Summarize this article in one sentence.
Ideally, you want at least 6 players per team for a competitive game. However, if you're playing with a group of friends, keep the same number of players on each side. You should have 2 rows of players, with the first row closest to the net and the back row closest to the rear boundary of the court. The player in the back right corner will serve the ball. You can rotate players around the court so that you will have a new server for each service game. If you are rotating players out, rotate clockwise -- looking at the net, the player closest to it on the right side would rotate out, allowing for many players to play. Toss a coin or form an agreement to find out who will begin the game. If you serve from in front of the line it will be a point for the other team. This is known as a foot fault. The ball has to go over the net (but it can touch), and it has to land within the court for the serve to be good. The player on the right-hand side at the back of the court serves. Each player will only receive one service attempt per serve rotation; you may serve as many times as you can get the ball in the other teams court. The ball is good even if it lands on a line. Thus the rally has begun! A typical play will be bump, set, spike -- but as long as it goes over within three hits, it's good. Technically, you can hit the ball with any part of your body so long as the ball does not come to a rest. Players may go over the lines, but the ball may not. If a player on your team hits it out of bounds, you may run to retrieve it -- successfully so if it doesn't touch the ground. This could be because of any one of the following: The ball hits the ground. This can cause the serving team to score 1 point for their team. If the ball hits the ground on the side of the serving team, then the other team has the opportunity to serve. If the ball hits the ground on the side of the receiving team, then the serving team can serve again. The point is awarded to the team that did not allow the ball to hit the ground. The ball goes out of bounds. The team that hits the ball out of bounds loses the point. Someone touches the net. If a player on one team touches the net, then the opposing team picks up a point. Someone's foot goes under the net. When this happens, the opposing team receives the point. Someone hits the ball 2 consecutive times. Players can't strike the ball twice in a row, unless a strike is in the block. A block does not count as a touch. A team hits the ball 4 or more times without sending it over. 3 is the maximum. Catching the ball without bumping it on the acceptance from play. Letting the recipient team receive the ball bump from anything besides their arms or hands can cause the serving team to pick up a point. Returning the ball without allowing the ball to cross over the top of the net will score one point for the serving team. The team that won the last point gets to serve the ball. If you're rotating, rotate now. If your team has the ball, it's common for the rows to back up a bit. The idea here is to get ready for an attack. If you don't have the ball, move forward. The idea instead here is to make the attack. Teams who produce an error or send the ball out-of-play will automatically send the ball over to the other team to serve. No extra score must be added to the "new" serving team. NO penalty may be given in any situation where the ball touches the net then goes over to the other side to be played. The ball continues to be live and playable (unless it comes back towards the recipient team on the volley). You can decide how many points you will allow for each game. For instance, you can start a new game when a team earns 15 points. Recent rules state that regulation games go to 25 points, with the third game (in a set of three) going to 15. Sometimes, games may take the form of ending with a certain time limit but this must be agreed upon - generally, this time limit will be eight minutes, but may be longer or shorter dependent on situation for the game. A standard match is three games long. Each team should switch sides at the start of a new game. The loosing team during each service should have the chance to serve in the next game of the match. A game must be won by two points. 25-26 will not cut it; it must be 25-27. Because of this, close games can go on much longer.
Choose your players. Determine which team will "serve" the ball first. Serve the ball from behind the line at the back of the court. Return the ball if you're on the receiving team. Continue hitting the ball back and forth across the net until a fault happens. Serve the ball again. Continue playing until you reach a threshold.