Law 21: Misconduct and Its Sanctions

Minor misconduct is not sanctioned; the 1st referee's duty is to keep teams from reaching the sanctioning level.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.1 · recall

Stage 1 is a verbal warning through the game captain; stage 2 is a yellow card to the team member.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.1 · recall

The yellow card is not itself a sanction but shows the team member has reached the sanctioning level.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.1 · recall

The verbal warning goes through the game captain.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.1 · recall

Rude conduct is the mildest category: action against good manners or moral principles.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.2.1 · recall

Offensive conduct covers defamatory or insulting words or gestures and any action expressing contempt.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.2.2 · recall

Aggression is an actual physical attack or aggressive or threatening behaviour.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.2.3 · recall

Red and yellow shown jointly mean expulsion; yellow is a warning, red a penalty, and the two apart a disqualification.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.6 · applied

The two warning stages come before any sanction.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.1, 21.3 · recall

The three categories are ordered by seriousness: rude, offensive, aggression.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.2 · recall

The first rude conduct is penalised with a point and service to the opponent.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.1 · recall

The first offensive conduct is sanctioned by expulsion.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.2.2 · recall

Aggression is sanctioned by disqualification straight away.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.3.2 · recall

An expelled player is substituted at once, misses the rest of the set and waits in the dressing room.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.2.1 · recall

A disqualified team member is substituted immediately and spends the rest of the match in the dressing room.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.3.1 · recall

A penalty is shown with a red card.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.6 · recall

Disqualification is shown with the red and yellow cards held separately.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.6 · recall

The second rude conduct by the same team member in a match is sanctioned by expulsion.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.2.3 · applied

First rude conduct is a penalty, the second an expulsion, the third a disqualification.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3 · recall

Warning, penalty, expulsion, disqualification.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.6 · recall

All misconduct sanctions are individual, unlike the delay sanctions.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.4.1 · recall

They remain in force for the entire match and are recorded on the score sheet.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.4.1 · recall

Each successive offence by the same person brings a heavier sanction.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.4.2 · recall

Expulsion or disqualification for offensive conduct or aggression does not require a previous sanction.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.4.3 · recall

Misconduct before or between sets is sanctioned under Rule 21.3 and applies in the following set.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.5 · recall

Depending on the seriousness of the minor misconduct, the 1st referee may start at stage 2.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.1; Casebook 2024 6.1 · applied

An expelled coach loses the right to intervene in the set and goes to the dressing room until it ends.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.2.1 · recall

The penalty applies in set 3: the opponents gain a point, rotate and take the service.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.5; Casebook 2024 6.4 · applied

Expulsion lasts only for the rest of the set, with no other consequences.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.3.2.1 · applied

Sanctions between sets are set against the next set, before its first service.

Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 21.5; Casebook 2024 6.4 · applied