Sitting volleyball words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 46 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

World ParaVolley

The body whose Board of Directors approves the Official Sitting Volleyball Rules. The rules say it is in agreement with the FIVB on the philosophy of rules and refereeing.

Court and equipment

Free zone (sitting volleyball)

The area around the court, at least 3 m wide on every side, with free space of at least 7 m above it. At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions it must be at least 4 m from the side lines and 6 m from the end lines, with at least 10 m of free space above.

See also: World ParaVolley

Net (sitting volleyball)

A net 0.80 m wide and 6.5 to 7 m long (7 m at World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions), made of 10 cm square black mesh, with a white band 7 cm wide along the top and a band 5 cm wide along the bottom. White side bands, 5 cm wide and 0.80 m long, hang over the side lines.

See also: World ParaVolley

Antenna

A flexible rod 1.60 m long, fixed to the outer edge of each side band. The top 80 cm shows above the net, marked in 10 cm stripes of contrasting colour. Antennae count as part of the net and mark the sides of the crossing space.

Attack line (sitting volleyball)

A line on each court whose rear edge is 2 m back from the axis of the centre line. At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions it is extended outside the side lines by five short broken lines, to a total length of 1.75 m.

See also: World ParaVolley

Service zone (sitting volleyball)

A 6 m wide area behind each end line, marked at the sides by two short lines drawn 20 cm behind the end line as extensions of the side lines. It runs back to the end of the free zone.

Substitution zone (sitting volleyball)

The part of the free zone between the extensions of both attack lines, up to the scorer's table. Substitutions are made there.

Libero replacement zone

The part of the free zone on the bench side of the court, from the extension of the attack line to the end line. A Libero and the player being replaced may only enter or leave the court through it.

Warm-up area

At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions, an area of about 3 m by 3 m in line with the team bench. Players not in play warm up there during play, without balls. From 2025 it is in line with the benches, so that its players can see the court.

See also: World ParaVolley

Bench area

A strip 0.75 m in front of each team bench, marked by a broken line along the length of the bench (about 0.75 m by 4 m at World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions). Players must stay behind the line at all times except during a substitution or time-out. A player warned for being outside it must sit on the bench or go to the warm-up area, and a second warning is a delay. It was added in 2025 for the few players who find it hard to move between the floor and the bench.

Ball (sitting volleyball)

A spherical ball with a flexible leather or synthetic leather case, 65 to 67 cm round and 260 to 280 g, with an inside pressure of 0.300 to 0.325 kg/cm2. All balls in a match must be the same. At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions the balls must be World ParaVolley approved.

See also: World ParaVolley

Five-ball system

At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions, five balls are used, with six ball retrievers: one at each corner of the free zone and one behind each referee.

See also: World ParaVolley

Uniform (sitting volleyball)

A jersey, shorts or long pants, socks and sport shoes, the same for the whole team except the Liberos. Jerseys are numbered 1 to 99, with the number at least 15 cm high on the chest and 20 cm on the back. Players may play without shoes (but not without socks at World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions). They may not sit on thick material or wear specially made thick shorts or pants.

See also: World ParaVolley

Players and classification

Minimal impairment player

A player in the VS2 class. A team may list at most two of them among its 14 players, and the six on the court may include at most one. The limit still holds when a Libero is on the court and after an exceptional substitution.

Also called: VS2

The ruleWhat is a VS2 player in sitting volleyball?

Sport class status

A player's international classification status. A player must have the status Confirmed or Review to be on the team list.

Libero (sitting volleyball)

A specialist defensive player. A team may designate up to two from its listed players (a team may have none, one or two). A Libero wears a contrasting uniform, may replace any back-row player, may not serve, block or attempt to block, and may not complete an attack hit when the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net. Only one Libero is on the court at a time.

Acting Libero

The Libero on the court is the Acting Libero; the other is the second Libero. The Acting Libero can only be replaced by the regular replacement player for that position or by the second Libero.

Also called: Second Libero

The ruleWhat can a Libero do in sitting volleyball?

Libero replacement (sitting volleyball)

Libero replacements are not substitutions and are not limited in number, but there must be a completed rally between two of them. They are made while the ball is out of play and before the whistle for service. At the start of a set the Libero cannot enter until the 2nd referee has checked the line-up. A replacement after the whistle but before the service hit is not rejected, but the game captain is told it is not allowed, and later late replacements bring a delay sanction.

Libero overhand finger pass

When a Libero makes an overhand finger pass in his or her own front zone, no player may complete an attack hit from above net height on that ball. The same pass from outside the front zone can be attacked freely.

Re-designated Libero

A new Libero named when the only Libero cannot play. A Libero is unable to play if injured, ill, expelled or disqualified, or if the coach (or game captain, if there is no coach) declares so. The coach may then name any other player not on the court, except the regular replacement player, and the Libero who was replaced may not play for the rest of the match. A team with two Liberos plays on with one and may re-designate only if the last one cannot continue. At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions the new Libero should wear the same jersey style and colour as the original but keep his or her own number.

See also: World ParaVolley

The ruleWhat can a Libero do in sitting volleyball?

Team captain and game captain

The team captain is named on the score sheet, signs it and takes the toss, and wears a stripe of 8 cm by 2 cm under the chest number. While on the court the team captain is the game captain. If the captain is not on the court, another player on the court is named. Only the game captain may speak to the referees while the ball is out of play, to ask for an explanation of a rule or to reserve the right to protest. A Libero may be team or game captain.

Coach (sitting volleyball)

The coach runs the team from outside the court, picks the starting line-ups and substitutes and takes time-outs, dealing with the 2nd referee. He or she may give instructions while standing or walking in the free zone in front of the bench, from the extension of the attack line to the warm-up area. An assistant coach has no right to intervene but can take over if the coach has to leave.

Positions

Position by buttocks

A player's position is judged by where the buttocks touch the floor. Each front-row player must have at least part of the buttocks closer to the centre line than the buttocks of the back-row player behind. Each right (left) player must have at least part of the buttocks closer to the right (left) side line than the centre player in that row.

Positions at service

When the server hits the ball, each team must be inside its own court (the server excepted). The receiving team must be in rotational order. The serving team may take any position. Until 2025 both teams had to be in order. After the service hit, players of both teams may move anywhere on their court and the free zone.

Contact with the court

Lifting in defence

Lifting is allowed anywhere on the court when playing the ball in a defensive action, on the first, second or third contact, if the ball is not entirely higher than the top of the net. The buttocks may also lose contact briefly at any time except during an attacking action, and may lose it as a reaction after the action. If after the defensive action the ball legally crosses the net plane, play goes on.

Knee up

Kneeing up as a natural movement during a defensive action is allowed. Moving in any direction on the knees, so that contact with the floor between buttocks and shoulders is lost, to reach the ball is a fault. Kneeing up during an attack hit is a fault.

Raise the body

At service, a slight natural lift of the server is allowed and an intentional lift is a fault. After the service, while moving onto the court, a player may raise the body or knee up briefly if not playing the ball and not gaining an advantage by taking steps.

Service

Service without a toss

A service hit without tossing or releasing the ball is allowed only for players with a classified hand impairment. This was added for 2025.

Server's buttocks

At the moment of the service hit, the server's buttocks must not touch the court (the end line included) or the floor outside the service zone. The feet, legs or hands may touch the court or the free zone outside the service zone.

Screening (sitting volleyball)

A serving-team screen is waving arms, moving sideways or sitting grouped so that both the service hit and the flight of the ball are hidden until the ball reaches the net plane. If either stays visible to the receiving team, it is not a screen. No serving player may raise the hands above the head until the service hit, and no back-row player may have arms or hands above the shoulders. The 1st referee may caution a team through the game captain if screening seems deliberate.

Attack and block

Back-row attack (sitting volleyball)

A back-row player may complete an attack hit at any height from behind the front zone if the buttocks have neither touched nor crossed the attack line at the hit, and may move the buttocks into the front zone afterwards. From the front zone the hit is allowed only if part of the ball is lower than the top of the net.

Blocker lifting

A blocker who lifts the buttocks while playing the ball or taking part in a block commits a fault. Lifting while blocking without touching the ball is not a fault.

Net play

Ball through the external space

A ball from a team's first hit that crosses the net plane into the opponent's free zone, wholly or partly outside the crossing space, may be played back within the team's hits. The player must not touch the opponent's court (except under Rule 11.2.2), and the ball must cross the net plane again, wholly or partly outside the crossing space on the same side, or it is out. A ball from a second or third hit that crosses this way is out the moment it crosses. This was aligned with the FIVB rule in 2025.

Lower space

The space under the net, limited above by the bottom of the net and the cord joining it to the posts, at the sides by the posts and below by the floor. A ball heading to the opponent's court through it stays in play until it has completely crossed the net plane. A ball that crosses it completely is out.

Penetration into the opponent's space

A player may go under the net into the opponent's space and may touch the opponent's court beyond the centre line with any part of the body, provided this does not interfere with the opponent's play. A player may enter the opponent's court once the ball is out of play, and the opponent's free zone if there is no interference.

Interruptions

Time-out (sitting volleyball)

Each team may request up to two time-outs per set, each lasting 60 seconds (30 seconds before 2025). The coach, or the game captain if there is no coach, asks with the hand signal while the ball is out of play and before the whistle for service. At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions the buzzer comes first, and World ParaVolley may cut the number of time-outs by one for sponsorship, marketing and broadcast agreements. Players on the court go to the free zone near their bench.

See also: World ParaVolley

Substitution limits

Each team may make up to six substitutions per set, made in the substitution zone. A starting player may leave once and re-enter once in a set, only to the previous position. A substitute may enter once per set and can only be replaced by the same starter. A team may not make consecutive substitution requests in the same interruption, and there must be a completed rally between two requests.

Injury recovery time

If a serious accident happens while the ball is in play, the referee stops play at once, lets medical help in and the rally is replayed. An injured or ill player who cannot be substituted legally or exceptionally gets 3 minutes to recover, once per player per match. If the player does not recover, the team is declared incomplete.

Official warm-up

Before the match, teams that have had a court to themselves are entitled to a 6 minute warm-up together at the net, others 10 minutes. If a captain asks for separate warm-ups, each team gets 3 or 5 minutes. At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions it is 10 minutes together, and all players wear their playing uniform for the protocol and warm-up.

See also: World ParaVolley

Scoring challenge

At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions, a coach who thinks the scoreboard or e-score sheet is wrong may push the buzzer and show the challenge signal (the letter C with the fingers) pointing to the scoreboard. It can only be made in a break in play. A lost challenge is a delay and ends the team's scoring challenges for that set. A challenge made during a rally loses the rally and brings a delay. This comes from the guidelines and instructions, not the rules text.

See also: World ParaVolley

Officials

Refereeing team (sitting volleyball)

The 1st referee, the 2nd referee, a Challenge referee, a Reserve referee, the scorer and four (or two) line judges. At World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions a Reserve referee and an assistant scorer are compulsory, a Challenge referee is compulsory if the Video Challenge System is used, and four line judges are compulsory.

1st referee (sitting volleyball)

Stands behind the post at one end of the net, opposite the scorer, and runs the match with final authority over the other officials and the teams. He or she may overrule the other officials, may decide any matter not covered by the rules, and does not allow discussion of decisions, though the game captain can ask for an explanation.

2nd referee (sitting volleyball)

Stands outside the court near the other post, facing the 1st referee, and assists with his or her own range of calls. He or she authorizes time-outs and substitutions, checks the positions against the line-up sheets at the start of each set, and calls penetration under the net, positional faults of the receiving team, and net contact mainly on the blocker's side.

Challenge referee

Where the Video Challenge System is used at World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions, the Challenge referee works from a challenge booth, supervises the challenge process under the challenge regulation in force and tells the 1st referee the nature of the fault afterwards.

See also: World ParaVolley

Reserve referee

Compulsory at World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions. Takes over from the 2nd referee if needed, controls the substitute players in the warm-up area and on the bench, assists with keeping the free zone clear, and brings the 2nd referee the match balls.

Line judge (sitting volleyball)

Uses a 40 cm by 40 cm flag to signal the ball in or out near their line, touches of out balls, and the ball touching the antenna or crossing outside the crossing space. They also signal a player (except the server) with any part of the buttocks outside the court at the service hit, and the server's buttocks faults. Four stand 1 to 2 m from the corners at World ParaVolley, World and Official Competitions; with two, they stand diagonally at the corners.

All Sitting volleyball words