Water Volleyball Rules - WaterVolleyball.com

General Information

The rules of water volleyball are very similar to the rules of volleyball, with the obvious exception that the players are limited by the presence of the pool water. Teams are typically made up of 4 on each side (4×4) or 6 on each side (6×6). Co-ed teams are usually comprised of 3 men and 3 women.

Each team should have a team captain. The captain is responsible for the roster of the team and making sure that rotations and substitutions happen appropriately.

Equipment

The equipment needed for a game of water volleyball is quite minimal. You will need a good, waterproof water volleyball. You can have a fun casual game with a light inflatable ball, but for a serious game you will want a weighted ball that is easy to see and soft on your hands. A net is a must as well — for a casual game, a floating net will do, but a serious game will require an installed net with post anchors or weighted anchors. The ideal length of the water volleyball net is 20 – 40 feet (depending on the pool size) and the ideal height is 4 to 5 feet high out of the water. Water volleyball equipment can be purchased individually or as part of a complete set.

Game Play

Water volleyball is played as a best of out of three set of games (the winner is the first to win two games).

Coin toss should decide which team starts with the serve first.

Water volleyball is played as the first team to score either 11, 15, or 25 points. Teams should agree which length of game will work best for the teams and players. The winning team must have a 2-point lead to end the game. If the there is only 1 point separating the teams at the agreed-upon end point, then the teams will play until one team has a 2-point advantage. The teams should declare “match” or “advantage” after each serve to identify which team (if any) has the lead.

Each team should rotate clock-wise after the team wins a service (gets the serve back from the other team).

The server should call out the score before serving the ball on each service.

Court and Boundaries

The court is typically set up in the shallow end or middle section of a swimming pool where players can stand. The court dimensions vary based on pool size, but ideally should be rectangular with clearly defined boundaries. Floating lane markers or other visible indicators can be used to mark the boundaries.

For regulation play, a depth of approximately 3.5 to 4.5 feet is recommended, allowing players to touch the bottom while keeping their shoulders above water. However, recreational games can be adapted to different pool depths.

Player Positions and Movement

Players must be positioned in the water with their bodies submerged at least to waist level throughout gameplay. For 6×6 games, the traditional volleyball positions apply:

Three front row players near the net
Three back row players positioned behind them

For 4×4 games, players typically arrange in a square formation with two front and two back players.

Players must rotate positions after winning back the serve, moving clockwise. This ensures all players get a chance to serve and play different positions.

Scoring

Points are scored in Rally Scoring, regardless of which team is serving. Every serve will result in a score, regardless of which team is serving.

A point is scored when any of the following happens:

A member of the opposing team double-hits the ball
The ball hits the water over the net and within the boundary lines on the opponent’s side
One player makes an illegal hit – pushing, carrying, or catching the ball
The ball is hit at the same time by two players on the same team
When a player touches the net while the ball is in play
The ball lands outside the boundary on a team’s side after they touched it
A team fails to return the ball over the net within three hits
A player steps out of the designated court area during play
A team hits the ball more than three times before sending it over the net

Service

Although an overhand serve is the most common water volleyball serve, a player may also serve from a sidearm or underhand service as long as the ball is hit (not carried) and the ball is hit above the water.

The server must be positioned in the designated service area, typically the right back position of the court.

Service continues with the same player until a side-out occurs.

Players must wait for the referee’s whistle or service signal before serving.

Ball Handling Rules

Legal Hits

Clean hits with any part of the body above the waist
Brief contacts (no catching or throwing)
Sequential hits by different players (up to three per side)

Illegal Hits

Carrying, holding, or pushing the ball
Double contacts by the same player (except on a block)
Four or more hits by a team before returning the ball
Using underwater movement to gain advantage during hits

Block and Attack

Blocks at the net do not count as one of the team’s three hits
Back row players cannot block or attack from the front zone
Players may reach over the net when blocking, but cannot interfere with opponents’ play before they make contact

Substitutions and Timeouts

Each team is allowed up to 6 substitutions per set. Players must enter the game in the same position as the player they replace.

Substitutions should occur during dead balls and must be acknowledged by the referee or opposing captain.

Each team is typically allowed two 30-second timeouts per set. These cannot be carried over to subsequent sets if unused.

Special Water Volleyball Considerations

Water Movement

Players should be aware that water movement can affect ball trajectory and timing. Splashing to distract opponents is considered unsportsmanlike conduct.