The rules have changed: the new volleyball era arrives in Italy

What volleyball fans saw during the 2026 international season will not stay on the international stage: the new FIVB rule tests that were introduced during the Volleyball Nations League and subsequently used at EuroVolley 2026 are now entering Italian club volleyball.
From 28 September, the new rules officially apply across the competitions and categories organised by the Italian Volleyball Federation (FIPAV), including SuperLega.

It means that when the new club season gets underway, players who experienced the changes with their national teams this summer will now face exactly the same playing environment with their clubs.
Among the most visible changes is the increased freedom for substitutions. Teams can now make up to eight substitutions within a single set, giving coaches another tactical tool and potentially changing the way rotations and player management develop during a match.

The interpretation of contacts has also been adjusted, particularly in situations involving two-handed play and double contacts. The aim is to allow the game to flow more naturally in situations where the ball is played with both hands, while giving referees a new framework for evaluating contacts.

Another change concerns the ceiling. Under specific conditions, a rally can continue even after the ball touches the ceiling, rather than automatically ending the action.
It is one of the changes that can produce the most immediately visible difference for spectators, although its application depends on the circumstances of the play and the characteristics of the venue.

These are not rules appearing out of nowhere.

The FIVB introduced the tests during the 2026 international season, allowing national teams and referees to gain experience with the new interpretations. The CEV subsequently approved their use in its competitions, including the 2026 European League and EuroVolley, specifically to give teams enough time to become familiar with them before the European Championship.
EuroVolley 2026 therefore became another major testing ground before the changes moved into domestic competitions.

Now Italy is following the same path.

FIPAV’s decision applies to all federal championships and categories, meaning that the changes will not be limited to the top level. In SuperLega, they will immediately become part of the competitive landscape for the new season, including for the international players who spent the summer adapting to them with their national teams.

For coaches, the eight-substitution limit may be one of the most interesting tactical changes. It creates additional possibilities for specialists, tactical rotations and late-set adjustments, while potentially allowing teams to respond more aggressively to specific match situations without exhausting the traditional substitution allowance.

For referees, meanwhile, the challenge is different: consistency.
The changes to double contacts and two-handed play require clear and uniform interpretation, particularly because these are situations that can occur dozens of times during a match.
FIPAV’s Refereeing Commission is therefore expected to provide additional technical guidelines to ensure that the new rules are applied consistently throughout the Italian championships.

There is also an important qualification to the introduction of the new rules. Provisions that require specific technology or particular characteristics of a venue will only be applied when the necessary conditions are available.
In other words, the rulebook is changing, but not every new provision will necessarily look the same in every Italian gym.
The bigger picture, however, is already clear.
The experiments that began on the international stage this summer are now becoming part of everyday club volleyball. VNL and EuroVolley gave players, coaches and referees their first serious experience of the new interpretations. The 2026/27 Italian season will be the next step: the moment when those experiments become part of the normal rhythm of the domestic game.
For SuperLega, the new season will therefore bring more than new rosters, new transfers and new ambitions.
It will also bring a slightly different game.

____________________

👀|QUICK LINKS
• AGENDA 📝🏐
• 2026/27 SUPERLEGA CREDEMBANCA – CALENDAR
• All news from Italy 🇮🇹
• Multimedia
• Facebook
• Instagram

__________________