The antennas decide whether the ball crossed legally.

How to judge an antenna or crossing-space call

1. Decide whether the ball was being sent to the opponent's court or only being chased as a recovery ball.
2. Watch the ball's path at the vertical plane of the net, not where it later lands.
3. If the ball goes to the opponent's court, check whether it crossed above the top of the net and between the antennas.
4. If it touches an antenna, the post, ropes, or net outside the side bands, treat it as out.
5. If it travels outside the antenna toward the opponent's free zone, apply the special outside-space recovery rule only if the rulebook allows it and the ball came from the team's first hit.

This page covers standard indoor volleyball

The explanation follows standard six-player indoor volleyball, especially FIVB-style wording. NCAA, NFHS, professional, youth, recreational, sitting volleyball, and beach volleyball rules may differ in procedure, equipment setup, or local ground rules.

The core principle is still useful across most indoor play: the antenna is not decoration. It marks the side limit of the legal space the ball must use when it crosses to the opponent's court.

The crossing space is above the net and between the antennas

The legal crossing space is the part of the vertical plane of the net bounded below by the top of the net, at the sides by the antennas and their imaginary upward extensions, and above by the ceiling or free playing space.

That means a normal attack, free ball, set-over, or serve must pass through this space to reach the opponent's court legally. If the ball crosses outside it, the call does not depend on whether the ball would have landed in bounds.

A ball touching an antenna is out

The antennas are part of the net and laterally mark the crossing space. If the ball touches an antenna, the rally ends with the ball out. Officials do not wait to see whether the ball then drops into the court.

The same practical idea applies when the ball contacts the post, ropes, or net outside the side bands. Those contacts are treated as outside the legal playing path, not as a lucky net touch that remains live.

The call is about where the ball crosses the net plane

A ball can travel near a sideline, curve back, or land in the opponent's court and still be out if it crossed the net plane outside the legal space. The key moment is the crossing, not the landing.

For that reason, line judges and referees watch the antennas closely on sharp angle attacks, wide serves, emergency saves, and balls played from far outside the court. For landing decisions after a legal crossing, see ball in and out rules.

Outside-space recovery is a narrow exception

There is one important exception in FIVB-style indoor rules. If a team's first hit sends the ball totally or partly through the external space toward the opponent's free zone, the team may be allowed to chase it and bring it back within its remaining hits.

To stay legal, the player must not touch the opponent's court, the ball must be played back through the external space on the same side, and the opponent may not prevent the recovery action. If the ball came from the team's second or third hit toward the opponent's free zone through the external space, it is out when it crosses the net plane.

A ball under the net is different from a ball outside the antenna

The lower space is the area under the net. A ball heading toward the opponent's court through that lower space remains live only until it has completely crossed the vertical plane of the net. Once it completely crosses under the net, it is out.

This is separate from a center-line or under-net player fault. A player may also create a fault by interfering under the net, but the ball's path through the lower space can end the rally on its own. For player-space issues, see net, center line, and overreach.

Serves must also cross through the legal space

A serve may touch the net and remain live if it still crosses legally into the receiving court under modern standard indoor rules. But a serve that touches an antenna, crosses outside the crossing space, or travels outside the antenna to the receiving court is a fault.

Do not confuse this with a sideline landing call. A served ball that crosses legally and lands on the boundary line is in. A served ball that crosses illegally near the antenna is out before the landing question matters. For service-specific faults, see serving faults and let serves.

Player contact with the antenna can also matter

A player who contacts the antenna or the net in the action of playing the ball may commit a net-related fault, especially when the contact affects the legal net area or interferes with play. Officials judge this alongside the usual net-touch and interference rules.

The ball-contact rule is simpler: if the ball hits the antenna, it is out. With player contact, officials look at timing, location, and whether the player was playing the ball or interfering with the opponent.

Common rally examples

• Wide attack clips the antenna: the ball is out immediately, even if it drops inside the sideline afterward.
• Serve passes just outside the antenna and lands in: the serve is out because it crossed outside the legal space.
• Dig flies outside the antenna toward the opponent's free zone: if it was the team's first hit, a legal recovery may be possible through the same external space.
• Second contact is set wide through the external space: in FIVB-style rules, that ball cannot be recovered as the first-hit exception does not apply.
• Ball is driven into the net between the antennas: it may be recovered within the team's allowed hits if no other fault occurs.

Misunderstandings to avoid

• "It landed in, so it is good" is wrong if the ball crossed outside the antenna first.
• "The antenna only matters for serves" is wrong. It matters on every ball sent across the net.
• "Any ball outside the antenna is dead immediately" is too broad. The first-hit external-space recovery rule can keep a ball playable in a narrow situation.
• "A net touch always makes the ball out" is wrong. A ball may touch the net while crossing legally, but antenna contact is out.
• "The antenna is the sideline" is misleading. The antenna is a vertical net-plane marker; boundary lines still decide floor landings after a legal crossing.

What officials look for

The first referee has final authority over the rally, but line judges often help with antenna and crossing-space decisions. They signal when the ball touches an antenna, when a served ball or later team hit crosses outside the crossing space, and when assigned antenna-side contacts happen on their side.

At competitions with video review, antenna contact and crossing-space decisions may be reviewable depending on the local challenge protocol. Replay does not change the rule; it helps decide whether the ball or player actually contacted the antenna or crossed outside the legal space. For review procedure, see challenge and replay rules.

Source material

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