Soft Volleyball

I have recently learned how to play soft volleyball in Japan. The rules are basically similar to volleyball, but there are some differences.

  • the ball is bigger and softer
  • the court is smaller
  • the net is a bit lower
  • there are four people to a team
  • there are no specific positions (receiver, setter, etc.)
  • your team MUST hit the ball three times before returning it to the other team
  • you cannot jump when you hit the ball
  • loss of serve means a point for the other team
  • you must serve underhand
  • serves that catch the net are considered to be in play as long as they make it over the net
  • you have to win by two points (same as regular volleyball), or get to 17 first

Other rules are the same as regular volleyball.

  • the (four) players rotate after winning the serve
  • you have to serve from behind the end line of the court

It is easier for a variety of people to play because of the size and softness of the ball and the lack of jumping. However, the ball moves rather quickly, so you still have to be quick to react. The fact that the ball has to be hit three times before it gets returned means that it encourages team work.

I couldn’t find any information about the rules online anywhere, so I decided to put them up here for now. If I find out anything else, I will put it up here.