Teams and Participants

Team Composition

Roster Size

A team can have up to 12 players on the roster, plus coaching staff (one head coach, up to two assistants) and medical staff (one therapist, one doctor).

FIVB senior competitions allow up to 14 players.

Most rec leagues are more flexible and usually only play with a sub or two. Their are rules in certain coed leagues that require a minimum of each gender on the court at all times, but again this depends on the rules of the rec league.

On the Court

Six players per team. Always. If you can't field six, your team is declared incomplete and forfeits.

In rec leagues, its usually fine to play with 5 players if players can't make it to a game.

Where Non-Playing Players Go

Players not in the game must either:

• Sit on the team bench
• Be in the designated warm-up area

They can warm up without balls during play (in the warm-up area) or with balls during timeouts (in the free zone behind their court).

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Player Equipment

The Uniform

Players wear a jersey, shorts, socks, and volleyball shoes.

The entire team must match: same color and design for jerseys, shorts, and socks. The only exception is the Libero, who wears a contrasting color.

Jersey Numbers

Captain's Stripe

The team captain wears a stripe under their front number (8cm long, 2cm wide). This helps refs identify who to talk to.

Footwear

Volleyball shoes should be light and flexible with rubber or composite soles. No heels. Court shoes, running shoes, or basketball shoes work in rec play, but proper volleyball shoes give better lateral support and grip.

What You Can't Wear

Players can't wear anything that might:

• Cause injury (to themselves or others)
• Give an unfair advantage

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Team Leaders

The captain and coach share responsibility for their team's conduct. If players act up, leadership answers for it.

Captain Responsibilities

Before the match:

• Represents the team at the coin toss
• Signs the score sheet

During the match (as game captain):

• Only player who can talk to refs about calls
• Can ask for rule explanations
• Can request equipment checks (ball pressure, net height, etc.)
• Can call timeouts and subs if the coach is unavailable

After the match:

• Signs the score sheet to confirm the result
• Can file an official protest if they notified the ref during play

When the captain leaves the court (substitution, injury, etc.), another on-court player becomes game captain. Someone always needs to fill this role.

Coach Responsibilities

Before the match:

• Verifies player names and numbers on the score sheet
• Signs the score sheet

During the match:

• Submits the starting lineup for each set
• Calls timeouts and substitutions
• Gives instructions to players

Assistant Coach

The assistant sits on the bench and normally can't intervene. But if the head coach leaves (ejection, bathroom, whatever), the assistant takes over coaching duties until they return.

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Equipment Changes

The first referee can authorize:

• Playing barefoot (if the player requests it)
• Changing wet or damaged uniforms between sets (must be same color, design, and number)
• Wearing training suits in cold gyms (whole team must match, proper numbers required)