Volleyball 3: Spikes, Blocks, & Rules
Volleyball has been marked by developments in spiking and blocking (the defense against spikes), and the rules have been revised a number of times, primarily to keep pace with those developments.
Major rules changes since World War II:
- 1947: Players in the front line are allowed to exchange positions for a two-player block and spike.
- 1948: Service must be made from the right third of the backcourt boundary; simultaneous contact by two players is considered a single contact; rest period between games set at three minutes
- 1951: A back-line player can spike only from his own zone, not from the front line; a player's hands can invade the net during a block, but only in the final phase of a spike
- 1964: A blocker is permitted a second hit after initial contact, but airborne invasion during blocking is prohibited
- 1968: Antennas are added at each end of the net to help the referee determine whether a shot passes over the net legally
- 1976: Distance between antennas is cut to 9 meters from 9.4 meters; three ball contacts are permitted after a block (that is, the block itself doesn't count as a contact)
- 1985: Blocking a serve is prohibited
- 1988: A tie-break rally-point system is established for the fifth set of a match, with each serve worth a point; scoring per game is limited to 17 points, so a team can win by one point
- 1993: Scoring rule is changed to require a two-point advantage for victory after a 16-16 tie
- 1995: Accidental touching of the net is permitted if the player isn't trying to play the ball; the ball may be contact with any part of the body, including the feet; service zone is extended to entire 9-meter back line; setting a serve is allowable
- 1999: The first four sets are played to 25, the fifth set to 15, with a two-point margin required to win any set
- 2000: Every rally earns a point (previously, if the team returning service won a rally, it won only the right to serve)
Before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the FIVB added a new specialist to the rules: the libero, who wears a uniform of a different color or design than that worn by the rest of the team.
The libero, who can be substituted for any player in the backcourt, isn't allowed to spike the ball, serve, block, or rotate into the front line. Therefore, the player's major duties are returning serves and playing backcourt defense.