You can even make six substitutions at once, if every player entered the substitution zone at the same time. You can make substitutions as often as you like in volleyball, as long as it is between points of play.

This means that each player can be replaced by another from the bench and replaced again with the original, but these players cannot substitute anyone else for the rest of the set (FIVB 15.6). Normally, each team has a total of twelve substitutions per set, with two for each position on court. How Often Can You Make Substitutions In Volleyball? In addition to other penalties the team suffers, they must also use a substitution to replace the player. This covers mainly the rare instances of expulsion from the match, when the referee will kick a player out for dangerous play, rule breaking, or other misconduct. Last, substitutions can happen because of the referee’s discretion. If you see your player limping, or playing unsafely, then it’s probably a good idea to use a substitute. Special substitutions are allowed when serious injury occurs, as well as medical timeouts, but coaches will often try to switch their players out before this happens. Injury is a terrible occurrence in sport, but prevalent. There are many different theories and beliefs about how substitutions should best be used, but it’s fair to say that it changes for every team. Tactical Reasonsįor tactical purposes, substitution allows struggling players to swap out when in trouble, tired players to catch their breath, and for teams to play their best players at their strongest points. Substitutions happen primarily for three reasons: tactical, injury, or the referee’s discretion. You cannot stop a point in the middle of play to make a substitution, and attempting to do so will result in a penalty for your team. This includes between points, after timeouts, and even before a set begins.

When Do Substitutions Happen In Volleyball?Ī substitution can happen in volleyball at any time when the ball is not in play. This can be useful in many situations, especially to address injury or to replace a player with another whose skillset is more appropriate for the job.Ī libero’s replacement on and off the court is technically not counted as a substitution, and we’ll explore this further down the article.

“A substitution is the act by which a player, other than the Libero or his/her replacement player, after being recorded by the scorer, enters the game to occupy the position of another player, who must leave the court at that moment.”Ī substitution retains the integrity of six players on court per team while allowing a change of personnel. In short, a substitution is a replacement, but let’s break it down further.

The 5 substitution strategies What Is A Substitution In Volleyball?.

FIVB vs USAV procedure for substitutions.

To prevent these things, I will cover everything you need to know for substitutions, including: Not understanding how substitutions works can limit the effectiveness of your team by getting warnings from the ref, losing points from illegal substitutions, and potentially not being allowed to make any substitutions at all. Moving the libero does not count towards this tally. Each team may have a total of twelve substitutions per set – two for each position – which must be used by the same two players: the original and replacement. Substitutions in volleyball are a great way to keep your players safe and change the flow of a match, but sometimes it can be hard to understand the rules behind it.īut first, what is a substitution? A substitution in volleyball is when one player enters the court as a replacement for another on their team.

Different hand signals in volleyball