Volleyball Lineup Sheet (Fill and Print)

How to fill out a volleyball lineup sheet

Every volleyball lineup form asks for the same things, whatever the layout:

1. Team, opponent, date and set number.
2. Boxes I to VI: the jersey numbers of your six starters in serving order. Box I serves first for your team, box II next, and so on.
3. Libero box(es): the numbers of your libero or liberos for the set.
4. Captain: mark the captain with a C (and an acting captain with an A if your league uses one).
5. Serving or receiving first: tick the right box. It changes who goes in box I.

The fastest way is to build your team in the volleyball rotation generator, pick “Serving first” or “Receiving first”, and print. The filler above does the same if you type the numbers yourself or load a saved team.

Volleyball lineup sheets: serving vs receiving first

This is the most common mistake on a volleyball line up sheet. Box I is always the player who serves first.

• Serving first: box I is the player starting in zone 1 (right back). She serves the first ball of the set.
• Receiving first: box I is the player starting in zone 2 (right front). Your team rotates after its first side-out, so she moves to zone 1 and serves first. The player starting in zone 1 goes in box VI.

The tool asks “Serving first or receiving first?” for each set and fills box I correctly. Sets often alternate, so check it every set.

Libero and captain

• Liberos: under the NFHS 2026-27 rules you may name 0, 1 or 2 liberos for each set, and only one may be on the court at a time. USA Volleyball also allows two (a team that starts with two keeps two for the match), NCAA allows two per set, and FIVB up to two. Liberos never go in boxes I to VI. See libero rotation for how she enters and leaves.
• Captain: write C next to the captain’s number. If your league uses a game or acting captain, mark her with A.

When to turn it in, by rule set

• NFHS (high school): starters in serving order plus liberos, submitted before each set. The second referee checks the players on the court against the sheet; from 2025-26 a separate referee lineup card is optional.
• USA Volleyball (club): a signed sheet at least 2 minutes before the end of the warm-up, and 30 seconds before the end of each break between sets. After that, changes are made only with regular substitutions.
• NCAA and FIVB: serving order plus liberos before each set.

Your league or event may set exact times, so ask at the coaches’ meeting.

Common lineup sheet mistakes (the order is binding)

1. Wrong player in box I when receiving first. Use the zone 2 player.
2. Numbers that do not match jerseys. Check every number against the player, especially with new uniforms.
3. The libero written in a serving box. She has her own box.
4. Copying last set’s sheet without changes. If you changed the starting rotation, the boxes change too.
5. Writing the order as a court diagram by mistake. On a list layout, I to VI is the serving order, not left to right on the court.

Once you hand in the sheet, your team must play that order. A wrong order caught after the serve can cost points; fixing it may use substitutions. Two minutes of checking is worth it.

Volleyball roster sheet and lineup templates

The free blank lineup sheets above come in four layouts:

• NFHS-style: serving order list with jersey and name columns, 4 per page.
• USAV-style: court-shaped boxes (IV III II over V VI I) with a coach signature line.
• Generic: 1 or 4 per page, for rec leagues and tournaments.

Each sheet also has libero, captain and notes areas. For a full rotation picture to keep on the bench, pair your lineup with a volleyball rotation sheet. For the scorer, use the volleyball score sheet, which has the same serving order boxes.