Timeouts are planned breaks. Delays are punishable interruptions.

What a timeout is

A timeout is a regular game interruption. Under current FIVB indoor rules, each team may request up to two timeouts per set, and each requested timeout lasts 30 seconds unless competition regulations approve a different length. The request must be made when the ball is out of play and before the referee whistles to authorize the next serve.

The practical idea is simple: a timeout pauses the match between rallies. It does not erase the score, change the rotation, reset a substitution sequence, or give a team a chance to challenge a non-reviewable judgment call.

Who may ask for it

• The coach: normally controls timeout and substitution requests from the team bench area.
• The assistant coach: may request when the rules or match procedure give that assistant the coach's function.
• The game captain: may request only when the applicable code allows it, usually in the absence of a coach or authorized assistant.
• Other team members: players, bench personnel, or staff who are not authorized cannot create a legal timeout request.

When the request is legal

1. The rally has ended and the ball is out of play.
2. The request is made before the first referee's whistle for the next service.
3. The team still has an available timeout under the set limit.
4. The request comes from an authorized person using the required signal, buzzer, tablet, or local procedure.
5. The team returns to play when the officials end the timeout and direct the match to resume.

When a request is rejected

An improper request is a request for a regular interruption that does not fit the rule. Common examples include asking during a rally, asking at or after the service whistle, asking through an unauthorized person, requesting a second separate substitution during the same interruption when the code forbids it, or asking for a timeout after the team has used its limit.

In FIVB-style procedure, the first improper request by a team in the match is rejected and recorded if it does not affect or delay play. A later improper request by the same team is treated as a delay. If the first bad request actually slows the match, officials can handle it as a delay immediately instead of treating it as harmless paperwork.

What counts as a delay

• Prolonging a timeout, substitution, or other interruption after being told to resume.
• Requesting an illegal substitution or repeating an improper interruption request.
• Failing to return players to the court promptly after a timeout.
• Creating confusion at the substitution zone or scorer's table that prevents the next rally from starting.
• Any team action that improperly defers the resumption of play.

Warning first, then point

Delay sanctions are team sanctions, not personal misconduct penalties. In FIVB indoor rules, the first delay by any team member in the match is a delay warning. The second and later delays by any member of the same team in that match are delay penalties, which award a point and service to the opponent.

Delay sanctions remain in force for the whole match and are recorded on the scoresheet. A delay before or between sets is applied in the following set.

A timeout is not a tactical reset button

Teams can talk strategy during a timeout, but the match state remains the same. The next server is still controlled by the service order, the score remains unchanged, the team's remaining substitutions are unchanged, and any lineup or libero restrictions still apply when play restarts.

The coach requests after the service whistle

Once the referee has whistled to authorize service, a regular timeout request is too late. The referee should reject the request, and the server is expected to serve under the normal service timing rule. If the request or team behavior delays the serve, the delay rules can apply.

The team has no timeouts left

Asking for an extra timeout after the team's limit is exhausted is improper. If it is the team's first improper request and does not delay play, it may simply be rejected and recorded under the applicable procedure. If it repeats an earlier improper request or slows the restart, it becomes a delay issue.

Where rules can vary

This page describes standard indoor volleyball with FIVB-style rules as the main reference point. NCAA, NFHS, professional leagues, youth tournaments, beach volleyball, and local events may use different timeout totals, media timeouts, technical timeouts, horn or tablet procedures, substitution rules, or administrative mechanics. The match rulebook and competition regulations control the final answer.

Source material

• FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028
• FIVB Official Volleyball Rules hub
• NCAA Playing Rules
• NFHS Volleyball Rules