How Indoor Volleyball Substitutions Work Explainer
Under the standard FIVB indoor rules, a team may make up to six regular substitutions in a set. A starter may leave once and re-enter once, returning only to the original lineup position. That starter's substitute may enter once and can be replaced only by the same starter.
A request is recognized when a ready substitute enters the substitution zone during a dead ball. For multiple changes, all substitutes report together and the pairs are processed in sequence. An unready or improperly requested change can be refused and treated as delay.
Exceptional substitutions protect a team when an injured or ill player cannot be replaced legally. A qualified player who is off the court may enter, and the replaced injured player cannot return. Libero replacements operate under a separate procedure and do not count as regular substitutions.
FIVB is testing eight substitutions per set in selected 2026 competitions, so viewers should check the event regulations rather than assuming every tournament uses the same cap. The lineup relationship rules remain the key to understanding who may replace whom in the standard format.
Six regular substitutions per team per set under the base FIVB rules.
Yes, once per set and only to the starter's original lineup position.
No. Libero replacements use a separate procedure.
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