Volleyball
Volleyball is a team game in which each side has at most three hits to send the ball back over a net. Indoor volleyball has six players a side; a set goes to 25 points and a match to the first team to win three sets. Beach volleyball is played by pairs on sand; a set goes to 21 points and a match to the first team to win two. Every rally scores a point.
New to volleyball? Start here
Which to watch first, and how long
Start with Indoor. Six a side and rally scoring: every rally gives a point.
- Indoor
- Best of five sets to 25 points; a fifth set to 15
- Beach
- Best of three sets to 21 points; a third set to 15
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Olympic Games (volleyball)The title volleyball and beach volleyball are measured by.Every 4 years · Holder: Men (indoor): France
- 2FIVB Volleyball World ChampionshipThe indoor world title.Every 2 years (odd years) from 2025 · Holder: Men's: Italy · Women's: Italy
- 3Asian Games (volleyball)Asia's multi-sport title; for India often the most reachable major medal.Every 4 years · Holder: Men (indoor): Iran
India
India has never played at the Olympics, indoor or beach [the Olympic page].
- Volleyball at the Olympic Games: Has never played at the Olympics, indoor or beach
- FIVB Volleyball World Championship: Men: 8th in 1952 and 21st in 1956, the only two appearances
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaVolleyball at the Asian Games: 1 silver, 2 bronzes (latest 1986)
- Soviet UnionVolleyball at the Olympic Games: 7 golds, 4 silvers, 1 bronze (latest 1988); FIVB Volleyball World Championship: 11 golds, 4 silvers, 4 bronzes (latest 1990)
- BrazilVolleyball at the Olympic Games: 9 golds, 11 silvers, 6 bronzes (latest 2024); FIVB Volleyball World Championship: 3 golds, 7 silvers, 3 bronzes (latest 2025)
- United StatesVolleyball at the Olympic Games: 11 golds, 6 silvers, 7 bronzes (latest 2024); FIVB Volleyball World Championship: 2 golds, 2 silvers, 4 bronzes (latest 2018)
- ChinaVolleyball at the Olympic Games: 3 golds, 2 silvers, 3 bronzes (latest 2016); Volleyball at the Asian Games: 22 golds, 14 silvers, 8 bronzes (latest 2026)
- JapanVolleyball at the Olympic Games: 3 golds, 3 silvers, 3 bronzes (latest 2012); Volleyball at the Asian Games: 17 golds, 12 silvers, 11 bronzes (latest 2026)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028 (indoor) and Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2025-2028 |
| International federation | Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) |
| In India | Volleyball Federation of India (VFI): suspended. The FIVB revoked its provisional recognition of the VFI interim body on 21 April 2026 and handed administration to a steering committee of the FIVB and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA); MYAS suspended the VFI's conditional recognition on 22 April 2026 |
The Indian body's position is unsettled; a published page should say who the FIVB works with and not name a single body as the authority (FC section 6). Re-checked 2026-10-20: no later change found.
Where and when it is played
Indoors on a court 18 metres by 9, with the net 2.43 metres high for men and 2.24 for women; beach volleyball on sand. The big events: the Olympic Games every four years (indoor and beach) and the FIVB Volleyball World Championship every two years (odd years from 2025).