Volleyball Officials and Their Duties

Volleyball officials enforce the rules, track the score, judge the ball, and manage the match so that teams compete under consistent conditions. In a standard indoor match, the officiating team usually includes a first referee, second referee, scorer, assistant scorer, and two or four line judges.

What each volleyball official does

First referee

The first referee has the main authority during the match. Positioned on an elevated platform beside the net, this official controls the coin toss, authorizes service, and makes decisions on faults that occur above the net or during play.

The first referee may call faults such as a net touch, an illegal attack, a blocker’s contact with the opponent’s playing space, an incorrect service, or a positional fault. The decision is communicated with a whistle and the appropriate hand signal. The first referee can also overrule other officials when necessary and may issue warnings or sanctions for misconduct.

Second referee

The second referee stands on the floor opposite the first referee. This official assists with match administration and watches events that are easier to see from the side of the court.

Typical responsibilities include checking team positions at the start of each rally, monitoring substitutions and timeouts, observing the scorer’s work, and handling requests from coaches. The second referee also judges many net and center-line faults, checks whether the ball crosses the antennae correctly, and confirms that the playing area and equipment remain suitable for play.

Scorer

The scorer records the match on the official scoresheet. This includes team line-ups, starting positions, points, service order, substitutions, timeouts, sanctions, and the result of each set.

The scorer must follow the serving order and notify the second referee if a team serves out of rotation or makes an incorrect substitution. Accurate scoring is essential because the scoresheet is the official record of the match.

Assistant scorer

The assistant scorer supports the scorer, particularly in competitions that use a libero. The assistant scorer records libero replacements, tracks the number of team timeouts and substitutions when required, and updates the manual scoreboard or electronic scoring system.

If the scorer cannot continue, the assistant scorer may take over the scoring duties, depending on the competition’s regulations.

Line judges

Line judges stand at the corners of the court and use flags to show whether the ball lands in or out. They also indicate when the ball touches a player before going out, when a served ball crosses outside the antenna, and when a player commits certain foot faults during service.

Line judges do not normally make the final ruling. They provide visual information to the referees, who use those signals when making the official decision.

How volleyball officials work together

Each official has a defined area of responsibility, but decisions are coordinated throughout the rally. The first referee has final authority, while the second referee, scorer, assistant scorer, and line judges supply information from their positions.

Before the match

The referees inspect the court, net, antennas, balls, posts, and team areas. They conduct the toss, confirm the starting line-ups, check player uniforms and equipment, and make sure the scorer has the correct match information.

During a rally

The first referee watches the overall action and authorizes the service. The second referee focuses on net play, positions, substitutions, and the space around the net. Line judges monitor the sidelines, end lines, antennae, and service foot faults. The scorer records the outcome after the rally has been decided.

Between rallies and sets

Officials verify the score, confirm the next server, manage substitutions and timeouts, and respond to questions from team captains or coaches through the proper channel. At the end of a set, they check the scoresheet and supervise the changeover before play resumes.

Common decisions made by volleyball referees

• Ball in or out: A ball touching a boundary line is in; a ball landing completely outside the lines is out.
• Four hits: A team commits a fault when it contacts the ball more than three times before returning it, excluding a legal block contact under the rules.
• Double contact: A player illegally contacts the ball twice in succession, subject to the rules governing the first team contact.
• Carry or catch: The ball is held, thrown, or prolonged rather than cleanly hit.
• Net fault: A player contacts the net between the antennae during an action of playing the ball or interferes with play.
• Rotation or position fault: Players are not in the correct relationship at the moment the server contacts the ball.
• Service fault: The server violates the service order, steps on or over the end line at contact, or fails to serve the ball correctly.

Exact procedures and responsibilities can vary between indoor, beach, school, and recreational volleyball. Major competitions may also use electronic scoring, video challenge systems, or additional officiating personnel, but the first referee remains the central decision-maker on the court.