# Law 5: Team Leaders (FIVB Official Volleyball Rules)

Volleyball · Law 5: Team Leaders · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/volleyball/laws/law-5-team-leaders/)

The team captain and the game captain, the coach and the assistant coach: what each does before, during and after the match, who may talk to the referees, and how protests and stand-ins work.

## 5.51 The Captain

The team captain's duties before and after the match, the game captain on court, and what the game captain may ask the referees.

### Test 1: The team captain and the game captain

- Before play the team captain goes to the toss and then signs the score sheet. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.1)
- On court during the match, the team captain acts as the game captain. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2)
- When the team captain is off the court, the coach or the team captain names another player on court. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2)
- The role ends when that player leaves the court, the team captain comes back, or the set is over. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2)
- Only the game captain may address the referees, and only while the ball is out of play. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2)
- The game captain may ask permission to change kit, to verify positions, and to check the floor, net, ball and so on. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2.2)
- The team captain thanks the referees and signs the score sheet to ratify the result. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.3.1)
- With the team captain off the court, a game captain on court takes over the right to talk to the referees. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2)
- Toss and signature come first, then the game-captain role, and a final signature confirms the result. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1)
- A protest must be announced to the 1st referee at the time and is written on the score sheet after the match. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2.1, 5.1.3.2)

## 5.52 The Coach and the Assistant Coach

How the coach runs the team, hands in line-ups and gives instructions, and what the assistant coach may do.

### Test 1: The coach and the assistant coach

- Throughout the match the coach directs play from outside, picks line-ups and substitutes and takes time-outs. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.1)
- In these functions the coach's contact is the 2nd referee. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.1)
- A filled-in, signed line-up goes to the 2nd referee or the scorer before every set; a tablet transmission counts as official. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.3.1)
- The coach sits on the bench nearest the scorer but may leave it. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.3.2)
- The coach and other team members may instruct the players, without disturbing or delaying the match. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.3.4)
- An assistant coach sits on the bench and has no right to intervene in the match. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.3.1)
- For the coach's absence an assistant coach may step in, after the game captain confirms it to the referee. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.3.2)
- The coach may move in the free zone in front of the bench, from the attack-line extension to the warm-up area, which is A. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.3.4)
- The roster is signed before the match, a line-up goes in before each set, and time-outs come during play. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.2, 5.2.3)
- The assistant coach may act as coach only after the game captain has confirmed it. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.3.2)

## 5.53 Leaders in Game Situations

Match situations from the FIVB Casebook: protests, injured captains, the buzzer and who may speak to the referees.

### Test 1: Leaders in game situations

- Explanations are requested by the game captain; the coach has no such right. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2, 5.2.3.4; Casebook 2024 1.6)
- Another team member may press the buzzer, but the coach must still make the official signal. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.3.3, 5.3.1; Casebook 2024 1.7)
- A written protest needs the game captain to have told the 1st referee about it when the incident happened. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2.1, 5.1.3.2; Casebook 2024 7.4)
- A protest concerns the referee's application or interpretation of the rules, not ordinary judgement calls. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2.1, 5.1.3.2; Casebook 2024 1.5)
- Before the toss the coach may designate a new team captain, marked on the score sheet, with the full rights and duties. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.1; Casebook 2024 4.34)
- After the toss no new team captain is named; a game captain takes on the duties and signs after the match. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1; Casebook 2024 4.34)
- Rule 5 states that a Libero can be either team captain or game captain. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5)
- The assistant coach sits on the bench and may not intervene; walking along the side line is for the coach. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.2.3.4, 5.3.1; Casebook 2024 7.8)
- Going beyond the game captain's role first earns a warning; if it continues, a sanction for rude conduct follows. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2, 21; Casebook 2024 1.3)
- Requests are made only with the ball out of play; only detail of one's own team is given, and the request must not be abused. (Source: FIVB OVR 2025-2028, Rule 5.1.2.2; Casebook 2024 1.4)

Sources: FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028, Rule 5 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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