Volleyball zones are the six numbered areas on your side of the court: 1–6. Zones tell you where a player is on the floor at a moment in time. Positions (setter, OH, MB, etc.) describe a player’s role/job, not their zone. The court is also split into front row (zones 2–3–4) and back row (zones 1–6–5), which matters for who can block and who can attack above the net. Most confusion comes from mixing up rotation order, starting positions, and zones.
Related:
- Rotations hub (Start here)
- Volleyball set diagram
/volleyball-set-diagram/ - 5–1 starting rotation guide
What are volleyball zones? (1–6)
On your side of the net, we number the zones like this:
- Zone 1 = right back (RB)
- Zone 2 = right front (RF)
- Zone 3 = middle front (MF)
- Zone 4 = left front (LF)
- Zone 5 = left back (LB)
- Zone 6 = middle back (MB)
| Zone | Common name | Abbrev |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right back | RB |
| 2 | Right front | RF |
| 3 | Middle front | MF |
| 4 | Left front | LF |
| 5 | Left back | LB |
| 6 | Middle back | MB |
In most coaching diagrams, you’re looking at the court with your team on the bottom and the net at the top, as you can see in the diagram above.
Key point: Zones are fixed areas of the court. They don’t change because your lineup changes.
Front row vs back row (and what changes)
The front/back row split is the simplest “rules-relevant” way to think about zones:
- Front row: zones 2, 3, 4
- Can block (and can complete a block).
- Can attack a ball that is above the top of the net from anywhere (as long as they’re not illegally crossing the center line, etc.).
- Back row: zones 1, 6, 5
- Cannot block or attempt to block.
- Can attack, but if the ball is completely above the top of the net, the player must take off from behind the attack line (10-foot/3-meter line).
- Back-row players can attack from in front of the line if the ball is not completely above the net.
A useful coaching shortcut:
- Row status follows the rotation, not the role. Your setter can be front row or back row; same for outside hitters, opposites, etc.
Rotation vs position vs zone (common confusion)
These three words get used interchangeably in gyms, which can be confusing at times.
Zone = where they are
“Setter is in Zone 1.”
That means the setter is currently in right back.
Position (role) = what they do
“Setter sets. Middle blocks middle. OH passes/attacks left pin.”
That’s their job description, not their legal spot on the court. Below is a typical 5-1 positioning diagram once players move to their playing positions from their rotation position.
Rotating = the order players move through zones
Rotating is simply the team moving clockwise when winning the serve after receiving.
Why this matters for overlap: The overlap rule cares about relative positions at serve contact – or toss, depending on the rules you use – (right/left and front/back relationships), not about what you call someone (setter/outside/middle). This is why “zone ≠ position” is such a big deal when you’re teaching rotations and overlap.
Rotation X = the team’s current rotational position
Coaches often say “Rotation 1,” “Rotation 5,” etc. to label which of the six rotational states a team is currently in. The confusing part is that those labels aren’t universal.
One common approach is sequence-based: Rotation 1 = the rotation you started the set in; Rotation 2 = after one rotation; and so on. (In many gyms, teams also choose to start so the setter is in Zone 1, which makes Rotation 1 = “setter in Zone 1,” but that’s a choice—not a rule.)
Another common approach (especially when the focus in on a 5-1 system) is setter-location-based: Rotation 1 = setter in Zone 1, Rotation 2 = setter in Zone 2, etc.
To avoid confusion, I usually refer to rotations as “setter in Zone X” (or “S in 1,” “S in 6,” etc.), which is unambiguous.
If you’re teaching this to players, the full walk-through is in the Rotations hub.
Zones in serve receive (why coaches still talk “zone 1”)
Coaches keep saying “serve to zone 1” even though serve receive formations don’t look like the six-zone diagram. That’s because zone language is still a clean shorthand for:
- Targeting space (seam/short/deep)
- Predicting first contact options (who is likely to pass)
- Setting/attacking tendencies (where the ball is likely to go next)
Two important clarifications:
- In serve receive, players start in their rotational zones (so you’re legal), then they can move as the server contacts (or tosses) the ball.
- When someone says “zone 1 serve,” they usually mean “deep right-back area” on the receiver’s side—not that the passer is standing exactly in rotational Zone 1.
Common mistakes coaches/players make
- Teaching zones as if they’re roles: “Zone 1 is the setter spot.” (Sometimes true in a specific rotation; not true as a rule.)
- Not anchoring orientation: Players flip zones in their head when switching sides. You always label Zones the same relative to your side of the net.
- Confusing “right back” with “Zone 1”: Right back is a named area that corresponds to Zone 1 on your side, but in serve receive/defense you may be “right back-ish” without standing exactly in the zone box.
- Mixing up Zone 6 vs “middle back defender”: Zone 6 is the middle-back area; “middle back” in defense might shift depending on scheme, hitter location, and read responsibilities.
- Overlap teaching that ignores zones: Overlap is easiest when players know their zone relationships (who must be left/right of whom; who must be in front/behind whom) at serve contact.
FAQs
What is Zone 1?
Zone 1 is right back (RB) on your side of the court.
What is Zone 2?
Zone 2 is right front (RF) – the front-right area near the net.
What is Zone 3?
Zone 3 is middle front (MF) – center of the front row.
What is Zone 4?
Zone 4 is left front (LF) – the left pin area near the net.
What is Zone 5?
Zone 5 is left back (LB) – deep left area of the back row.
What is Zone 6?
Zone 6 is middle back (MB) – center of the back row.
Is Zone 1 always the setter spot?
No. Zone 1 is a court area, not a role. In some rotations (and some systems), the setter may be in Zone 1, but the setter rotates through all six zones like everyone else.
Are zones the same in serve receive and defense?
The zone map is always the same, but players do not have to stand “in the boxes” once the ball is contacted. Serve receive and defense often use zone language to describe areas or targets, not exact rotational starting spots.
What does “right back / left front” mean?
Those are named areas of the court:
- Right back = Zone 1
- Left front = Zone 4
They’re useful because they’re intuitive (right/left, front/back) and map cleanly to zones.
Why do some diagrams use numbers and others use positions?
Numbers (zones) show where, positions show who/role. Coaches will often overlay them (e.g., “OH in Zone 4”) to teach both at once.
How do zones relate to rotations?
Rotation moves players clockwise through the zones: 1 → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1. Your lineup’s rotation order determines who ends up in which zone each rally.
What zones can attack in front/back row?
- Front row attackers (zones 2–3–4) can attack a ball that is completely above the net from anywhere.
- Back row attackers (zones 1–6–5) can attack, but must take off from behind the attack line if contacting a ball that is completely above the net.
How do zones map to 5–1 rotations?
In a 5–1, the setter rotates through all zones like everyone else. The key mapping is: when the setter is front row (zones 2–3–4), you have three front-row attackers; when the setter is back row (zones 1–6–5), you have two front-row attackers plus back-row options.
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