• USA Volleyball Rules are the standard for the game in the United States.volleyball girl image by alice rawson from Fotolia.com
  
  Watching a volleyball game can be a bit confusing if you do not understand the rules thoroughly. Learning the standard hand gestures used as officiating signals can help the spectator follow the action more closely and be clear about what is going on. USA Volleyball (USAV) is the national governing body for the sport in the United States, and the standard officiating gestures used by USAV are recognized at all levels of the game around the world.
  
  

Common Signals

• When a volleyball team wins a rally, it means they have put the ball down in play and out of reach of the other team, or else the other team has erroneously hit the ball out of bounds or failed to return it legally.
  
  When the rally is won, the referee extends his arm out to his side in the direction of the team that will serve as a result of the play. The palm of his hand will face forward, or perpendicular to the floor. This signal will be followed by any signal related to an infraction or fault as he steps toward the offending teams side of the net.
  
  When the ball flies out of bounds, the referee signals out of bounds by bending his elbows and pointing the forearms up in the air with palm facing himself. Points are also awarded by hand gesture, as the referee holds up a single finger on the side on the scoring team. When the ball lands inbound untouched for a score, the referee points his arm at a sharp downward angle in the direction of the spot where the ball went down in bounds.
  
  

Too Many Hits

• One team is allowed to hit the ball a maximum of three times before returning it back to the other team. When the team hits the ball a fourth time, the play is blown dead and the referee steps to the offending team's side of the net and holds up four fingers.
  
  A single player may not hit the ball twice in a row, according to USA Volleyball rules. When this happens the referee blows the play dead and steps to the offending team's side of the net and holds up two fingers.
  
  

Carry

• Contact with the ball in volleyball should be quick. A bump off the arms, a quick tap from the fingers to set up a ball or the extremely fast swing of the spike is allowed. Any hesitation of longer contact with the ball may be called a "carry" by referees. The referee signals this infraction by turning his palm upward and moving the arm out in front of his body and moving the hand slightly back and forth, as if walking while carrying the ball in his hand.
  
  

Net Contact

• When a serve or player touches the net, it is against the rules of volleyball. However, it may be almost unnoticeable for some of the players or spectators. The referee has the best vantage point and blows the whistle, touching the side of the net of the offending team and identifying the player responsible verbally.
  
  Crossing the plane of the net to make contact with a ball on the other side also is illegal. The referee steps to the offending side of the net, then reaches an outstretched hand over the top of the net with the arm on the opposite side while calling out the violator verbally.