Volleyball · Level 1: Beginner · Sub-level 1.1
What Volleyball Is
10 tests · 100 facts · updated 25 October 2026 · markdown
Volleyball is a net game in which each team tries to make the ball land on the opponents' court, or wins the rally from an opponents' fault. A net across the centre line splits the court into two halves, so there is no body contact between opponents. Indoors it is six against six, and a team has up to three hits to return the ball, with a block touch not counted as one of them. Catching or throwing the ball is a fault.
Every rally gives a point to its winner, whoever served. A set is played to 25 points with a two-point lead and no cap, so 26-24 is possible, and there is no clock. A best-of-five match ends when one team has won three sets; at two sets all, a fifth set to 15 decides it. Beach volleyball is two against two on a 16 by 8 metre court, best of three sets, and became an Olympic medal sport at Atlanta in 1996. Sitting volleyball keeps six a side on a 10 by 6 metre court, with nets at 1.15 m for men and 1.05 m for women.
The facts below cover the aim and the teams, the shape of a match and its scoring, beach, sitting and mini-volleyball, the women's game, indoor and outdoor play, the governing bodies and related games such as fistball and sepak takraw.
Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.
Test 1The aim and the teamsTake a test
A rally is won by making the ball land on the opponents' court, or by an opponents' fault.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Indoor volleyball is six against six; the rest of the squad waits on the bench.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
A net stretched across the centre line splits the court into two halves, one for each team.
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A team has up to three hits to return the ball; a block touch does not count as one of them.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
The ball is played with a clean hit; catching or throwing it is a fault.
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Each team starts the rally inside its own half of the court.
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The net keeps the teams apart, so there is no body contact between opponents.
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Serve, pass, set and attack: the usual shape of a rally.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Six play, the substitutes wait on the bench and the coaches sit or stand beside them.
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A ball that lands inside a team's court loses that team the rally, so team A wins it.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Test 2How a match is shapedTake a test
A best-of-five match ends as soon as one team has won three sets.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
A set is played to 25 points, and the winner must be two points clear.
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There is no cap: play goes on until one team is two points ahead, such as 26-24.
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The deciding set is shorter, played to 15 points, still with a two-point lead.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Sets have no clock; one ends when a team reaches the target score with a two-point lead.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
The teams change courts after each set, so neither keeps one end for the whole match.
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Sets are played until one team has won the match; at two sets all a fifth set decides it.
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At 24-24 the set carries on until one team is two points clear, here 26-24.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
The toss and the warm-up come before play; the teams change ends between sets.
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The captains take part in the toss, which decides who serves first and which side each team takes.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Test 3Scoring in plain wordsTake a test
Every rally gives a point to the team that wins it, whoever served. This is rally-point scoring.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
The winner of a rally serves the next one, so a receiving team that wins it takes over the serve.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
A ball out of the court is a fault by the team that last played it, so the other team scores.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
The lines belong to the court, so a ball touching a line is in.
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Any fault ends the rally and gives the point, and the next serve, to the opponents.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
On winning the serve a team rotates one position clockwise, and a new player serves.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Three sets at 25 points each is 75 points, the least a 3-0 winner can score.
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The rally winner always serves next, so team A keeps serving until it loses a rally.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Points go up one rally at a time until one team reaches 25 with a two-point lead.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
A block that sends the ball down on the attackers' side wins the point for the blockers.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Test 4Beach volleyballTake a test
Beach volleyball is played two against two, with no substitutes.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
The beach court is a little smaller, 16 by 8 metres, which suits two players.
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Beach sets one and two are played to 21 points, the deciding third to 15.
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Beach volleyball became an Olympic medal sport at Atlanta in 1996.
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Beach players normally play barefoot; the soft sand protects the feet and helps them move.
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The player at the net shows the partner, behind the back, which shot the block will take away.
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Beach matches are the best of three sets, so two sets win the match.
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A player may not touch the ball twice in a row, so the partners share the three touches.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Indoor volleyball joined the Olympics in 1964, sitting volleyball the Paralympics in 1980, beach in 1996.
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With two a side and no double touch, the partner of the passer sets the ball.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Test 5Sitting volleyballTake a test
When playing the ball, the part of the body between the buttocks and the shoulders must touch the court.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Sitting volleyball, like the indoor game, is six against six.
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The sitting court is 10 by 6 metres, small enough to cover while seated.
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The men's sitting net is set at 1.15 m and the women's at 1.05 m.
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Men's sitting volleyball joined the Paralympics at Arnhem in 1980; the women's event followed in 2004.
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World ParaVolley is the world governing body for sitting and beach para volleyball.
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Sitting volleyball lets players block the serve, which the standing indoor game forbids.
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1.05 m and 1.15 m for sitting women and men, 2.24 m and 2.43 m indoors.
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Standing volleyball came first in 1976, men's sitting volleyball in 1980 and women's in 2004.
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Seated players and a low net over a small court: this is sitting volleyball.
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Test 6Mini-volleyballTake a test
Mini-volleyball scales the game down so that children can play it from the start.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Children play on a smaller court, so that a few players can cover it.
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A lower net lets young players attack and block, as adults do over the full-height net.
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Catching and throwing helps beginners keep the ball alive while they learn the real skills.
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A light, soft ball does not hurt the arms and is easier to keep in the air.
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The point of the small game is to give every child the ball often and keep it enjoyable.
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Several small courts mean more players are active at once, each with more turns on the ball.
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Children start in small teams and move up towards the full six-a-side game.
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The net rises with age, up to 2.24 m for women and 2.43 m for men.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Count the children on each side of the net: three per team, a common mini-volleyball size.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Test 7The women's gameTake a test
Men's and women's indoor volleyball both made their Olympic debut at Tokyo in 1964.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Women play the same game: six a side, sets to 25, three touches; only the net is lower.
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The match ball is the same for men and women.
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Both play on the same 18 by 9 metre court.
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The libero is part of the women's game exactly as of the men's.
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Many top women serve float serves, often from a jump, which move unpredictably in the air.
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Three players stand in the front row and three in the back row, as in the men's game.
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2.24 m, 2.43 m, and the antenna tip 80 cm above the men's net at 3.23 m.
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Women's indoor volleyball began in 1964, beach in 1996 and sitting volleyball in 2004.
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The women's net is 2.24 m high, 19 cm lower than the men's 2.43 m.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Test 8Indoor and outdoor volleyballTake a test
The sand must be at least 40 cm deep, loose and fine, so that diving and landing are safe.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
The beach ball is pumped to a lower pressure and is a little larger and softer.
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Sand can get very hot in the sun, so courts are sometimes sprayed with water to cool them.
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Wind changes the flight of the ball, which makes serving and passing outdoors harder.
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Volleyball sends the ball very high, so a hall needs plenty of free space above the court.
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Indoor players dive onto a hard floor; on the beach the sand softens every landing.
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Indoor courts have a wooden or synthetic surface; the outdoor games are played on sand, snow or grass.
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Sand gives most under the feet, grass less, and an indoor floor least of all.
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A hall keeps out wind, sun and rain; a roof keeps out some; an open beach none.
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Swapping ends during a set means neither team keeps the better side for wind and sun.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
Test 9Who runs the sportTake a test
The five are the CEV, the AVC, the CAVB, NORCECA and the CSV.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
The FIVB is based in Lausanne, the Olympic capital, in Switzerland.
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The FIVB was founded in Paris in 1947.
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The CEV, the European Volleyball Confederation, runs the European game.
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Volleyball World is the FIVB's company for its major events, such as the Nations League.
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Each country has a national federation, a member of the FIVB, that runs its game.
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NORCECA is the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.
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The world body, then a continent, a country and finally a single club.
Source: General volleyball reference · applied
The game was invented in 1895, the FIVB founded in 1947 and Olympic volleyball began in 1964.
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The World Championships are the FIVB's own events, held for men and women.
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Test 10The volleyball family of gamesTake a test
Footvolley is played on a beach volleyball court, but with the feet, chest and head instead of the hands.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Sepak takraw is a kicking game over a net, played with a light woven ball.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
Fistball has its strongest roots in German-speaking countries.
Source: General volleyball reference · recall
In newcomb ball the ball is caught and thrown over the net, which makes it easy for beginners.
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In both games the object must be kept off the floor on your side of a net.
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Snow volleyball is played three against three on a snow court.
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Park or grass volleyball is played on a lawn, often in summer and with relaxed rules.
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Volleyball dates from 1895, beach volleyball from the early twentieth century, snow volleyball from 2008.
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Six a side indoors, three on snow, two on the beach.
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In fistball the ball may bounce once between touches and is struck with the fist or arm.
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Questions people ask
- How do you score a point in volleyball?
- Every rally gives a point to the team that wins it, whoever served; this is rally-point scoring. A rally is won by landing the ball on the opponents' court or through an opponents' fault.
- How many points are in a volleyball set?
- A set is played to 25 points and the winner must be two points clear, with no cap, so it can end 26-24. The deciding fifth set is shorter, played to 15 points, still with a two-point lead.
- How many times can a team touch the ball?
- A team has up to three hits to return the ball over the net. A block touch does not count as one of them.
- How many players does a volleyball team have on court?
- Indoor and sitting volleyball are six against six, snow volleyball three against three, and beach volleyball two against two with no substitutes.
- Is a ball that lands on the line in or out?
- It is in, because the lines belong to the court.
- When did volleyball join the Olympic Games?
- Men's and women's indoor volleyball made their Olympic debut at Tokyo in 1964, and beach volleyball followed at Atlanta in 1996. Men's sitting volleyball joined the Paralympics at Arnhem in 1980 and the women's event followed in 2004.
- Who governs volleyball?
- The FIVB, founded in Paris in 1947 and based in Lausanne, is the world body. Below it come five continental confederations, the CEV, AVC, CAVB, NORCECA and CSV, then national federations and clubs.
Sources
General volleyball references, FIVB (beach, snow), World ParaVolley (sitting), FIVB Coaches Manual; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered FIVB rules belong to the Rules category.
- General volleyball reference100