Volleyball for parents: what’s going on out there

Following the score

Whoever wins the rally gets the point, whichever team served. If the receiving team wins it, they also get the serve, and that’s called a side out.

A set goes to 25 and has to be won by 2, so a close one can end 27-25 or later. Club matches are best two of three or best three of five, with a deciding set to 15. High school matches are best three of five, though a state can switch to best two of three. The rules page has the details.

Why players keep switching spots

The lineup sets an order, and the team has to stand in that order when the ball is served. Each time the team wins the serve back, everyone moves one spot clockwise, and the player who reaches the back right corner serves.

As soon as the serve is hit, players are free to move. The setter runs to the net, hitters slide to their side, and the libero may come in for a player who has rotated to the back row. So your kid might serve from one corner and play the whole rally somewhere else.

If a team lines up out of order when the ball is served, the referee calls an overlap and the other team gets the point, even though nobody touched the ball. Positions and rotations has a diagram of the six spots.

Coaches can also make substitutions between rallies.

The player in the different jersey

That’s the libero. They only play in the back row, they can’t block, and they can’t attack a ball from above the top of the net. In exchange they can swap in for any back row player as often as the coach likes, with a rally in between, and the swaps don’t count as substitutions. A libero may serve in one rotation per set. A team can name up to two liberos, but only one is on the court at a time.

How a club tournament works

At a club tournament, teams are put into small groups called pools and play the other teams in their pool. How a team finishes in its pool decides where it goes next, often into a bracket where later matches are played for places, up to a gold medal match.

Teams that aren’t playing often have to referee, keep score or run a line. The line judge may be a kid from another team.

In the stands

USA Volleyball events have a zero tolerance policy for unsporting conduct. Yelling at officials, line judges or scorers can get a spectator removed from the event. A few other points from its spectator guidelines:

• You can keep the same seat for the whole match; you don’t have to switch sides when the teams do.
• No alcohol courtside at youth and junior events.
• Balls fly into the stands. Watch the play, especially in the front rows.

What to bring

• A water bottle and food for a long day. Check whether the venue allows outside food.
• Knee pads and court shoes, kept for the gym floor.
• A layer to put on between matches.
• A phone charger, and the schedule. Match times can shift when earlier matches run long.
• Cash or a card in case the event charges for entry or parking.

Terms on this page

Setter

The player who usually takes the second contact and sets the ball to a hitter.

Attack

Any hit that sends the ball at the other team, other than a serve or a block. A spike, a tip and a roll shot are all attacks.

More beginner guides

• Volleyball rules for beginnersScoring, serving, faults, rotation, the libero and timeouts, with notes where high school and college rules differ.
• Volleyball positions and rotationsThe six zones, what each position does, why players rotate, and what 5-1, 6-2 and 4-2 mean.
• How to read a volleyball box scoreK, E, TA, hitting percentage with a worked example, aces, digs, blocks and 0 to 3 pass ratings.

Sources

1. USA Volleyball, Indoor Rules Book (2025-2027).
2. NFHS, NCAA and USA Volleyball, Summary Comparison: NCAA/USA Volleyball/NFHS Volleyball Rule Differences (revised July 2025).
3. USA Volleyball, Girls Junior Club Championship Pre-Tournament Manual (2026).