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Volleyball Substitution Rules
Volleyball Substitution Rules
Substitution
Rules
Presented by:
Nathaniel Mabubay
Volleyball
Substitutions
At all levels, volleyball is a 6-on-6
sport, meaning there are six players on
the court for each team at all times.
Since volleyball games aren’t timed,
sets can run long, and players can get
tired, so it makes sense that the same
six don’t play the whole game. They are
substituted out.
Substitutions
Substituting is the act of replacing one or more
players of a team on the court, with players from the
benches. These players have to be on the team roster and
noted on the score sheet. Substitution rules apply to all
players except for the libero and their replacement.
When a player is going in for a substitution, they must
wait on the sideline between the centerline and attack
line. Once both players have met on the sideline, they
must wait for the referee and scorer’s table to officially
allow the substitution to take place.
When Does Substitution Happen in
Volleyball?
Coaches must request a substitution, which is then
approved by the second referee. The substitution may
be announced by the scorer or the second referee but is
always authorized by the second referee in professional
play. Incoming players often hold paddles with
numbers during substitution to tell players still on the
court who they are replacing.
How Often Can a Volleyball
Team Make Substitutions?
Players are allowed to leave and re-enter the game once during each set.
When a player comes back into the game, they have to return to their original
position. If this rule is not followed, it is considered an illegal substitution.
Exceptions are made for when a player is injured, and this is called an exceptional
substitution. In this case, the player should be substituted legally. If not, any
player, except the libero, can fill the spot of the injured player.
How Often Can a Volleyball
Team Make Substitutions?
The number of substitutions per set varies per level of play. In youth
volleyball, you are permitted 18 substitutions per set. Meanwhile, in collegiate
volleyball, teams are allowed 15 substitutions per set. Lastly, n professional
FIVB games, teams are only permitted to make six substitutions per set.
Libero Replacement
Replacing the Libero player is not considered a substitution, so it is not counted in
the allotted amount per game and has some different rules:
• If a team plays with two liberos, replacements between the two liberas are
unlimited.
Libero Replacement
• If a team plays with one libero and that player becomes unable to play, the team
may remove that player and re-designate a new libero, who will remain at the
position for the rest of the match.
• The players must enter and exit through the libero replacement zone
The End