What are the rules for serving?

Order (Rule 12.1 and 12.2): the toss decides who serves first in sets 1 and 5. Other sets start with the team that did not serve first in the previous set. Players serve in the order on the line-up sheet. If your team wins the rally, the same server serves again. If you win the serve back, you rotate first, and the player moving from front-right to back-right serves.

Executing the serve (Rule 12.4):

• The 1st referee whistles to authorise it. You then have 8 seconds to hit the ball.
• Hit the ball with one hand or any part of the arm, after tossing or releasing it.
• One toss or release only. Bouncing or moving the ball in your hands beforehand is fine.
• At the moment of the hit, or take-off for a jump serve, you must not touch the court (end line included) or the floor outside the service zone. After the hit you may land inside the court.
• A serve made before the whistle is cancelled and repeated.

Screening (Rule 12.5): your team may not hide the server or the flight of the ball from the receivers by waving arms, jumping, moving sideways or standing grouped. Players of the serving team must not raise their hands above their heads during the serve until the ball has passed beyond the net.

Serving faults (Rule 12.6) lose the serve to the opponent: serving out of order, an illegal serve, or a ball that touches a team-mate, fails to cross the net through the crossing space, goes out or passes over a screen.

Opponents may not block a serve, and may not attack it when it is in the front zone and entirely above the net.