Section 4: Players & Officials
4.1 Teams (Rule 4.1, FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028)
A team consists of a maximum of 14 players: 12 players and 2 Liberos (Rule 4.1.1). In FIVB World and Official Competitions, teams may register up to 14 players; 12 regular players and 2 Liberos. Only 6 players per team may be on the court during play. One player is designated as team captain, identified on the score sheet and on the court by a stripe (underlining the number) on the jersey (Rule 4.1.2).
Teams must also include non-playing members: a head coach, an assistant coach, a trainer, and a doctor/medical staff. In FIVB World and Official Competitions, a maximum of 8 team members (non-players) may occupy the team bench (Rule 4.1.3).
4.2 The Libero Player (Rule 8, FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028)
The Libero is a defensive specialist. Key rules governing the Libero include:
- Teams may designate up to 2 Liberos from the registered roster (Rule 8.1).
- The Libero wears a jersey (or jacket/bib for the Libero, in FIVB competitions) of a contrasting color from all other team members (Rule 8.1).
- The Libero is restricted to playing in the back row only and is not allowed to complete an attack hit from anywhere if the ball is entirely above the top of the net at the moment of contact (Rule 8.4.1).
- The Libero may not serve, block, or attempt to block (Rule 8.4.2).
- If the Libero sets the ball overhand using finger action in the front zone, a player may not complete an attack hit from above the height of the net (Rule 8.4.3).
- Libero replacements are unlimited but must occur during a dead ball; a Libero may only replace and be replaced by the same player (Rule 8.3). The Libero must remain out for at least one rally before re-entering (Rule 8.3.2).
- If a second Libero is designated, the replacement procedure between the two Liberos follows Rule 8.5 (effective from 2025 rules cycle).
4.3 Player Positions and Rotation (Rule 7)
At the moment of service, all players must be within their respective courts and in the rotational order recorded on the line-up sheet (Rule 7.1). Players are numbered in a rotational order 1–6, starting from the right back position and moving counterclockwise. After each side-out (opponent's loss of rally), the winning team rotates: all players move one position clockwise (Rule 7.3.1).
Positional faults occur if any player is not in their correct position at the moment the server contacts the ball. The positional relationship requires:
- Each front-row player to be closer to the centre line than the corresponding back-row player (Rule 7.4.1)
- Each right-side player to be closer to the right sideline than the corresponding centre player (Rule 7.4.2)
- Each left-side player to be closer to the left sideline than the corresponding centre player (Rule 7.4.3)
4.4 Substitutions (Rule 15)
Substitution is the act of a player replacing another player on the court. In each set, each team is allowed a maximum of 6 substitutions (Rule 15.2). One or more players may be substituted at the same time (Rule 15.3). A player from the starting line-up may leave the game and return, but only once per set and only to the position of the player who replaced them (Rule 15.2). A substitute player may enter the game only once per set.
4.5 Match Officials (Rule 23)
The officiating team for FIVB World and Official Competitions consists of:
- First Referee (R1): Directs the match from start to end; has authority over all members of both teams and officiating team; his/her decisions are final (Rule 23.1).
- Second Referee (R2): Assists the first referee; controls the net, posts, and centre line; authorizes substitutions and timeouts; supervises the scorer's table (Rule 23.2).
- Scorer (official scorer and assistant scorer): Records all events before and during the match as directed by the second referee (Rule 23.3).
- Line Judges (4): Signal whether the ball is in or out on all boundary lines; monitor the server's foot faults; signal out balls touched by the receiving team (Rule 23.4).
- Ball Retrievers (6 in FIVB competition): Keep balls ready for service and at the referees' positions between rallies (Rule 23.5).