Referee hand signals in volleyball: all the signals explained
The referee whistles, makes an arm signal and points — and half the gym wonders what was just decided. A shame, because the official signals form a complete sign language that explains every decision exactly. Whoever knows the twelve most important signals never has to guess again why a point went the other way.
How the sequence of whistle and signal works
After every rally the first referee follows a fixed routine: they whistle to end the rally, point with an outstretched arm toward the side of the team that gets the point and will serve, and then indicate with a second signal what happened (ball out, net fault, double contact...). Finally they may point to the player who committed the fault. If you read the signals in that order, every decision is followable — even from the stands, and without a single word being spoken.
The basic signals: serve, point, in and out
- Authorization to serve: the arm swings from the serving side toward the receiving half. After this the server has 8 seconds.
- Point: outstretched arm toward the side of the team that wins the point.
- Ball "in": arm and fingers point diagonally down toward the floor.
- Ball "out": both forearms raised vertically, palms toward the body.
- Ball touched ("touch"): the fingers of one hand brush over the fingertips of the other, vertically held hand — the ball is out, but touched on the way by the block or a defender, so a point for the attacking side.
The fault signals you see most often
- Carried ball: one arm rises slowly, palm up — as if the ball is being 'lifted'.
- Double contact: two spread fingers up.
- Four touches: four spread fingers up.
- Net fault: the referee taps the side of the net of the team that committed the fault — the details of that rule are in net fault in volleyball.
- Reaching over the net: a hand above the net, palm down.
- Positional or rotation fault: a circular motion with the index finger — the team stood or served in the wrong order; see the positional fault.
- Back-row fault (attack from the back court): a downward motion with the forearm — the three-meter rule from the back-row rules.
- Double fault / replay: both thumbs up: the rally is replayed.
Stoppages of play and administration
- Time-out: the hands form a T, followed by a point toward the requesting team. Each coach has two per set — see the time-out.
- Substitution: the forearms circle around each other — the windmill. The conditions are in the substitution rules.
- End of set or match: the forearms crossed in front of the chest, with open hands.
- Cards: yellow is an official warning, red a penalty (point and serve to the opponent). Both cards together mean expulsion for the set (in one hand) or disqualification (in both hands).
First and second referee: who signals what?
The first referee, on the stand, runs the match and decides on ball handling and attack faults. The second referee, standing opposite, mainly watches the net, the center line, the positional faults of the receiving team and the substitutions and time-outs. They repeat the first referee's signals so that both team benches can see the decision. At Dutch federation matches at regional level there is usually only one referee — all the more reason to have the signals ready yourself as a scorer or coach. Whoever counts along digitally during the match ties every whistle straight to a point in the scoring progression — in an app like Koach you can look back afterward, rally by rally, at which decision determined the point.
The flags of the line judges
At matches at a higher level there are also line judges, with their own flag language. The four signals you want to know: flag down toward the court means ball in; flag straight up means ball out; flag up while the free hand touches the top of the flag means touched (the ball is out, but via the block or a defender); and waving the flag toward the end line indicates a foot fault by the server. The first referee decides in the end — they can overrule a flag signal, which occasionally causes confusion in the stands but is completely correct by the rules.
For youth coaches: hang a printout of the twelve basic signals in the team bag and discuss one each week before the match. Players who know the signals accept decisions faster — and count along better with what is happening themselves.
Want the rules behind the signals sharp too? Then start with the overview technical faults explained.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the referee first point to a side?
The first signal after the whistle indicates which team gets the point and therefore serves. Only after that comes the signal explaining what happened, such as ball out or net fault.
What does it mean when the referee brushes over their fingers?
That is the touch signal: the ball is out, but was touched on the way by the block or a defender. The point therefore goes to the attacking team.
What does a yellow card mean in volleyball?
An official warning for unsporting behavior, without loss of a point. A red card is a real penalty: the opponent immediately gets a point and the serve. Yellow and red together mean expulsion or disqualification.
May you ask the referee for an explanation as a coach?
Only the captain on the court may calmly ask for an explanation about the application of a rule. Protesting judgment calls, such as a carried ball, is not allowed.
