Volleyball Rules Interpretations - 2025-26
Publisher’s Note: The National Federation of State High School Associations is the only source of official high school interpretations. They do not set aside nor modify any rule. They are made and published by the NFHS in response to situations presented.
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, Publisher, NFHS Publications © 2025
SITUATION 1: No. 12 and No. 7 on Team A have hair tinsel weaved into their hair – not creating a safety concern. RULING: Legal. COMMENT: Hair tinsel is not glitter and does not pose a safety concern. Glitter that can be transferred to the ball or fall onto the floor is illegal equipment. (4-1-8)
SITUATION 2: The head coach of Team A turns in a lineup that has no libero listed. While the R2 is checking the lineup, player No. 5 is in a libero jersey and is standing on the sideline waiting to enter. The R2 confirms with the coach that No. 5 should have been listed as the libero and asks the scorer and assistant scorer to record No. 5 as the libero on the scoresheet and libero tracking sheet. No penalty is assessed. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: If a team submits its lineup with no libero listed, the coach may, without delay, indicate to the second referee the player who will play as libero. The scorer and assistant scorer record the libero number on the scoresheet and libero tracking sheet. No penalty is assessed for the clerical error. If the missing libero is discovered after the set begins, the team must play without a libero for that set. (7-1-4)
SITUATION 3: Team A’s back-row setter jumps to set a second ball above the height of the net and double contacts the ball directly into the hands of a Team B blocker reaching completely over the plane of the net. RULING: Over-the-net fault on Team B blocker. COMMENT: Team B blocker illegally contacts the ball which is completely on the opponent’s side of the net. The double contact by Team A’s setter was legal since the ball remained on Team A’s side of the net for a Team A player to next play the ball. (9-5-1c, 9-6-3)
SITUATION 4: Team A’s back-row setter jumps to set a second ball above the height of the net and double contacts the ball directly into the hands of a Team B blocker after the ball has entered the plane of the net. RULING: Illegal attack fault on Team A setter. COMMENT: Team A’s setter commits an illegal attack as soon as the ball is legally contacted by the opponent, and this fault takes precedence over the double contact fault. (9-5-4)