You may have already come across them: the new volleyball rules for the upcoming season! But what exactly has changed? And what do they actually mean? We’ll explain it all for you.
Rule Change 1: Screening
Screening itself has, of course, not been allowed for quite some time. However, this season, as a front-row player on the serving team, you are no longer allowed to hold your hands above your head during the service. So: hands down when you’re at the net (and still at least 1 metre apart from each other). After the serve, your hands can of course go back up.
Rule Change 2: Libero
Not all teams play with a libero, but if you do, it’s worth reading this rule carefully. When a libero takes the second ball upperhands (the set-up), then the last contact of both feet must have taken place behind the 3-metre line (back zone). If you are standing with one foot in the front zone and one foot in the back zone, it is therefore a fault if the libero lifts one foot and an attack then takes place. An underarm set-up is, of course, allowed anywhere on the court.
Rule Change 3: Positional fault during service
This is one to remember — especially for setters. As the receiving team (when the opponents are serving), you are now allowed to switch positions as soon as the server tosses the ball. Previously, this was only allowed once the ball had been struck. This small change gives the setter a head start in moving to their desired position.
Rule Change 4: Double contact
This last change has been a topic of debate for years. When is it considered a double contact, and when is it catching/throwing? This season, the rule has been further relaxed. If the ball is played overhead with the fingers towards your own team, successive contacts are allowed, as long as it is one continuous motion. So, that’s no longer a fault.
If the ball slips through your hands and then touches your head, however, that still counts as a double contact — and is therefore a fault.
Catching and throwing remain illegal and will still be judged as carrying the ball.
Got questions? Feel free to contact the Referee Coordinator at vc@sovicos.nl