What are the rules for blocking in volleyball?
B · Beginner · Attacks, blocks and the libero · 7 of 8A block is a player at the net reaching above it to stop the ball coming from the opponents. Only front-row players may block. The block does not count as one of the team's three hits, and a serve may not be blocked.
How it works
- At the moment of contact, part of the blocker's body must be higher than the top of the net.
- A block attempt, without touching the ball, is not a block.
- A collective block is two or three players close together. It is completed when one of them touches the ball.
- The ball may touch one or more blockers several times in quick succession, in one action.
- After the block the team has three hits, and the blocker may take the first.
- Blockers may reach beyond the net, but may not touch the ball there before the opponents' attack hit.
Blocking faults:
- Touching the ball in the opponents' space before their attack hit.
- A back-row player or a libero completing a block or taking part in a completed block.
- Blocking the opponents' serve.
- The ball going out off the block.
- Blocking in the opponents' space from outside the antenna.
Tricky cases
A back-row player jumped with the block but did not touch the ball. Is it a fault?
It depends on whether the block was completed. If a teammate in the same collective block touched the ball, the back-row player took part in a completed block, which is a fault. If nobody touched it, there is no fault, unless the player is a libero.
The ball hit the blocker's hands twice. Is that a double?
No. Consecutive contacts in one blocking action are allowed.
Can a team block a serve?
No. Blocking the serve is forbidden.
Why the rule exists
The block is the defence's answer to the spike. Keeping it to front-row players matches the limit on who may attack at the net.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIVB rules | As above | V 14 |
| Beach volleyball | The block counts as the first of three hits | BV 14.4.1 |
From the rule book
FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028, Rule 14. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: FIVB Official Volleyball Rules (PDF).