# Scorerdesk, full reference text > Every guide and the FAQ from https://scorerdesk.app, converted from the published pages at build time. The short index is at https://scorerdesk.app/llms.txt. For club families, high school scorers and coaches # Practise the volleyball scoresheet before Saturday To practise volleyball scorekeeping, keep the scoresheet and libero tracker against a live feed of serves, subs and libero replacements, such as "Sub request away: 12 in for 5", and see each mistake with the rule it broke. Read the scorekeeping guides Event 1 of 6 Home 0, away 0 Serve, home, number 4. IV 7 III 12 II 9 V 15 VI 10 I 4 Home serving. Home sheet, substitution 1: Home scoresheet, substitution 1, entering number by position I II III IV V VI empty empty empty empty empty empty Next event Play the voice ## How it works - **Listen.** Your browser speaks each event and shows it as a caption. Pause, replay the last event, or turn the voice off and score from the captions. - **Fill in the sheet.** Tap a box on the scoresheet or the libero tracking sheet and write the number, or use the keyboard: arrows to move, type to write, Enter to save, and undo whenever you need it. - **Catch what is illegal.** A request that breaks the rules, such as a player re-entering in the wrong position or a libero serving in a second spot, has to be flagged to the second referee, not written down. - **See what you missed.** Every wrong or missing box is marked with the rule behind it, and you get accuracy by skill: serve order, substitutions, libero, time-outs, sanctions and score. Scorerdesk never asks for a player's name. Rosters are uniform numbers only, and anything you type stays in this browser and is never uploaded. Scorerdesk is a practice tool. Your region's or state's scorer training and certification course is still required, and every match here is invented. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Scorerdesk? A practice scorer's table for volleyball. A narrated match plays event by event ("Serve, home, number 9", "Sub request away: 12 in for 5", "Libero replacement home: 4 out, 1 in"), you fill in your own scoresheet and libero tracking sheet, and Scorerdesk checks every box against the rules after every event, then marks each mistake with the rule it broke, in plain words. ### Is it free? Yes, the daily set, one scenario at each libero level, the blank printable sheets, every guide and the FAQ are free with no account. Any paid plan adds every scenario, unlimited generated matches, the choice of rule profile, live pace, error injection, projection mode, the certificate and the history. ### Which rules does it use? Two profiles. The NFHS profile follows the 2026-27 NFHS volleyball rules used by most US high schools, including the new option to designate two liberos per set. The USA Volleyball profile follows the 2025-2027 USA Volleyball indoor rules used in club play. The numbers that differ, such as 18 or 15 substitutions per set and 60 or 30 second time-outs, live in a data file per profile. ### Is this an official scoresheet? No. Scorerdesk draws its own scoresheet and libero tracking sheet with the usual fields in the usual order, so what you practise transfers to the sheet at your table. It is not a copy of any official form, and it is never the record of a real match. ### Is Scorerdesk affiliated with USA Volleyball or the NFHS? Scorerdesk is not affiliated with USA Volleyball, the NFHS, any region, state association, league or club. The rule bodies are named only to say whose rule a profile follows. Rules are explained in our own words with the rule number and edition, never copied. --- Guides # Scorekeeping guides for the scorer's table Short, practical guides to the volleyball scoresheet and the libero tracking sheet, each with a worked example computed by the same rule engine that grades your practice. Rules are explained in our own words, with the rule book and the rule number named. ## Where to start New to the table? Read [scorekeeping with no libero](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/scorekeeping-with-no-libero/), then [how to fill out a volleyball scoresheet](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/how-to-fill-out-a-volleyball-scoresheet/), then score the free [daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/). Add the libero with the tracking sheet guide once the basic loop is automatic. High school scorers should read the two libero guide before the 2026-27 season. ## Every guide - [How to fill out a volleyball scoresheet](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/how-to-fill-out-a-volleyball-scoresheet/): step by step: lineups, running score, service boxes, substitutions, time-outs, sanctions and the result. - [Libero tracking sheet, how to keep it](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/libero-tracking-sheet/): how to keep the libero tracking sheet: L for the libero, the number for the player, and the libero serving position. - [The 2026-27 two libero rule](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/two-libero-rule-2026-27/): the 2026-27 high school rule allowing two liberos per set, and what changes on the tracker and the scoresheet. - [Club vs high school scoresheet differences](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/club-vs-high-school-scoresheet/): club (USA Volleyball) and high school (NFHS) scorekeeping side by side: subs, time-outs, first servers, delays and improper requests. - [Scorekeeping with no libero](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/scorekeeping-with-no-libero/): the simple case: keeping the scoresheet when neither team uses a libero. - [Substitution counting and illegal subs](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/substitution-counting-and-illegal-subs/): counting substitutions to 18 or 15, and the illegal substitution requests a scorer must catch. - [Scorer's table cheat sheet and blank sheets](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/scorers-table-cheat-sheet/): a one page printable cheat sheet for the scorer's table, and the blank printable sheets. ## About the rules Scorerdesk follows two rule books, the 2026-27 NFHS volleyball rules used by most US high schools and the 2025-2027 USA Volleyball indoor rules used in junior club play. Tournaments, regions and state associations can adopt their own procedures, so the rules of your event and your referees come first. Scorerdesk is a practice tool; it does not replace a scorer certification course. Last reviewed 27 September 2026. First published 27 September 2026. --- Step by step # How to fill out a volleyball scoresheet Write both lineups in positions I to VI, then keep four things current as the set is played: the running score (one strike per point), the service boxes (the team's score each time it loses the serve), substitutions (entering number and score under the position) and time-outs (the score). Record cards and delays in the sanctions box, and close the set with the final points and the winner. The scoresheet is a record of who served, who scored and who came on and off, kept so the referees can check the serving order and the limits at any moment. The fields and their order are much the same on every sheet, whether your tournament uses a club (USA Volleyball) sheet or a high school (NFHS) one. Scorerdesk draws its own sheet with those fields, so what you practise here carries over to the sheet at your table. ## The steps, in the order a set happens - **Write the lineups before the set.** Copy each team's six starters into positions I to VI in the order on the lineup sheet, list the liberos in their own boxes, and note which team serves first. - **Mark every point on the running score.** Each time a team wins a rally, strike through the next number in that team's running score column, and nothing else, so the column always shows the score. - **Close each term of service.** When a team loses the serve, write that team's score in the service box under the player who was serving. The next server is the next position in the serving order. - **Record substitutions under the position.** Under the position of the player leaving, write the entering number and the score with the substituting team first, then tick the next number on that team's substitution count. - **Record time-outs with the score.** Write the score, requesting team first, in that team's next time-out box. Two per set; a third request is not allowed. - **Write sanctions in the sanctions box.** For every card, delay or improper request write the team, the type, the number (T for the team, C for the coach) and the score, sanctioned team first. - **Finish the set.** When a team reaches 25 (15 in a deciding set) with a two point lead, close the last term, write each team's final points and mark the winner. ## Serving order is the backbone Everything on the sheet hangs off the serving order in positions I to VI. When a team wins the serve back it rotates, and the player in the next position serves. Your service boxes tell the second referee whose turn it is, so a missed box is how a wrong server slips through. Under NFHS the lineup is written in serving order, so each team's first server is position I. Under USA Volleyball the lineup is written in court positions, so the receiving team rotates first and its first server is position II. Our [club vs high school guide](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/club-vs-high-school-scoresheet/) covers the other differences. ## Worked example The first rallies of a set, computed by Scorerdesk's rule engine under the USA Volleyball profile. Home serves first with 4 in position I; the away lineup is 8, 5, 11, 17, 13, 19. Serve lines are left out. Table: Opening rallies, a substitution and a time-out (USA Volleyball) | The feed says | What the scorer does | | --- | --- | | Point home. | mark home running score at 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 2 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 1; 2 in the home service box under I, term 1 | | Sub request home: 21 in for 7. | 21 in the home substitution 1 under IV (number); 2-1 in the home substitution 1 under IV (score); mark home substitution count at 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 3; 2 in the away service box under II, term 1 | | Time-out, away. | 2-3 in away time-out 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 4 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 3; 4 in the home service box under II, term 1 | Notice the side out after two home points: home's term ends, so 2 goes in the service box under I. Away's first server is 5, the player in position II, because the club lineup is in court positions. The substitution is written under IV, where 7 stood, with the score 2 to 1 because home is the substituting team. ## Common mistakes - Writing the score in the service box when the server scores, instead of when the term ends. - Putting a substitution under the entering player's old position rather than the position of the player leaving. - Writing the score the wrong way round: substitutions, time-outs and sanctions always put the team concerned first. - Forgetting the substitution count, so the 15th or 18th substitution passes without the warning to the second referee. - Recording an illegal request instead of stopping it. If a request breaks a rule, flag it; do not write it. - Missing the libero boxes: the libero is not a substitution and is kept on the [libero tracking sheet](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/libero-tracking-sheet/). ## Practise before the tournament Reading the steps is not the same as keeping up while the ball is in the air. The [daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/) plays a set to you one event at a time and checks your sheet after every event; the [cheat sheet](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/scorers-table-cheat-sheet/) fits on one printed page for the table itself. Your region's or state's scorer course still decides who may keep the official book. ## Sources Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and local procedures differ by region, state and tournament; where yours differ, follow your referees. - **NFHS Volleyball Rules Book, 2026-27 edition.** rule 5 (scorer and libero tracker duties), 6 (positions and serving order), 7 (lineups), 10 (substitution and libero replacement), 11 (time-outs). - **USA Volleyball Indoor Rules 2025-2027, published August 2025.** rules 7 (rotation), 15 (substitutions, time-outs and improper requests), 16 (delays), 19 (the libero), 25 and 26 (scorer and assistant scorer). - **2026-27 NFHS Volleyball Rules Interpretations, 6 August 2026.** situations 1 to 4 on two liberos: one shared serving position, circling each libero's first entry on the scoresheet, and nothing on the tracker for an exchange between liberos. ## Frequently asked questions ### What goes in the service box on a volleyball scoresheet? The serving team's score at the moment its term of service ends, written under the player who was serving. A server who loses the first rally gets the team's unchanged score. ### Do I write the score when a substitution happens? Yes. Under the position of the player leaving, write the entering number and the score at that moment with the substituting team's points first, then tick the substitution count. ### How many substitutions and time-outs does a team get? Two time-outs per set in both rule books. High school (NFHS) teams get 18 substitutions per set; club teams under USA Volleyball get 15. ### What if a request is illegal? Do not write it down. Tell the second referee straight away. Depending on the rule book, the request is refused and the team may be charged a delay, which you then record in the sanctions box. ### Is this the official scoresheet? No. Official scoresheets differ by rule body and state, and Scorerdesk draws its own with the same fields in the same order. Use the sheet your tournament or school supplies at a real match. --- Libero tracker # How to keep the libero tracking sheet The libero tracking sheet has a column for each serving position. Write L in a column when a libero replaces the player there and the player's number when that player comes back, write substitutes' numbers the same way, and note the position a libero serves in. Then watch the two timing rules: one replacement per dead ball, and a completed rally before the libero comes back. The libero replaces back row players without counting as a substitution, so the scoresheet alone cannot show who is on the court. The tracker does. Its job is to answer two questions at any moment: who is the libero standing in for, and would this next replacement be legal? The NFHS rules give the tracker its own duties, including telling the second referee when the libero does not sit out a rally between replacements. Under USA Volleyball the assistant scorer keeps the same record on the libero control sheet. ## How to keep it, step by step - **Copy the lineup across the top.** Write each team's starters under positions I to VI in serving order, and the libero numbers in their own box, before the first serve. - **Write L when a libero comes on.** When a libero replaces a player, write L in the next line under that player's position. The column now shows the libero is in for that player. - **Write the number when the player comes back.** When the replaced player returns for the libero, write that player's number under the L. A column reading 10, L, 10 means 10 went off for the libero and came back. - **Write substitutions too.** When a substitute enters a position, write the substitute's number in that column, so the tracker always shows who belongs in each position. - **Note the libero's serving position.** The first time a libero serves, note the serving position the libero served in. From then on a libero may only serve in that position. - **Watch the timing.** A libero who leaves must sit out a completed rally before coming back, unless the libero is replacing the right back player to serve. Tell the second referee at once if that is broken. ## Worked example Computed by Scorerdesk's rule engine under the NFHS profile. Home has one libero, number 1, and middles 12 in position III and 10 in position VI. Rally lines where nothing changes on the tracker are included so you can see the rotation move. Table: A libero in for both middles, a libero serve and the wrong player back (NFHS) | The feed says | What the scorer does | | --- | --- | | Libero replacement home: 10 out, 1 in. | L in the home libero tracker under VI, entry 1; circle home libero 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 1; 1 in the home service box under I, term 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 2; 1 in the away service box under I, term 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 2; 2 in the home service box under II, term 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 3; 2 in the away service box under II, term 1 | | Libero replacement home: 1 out, 10 in. The libero cannot rotate to the front row. | 10 in the home libero tracker under VI, entry 2 | | Libero replacement home: 12 out, 1 in. | L in the home libero tracker under III, entry 1 | | Serve, home, number 1. | III in the home libero serving position | | Point home. | mark home running score at 4 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 3; 4 in the home service box under III, term 1 | | Libero replacement home: 1 out, 15 in. | Flag it (illegal libero replacement). Write nothing for the request. | | Request denied. Unnecessary delay, administrative yellow card, home. | sanctions row: H, DW, T, 4-3 | | Libero replacement home: 1 out, 12 in. | 12 in the home libero tracker under III, entry 2 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 4 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 5; 4 in the away service box under III, term 1 | When home wins the serve back for the second time, position VI rotates to the front row, so 10 has to come back on: the tracker gets 10 under VI. Middle 12 is now in right back to serve, and the libero may replace 12 to serve at once, even without sitting out a rally. That is the serving exception, and position III becomes the libero's one serving position. Later, 15 tries to come on for the libero, but only 12 may. ## Common mistakes - Writing the libero's number instead of L, or writing both on one line. - Missing the forced exit when the libero's position rotates to the front row. - Letting the libero straight back in the dead ball it left, for a player who is not about to serve. - Forgetting to note the serving position, so a libero later serves in a second spot unnoticed. - Leaving substitutions off the tracker, so a column no longer shows who belongs in that position. - With two liberos, writing an exchange between them. Under the 2026-27 NFHS interpretation nothing is written; see the [two libero rule](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/two-libero-rule-2026-27/). ## Practise it The free scenario "One libero: replacements, a libero serve and the wrong player back" on the [practice page](https://scorerdesk.app/practice/) runs this exact job with a feed, and the [daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/) uses one or two liberos on most days. Certification and training still come from your region or state; this is practice for the table. ## Sources Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and local procedures differ by region, state and tournament; where yours differ, follow your referees. - **2026-27 NFHS Volleyball Rules Interpretations, 6 August 2026.** situations 1 to 4 on two liberos: one shared serving position, circling each libero's first entry on the scoresheet, and nothing on the tracker for an exchange between liberos. - **NFHS Volleyball Rules Book, 2026-27 edition.** rule 5 (scorer and libero tracker duties), 6 (positions and serving order), 7 (lineups), 10 (substitution and libero replacement), 11 (time-outs). - **USA Volleyball Indoor Rules 2025-2027, published August 2025.** rules 7 (rotation), 15 (substitutions, time-outs and improper requests), 16 (delays), 19 (the libero), 25 and 26 (scorer and assistant scorer). - **Ohio Valley Region, Juniors Certification Program, 2024-25.** an example of a region requiring a certified junior scorer per team and recommending libero tracker training for every player; check your own region's page. ## Frequently asked questions ### What do you write on the libero tracking sheet? L in a position's column when a libero replaces the player there, the player's number when that player comes back, and the number of any substitute who enters the position. Note the position a libero serves in the first time it happens. ### Can the libero serve? Yes, in one position of the serving order per set, under both the NFHS and USA Volleyball rules. Once a libero has served for one player, a libero may not replace a different player who is about to serve. ### Does the libero have to sit out a rally? Yes. After the libero leaves the court there must be a completed rally before a libero comes back, except when the libero is replacing the player in right back to serve. ### Who may come back for the libero? Only the player the libero replaced, or under the two libero rules the other libero. A different player coming on for the libero is an illegal replacement. ### Is the libero tracker required? It depends on the event. Many regions and states require a libero tracker at the table whenever a libero is used, and some regions ask every junior player to be trained for it. Check your region's or state's page. --- New for 2026-27 # The two libero rule: what changes at the table From the 2026-27 season the NFHS rules let a high school team designate zero, one or two liberos before each set (rule 6-4-2), with only one on the court at a time. For the table that means: list and circle both liberos on the scoresheet, write nothing on the tracker when the two liberos exchange, and remember that both liberos share one serving position. The NFHS announced the change on 5 February 2026, as a way to give more players a role without using a substitution. It takes effect with the 2026-27 season, and the NFHS interpretations published on 6 August 2026 answer the questions scorers and libero trackers ask first. Many older tutorials and printed sheets were made for a single libero, which is why so many state associations redrew their trackers for this season. ## What changes, box by box - **Designation.** Before each set, the lineup sheet shows zero, one or two liberos. Copy both numbers into the libero boxes at the top of the scoresheet and on the tracker. - **First entry.** The scorer circles each libero's number the first time that libero enters the set (interpretation situation 3). Later entries need no mark. - **Exchanges.** When one libero replaces the other on the court, the tracker writes nothing (situation 4). A column reading 2, L, 2 is correct even if both liberos took turns in between. - **Serving.** The two liberos and the player they serve for are tied to one serving position. Either libero, or that player, may serve there. A libero replacing a different player who is about to serve is an illegal libero replacement (situation 2). - **Injury and disqualification.** An injured libero may be replaced by the player the libero replaced, by the second libero, or by re-designating a new libero (10-4-3a). A disqualified libero is replaced by the player or the second libero, and the team goes on with one libero (10-4-3d). ## Worked example Computed by Scorerdesk's rule engine under the NFHS 2026-27 profile. Home designates liberos 1 and 2; its middles are 12 (position III) and 10 (position VI). Table: Two liberos: circles, an exchange, a libero serve and a second serving spot (NFHS 2026-27) | The feed says | What the scorer does | | --- | --- | | Libero replacement home: 10 out, 1 in. | L in the home libero tracker under VI, entry 1; circle home libero 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 1; 1 in the home service box under I, term 1 | | Libero exchange home: 2 in for 1. | circle home libero 2 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 2; 2 in the away service box under I, term 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 3 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 3; 3 in the home service box under II, term 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 4; 3 in the away service box under II, term 1 | | Libero replacement home: 2 out, 10 in. The libero cannot rotate to the front row. | 10 in the home libero tracker under VI, entry 2 | | Libero replacement home: 12 out, 1 in. | L in the home libero tracker under III, entry 1 | | Serve, home, number 1. | III in the home libero serving position | | Point home. | mark home running score at 5 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 4; 5 in the home service box under III, term 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 6; 4 in the away service box under III, term 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 5; 6 in the home service box under IV, term 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 7; 5 in the away service box under IV, term 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 6; 7 in the home service box under V, term 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 8; 6 in the away service box under V, term 1 | | Libero replacement home: 1 out, 12 in. The libero cannot rotate to the front row. | 12 in the home libero tracker under III, entry 2 | | Libero replacement home: 10 out, 2 in. | Flag it (illegal libero replacement). Write nothing for the request. | | Request denied. Unnecessary delay, administrative yellow card, home. | sanctions row: H, DW, T, 8-6 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 9 | Libero 1 is circled on entry, and libero 2 is circled when it exchanges in, but the tracker has nothing for the exchange itself. Libero 1 then serves for 12, which makes position III the liberos' serving position. When 10 comes round to serve, libero 2 tries to replace 10: that would be a second serving position, so the scorer flags it and, under NFHS, the team is charged unnecessary delay. ## Common mistakes - Treating each libero as having a serving position of its own. There is one between them. - Writing L or the libero's number on the tracker for an exchange between the two liberos. - Circling only the first libero, or circling a libero again on later entries. - Letting both liberos stand on the court together, for example the second libero replacing another back row player while the first is still in. - Using a one libero tracker from an older season that has nowhere to write the second number. ## Practise it The free scenario "Two liberos under the 2026-27 rule" on the [practice page](https://scorerdesk.app/practice/) runs this situation with a feed, and the [daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/) uses two liberos every third day. For the basics of the tracker itself read [how to keep the libero tracking sheet](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/libero-tracking-sheet/). ## Sources Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and local procedures differ by region, state and tournament; where yours differ, follow your referees. - **NFHS news release, Libero Rules Adjusted in High School Volleyball, 5 February 2026.** two liberos may be designated per set from 2026-27 (rule 6-4-2), with changes to injury and disqualification replacement (10-4-3a, 10-4-3d). - **2026-27 NFHS Volleyball Rules Interpretations, 6 August 2026.** situations 1 to 4 on two liberos: one shared serving position, circling each libero's first entry on the scoresheet, and nothing on the tracker for an exchange between liberos. - **NFHS Volleyball Rules Book, 2026-27 edition.** rule 5 (scorer and libero tracker duties), 6 (positions and serving order), 7 (lineups), 10 (substitution and libero replacement), 11 (time-outs). - **USA Volleyball Indoor Rules 2025-2027, published August 2025.** rules 7 (rotation), 15 (substitutions, time-outs and improper requests), 16 (delays), 19 (the libero), 25 and 26 (scorer and assistant scorer). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a high school team have two liberos in 2026-27? Yes. From the 2026-27 season the NFHS rules let a team designate zero, one or two liberos on the lineup sheet before each set. Only one libero may be on the court at a time. ### Can both liberos serve? Both may serve, but only in one position of the serving order between them. If libero 1 serves for the player in position III, libero 2 may later serve for that same player, but not for anyone else. ### What does the libero tracker write when the liberos exchange? Nothing. The 2026-27 interpretations say an exchange between two liberos is not recorded on the tracking sheet; the tracker only follows libero and player replacements. ### What does the scorer write for the second libero? List both libero numbers at the top of the scoresheet and circle each one the first time that libero enters the set. No other mark is needed for later entries. ### Does the club game allow two liberos too? Yes. The 2025-2027 USA Volleyball indoor rules also let a team designate zero, one or two liberos, with their own conditions on designating them for the match; see the club vs high school guide. --- Two rule books # Club and high school scoresheets: what is different The scoresheet looks much the same, but the numbers and a few procedures differ. Club play under the 2025-2027 USA Volleyball rules allows 15 substitutions and 30 second time-outs, starts the receiving team's serve from position II, counts delays for the whole match and has improper requests. High school play under NFHS allows 18 substitutions and 60 second time-outs, starts from position I and counts unnecessary delay per set. USA Volleyball writes the rules most junior club events use, and the NFHS writes the rules most US high schools use. Scorerdesk keeps both as data profiles, and the table below is read from those profiles, so it always matches what the grader checks. Tournaments and state associations can change some of these (match format, for example), so read the event's own rules too. ## Side by side Table: The numbers each profile uses | Item | Club, USA Volleyball 2025-2027 | High school, NFHS 2026-27 | | --- | --- | --- | | Substitutions per set | 15 | 18 | | Warn the referee from sub | 12 | 15 | | Time-outs per set | 2 of 30 s | 2 of up to 60 s | | Usual match | Best of 3 | Best of 5 | | Sets | 25, deciding set 15, win by 2, no cap | 25, deciding set 15, win by 2, no cap | | Receiving team's first server | Position II | Position I | | Delay counted | Per match | Per set | | Third time-out, extra sub, second request | Improper request (IR), then delay | Unnecessary delay (a second request is just denied) | | Liberos per set | 0, 1 or 2 | 0, 1 or 2 (new for 2026-27) | | Libero serving in a second position | The replacement stands; the serve is a rotational fault, point and serve to the opponent | The replacement itself is illegal, charged as unnecessary delay | ## The first server of the receiving team This is the difference that catches most scorers who switch between club and school. The NFHS lineup is a serving order: position I is the team's first server whether it serves or receives first. The USA Volleyball lineup is a set of court positions: the player in position I stands in right back, and a receiving team rotates when it wins the serve, so position II serves first. On the sheet, the receiving team's first service box is under I in high school and under II in club. ## Worked example: the same requests under both rule books Computed by Scorerdesk's rule engine. Home asks for a third time-out. Under USA Volleyball the first improper request in the match is refused and written as IR, with no penalty. Under NFHS it is unnecessary delay, an administrative yellow card. Table: Three time-out requests, club rules | The feed says | What the scorer does | | --- | --- | | Point home. | mark home running score at 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 1; 1 in the home service box under I, term 1 | | Time-out, home. | 1-1 in home time-out 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 2; 2 in the away service box under II, term 1 | | Time-out, home. | 2-2 in home time-out 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 3 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 3; 3 in the home service box under II, term 1 | | Time-out, home. | Flag it (time-out not allowed). Write nothing for the request. | | Request refused. Improper request, home. | sanctions row: H, IR, T, 3-3 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 4 | Table: The same three requests, high school rules | The feed says | What the scorer does | | --- | --- | | Point home. | mark home running score at 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 1; 1 in the home service box under I, term 1 | | Time-out, home. | 1-1 in home time-out 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 2; 2 in the away service box under I, term 1 | | Time-out, home. | 2-2 in home time-out 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 3 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 3; 3 in the home service box under II, term 1 | | Time-out, home. | Flag it (time-out not allowed). Write nothing for the request. | | Request denied. Unnecessary delay, administrative yellow card, home. | sanctions row: H, DW, T, 3-3 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 4 | ## Common mistakes - Using the wrong substitution count: the club limit is 15 and the count is reported from the 12th, while the high school limit is 18 and the scorer warns from the 15th. - Starting the receiving team's service boxes under the wrong position. - Resetting delay warnings at a new set in a club match. - Charging a delay for a club team's first improper request, or writing nothing at all. - Assuming the libero rules match: the two libero options exist in both books, but the details of designating them differ. ## Practise both The [daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/) alternates between the two profiles day by day, and a [full match](https://scorerdesk.app/match/) can be played in either. For substitutions in detail read [substitution counting and illegal subs](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/substitution-counting-and-illegal-subs/). ## Sources Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and local procedures differ by region, state and tournament; where yours differ, follow your referees. - **USA Volleyball Indoor Rules 2025-2027, published August 2025.** rules 7 (rotation), 15 (substitutions, time-outs and improper requests), 16 (delays), 19 (the libero), 25 and 26 (scorer and assistant scorer). - **NFHS Volleyball Rules Book, 2026-27 edition.** rule 5 (scorer and libero tracker duties), 6 (positions and serving order), 7 (lineups), 10 (substitution and libero replacement), 11 (time-outs). - **NFHS news release, Libero Rules Adjusted in High School Volleyball, 5 February 2026.** two liberos may be designated per set from 2026-27 (rule 6-4-2), with changes to injury and disqualification replacement (10-4-3a, 10-4-3d). ## Frequently asked questions ### How many substitutions in club volleyball and in high school? USA Volleyball allows 15 team substitutions per set in its 2025-2027 rules (up from 12). NFHS allows 18. Entries are unlimited within the team limit in both, and a player who re-enters must go back to the same position. ### How long is a time-out? Two time-outs per set in both. A USA Volleyball time-out lasts 30 seconds; an NFHS time-out lasts up to 60 seconds. ### Who serves first for the receiving team? Under NFHS the lineup is the serving order, so the receiving team's player listed I serves first. Under USA Volleyball the lineup is court positions, so the receiving team rotates and the player in position II serves first. ### Do delay warnings carry over to the next set? Under USA Volleyball, yes: delay sanctions count for the whole match, so a second delay in any set is a penalty. Under NFHS unnecessary delay is counted per set, so each set starts again at a warning. ### What is an improper request? A USA Volleyball term for a request that is not allowed but does not delay the game, such as a third time-out or a second substitution request in the same interruption. The first one in the match is refused and written on the sheet with no penalty; any further one is a delay. --- Start here # Scorekeeping with no libero: the simple case With no libero on either team you keep only the scoresheet: strike each point on the running score, write the serving team's score in the server's box when it loses the serve, write each substitution under the position of the player leaving with the score, and write each time-out with the score. There is no libero tracking sheet to keep. Younger club teams and many school matches play without a libero, and it is the right way to learn the book: every change of player is a substitution, and the serving order is exactly the six positions on the sheet. Once this is automatic, a libero is one extra sheet on top of a routine you already have. ## The loop, rally by rally - Before the serve, check the server against the serving order. If the wrong player steps up, tell the second referee. - After the rally, strike the next number in the winning team's running score. - If the receiving team won, the serving team's term is over: write its score in the server's box. The receiving team rotates, and the next player in its order serves. - Between rallies, record any substitution or time-out with the score, and check the request is allowed before you write it. ## Worked example Computed by Scorerdesk's rule engine under the NFHS profile, no libero on either side. Home serves first; 21 comes on for 7 and later 7 comes back, and away calls a time-out. Table: A simple stretch: points, side outs, a substitution and its return, a time-out (NFHS) | The feed says | What the scorer does | | --- | --- | | Point home. | mark home running score at 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 2 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 1; 2 in the home service box under I, term 1 | | Sub request home: 21 in for 7. | 21 in the home substitution 1 under IV (number); 2-1 in the home substitution 1 under IV (score); mark home substitution count at 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 3; 2 in the away service box under I, term 1 | | Time-out, away. | 2-3 in away time-out 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 4 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 3; 4 in the home service box under II, term 1 | | Sub request home: 7 in for 21. | 7 in the home substitution 2 under IV (number); 4-3 in the home substitution 2 under IV (score); mark home substitution count at 2 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 4 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 5; 4 in the away service box under II, term 1 | Under NFHS the away team received first, so its first server is 8, the player listed I. When 7 comes back for 21 it goes into the same position, IV, and that is written as the second entry under IV with the new score. ## Common mistakes - Closing a term of service when the server scores rather than when the serve is lost. - Writing the service box under the next server instead of the one who just served. - Striking a point on the wrong team's running score after a quick side out. - Letting a starter come back into a different position. A returning player goes back where they played; see [illegal subs](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/substitution-counting-and-illegal-subs/). - Writing the time-out score from the other team's side. ## Practise it The free scenario "No libero: subs, a re-entry and a third time-out" on the [practice page](https://scorerdesk.app/practice/) is this sheet with a feed, and the [daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/) has no libero every third day. When you are ready, add the libero with [the libero tracking sheet guide](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/libero-tracking-sheet/). ## Sources Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and local procedures differ by region, state and tournament; where yours differ, follow your referees. - **NFHS Volleyball Rules Book, 2026-27 edition.** rule 5 (scorer and libero tracker duties), 6 (positions and serving order), 7 (lineups), 10 (substitution and libero replacement), 11 (time-outs). - **USA Volleyball Indoor Rules 2025-2027, published August 2025.** rules 7 (rotation), 15 (substitutions, time-outs and improper requests), 16 (delays), 19 (the libero), 25 and 26 (scorer and assistant scorer). ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you need a libero tracker if there is no libero? No. With no libero designated for the set there are no libero replacements to follow, so the scoresheet alone records every player who comes on or off. If only one team uses a libero, only that team needs a tracker. ### Is scorekeeping with no libero easier? Yes, it is the best place to start. Every change of player is a substitution, written under the position of the player leaving, and the serving order never has a libero standing in it. ### Can a team play one set with a libero and the next without? Under NFHS the libero is designated on the lineup before each set, so it can change set by set. Under USA Volleyball a team may play a set with no libero, with conditions on when a second libero can be designated; check the rules for your event. ### What should I practise first? The service boxes. Most mistakes on a simple sheet come from closing a term of service late or under the wrong position, and that is what lets a wrong server go unnoticed. --- Substitutions # Substitution counting and the illegal subs a scorer must catch Tick one box on the team's substitution count for every player who enters: 18 are allowed per set in high school (NFHS) and 15 in club play (USA Volleyball). Before you write a request, check it: a player may only come back in the position they played, not in the same dead ball they left, and never as or for the libero. An illegal request is flagged to the second referee, not written. Substitutions are where scorers make the calls that matter. The second referee relies on the table to know whether the player walking to the sideline may come on, and the substitution count tells everyone how close the team is to its limit. Both rule books let a player enter any number of times within the team limit, but tie each player to one position in the serving order for the set. ## The checks, in order - Is the entering player on the roster, and not a libero? - Is the player leaving on the court, and not the libero or the player the libero replaced? - Has the entering player already played in this set? Then this must be the same position. - Did the entering player leave in this same dead ball? Then a rally has to come first. - Has this team already made a request in this dead ball? - Would this be past the limit (18 or 15)? If every answer is fine, write the entering number and the score under the position of the player leaving, and tick the count. If not, tell the second referee and write nothing for the request. What happens next depends on the rule book: under NFHS an illegal substitute attempt is unnecessary delay, while a second request in one dead ball is simply denied. Under USA Volleyball an illegal substitute is a delay, and a second request or a request past the limit is an improper request, written on the sheet with no penalty the first time in the match. ## Worked example Computed by Scorerdesk's rule engine under the NFHS profile. 21 enters for 7 in position IV and 7 comes back. Later the coach sends 21 in for 9, in position II. Table: A legal substitution, a legal return and an illegal re-entry (NFHS) | The feed says | What the scorer does | | --- | --- | | Sub request home: 21 in for 7. | 21 in the home substitution 1 under IV (number); 0-0 in the home substitution 1 under IV (score); mark home substitution count at 1 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 1 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 1; 1 in the home service box under I, term 1 | | Sub request home: 7 in for 21. | 7 in the home substitution 2 under IV (number); 1-1 in the home substitution 2 under IV (score); mark home substitution count at 2 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 2; 2 in the away service box under I, term 1 | | Sub request home: 21 in for 9. | Flag it (illegal substitution). Write nothing for the request. | | Request denied. Unnecessary delay, administrative yellow card, home. | sanctions row: H, DW, T, 2-2 | | Point home. | mark home running score at 3 | | Point away. | mark away running score at 3; 3 in the home service box under II, term 1 | The first two requests are written under IV, each with the score at the time, and each ticks the count. The third is illegal because 21 is tied to position IV. The scorer flags it, the request is denied, and the team is charged unnecessary delay, which is written in the sanctions box. ## Common mistakes - Counting one tick for a request that brought on two players. - Writing the entry under the position the substitute had before, rather than the position of the player leaving. - Letting a bench player re-enter somewhere new because they were not a starter. Bench players are tied to a position too. - Counting an illegal substitution that was stopped. - Recording a libero replacement as a substitution. Libero changes go on the [libero tracking sheet](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/libero-tracking-sheet/). ## Practise it The [practice page](https://scorerdesk.app/practice/) has scenarios for the 19th and 16th substitution, a same dead ball return, a second request, a player not on the roster and the libero as a substitute. The rule differences are side by side in the [club vs high school guide](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/club-vs-high-school-scoresheet/). ## Sources Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and local procedures differ by region, state and tournament; where yours differ, follow your referees. - **NFHS Volleyball Rules Book, 2026-27 edition.** rule 5 (scorer and libero tracker duties), 6 (positions and serving order), 7 (lineups), 10 (substitution and libero replacement), 11 (time-outs). - **USA Volleyball Indoor Rules 2025-2027, published August 2025.** rules 7 (rotation), 15 (substitutions, time-outs and improper requests), 16 (delays), 19 (the libero), 25 and 26 (scorer and assistant scorer). ## Frequently asked questions ### How do you count volleyball substitutions? Each player who enters counts as one substitution, even when two come on in one request. Tick the team's substitution count once per entering player. Starting the set does not count, and an illegal substitution that is stopped does not count. ### Can a player re-enter the set? Yes, as often as the team limit allows, but only in the position of the serving order the player played before. A bench player who entered in position IV can only ever play in position IV in that set. ### Can a player come straight back in the same dead ball? No. A player taken out cannot come back before the next rally is played. Under USA Volleyball a second substitution request in the same interruption is also an improper request. ### What happens at the substitution limit? The scorer warns the second referee as the limit gets close (from the 15th under NFHS, from the 12th under USA Volleyball). A request past the limit is stopped: under NFHS it is an illegal substitution charged as unnecessary delay, under USA Volleyball an improper request. ### Is the libero a substitution? No. Libero replacements are unlimited and are not counted. The libero cannot enter as a substitute, cannot be substituted for, and the player the libero replaced comes back only by a libero replacement. --- Printable # The scorer's table cheat sheet Point: strike the next number. Side out: the serving team's score in its server's box. Substitution: the entering number and the score under the position of the player leaving, and a tick. Time-out: the score, own team first. Libero: L on the tracker in, the number back out. Anything illegal: tell the second referee, write nothing. Print the cheat sheet and blank sheets ## What to write, event by event Table: The scoresheet and the libero tracking sheet | Event | Scoresheet | Libero tracker | | --- | --- | --- | | Point to the serving team | Strike the next number in its running score. | Nothing. | | Point to the receiving team (side out) | Strike its next number; write the serving team's score in the server's service box. The receiving team rotates. | If the rotation takes a libero to the front row, the replaced player comes back: write the number. | | Substitution | Entering number and score (own team first) under the position of the player leaving; tick the count. | Entering number under that position, when the team has a libero. | | Libero replaces a player | Circle the libero number the first time that libero enters. | L under the player's position. | | Player comes back for the libero | Nothing. | The player's number under the L. | | Second libero exchanges in | Circle its number the first time it enters. | Nothing (2026-27 NFHS interpretation). | | A libero serves for the first time | The service box as usual. | Note the serving position. It is the only one for the set. | | Time-out | The score, requesting team first, in its next time-out box. | Tell the second referee each team's libero status (NFHS). | | Card, delay or improper request | Sanctions box: team, type (DW, DP, Y, R, IR), number (T team, C coach), score. A red card or delay penalty is a point to the opponent. | Nothing. | | End of set | Close the last term, write both final scores and the winner. | Start a new sheet for the next set. | ## The numbers Table: Limits by rule book | Limit | Club | High school | | --- | --- | --- | | Substitutions per set | 15 | 18 | | Time-outs per set | 2, 30 s | 2, up to 60 s | | Set, deciding set | 25, 15 | 25, 15 | | Liberos per set | 0 to 2 | 0 to 2 | ## Stop it, do not write it - A player coming back in a different position, or in the same dead ball they left. - A substitution past the limit, or a second request in one dead ball. - A libero entering as a substitute, being substituted for, or replacing a front row player. - Two liberos on the court, or a libero serving in a second position. - Someone other than the replaced player coming back for the libero. - A third time-out, or the wrong server at the line. ## Common mistakes at the table - Falling behind: write each box before the next serve, not at the next time-out. - Writing a request before checking it. Check first, then write, or flag. - Scores the wrong way round: the team concerned always comes first. ## Blank sheets to print Scorerdesk's own practice layout, with the usual fields in the usual order. Hand them out at a training night and play a set from [projection mode](https://scorerdesk.app/projection/), or practise alone with the [daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/). Scorerdesk practice sheet, not an official scoresheet. Scorerdesk is not affiliated with USA Volleyball, the NFHS, any region, state association, league or club. ## Sources Checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and local procedures differ by region, state and tournament; where yours differ, follow your referees. - **NFHS Volleyball Rules Book, 2026-27 edition.** rule 5 (scorer and libero tracker duties), 6 (positions and serving order), 7 (lineups), 10 (substitution and libero replacement), 11 (time-outs). - **2026-27 NFHS Volleyball Rules Interpretations, 6 August 2026.** situations 1 to 4 on two liberos: one shared serving position, circling each libero's first entry on the scoresheet, and nothing on the tracker for an exchange between liberos. - **USA Volleyball Indoor Rules 2025-2027, published August 2025.** rules 7 (rotation), 15 (substitutions, time-outs and improper requests), 16 (delays), 19 (the libero), 25 and 26 (scorer and assistant scorer). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I print the blank sheets for a team training night? Yes. The blank scoresheet, sanctions box and libero tracking sheets on this page print one panel per block. They are Scorerdesk's own practice sheets, not official forms, so use the sheet your event supplies at a real match. ### What should the libero tracker check before each serve? That any libero replacement just made was for a back row player, that the libero sat out a rally after leaving (unless replacing the right back player to serve), and that a libero about to serve is serving in the team's one libero serving position. ### When does the scorer tell the second referee? When a request is illegal, when the wrong player is about to serve, when a team nears its substitution limit, after a team's second time-out, and when a team reaches set point. ### Does this cheat sheet replace the rule book? No. It is a one page reminder in our own words. The rule book for your event and your referees decide every question at a real match. --- FAQ # Questions and answers about Scorerdesk Using Scorerdesk is free with no account: it plays a volleyball match to you one event at a time and checks your scoresheet and libero tracker against the rules. For how to keep each box, see the [scorekeeping guides](https://scorerdesk.app/guide/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Scorerdesk? A practice scorer's table for volleyball. A narrated match plays event by event ("Serve, home, number 9", "Sub request away: 12 in for 5", "Libero replacement home: 4 out, 1 in"), you fill in your own scoresheet and libero tracking sheet, and Scorerdesk checks every box against the rules after every event, then marks each mistake with the rule it broke, in plain words. ### Who is it for? Club players and parents who have to work the scorer's table at a tournament, high school students who keep the book or the libero tracker, junior scorers getting ready for certification, and coaches who want to run a scorekeeping session for the whole team from a projector. ### Is it free? Yes, the daily set, one scenario at each libero level, the blank printable sheets, every guide and the FAQ are free with no account. Any paid plan adds every scenario, unlimited generated matches, the choice of rule profile, live pace, error injection, projection mode, the certificate and the history. ### Which rules does it use? Two profiles. The NFHS profile follows the 2026-27 NFHS volleyball rules used by most US high schools, including the new option to designate two liberos per set. The USA Volleyball profile follows the 2025-2027 USA Volleyball indoor rules used in club play. The numbers that differ, such as 18 or 15 substitutions per set and 60 or 30 second time-outs, live in a data file per profile. ### Is this an official scoresheet? No. Scorerdesk draws its own scoresheet and libero tracking sheet with the usual fields in the usual order, so what you practise transfers to the sheet at your table. It is not a copy of any official form, and it is never the record of a real match. ### Does a certificate from Scorerdesk certify me as a scorer? No. The certificate of practice records the date and the sets you scored clean. It is not a substitute for your certification course: your region or state association runs the training and the test that count. ### What happens when I make a mistake? The grader compares your sheet to the correct sheet after every event and again at the end of the set. Each wrong or missing box is marked on your sheet with the rule it broke, for example a substitution written under the wrong position, a service box left empty at a side out, or an illegal re-entry you let through. You also get accuracy by skill: serve order, substitutions, libero, time-outs, sanctions and score. ### What if I cannot hear the voice? Every event is also shown as a caption. Browsers with no speech voices show the captions only, and you can turn the voice off and score from the captions in any browser. ### Where is my progress stored? In this browser's local storage only. Nothing is uploaded. Scorerdesk never asks for a player's name. Rosters are uniform numbers only, and anything you type stays in this browser and is never uploaded. The progress page exports everything as a JSON file, which you can import on another browser. ### Is Scorerdesk affiliated with USA Volleyball or the NFHS? Scorerdesk is not affiliated with USA Volleyball, the NFHS, any region, state association, league or club. The rule bodies are named only to say whose rule a profile follows. Rules are explained in our own words with the rule number and edition, never copied. ### Was Scorerdesk called something else? Scorerdesk was called ScoreTable until October 2026. Same tool, same maker, your saved work and Premium are unchanged. The fastest way to learn the sheet is to keep one: try the [free daily set](https://scorerdesk.app/drill/). Last reviewed 27 September 2026. First published 27 September 2026.