Be the Referee: Minimum Number of Volleyball Players
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
September 29, 2026
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Minimum Number of Volleyball Players - Listen
We’re on the volleyball court today, where the home team starts the match with only six players.
Midway through the first set, one of those six players suffers an ankle injury and can’t continue – leaving the home team with just five players.
What should happen?
Is the home team forced to default the match for not having enough players?
Does the home team just continue playing with five?
Or do they continue playing with five, but with the loss of rally or point every time the player lost to injury’s position rotates to serve?
If you said they can continue playing but lose a rally or point every time the injured player’s position rotates to serve, you are correct!
A minimum of six is needed to start – but you can finish a match with fewer than that.
Previous 2026-27 editions
Sept 22: Soccer Changes - Listen
Sept: 15: Dead Ball Penalty - Listen
Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen
Highlight Reel: Hudsonville/Zeeland East
November 7, 2014
The Hudsonville volleyball team defeated Zeeland East 3-1 in a Class A District game Thursday. Click the headings below for MHSAA.tv highlights and the final link to watch the match in full.
VANHOOF WORKING OVERTIME - Zeeland East won the first set of this Class A District Semifinal against Hudsonville, 27-25. Alison VanHoof gets the Chix up by a point with this kill. Hudsonville won the next three sets to take the match.
ANDERSON DOWN THE SIDE - Hudsonville finished the second set with a 19-5 run to win, 25-9. Here's a nice play by Jennie Anderson going down the side for a point.
KILLER KELLER - Hudsonville went up 2-1 in the match against Zeeland East when Madilyn Keller attacked from the back row for the set point.
KELLER KNOCKS ANOTHER ONE DOWN - In the fourth set, here's Madilyn Keller again with a nice kill for Hudsonville against Zeeland East.
GREAT RALLY! - The intensity of tournament play shows in this point between Zeeland East and Hudsonville late in the fourth set in great defensive plays on both sides of the net.
Watch the entire match and order DVDs by Clicking Here.