Yes, you can use your feet in volleyball. Under international, college and USA Volleyball rules, the ball can touch any part of your body, including your feet, as long as the contact is clean. US high school rules allowed it from the 2009–10 season. You can’t kick a serve, though, and there are separate rules about where your feet can be.
The rule on playing the ball with your feet
Rule 9.2.1 of the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 says simply: “The ball may touch any part of the body.” International rules have allowed it since the 1990s, and college volleyball followed. US high school (NFHS) rules changed for the 2009–10 season, when a touch by any part of the body became legal contact.
A kick counts as one of your team’s three contacts. It must be a clean hit, not a catch or a carry, and the same player can’t touch the ball twice in a row except after a block.
| Rule set | Can you play the ball with your feet? |
|---|---|
| FIVB (international and pro) | Yes |
| NCAA (US college) | Yes |
| USA Volleyball (club) | Yes |
| NFHS (US high school) | Yes, since 2009–10 |
| Beach volleyball | Yes |
When you can’t use your feet
- Serving: the serve must be hit with one hand or arm after a toss, so a kick serve is illegal.
- Local and rec leagues: some set their own rules, so check before a league game.
Foot faults and other foot rules
Most questions about feet are really about where your feet can be. These come from the FIVB rules; other rule books are similar.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Service foot fault | When you hit the serve or take off for a jump serve, you must not touch the court, including the end line. Landing inside the court after a jump serve is fine. |
| Center line | You may touch the opponent’s court with your foot under the net if part of that foot is still touching or directly above the center line, and you don’t interfere with their play. |
| Attack line (back-row players) | A back-row player who attacks a ball completely above the net must take off from behind the attack line (the 3-meter or 10-foot line). Landing in front of it afterward is fine. |
For the court markings, see our guide to volleyball court dimensions.
Is kicking the ball a good idea?
Usually only in emergencies. A foot save keeps the ball alive when it’s too low or too far away for your arms, and you’ll see top players do it. But forearm passes are far more accurate, so coaches teach players to move their feet to the ball rather than kick it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you kick a volleyball in high school?
Yes. NFHS rules have treated a touch by any part of the body as legal contact since the 2009–10 season. Before that, contact below the waist was illegal in US high school play, which is why many people still think kicking is banned.
Can you kick the ball on a serve?
No. The serve must be hit with one hand or arm.
Can you use your head in volleyball?
Yes. Like your feet, your head is part of your body, so a header is legal as long as it’s a clean contact.
Is it a fault to step on the end line when serving?
Yes. Touching the end line or the court at the moment you hit the serve, or take off for a jump serve, is a foot fault.