Toss, warm-up and starting line-up
FIVB · 2025–2028Pre-match choices, official warm-up time and correcting a line-up discrepancy.
Rule 7 — Before play begins
The first referee conducts a toss with both captains before the match and another before a deciding set. The winner chooses either service or reception, or the side of court; the loser takes the remaining choice.
The joint official net warm-up is 6 minutes if teams previously had exclusive use of a court, otherwise 10 minutes. FIVB, World and Official Competitions provide 10 minutes. If either captain requests separate warm-ups, each team receives 3 or 5 minutes as appropriate, and the team serving first warms up first.
Rule 7 — Six players and the submitted order
Each team must have 6 players in play. Before each set, the coach submits the starting line-up to the second referee or scorer, or through the approved electronic system. That line-up fixes the rotation order for the set. Once submitted, changing it requires a regular substitution.
A mismatch found before the set starts is corrected without sanction; keeping a different eligible player requires a recorded regular substitution. If discovered after play begins, the team must return to the correct order, the opponent gains a point and service, and points earned by the faulty team since the identified fault are cancelled. An unregistered player triggers removal of points or sets gained since entry and replacement by a registered player with a revised line-up.
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