# Law 9: Playing the Ball

Volley-ball · Law 9: Playing the Ball · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/fr/volleyball/laws/law-9-playing-the-ball/)

The three team hits and the block, simultaneous contacts by team-mates and by opponents, the assisted hit, what makes a hit legal, the first-hit and block exceptions, and the faults of four hits, catch and double contact.

## 9.91 Team Hits and Simultaneous Contacts

How many hits a team has, consecutive and simultaneous contacts, collisions, and where the ball may be retrieved.

### Test 1: Team hits and simultaneous contacts

- A team has at most three hits, in addition to blocking; a fourth is the fault of four hits. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1)
- Consecutive hits by one player are not allowed, except in the cases of Rules 9.2.3, 14.2 and 14.4.2. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.1)
- Simultaneous touches by team-mates count as two hits, except at the block. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.2.1)
- Only the player who touched it counts, and a collision between players is not a fault. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.2.1)
- After a simultaneous touch over the net, the team the ball goes to starts a fresh set of three hits. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.2.2)
- If such a ball goes out, the fault is the team on the opposite side from where it lands, so team A wins the rally. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.2.2; Casebook 2024 3.19)
- Each team plays in its own area, but the ball may be retrieved from beyond the free zone and over the whole scoring table. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9)
- Blocking does not count among the team's three hits, so block, dig, set and attack is legal. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1, 14.4.1)
- Blocking adds nothing to the count, a lone dig adds one, and touches made together add one each. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1, 9.1.2.1)
- Team B, receiving the ball, is entitled to another three hits before returning it. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.2.2)

## 9.92 What a Legal Hit Is

Contact with any part of the body, no catching or throwing, and the exceptions for the first hit and the block.

### Test 1: What a legal hit is

- The ball may touch any part of the body. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2.1)
- The ball must not be caught or thrown; it may rebound in any direction. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2.2)
- Several body parts may touch the ball provided the contacts happen at the same time. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2.3)
- At the first hit consecutive contacts are allowed, provided they occur during one action. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2.3.2)
- The Casebook lists the reception of the service, of an attack hit, and of a ball blocked by either team. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2.3.2; Casebook 2024 3.3)
- The hit is judged by the quality of contact, not by the hand position. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2.1, 9.2.2; Casebook 2024 3.2)
- Consecutive contacts by one or more blockers are allowed within one action. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2.3.1)
- B is a catch: the ball comes to rest and is thrown. A palm-up rebound, a one-action first hit and a kick are all legal. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.2, 9.3.3)
- A catch can be whistled even at a first hit when two phases, holding then throwing, can be seen. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.3.3; Casebook 2024 3.3)
- The block does not count as a hit, and the next contact is the team's first hit with its own exception. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1, 9.2.3.2, 14.2)

## 9.93 Faults in Playing the Ball

Four hits, the assisted hit, catch and double contact, with situations from the FIVB Casebook.

### Test 1: Faults in playing the ball

- Using more than three hits is the fault of four hits. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.3.1)
- Within the playing area a player may not take support from a team-mate or any structure or object to hit the ball. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.3, 9.3.2)
- A player about to commit a fault, such as touching the net, may be stopped or held back by a team-mate. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.3)
- A catch is a ball held and/or thrown instead of rebounding from the hit. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.3.3)
- Double contact: one player hits the ball twice in succession, or it touches several parts of the body in succession. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.3.4)
- What matters is the moment of playing the ball; no support was taken then, so it is legal play. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.3; Casebook 2024 8.4)
- The dig is the first hit, where successive contacts in one action are allowed, so the team used exactly three hits. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1, 9.2.3.2)
- Pushing off a team-mate to reach the ball is an assisted hit; being held back, turning on the stand before the hit and colliding are not. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.2.1, 9.1.3; Casebook 2024 8.4)
- A catch can happen in one contact, a double contact needs two, and four hits needs four. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.3)
- Holding back a team-mate who is about to commit a fault is allowed. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 9.1.3)

Sources: FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028, Rule 9 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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