On this page
What a volleyball scrimmage is
A volleyball scrimmage is an informal match between two club teams, played under rally scoring and kept out of league standings. Coaches use it to test a new rotation, give second-unit hitters and setters real reps, and see serve-receive under pressure before a tournament weekend. The two clubs agree the number of sets and any rule changes in advance.
How to find a volleyball scrimmage in 4 steps
-
Set up your team's profile
Choose volleyball, then set your team's birth year, gender (boys, girls or co-ed) and level: recreational, development, competitive or premier. Add your travel radius. List how many birth years you will play up or down, and Next Play shows when your range overlaps another team's.
-
Find a matching team or post an open game
Browse volleyball teams that fit inside your radius. Already have a gym booked? Post an open game with the date, time window and court, and matching teams can claim the slot.
-
Send a friendly invite
Pick your team, the date, the start time and who hosts (your gym or theirs). The other club accepts, suggests another time, or declines with a reason. If the club you want to play isn't on Play 2 Earn Sports yet, invite it by name and we email that club an invite with one reminder.
-
Play, then confirm the result
After the first serve, one club enters the score and the other confirms or disputes it within 48 hours. Confirmed games go on your team's schedule and count toward each team's record, kept separate from league standings.
How long is a volleyball scrimmage?
Volleyball is played in sets, not on a clock, so length depends on how many sets you agree and how close they run. Court time is the real limit. Typical setups:
- Younger club teams (roughly 10s to 12s): often a fixed number of sets to 25 with rally scoring, sometimes with a cap so a long set doesn't eat the next one.
- Middle ages (roughly 13s to 15s): many clubs play three or four sets to 25, all played out regardless of who wins the first two, so every player gets rotations.
- Older and competitive teams (16s to 18s): a match-style format with a shorter deciding set to 15 is common, followed by extra sets or drill play if time remains.
A two-hour gym slot often covers a shared warm-up, a few full sets and some scenario play. These are general examples; agree your own format with the other coach.
What to agree before the game
- Court and time: which gym, how many courts, when you can get on the floor for warm-ups and when you must be off.
- Set count and scoring: number of sets, sets to 25 or a shorter target, a cap or not, and whether every set is played out.
- Scenario play: whether you will run wash drills, start rallies from a free ball, or let one side serve a full rotation to work on serve-receive.
- Net height and ball: confirm the net height for the age group and gender, and which ball you will use, so neither team arrives with the wrong setup.
- Officials: whether you want a first and second referee, a scorekeeper and line judges, or coaches calling it themselves.
- Subs and liberos: whether substitution limits are relaxed, and whether each side may use a libero or two.
- Jerseys and safety: contrasting colors plus a distinct libero jersey, who brings the first aid kit and ice, and who checks the floor around the poles.
Why clubs use Next Play for volleyball scrimmages
-
Teams matched on the details that matter
Search by sport, birth year, gender and level within your travel radius. Play-up and play-down ranges show when a younger team is a fit for an older one, which is common in club volleyball.
-
Staff-only chat for each game
Each booked game gets one thread for the two clubs' staff to confirm net height and set count. Players and parents can't read it, and report and block are built in.
-
Referees without the back-and-forth
Request one referee or a full crew. The host club and the referee agree the fee, and Next Play doesn't charge for this.
-
A record other clubs can trust
Every number comes from friendlies both clubs confirmed: games, wins-losses-draws, late cancels (less than 24 hours' notice) and no-shows. Teams with at least 5 confirmed games, no no-shows and no more than 1 late cancel in the last 12 months get a Reliable badge. Next Play is free for clubs to use.
Questions
Set up your team in Next Play with volleyball as the sport, your birth year, gender, level and travel radius. The app lists matching teams near you. Send one a friendly invite with the date, start time and host gym, or post an open game if you already have court time and want a team to claim it.
There is no fixed number. Many clubs play three or four sets to 25 with rally scoring and play them all out, so each rotation gets time on the court. Older teams often finish with a shorter deciding set to 15. The gym slot usually decides how many sets you can fit, so agree the count before you start.
It is up to the two clubs, but a neutral first referee keeps rallies moving and takes net and ball-handling calls off the coaches. Some clubs use a full crew with a second referee and line judges for older teams. In Next Play you can request one referee or a full crew, and the host club agrees the fee directly with the referee.
Yes, if both clubs agree. In Next Play, a team can list that it plays up or down a set number of birth years, and the app shows when two teams' ranges overlap. Agree the net height first, since playing up can mean a taller net.
No. Results from Next Play friendlies are kept separate from league standings. They do count toward your team's own record in the app, built only from games both clubs confirmed. One club enters the score after the match, and the other confirms or disputes it within 48 hours.
Adult club staff: owners, club managers, team managers and coaches the club allows. Players and parents do not use Next Play. Staff from both clubs talk in a private chat for each booked game, and confirmed games go on your team's schedule.
