Volleyball is an intense sport that is played in sets both teams need to score a designated amount of points to win the match. A volleyball match is usually played in best 2-of-3 or best 3-of-5 set style. The set style totally depends upon the level of competition at which the match is played. The team which wins most sets ends up winning the match. For example, If a team wins three out of five sets in a match, or wins three sets consecutively, it will be declared as the winner.
Duration of a Volleyball Match
A volleyball game usually lasts between 60 minutes to 90 minutes or even 150 minutes. However, there is not a fixed duration for a volleyball game, and it continues till a particular amount of points are scored by either of the teams in a set.
One set of volleyball games usually lasts around 20-30 minutes. If a game of three sets will be played, it will take around 60-90 minutes. On the other hand, if both teams play a five-set Volleyball, than it is expected to last till 150 minutes , i.e. two and a half hours.
Best 2-of-3 Volleyball game
In the best 2-of-3 Volleyball game, the team that wins the two out of the three sets will be declared as the winner. However, this match can either last for three sets or finish in two sets. If one team wins the first two straight sets consecutively, that team will be automatically declared as the winners and three will not need to play the third set. However, if the first two sets have been won by both teams once, then the game will proceed to the third and the final set. The team winning the final set will end up winning the match.
One set of a Volleyball game usually lasts around 20-30 minutes, which means a best 2-of-3 Volleyball match is expected to last from 60 to 90 minutes. You can see a best 2-of-3 Volleyball match being played at the middle school, junior varsity, and international beach Volleyball levels.
Best 3-of-5 Volleyball game
The best 3-of-5 Volleyball game is similar to the best 2-of-3 format where more sets are played. The team that ended up winning the three out of the five sets will be declared as the winner. The game can either finish in just three sets, or last till four or five sets. The team winning the first three sets straight will be declared as the winner, and there will be no need to play the remaining two sets. However, if both teams win two sets each of the first four sets, then the game will proceed to the fifth and the final set and the team winning that set will end up winning the game. The game can also finish in four sets if one team wins two of the first three sets, and end up winning the fourth set.
Talking about the time duration, a best 3-of-5 set Volleyball match can either finish in 90 minutes or lasts till two and half hours, depending upon the number of sets being played. You can see a best 3-of-5 Volleyball match being played at the varsity, college and international indoor Volleyball levels.
2-of-3 Sets | 3-of-5 Sets |
---|---|
Middle school | Varsity |
Junior varsity | College |
International beach | International indoor |
How Many Points to Win a Volleyball Game?
In an Indoor Volleyball game, a team needs to score 25 points before the opponent to win the regular set in a Volleyball match. However, in a tie-breaker round, only 15 points are needed to be scored to win the set and the match. On the other hand, the team scoring 21 points first will end up winning the set in the Beach Volleyball match, while in tie-breaker round, the team scoring 15 points first will be declared as the winner.
However, according to the Rally Point system, a team needs to win by a margin of two points to win a set or match. The match will continue until one of the teams takes a two-point against the other.
In Beach Volleyball, the players switch sides after scoring 7 points in the first two sets. While in the third set, the players are supposed to switch sides after scoring five points.
How Long Do Volleyball Tournaments Last?
Usually, there are two types of the tournament played in Volleyball: Endurance Tournamet and Progression Tournament.
Endurance Tournament
Endurance Volleyball tournaments usually take place in a single weekend and finish in two days with 10-12 hours of play each day. The teams are supposed to play 2-4 matches in a tournament and the number of the matches can also be reduced if the team is eliminated early.
Progression Tournament
Compared to the Endurance tournament, a Progression Volleyball tournament requires a lot of extra planning and can last for a few weeks or even months. In a progression tournament, the teams play one (or even two) games on their scheduled date and time and also travel to another venue for their next game. There are usually 4-5 matches played for up to hours on a day in progression tournaments. All matches are played on a single venue on one day, then the teams travel to different venues for their next fixtures.
- Progression tournament – 4-5 single matches + 8 hour venue day.
- Endurance tournament – 1 weekend of 10-12 hours each day.
FAQs
Q – How many minutes does volleyball game last?
A – A Volleyball game usually lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. However, sometimes it can also lasts upto two an
Q – How many quarters are there in volleyball?
A – There are a maximum of five sets in a Volleyball match.
Q – Is there a time limit in volleyball?
A – Usually, there is no time limit in Volleyball match but it is expected to end with 60 to 90 minutes.
Q – How many points does a volleyball game last?
A – A team has to score maximum 25 points to win a set in Volleyball game.