Volleyball Referee Signals
If you’re looking to better understand the role of a volleyball ref, the rules they enforce and the hand signals they use, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start with a few basic facts:
Indoor volleyball matches are officiated by two referees and two lines people. The first referee, also known as the “up ref,” runs the match with duties including whistling to start each play, calling infractions such as net touches, double contacts and lifts and signing the scorecard at the end of the match. The second referee, also known as the “down ref,” assists the first referee with making calls and has duties including communicating with the scorekeeper, watching for overlap violations and keeping time. The line judges make in and out calls and also call touches, balls outside the antenna and foot faults.
A volleyball ref indicates each call with an official hand signal. Below are the ref signals that are used throughout a match.
- Common ref signals during play
- Ref signals for serving
- Ref signals between points
- Warning and penalty calls
Common Ref Signals During Play
Ball “in”
The ball is “in” if at any moment of its contact with the floor, some part of the ball touches the court, including the boundary lines.
Ball out
All parts of the ball which contact the floor are completely outside the boundary lines or it touches an object outside the court, the ceiling or a person out of play.
Ball touched
The ball touches a player and then lands anywhere on their side of the court.
Double contact
A player hits the ball twice in succession or the ball contacts various parts of his/her body in succession.
Four contacts
A team hits the ball four times before returning it.
Double fault - Replay
If two or more faults are committed by opponents simultaneously, a double fault is called and the rally is replayed.
Catch/lift
The ball is caught and/or thrown or held for too long; it does not rebound from the hit.
Positional/rotational fault
If any player is not in his/her correct position at the moment the ball is hit by the server. When a player is on court through illegal substitution, and play restarts, this is counted as a positional fault with the consequences of an illegal substitution.
Blocking fault
- The blocker touches the ball in the OPPONENT’S space either before or simultaneously with the opponent’s attack hit.
- A back-row player or a Libero completes a block or participates in a completed block.
- Blocking the opponent’s service.
- The ball is sent “out” off the block.
Reaching beyond the net
In blocking, a player may touch the ball beyond the net, provided that he/she does not interfere with the opponent’s play before or during the latter's attack hit.
Net touched by player
Contact with the net by a player between the antennae, during the action of playing the ball, is a fault.
Attack hit fault
By a back-row player, by a libero or on the opponent’s service or on an overhand finger pass by the libero in his/her front zone or its extension.
Ref Signals for Serving
Team to serve
The first service of the first set, as well as that of the deciding 5th set is executed by the team determined by the toss. The other sets will be started with the service of the team that did not serve first in the previous set.
Authorization to serve
The 1st referee authorizes the service, after having checked that the two teams are ready to play and that the server is in possession of the ball.
Delay in service
The server must hit the ball within 8 seconds after the 1st referee whistles for service.
Ball not tossed or released during service
The ball must be hit with one hand or any part of the arm after being tossed or released from the hand(s).
Foot fault
Failure of the server to keep both feet behind the base line until the ball is hit.
Ref Signals Between Points
Change of courts
After each set, the teams change courts, with the exception of the deciding set.
Substitution
A substitution is the act by which a player, other than the Libero or his/ her replacement player, after being recorded by the scorer, enters the game to occupy the position of another player, who must leave the court at that moment. Each team may request a maximum of six
substitutions per set.
End of set/match
A set (except the deciding 5th set) is won by the team which first scores 25 points with a minimum lead of two points. In the case of a 24-24 tie, play is continued until a two-point lead is achieved (26-24; 27-25; etc.).
The match is won by the team that wins three sets. In the case of a 2-2 tie, the deciding 5th set is played to 15 points with a minimum lead of 2 points.
Time out
All requested time-outs last for 30 seconds. Each team may request a maximum of two time-outs per set.
Time out - team indicated
Time-out requests must be made by showing the corresponding hand signal, when the ball is out of play and before the whistle for service.
Warning and Penalty Calls
Yellow card - Warning: For minor misconduct offenses
This formal warning is not in itself a sanction but a symbol that the team member (and by extension the team) has reached the sanctioning level for the match. It is recorded in the score sheet but has no immediate consequences.
Red card - Penalty
The first rude conduct in the match by any team member is penalized with a point and service to the opponent.
Red and yellow card jointly - Expulsion
A team member who is sanctioned by expulsion shall not play for the rest of the set, must be substituted legally and immediately if on court and must remain seated in the penalty area with no other consequences. An expelled coach loses his/her right to intervene in the set and must remain seated in the penalty area.
Red and yellow card separately - Disqualification
A team member who is sanctioned by disqualification must be substituted legally and immediately if on court and must leave the Competition-Control Area for the rest of the match with no other consequences. The first physical attack or implied or threatened aggression is sanctioned by disqualification with no other consequences.
Delay - Warning
The first delay in the match by a team member is sanctioned with a “DELAY WARNING”.
Delay - Penalty
The second and subsequent delays of any type by any member of the same team in the same match constitute a fault and are sanctioned with a “DELAY PENALTY”: a point and service to the opponent. Delay sanctions imposed before or between sets are applied in the following set.
