It’s common to wonder if blocking a server is legal in a game of volleyball. When a player is serving the ball for their team, the purpose of the service is to act as a pass to the other team or to score a point immediately (ace serve).
The truth is, you can’t block a serve under any circumstances. You have to allow the ball to pass over the net and allow a teammate to make legal first contact after the service was performed properly. If you want to see all the official rules, you can read them here. Otherwise, keep reading as we’ll brush up your knowledge on some common blocking rules.
Volleyball Blocking Rules
Blocking is when a player tries to stop a ball by reaching above the net. Legally, the only players who are allowed to block are the ones who are in the front row. Also, for a block to be considered a legal block, a player must have some part of their body to be above the net at the moment they make contact with the ball.
Does A Block Count As A Hit
Officially, a block does not count as a hit. After a player makes contact with the ball, their team is still allowed to make three more contacts with the ball. Because of the nature of a block, it is common that a ball can make multiple contacts with one player during a blocking action, which is also allowed and counts as a block, not a hit.
There is also a case where multiple players will attempt a block, and will only be legal if just one player has made contact with the ball.
Can You Set A Serve
There are no official rules that explicitly mention setting the ball as you receive the serve. Although it’s allowed, it’s not exactly the best strategy. Ideally, you want to make a clean first contact that you can pass to your setter who will be able to make a clean set for your designated hitter to strike the ball for an attack.
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