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.

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.

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What is a SIDEOUT?

The act of winning a rally when your team is not serving is called a sideout.

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.

When you’re playing volleyball, at the beginning of each rally, one team is serving and the opposing team is in serve receive also called service reception.

The Story Behind Sideout Scoring vs Rally Scoring
Here's some history about what is a sideout

What Is A Side Out? Four Ways To Earn A Point And The Right To Serve

Up until the late 1990's sideout scoring was the norm... the old rule was that the only team that could score a point would be the team that served.

So if your team was in serve receive, you guys would have to win the rally, rotate, a new server would serve and then only if you won the next rally would your team be awarded a point.

And yes, you can see that with the old sideout scoring rule the games and matches were much longer because it took much longer for teams to score points.

In the early 2000's the rules changed to rally scoring which allowed games and matches to finish faster making them more appealing for television audiences.

What Is A Side Out? Four Ways To Earn A Point And The Right To Serve
What's rally scoring?

With rally scoring, a team that is serving earns a point and the right to serve when they score a point.

When the team in serve receive wins the rally, they earn a point for their team, they rotate one position, and a new server earns the right to serve to start the new rally.

Volleyball Sayings and Phrases Players Say In Serve Receive

Here's a fun fact...Did you know that the phrase sideout in volleyball is used as a noun and a verb?

Here's a fun fact...Did you know that the phrase sideout in volleyball is used as a noun and a verb?

What I described at the beginning of this page is the noun form.

But when a team is in serve receive you'll often hear the players that are in passing formation say "Come on let's sideout!"

Using the phrase in this action form, players are encouraging each other to win this rally so that they can get the next point and win the right to serve.

What are different ways to earn a sideout?

You and your team can earn a sideout using several different skills to win a point in a rally.

Setter Dump
Overpass
Kill

Click here to read more on the three ways to get the ball back so your team can serve the ball to start the rally and potentially score more points.

Do You Follow Me on Instagram?

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap to improve your game even faster!

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.

What Is A Side Out And What Happens During A Sideout in Volleyball?:
Where Do You Go From Here?

Good times! Where do you need to go now? Here are three options:

Learn more about the Rules.
Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
Or visit the pages in the Volleyball Rules section in the drop down menu at the top of the page.

Learn more from these volleyball rules pages!

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 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 Rotation Learn How To Rotate On The Court in Volleyball
The volleyball rotation has 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 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.