Can You Use Your Head in Volleyball? Yes, During a Rally

Yes—you can hit a volleyball with your head during a rally. FIVB’s 2025–2028 indoor rules say, “The ball may touch any part of the body” (Rule 9.2.1). A deliberate header or an accidental rebound off your head is not a fault simply because it touched your head. The ball must rebound rather than be caught or thrown. FIVB indoor rules, Rules 9.2.1–9.2.2

The same body-contact permission applies in FIVB beach volleyball, under Rule 9.2.1. For a school or recreational match, check the rules your competition uses. FIVB beach rules

How a head contact counts

A normal head contact during the rally is a hit—not a free save. Indoors, your team has up to three hits to return the ball, in addition to a block contact. If your head contact is part of a legal block, it follows the blocking rules instead and does not use one of those three hits. FIVB indoor rules, Rules 9.1 and 14.4

For example, indoors:

• An opponent’s serve rebounds off your head: that is your team’s first hit, leaving two.
• A teammate passes, then you head the ball upward: your header is the second hit, leaving one.
• You head the third ball legally over the net: the head contact itself is allowed.
• You head the ball after your team has already used three hits: that is a four-hits fault.

You also cannot normally head the ball upward and then make a separate pass yourself. Changing body parts does not avoid the rule against consecutive hits by the same player. However, on the team’s first hit indoors, the ball may contact different body parts consecutively during one action. A ball ricocheting from your forearms to your head in one receiving action can therefore be legal; a header followed by a separate attempt to pass is different. FIVB indoor rules, Rules 9.1–9.3

On the beach, a block does count toward the team’s three hits, leaving only two after the block. FIVB beach rules, Rule 14.4.1

You cannot serve with your head

Serving has its own contact requirement: the ball must be struck with one hand or any part of the arm after being tossed or released from the hands. A head serve is therefore illegal under FIVB indoor and beach rules. Receiving an opponent’s serve with your head is not the same as serving with it. Indoor Rule 12.4.1 · Beach Rule 12.4.1

Legal head contact also does not override other rules, such as net-contact faults or restrictions on attacking an opponent’s serve. FIVB indoor rules, Rules 11.3 and 13.2.4 See why you cannot block a serve.

Practice controlled passing, not headers

Treat head contact as an unexpected save rather than a skill to build your passing around. For beginners, spend practice time moving into position and presenting a stable forearm platform—the flat surface formed by your joined forearms.

Setup: Work with a partner about three metres away, with clear space around both players.

Action: Have your partner give ten gentle tosses, alternating slightly left and right. Move behind each ball, join your forearms and pass it back high enough for your partner to catch comfortably. Do not aim tosses at the player’s face.

Cue: “Move first; show a quiet platform.”

Suggested checkpoint: Aim for eight of ten passes that your partner can catch within one step. Meet that target for two rounds before adding wider tosses or gentle serves. Use the beginner drill progression when you are ready to add more skills.