Position 1: The right back, where the serving player is. Position 2: The right front, just in front of the right back. Position 3: The middle front, to the left of the front right. Position 4: The left front, which is to the left of the middle front. Position 5: The left-back, behind the left front. Position 6: The middle back, behind the middle front.
The setter: The setter’s job is to set up the hitters so that they could hit the ball. Ideally, the setter will get possession of the ball second to set it up for the hitters; if he/she can’t get to it, then he/she has to yell “help,” and have someone else do it. If he/she accidentally gets it first, then he has to yell “setter out” so someone else can set it. The outside-hitter: This player hits the ball from the strong corner (front left for right-handed players; front right for left-handed players). The middle-blocker: This is usually a tall, strong person on the team, who is mostly in the middle front and blocks every hit. This player also moves to form a double block with either of the outside hitters. DS: This player plays in the back row and does a lot of rolling and digging so that they keep the ball in play. If they want to come in the game, they have to make a substitution with the refs. The libero: The libero, (a position created in 1998) only plays in the back row but can join the game as often as needed. They also wear a different jersey than the rest of the team. The libero is a good passer, a good digger, and has good ball-handling skills. This player often takes the place of the middle blocker when he or she rotates to the back row. Each position has a court position that is best for it. For example, middle blockers are best when they are playing in the middle front. Setters are best at right front, outside hitters are best at left front, and DS and libero can be anywhere in the back row, although libero is often best at middle back.
After serving from position 1, a player will rotate to position 6 (middle back), then to position 5 (left back), then to position 4 (left front), then to position three (middle front), then to position two (right front), before returning to position 1, the serving position. Just remember that each player only rotates one time after the team gains possession of the serve; the next time each player rotates will be after the other team wins possession of the ball and loses the point.
Players can move positions, but backcourt players can’t move to the net to block or spike and must make all attacking actions behind the attack line. This rule is in play so skilled spikers can’t dominate in all six of their court rotations. The setter can sometimes look like he’s “hiding” behind the other players before a point; this is because he has to be in the correct rotation order before he can move to the net.
