New rules pr.1.10.2026 - now also for lokal series
Volleyball Denmark provided information about new rules and interpretations last week. SVBK’s Tournament Committee has decided that these changes will also apply to regional matches from 1 October 2026.
The most important changes are:
Substitutions: A team may make up to 8 substitutions per set. The electronic scoresheet has been updated accordingly.
Number of players and libero: Without a libero, a maximum of 12 players may be listed on the team roster. A team may have up to 14 players if at least one of them is a libero. With 14 players, a team may therefore register 13 regular players and one libero. It is still possible to register two liberos.
Positioning at service: The receiving team must be in the correct rotational order when the referee whistles for service. Players may move freely once the server begins the serving action.
Ball contacting the ceiling or overhead installations: If the ball, on the team’s first or second contact, touches the ceiling or an installation above the playing area and can still be played on the same side of the court, the rally continues. If the ball subsequently comes down on the opponent’s side of the court, it is called out.
Held ball during an attack: Attacks where the ball is caught, thrown or clearly carried must be judged more strictly. This may include, among other things, pushes, two-handed attacks and block-out actions. A short tip where the ball is cleanly contacted is still permitted.
As always, the referee should apply a consistent standard appropriate to the technical level of the match, so that the flow of the game is not unnecessarily interrupted by excessive whistles.
Referee’s whistle: The referee does not necessarily need to whistle when the outcome of the rally is completely obvious, for example when the ball clearly lands in or out. The referee should still whistle whenever necessary to clarify the situation or manage the game.
Serving warm-up: After the attacking warm-up, the teams will use the court in turn for serving warm-up: 90 seconds for the home team, followed by 90 seconds for the away team. The teams do not serve at the same time.
How to register 13 regular players and one libero
When creating the roster in the electronic scoresheet, please do so in the following order:
- Add the first 12 regular players.
- Register the libero.
- Then add the 13th regular player.
If you attempt to add the 13th regular player before registering the libero, the roster cannot be created correctly.
You can find Volleyball Denmark’s overview of the new rules on SVBK’s rules page. The same page also contains SVBK’s guidelines for conducting regional matches, including the updated warm-up procedure.
If you have any questions about the interpretation of the rules, you can contact Volleyball Denmark’s Refereeing Committee at dommer@volleyball.dk. Volleyball Denmark will also be holding an online short course on the new rules on Friday, 2 October.
Kind regards,
Christina Cassone SVBK