The USAV volleyball rotation, explained
So you're watching volleyball, and you get it, the six players on the court rotate every once in a while after a point
and before a serve. But, why? Where? In what order? Where can they go after they rotate? Here is everything you
need to know to understand the USAV volleyball rotation.
First, when and why does this happen?
A rotation occurs after every sideout, which is when the receiving team gains the right to serve by winning a rally.
So basically, if you are the receiving team, and you win the point, or the serving team commits an unforced error,
the players are required to rotate and the serve is switched. The new serving team will rotate clockwise one spot.
The purpose of this is to rotate all the players through the serving position.
If you continue winning points, you stay in position.
The rotation order
The rotation order is determined by the starting lineup and must be maintained throughout the set, per the USAV
rulebook. To break it down. six players are on the court, three are front-row players and three are back-row
players. The positions are named by their place on the court, but these position are not to be confused with the
position they play such as setter, middle blocker, outside hitter, opposite or libero. The locations are the positions
where you stand before the ball is served. It is left front, middle front, right front, and left back, middle back and
right back. Each player must start in one of those specific locations. Picture it just like you think. Three in the front,
three in the back. One at left front front, one at left back, etc.
When the ball is served by your team, or the opposition, every player must be in the correct rotational position.
OK, so that makes sense. So then why, when you're watching volleyball, are they never actually standing in the
perfect three in front of three position when receiving the serve? They look all scattered in the middle.
The overlap
When a player leaves that position before the ball is served, or is in the wrong position in relation to certain
teammates, it is called an overlap. Well, teams usually have ways of moving out of the perfect three in front of
three players position when receiving the serve, while still complying with the rules and avoiding the overlap.
Certain positions on the court need to be in front of or to the left of other players in order to avoid an overlap. For
example, the middle front player has to be in front of the middle back player, to the right of the left front and to the
left of the right front. As long as she is in a T-shape in relation to those three players, she is in right rotation spot.
So they don't have to be perfectly lined up how you would picture it, they just have to be in the right place in
relation to those teammates. Here is another example. The left back position needs to be behind the left front, and
to the left of the middle back. This one is an "L" shape.
Per the USAV volleyball rule book: "In the front or back row, the right-side player must have at least part of one
foot closer to the right sideline than the feet of the middle player in the corresponding row, and the left-side player
must have at least part of one foot closer to the left sideline than the feet of the middle player in the corresponding
row. Each front-row player must have at least part of one foot closer to the center line than the feet of the
corresponding back-row player."
