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.

• 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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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

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

1. Improve Your Volleyball Performance with Vegas VB Coach April Chapple
 ›
2. Volleyball Game Rules: Serving, Score, Skill, Rotation and Regulations
 ›
3. Volleyball Rotation Learn How To Rotate on the Court in Volleyball

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