Volleyball Rules

There are some different rules in Swedish/European volleyball than in American volleyball.

1. Substitutions. This is the biggest difference that actually affects the game. A player can only enter the game once per set. This means that if you start the set on the court and are subbed out, you can go back into the game. But if you leave the set again, you are done for the rest of the set. So if you start the set on the bench, you can be subbed in. But once you are taken out, then you are done for the rest of the set. This completely eliminates the ideas of a 6-2 offense or a defensive specialist or serving specialist. Each team has 6 substitutions each set. Players also have to hold up a number paddle indicating which player they are going in for.

2. Liberos. A team can have two liberos for a match. Only one can be on the court at a time still, but they can switch freely. This means that if one libero is in, then the other libero can switch right away with them. Ultimately, you could have a defensive libero and a serve receive libero that you switch every single time based on if your team is serving or not. This doesn’t happen, but it could. The libero is not allowed to serve ever. Once you have declared your one or two liberos for the match, they cannot switch during the match to a normal player unless there is an injury and vice versa.

3. Ceilings. If the ball hits the ceiling, it is out of play. It doesn’t matter if it stays on your side or not. It is automatically out, and the other team’s point.

4. Screening. There is no such thing as screening here. Screening is when the team is serving, and they strategically line up their players so that the other team cannot see the server. In American, your captain can say something to the referee, and he will have the blockers move so that the other team can see. Here people purposely line up so the server is difficult to see.

5. Randoms. Hitting and serving warm-ups are all shared between the two teams. Teams do not say ‘good luck’ to each other before the match. The referees almost do not call any lifts or doubles. They let everything go! Before a set starts and after timeouts, you are not allowed to go back onto the court until the ref blows his whistle. Often times, there is no break between sets 2 and 3. There are no line judges.