In this article, we will discuss Volleyball Positions.
Volleyball is a team game. There are six players in each team. The volleyball court is separated by a net. Each team aims to score points by grounding a ball on the opponent team’s court without breaching the rules of the game. It is an indoor game.
Generally, we play volleyball as an outdoor game because we do have an indoor court. The measurement of the volleyball court is 18 meters x 9 meters. Lines on the court are 5 cm (2 inches wide). The height of the net for men is 2.43 meters and 2.24 meters for women and juniors.
Volleyball Positions
There are six positions on a volleyball court, and each position provides a special part in the victory of the team. Simply like other competitive teams, you require to rely on each player to not only do their work or part but do their work nicely.
Volleyball is incredibly fast-paced and needs heavy athletic power. Relying on your talent set and which element of the match you excel in the most, you can choose which of these seven positions you will play. Here we will see each position breaking down these volleyball play positions.

Here are the Volleyball Positions that are involved in Volleyball matches as follows:
Position | Number | Letter | Role |
Setter | 2 | S |
Sets up the hitters for their attacks.
|
Outside Hitter | 4 | OH |
Primary attackers hit the ball from the left and right sides of the court.
|
Opposite Hitter | 3 | OP |
The team’s second-best attacker hits the ball from the right side of the court.
|
Middle Blocker | 5 | MB |
Blocks the opponent’s attacks.
|
Libero | 6 | L |
Defensive specialist, not permitted to block or attack the ball.
|
Defensive Specialist | 1 | DS |
The hybrid of the libero and the outside hitter, in charge of passing and defending, but also permitted to attack the ball from the back row.
|
Serving Specialist | – | SS |
Serves the ball.
|
What are the positions in Volleyball?
Here are the volleyball positions with their role as follows:
Setter
The setter is the primary contributor to the offensive of the volleyball team. One of the conditions of the setter is maintaining a light touch to put the ball correctly for one of the attacking players.
Communication is particularly critical for the setter because they require to obtain the remaining players on the same page. Without the setter, there wouldn’t be challenging spikes or technical ball action.
Outside Hitter (left-side hitter)
The outside hitter is even called the left-side hitter. It is the lead attacker in the offensive plan. To become a victorious outsider hitter, you must be capable to jump tall, be fast on your feet, and be prepared to adjust to various conditions.
The volleyball won’t forever be set where the outsider hitter would want, so they require to be trained for hits from different places.
Opposite Hitter
Opposite Hitter is even called the right-side hitter, these players require to be an excellent proportion of both offense and defense. They will even receive various chances to punch the volleyball, so identical to the outside hitter, jumping ability is essential.
The primary difference that sets the opposite hitter apart is their defensive duty. Being capable to accept the service from the opposing team is solely one of the many requirements of this specialized position.
Middle Blocker
The middle blocker even called the middle hitter, is the most elevated player on the volleyball squad. Their primary role for the team is standing in the first line of defense against the opposing team’s hits.
The middle blocker requires to know the other team’s attackers to fastly increase his or her arms above the net in a blocking shot.
However, this is not a defense-only position. The middle blocker will own opportunities for quick points throughout the set.
Libero
The libero can evolve as confusing for non-volleyball players. They can only play on the back row of the court, and because of this, are excellent individuals to obtain a hit from the opposite group. There are set regulations the libero requires to obey, such as not attacking the ball at the net, playing a set for an attacker from the front, and more. You can always suggest a libero apart from the rest of the group because they have various colored jerseys.
Defensive Specialist
The specialty that sets defensive specialists apart from other volleyball positions is their capacity to replace any player on the court.
This will count against the team’s full of 12 substitutions. The defensive specialist traditionally concentrates on ball control and passing and performs well with the libero.
Serving Specialist
A serving specialist is a performer who subs in only to serve. These players generally contain a very tough or very consistent serve, and they reach in for a player who is less strong behind the service line, but otherwise very useful to have on the court as an offensive or defensive danger.
These were the essential Volleyball positions required while playing Volleyball.
Rules and Skills of Volleyball
Here we will discuss basic skills first then we will discuss the rules of volleyball.
i. Basic Skills of Volleyball
a. Serving
The game of volleyball starts with the serve. Some can be either underhand serve or over-head serve. In the underhand serve, the server holds the ball and swings the other arm underneath the ball to hit it.
On the over-hand serve, the server tosses the ball in the air first and then hits it. There are many types of services. The main aim of the service is to send the ball over the net to win the point.
b. Over-head Service
It can be difficult for learners to execute’ over-head serve. It is good to learn to start with the underhand serve. Once you gain the confidence to do some underhand serve, you can start over-head serve.
You can start to learn to serve on the net from the three-meter line.
First, you should be able to toss the ball properly and have strong coordination to hit the ball over the net. You need to use an overhand throwing motion. The overhand serve requires more coordination. timing and strength. The over-head serve is more powerful because it has greater speed and power than the under-hand serve.
i. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Put your left foot ahead of your right foot. Your shoulders should be aligned with the net.
ii. Put your left hand directly in front of you, with a flexible elbow and palm up with the ball in it.
iii. Swing your serving right arm back, behind your head.
iv. Toss the ball up with the palm of your left hand about 12 to 18 inches in the air.
v. The right hand should contact the ball just after it starts to drop back down
vi. Swing your right arm back at the same time, keeping your wrist rigid.
vii. Hit the ball with the heel of your right hand. Bring your right hand forward and hit the ball with the heel of your hand or the bottom of your palm. Do not hit it with your fingers or the flat of your palm.
viii. After serving the ball, run into the court to your defensive position.

c. Setting
Simple Rules of the Game:
– A player on one of the teams begins a rally by serving the ball.
– The ball must be served from behind the end line of the court.
– The served ball must travel over the net and into the receiving team’s court.
– The receiving team must not let the ball be grounded within their court.
– The receiving team may touch the ball as many as three tunes without breaching the rules of the game.
– Typically, the first two touches to set up for an attack, an attempt to direct the ball back over the net in such a way that the serving team is unable to prevent it from being grounded in their court.
– The rally continues, with each team allowed as many as three consecutive touches, until either:
i. A team makes a kill, grounding the ball on the opponent’s court and winning the rally; or
ii. A team commits a fault and loses the rally.
– The team that wins the ball is awarded a point and serves the ball to start the next rally.
– Games are played to 25 points.
– The game must win by a margin of 2 points.
– There is no limit on how high the score can go.
– The tournament matches are played the best of 5 games. lf the game is played on the 5th set then the game is played for to points 15 only.
Basic Skills of Volleyball
Hitting the ball, being in the right place, and playing competitively can help to win the game as well as gain confidence in the sport.
Focusing on the basics of volleyball can help you to gain the skill you need for every game. Some skills and techniques in volleyball are spiking and blocking as well as passing, setting, and specialized player positions for offensive and defensive structures.
i. Serving
Serving is necessary for the start of the game. There are two basic types of serves. One is Overhand, where the server will toss the ball in the air first then hit it.
The second is underhand, where the service will hold the ball and swing the other arm underneath the ball to hit it. There are varieties of other serves beyond these basics. The main aim of the service is to send the ball over the net to win the point and get the game going.
– Overhead Service
Overhead Service is the skill of serving from an overhead position. The server Catches the ball standing back of the service line.
Then he raises the ball softly with his left hand. When the ball is in the air, it is hit with the help of the right hand. As the server hits the ball in the position over the head, This is termed Overhead Service.
– Underhand Service
In this method of serving the server keeps the ball on the palm of the left hand below the waist level. On the whistle from the referee. the server releases the ball from the left hand and hits it with the right hand. While hitting, the left wrist or palm is needed as per the convenience
ii. Passing
Passing is usually set up by the setter of the game. It is used to receive the ball and pass it to the other players on their own team. They must put the ball to the other side as they want to. They can either pass by the forearm or by hitting the ball overhead.

iii. Tip
A Tip is used to trick the opponents to think that the ball is going further than it will. The player will hit the ball lightly, making it go over the net but not too far into the player’s area so that they cannot hit it back.
iv. Dig
Dig is the ability of a player to save the ball from hitting the court after it has been spiked. A player needs to slide underneath the ball on the court or dive.
v. Rebound
Rebound occurs when the ball stays on one side, making the players rebound or take the ball back.

vi. The Serve
– Server must serve from behind the restraining line (end line).
– Ball may be served underhand or overhand.
– The ball must be clearly visible to opponents before serve.
– Served ball may touch the net and drop to the other side for a point.
– First game serve is determined by a volley, each subsequent game shall be served by the previous game loser.
– Serve must not be returned by an attack.
vii. Scoring
– Rally scoring will be used.
– There will be a point scored on every score of the ball.
– The offense will score on a defense miss or out-of-bounds hit.
– Defense will score on an offensive miss, out-of-bounds hit, or serve into the net.
– Game will be played to 25 points.
– The game must win by points.
viii. Rotation
– The team will rotate each time they win the serve.
– Players shall rotate in a clockwise manner.
– There shall be six players on each side.

ix. Playing the Game (Volley)
– Maximum of three hits per side is allowed.
– Player may not hit the ball twice in succession.
– Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on serve.
– A ball touching a boundary line is good.
– A player must not block or attack a serve.
– Switching positions will be allowed only between front-line players. (After the serve only).
x. Receiving
It is the skill of Receiving the ball approaching from the opponent’s court. While receiving, the ball the receiver should assess the force and direction of the ball. A Ball can be received by fingering if the ball is high and digging if the ball is low or spiking. After Receiving the ball, it is given for setting comfortably.

Setting
It is the skill of fixing a Ball near and above the net so that it can be spiked on the opponent’s court. The bill given by the receiver is taken and is set carefully near and above the ball should not cross the net.
Spiking
It is the skill of hitting the ball into the opponent’s court forcefully in such a way that not any player of an opponent team can receive it. The spiker jumps and hits the ball for the execution of spiking. While spiking, the ball shouldn’t go out of the opponent’s court.

Basic Rules of Volleyball
i. The game begins with a toss to choose court or serve. If the toss-winner chooses the court, the toss-loser chooses the service or vice versa.
ii. A point is scored if the ball touches the ground of the opponent’s court or the opponent’s team makes a foul.
ii. The backline should not be touched while serving the ball.
iii. A team must return the ball to the opponent’s court within the third touch of the ball. While making three touches, a single player cannot touch the ball twice.
iv. If a Team makes a foul, the opponent team gets the chance to serve with one-point
v. The serving team continues serving until the opponent gets a score.
vi. When the service is changed, the server team players rotate their Positions in Clockwise Direction.
vii. Not any Player is allowed to touch the net with hands or any parts of the body.
viii. Not any Player is allowed to cross the center line.
ix. A team must score 25 points to win the game. In case a team has scored 24 points, the other team must score 2 points more to win the game.
x. The game is played in three sets in general. If the game is played in 5 sets, The last game is played up to 15 scores for a win.
This was for the Volleyball Positions.
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