How many positions are there in volleyball?

There are 5 named positions in volleyball: Setter, Outside Hitter, Opposite Hitter, Middle Blocker, Libero. Not all of them are on the court at once in every format — junior and small-sided grades use fewer.

Players rotate clockwise through six court positions each time their team wins back the serve.

Every position

The 5 volleyball positions

Position	Role	Area
Setter	Runs the offence, usually taking the second touch to set up an attacker.	Playmaker
Outside Hitter	Primary attacker, hitting from the left front — the most consistent scoring option.	Attack
Opposite Hitter	Attacks from the right front, opposite the setter, and helps with blocking.	Attack
Middle Blocker	Leads the block at the net and attacks quick sets through the middle.	Block
Libero	Defensive specialist in a different-coloured shirt — can't attack the ball above net height or serve (in most grades), and can freely swap with back-row players.	Defence

By area of the court

Grouped by role

Playmaker

Setter

Attack

Outside Hitter
Opposite Hitter

Block

Middle Blocker

Defence

Libero

Should junior players stick to one position?

Generally no. Most junior development guidance favours rotating children through several positions rather than specialising early — both because it builds a fuller set of skills, and because a child labelled as a defender at nine tends to still be one at fourteen.

The practical exception is goalkeeper in the sports that have one, where some children genuinely want the role and are happy in it. Even then it is worth checking in, because a fixed keeper has a very different experience of a season from everyone else.

Rotating positions and rotating playing time are separate problems, and it helps to treat them separately — see how to plan player rotations for the mechanics, and fair playing time for the policy behind it.

Where these come from

Based on FIVB Official Volleyball Rules, as adopted by Volleyball NZ and Volleyball Australia. Junior grades may lower the net and adjust set/match length.

Governing bodies: Volleyball New Zealand · Volleyball Australia · FIVB (international law book)

Last reviewed: September 2026. Junior formats vary by region and are revised between seasons — your competition handbook takes precedence over anything here. The full volleyball rules reference has formats, scoring, fouls and timings.

Keep reading

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