacker away from their 'power' or preferred attack into a more
easily controlled shot by the defense is also a highly successful block.
At the same time, the block position influences the positions where
other defenders place themselves while opponent hitters are spiking.
Dig
Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court
after a spike or attack, particularly a ball that is nearly touching the
ground.[3] In many aspects, this skill is similar to passing, or bumping:
overhand dig and bump are also used to distinguish between
defensive actions taken with fingertips or with joined arms.[3] It varies
from passing however in that is it a much more reflex based skill,
especially at the higher levels. It is especially important while digging
for players to stay on their toes; several players choose to employ a
split step to make sure they're ready to move in any direction.
When one player is ready to serve, some teams will line up their other
five players in a screen to obscure the view of the receiving team.
This action is only illegal if the server makes use of the screen, so the
call is made at the referee's discretion as to the impact the screen
made on the receiving team's ability to pass the ball. The most
common style of screening involves a W formation designed to take
up as much horizontal space as possible.
Coaching
Basic
Strategy
There are 5 positions filled on every volleyball team at the elite level.
Setter, Outside Hitter/Left Side Hitter, Middle Hitter, Opposite
Hitter/Right Side Hitter and Libero/Defensive Specialist. Each of
these positions plays a specific, key role in winning a volleyball
match.
Setters have the task for orchestrating the offense of the team.
They aim for second touch and their main responsibility is to
place the ball in the air where the attackers can place the ball
into the opponents' court for a point. They have to be able to
operate with the hitters, manage the tempo of their side of the
court and choose the right attackers to set. Setters need to
have swift and skillful appraisal and tactical accuracy, and must
be quick at moving around the court.
Liberos are defensive players who are responsible for receiving
the attack or serve. They are usually the players on the court
with the quickest reaction time and best passing skills. Libero
means 'free' in Italian—they receive this name as they have the
ability to substitute for any other player on the court during
each play. They do not necessarily need to be tall, as they never
play at the net, which allows shorter players with strong
passing and defensive skills to excel in the position and play an
important role in the team's success. A player designated as a
libero for a match may not play other roles during that match.
Liberos wear a different color jersey than their teammates.
Middle blockers or Middle hitters are players that can perform
very fast attacks that usually take place near the setter. They
are specialized in blocking, since they must attempt to stop
equally fast plays from their opponents and then quickly set up
a double block at the sides of the court. In non-beginners play,
every team will have two middle hitters.
Outside hitters or Left side hitters attack from near the left
antenna. The outside hitter is usually the most consistent hitter
on the team and gets the most sets. Inaccurate first passes
usually result in a set to the outside hitter rather than middle or
opposite. Since most sets to the outside are high, the outside
hitter may take a longer approach, always starting from outside
the court sideline. In non-beginners play, there are again two
outside hitters on every team in every match.
Opposite hitters or Right-side hitters carry the defensive
workload for a volleyball team in the front row. Their primary
responsibilities are to put up a well formed block against the
opponents' Outside Hitters and serve as a backup setter. Sets to
the opposite usually go to the right side of the antennae.
At some levels where substitutions are unlimited, teams will make use
of a Defensive Specialist in place of or in addition to a Libero. This
position does not have unique rules like the libero position, instead,
these players are used to substitute out a poor back row defender
using regular substitution rules. A defensive specialist is often used if
you have a particularly poor back court defender in right side or left
side, but your team is already using a libero to take out your middles.
Most often, the situation involves a team using a right side player with
a big block who must be subbed out in the back row because they
aren't able to effectively play back court defense. Similarly, teams
might use a Serving Specialist to sub out a poor server.
Formations
4–2
The 4–2 formation has four hitters and two setters. The setters usually
set from the middle front or right front position. The team will
therefore have two front-row attackers at all times. In the international
4–2, the setters set from the right front position. The international 4–2
translates more easily into other forms of offense.
The setters line up opposite each other in the rotation. The typical
lineup has two outside hitters. By aligning like positions opposite
themselves in the rotation, there will always be one of each position in
the front and back rows. After service, the players in the front row
move into their assigned positions, so that the setter is always in
middle front. Alternatively, the setter moves into the right front and
has both a middle and an outside attacker; the disadvantage here lies
in the lack of an offside hitter, allowing one of the other team's
blockers to "cheat in" on a middle block.
6–2
In the 6–2 formation, a player always comes forward from the back
row to set. The three front row players are all in attacking positions.
Thus, all six players act as hitters at one time or another, while two
can act as setters. So the 6–2 formation is actually a 4–2 system, but
the back-row setter penetrates to set.
The 6–2 lineup thus requires two setters, who line up opposite to each
other in the rotation. In addition to the setters, a typical lineup will
have two middle hitters and two outside hitters. By aligning like
positions opposite themselves in the rotation, there will always be one
of each position in the front and back rows. After service, the players
in the front row move into their assigned positions.
The advantage of the 6–2 is that there are always three front-row
hitters available, maximizing the offensive possibilities. However, not
only does the 6–2 require a team to possess two people capable of
performing the highly specialized role of setter, it also requires both
of those players to be effective offensive hitters when not in the setter
position. At the international level, only the Cuban National Women's
Team employs this kind of formation. It is also used by NCAA teams
in Division III men's play and women's play in all divisions, partially
due to the variant rules used which allow more substitutions per set
than the 6 allowed in the standard rules—12 in matches involving two
Division III men's teams[31] and 15 for all women's play.[32]
5–1
The 5–1 formation has only one player who assumes setting
responsibilities regardless of their position in the rotation. The team
will therefore have three front-row attackers when the setter is in the
back row, and only two when the setter is in the front row, for a total
of five possible attackers.
The player opposite the setter in a 5–1 rotation is called the opposite
hitter. In general, opposite hitters do not pass; they stand behind their
teammates when the opponent is serving. The opposite hitter may be
used as a third attack option (back-row attack) when the setter is in
the front row: this is the normal option used to increase the attack
capabilities of modern volleyball teams. Normally the opposite hitter
is the most technically skilled hitter of the team. Back-row attacks
generally come from the back-right position, known as zone 1, but are
increasingly performed from back-center in high-level play.
The big advantage of this system is that the setter always has 3 hitters
to vary sets with. If the setter does this well, the opponent's middle
blocker may not have enough time to block with the outside blocker,
increasing the chance for the attacking team to make a point.
The 5–1 offense is actually a mix of 6–2 and 4–2: when the setter is in
the front row, the offense looks like a 4–2; when the setter is in the
back row, the offense looks like a 6–2.
Controversies
There are many variations on the basic rules of volleyball. By far the
most popular of these is beach volleyball, which is played on sand
with two people per team, and rivals the main sport in popularity.