How many players are on a volleyball team?
An indoor volleyball team has 6 players on the court at a time, rotating positions during the match. Beach volleyball is played with 2 players per team.
The six indoor players rotate clockwise each time their team wins back the serve, so every player takes turns in each position. There are three front-row players near the net and three in the back row.
One player, the libero, wears a different-colored shirt and specializes in defense. The libero can substitute freely for back-row players but cannot attack the ball above the net or serve in some competitions. Teams can list up to 14 players for international matches.
Scoring
Matches are played as best of five sets. The first four sets go to 25 points and the fifth to 15, and a team must win by two points. Each team may touch the ball up to three times before sending it over the net.
Did You Know?
Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts, as a gentler indoor game than basketball. He first called it mintonette.