15 club volleyball tryout tips from a Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee and elite club coach who's helped hundreds of athletes navigate tryouts successfully.

Volleyball Rotation Learn How To Rotate on the Court in Volleyball

There are 6 rotational positions on the court called zones, 3 backrow and 3 front row areas that every player position rotates in or out of.

Volleyball Rotation: A volleyball rotation occurs when the receiving team wins a rally. Your entire team moves clockwise, to one position or zone on the court.

A volleyball rotation occurs when the receiving team wins a rally.

When the receiving team wins the rally they also win a point and the right to serve.

A volleyball rotation occurs when the receiving team wins a rally. The receiving team also wins a point and the right to serve. (Ralph Arvesen)

When the receiving team wins a rally the rules state they must rotate on the court so that a new player serves the next ball to begin the next rally.

In order to have a new server on the serving team serve the ball, the entire team rotates one rotational position.

How many positions are there
on the volleyball court?

There are six total rotational positions on the court.
Three zones are in the front row and three areas in the back row that every player position except the libero (so the setter, middle blocker, hitter, opposite,) rotates in and out of.
These rotational positions are invisible so you will never see them outlined on the court. But you will have to know them because they are areas that every player needs to know in order to understand how to rotate in volleyball.

These rotational positions are invisible so you will never see them outlined on the court. But you will have to know them in order to understand how to rotate in volleyball.

Scroll down to continue reading about the rotational positions on the court.

Click here to learn more about specialized roles and player positions in volleyball.

What are the 6 positions
on the court?

On a volleyball court there are six areas sometimes called zones but most often called positions on the court that players rotate in and out of once your team wins a rally and the right to serve.

Volleyball rotation starting in the back row and moving clockwise Right Back is Zone 1, Middle Back is Zone 6, Left Back is Zone 5, Left Front is Zone 4, Middle Front is Zone 3

Starting in the back row and moving clockwise ...

RB - Right Back is Zone 1 or P1 (Position 1)
MB - Middle Back is Zone 6 or P6 (Position 6)
LB - Left Back is Zone 5 or P5 (Position 5)
LF - Left Front is Zone 4 or or P4 (Position 4)
MB - Middle Front is Zone 3 or P3 (Position 3)
RF - Right Front is Zone 2 or P2 (Position 2)

When you rotate in volleyball your entire team moves clockwise, to one position or zone on the court.

If you're in the back row each player moves into the next rotational position on their left.

If you're in the front row each player moves into the next rotational position on their right.

Volleyball Rotation
How To Rotate From Backrow to Front Row On The Court

How does the volleyball rotation from back row to front row work?

After the team on offense has won a rally and the right to serve...

The player in the LB position called P5, Position 5 or zone 5 would move up to the front row into the LF Position 4 on the court.

The teammate in volleyball rotation Position 2, also known as the RF, right front or zone 4, would now move back row to Rotational Position 1 to be the team's next server.

Once you are in a back row rotation you are a backrow player until you have rotated into Rotational Position 5, the left back position.

When your team in serve receive offense wins the rally while you are in P5, you would then rotate up to Rotational Position 4, to be in the front row.

Volleyball Positions and Rotations
My Cheat Sheet

Scroll below to see that I give you, the beginner player, a very basic idea of volleyball positions and rotations based on the position you specialize in.

Click here to learn more about specialized roles and player positions in volleyball.

If you are a setter or right side hitter your specialized position is on the RF and RB sides of the court.

If you are a left side hitter your specialized position is on the LF and LB sides of the court.*

If you are a middle blocker/hitter or libero your specialized position is in the middle of the court.**

If you are a middle blocker/hitter your specialized position is in the middle of the court. (Al Case)

As you play more advanced volleyball there will be exceptions to these rules where coaches may place left side hitters middle back (MB in Position 6) and liberos in left back (LB, Position 5) so they can run a backrow attack.

Let's stick with the volleyball rotation basics for now.

Check out this video by Get the Pancake to learn more about the volleyball rotation and how it works on the court.

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Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!

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I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.

Volleyball Rotation:
Where Do You Go From Here?

Good times! Here's where you need to go now? Here are three options:

Learn more about the game and How To Rotate in Volleyball in the Related Links below.
Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
Or visit the pages in the How to Play section in the drop down menu at the top of the page.

You might like to learn more game volleyball rules in the pages below!

8 Volleyball Serve Rules On The Toss and When and Where You Can Serve
Learn these volleyball serve rules and regulations for who, what, when where and how you can serve and when.
What Is A Side Out And What Happens During A Sideout in Volleyball?
Learn what is a side out, what happens during a sideout and why its called a sideout which is how your team earns the right to serve the ball and score a point
What Are The Volleyball Rotations? 6 Positions on the Court Explained
What are the volleyball rotations and the 6 positions on the court that players on offense and defense rotate in and out of once their team wins a rally?
Volleyball Libero Rotation: A Guide to Roles and Responsibilities
Lets explore the volleyball libero rotation including offensive and defensive strategies for maximizing their impact during rotation transitions
Volleyball Game Rules: Serving, Score, Skill, Rotation and Regulations
Volleyball game rules review the regulations for basic skills, scoring and for playing actions allowed and not allowed in the game along with rotation rules.

8 Volleyball Serve Rules On The Toss and When and Where You Can Serve
Learn these volleyball serve rules and regulations for who, what, when where and how you can serve and when.
What Is A Side Out And What Happens During A Sideout in Volleyball?
Learn what is a side out, what happens during a sideout and why its called a sideout which is how your team earns the right to serve the ball and score a point
What Are The Volleyball Rotations? 6 Positions on the Court Explained
What are the volleyball rotations and the 6 positions on the court that players on offense and defense rotate in and out of once their team wins a rally?
Volleyball Libero Rotation: A Guide to Roles and Responsibilities
Lets explore the volleyball libero rotation including offensive and defensive strategies for maximizing their impact during rotation transitions
Volleyball Game Rules: Serving, Score, Skill, Rotation and Regulations
Volleyball game rules review the regulations for basic skills, scoring and for playing actions allowed and not allowed in the game along with rotation rules.
4 Volleyball Blocking Rules and Rule Violations To Know in Volleyball
Learn four volleyball blocking rules, regulations and violations that you can and cannot do when you are front row performing defensive skills at the net.
Volleyball Attacking Rules: What Is A Spike In Volleyball?
These volleyball attacking rules describe what a spike is and governs how an "attack hit" which is any playing action, that is not a serve or is not a block.
Rotation in Volleyball Your 8 Rotation Volleyball Questions Explained
I answer your questions about rotation in volleyball like how does rotation work? Does the libero rotate? and What positions serve in volleyball? and many others
Block Volleyball Definition and Rules Defensive Players Should Know
The block volleyball definition and rules when the serving team's on defense with 3 front row blockers who try to stop opposing hitters hitting into their court.

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From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Honored At UTK Champions Weekend

Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.

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Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee, Coach April Chapple is

the first First Round Draft Pick for the first American pro indoor women's league
named to the first First Team All-Pro team for Major League Volleyball in USA volleyball history
former USA National team member
one of the few American women players named as an Italian Pro League D-I Championship Finalist, Italian Cup Finalist and Cup of Cups Tournament Finalist

April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match

Coach April's 2025 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training

Pre-Registration now open for 2025 Private and Semiprivate Training Sessions with Coach April . Get prepared for club tryouts or train with me during club season!

Email now for information on semiprivate or private indoor skills, individual or small group training volleyball classes and my Breakfast Club for College Players training for 2025.

Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.

Email me right now to register or for more information.

info@improveyourvolley.com

Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.

Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2

There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with

the same toss height and same toss location
the same armswing speed
the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.

kamiminerpac12setteroftheyearformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

Tommi Stockham All Big West Conference sophomore former Coach April Chapple private client 3 years

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Dear Vegas Parent

Read my open letter to Las Vegas Jr high/high school volleyball parents about my predictions on individual and small group volleyball training trends for 2019/2021

Tennessee Athletics Honors April Chapple at Champions Weekend for Legendary Volleyball Achievements

From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Produces Powerful Passionate Players...is that you?

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Congratulations to my seven Boys-18s Vegas Volley club players who played in two state championship finals yesterday, the 3A and 5A State champinship finals at Sunrise Mountain High School.

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!

A-1 Vegas Volley VBC

In It To Win It Tournament

May 2 - 4, 2025 Tournament

Gold Medalists

18s Premier Division

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Making A-1 Vegas Volleyball history as the very first TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! In the In It To Win It Tournament, May 2-4, 2025 Tournament, A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club Gold Medalists, 18s Premier Division