Understanding & Finding Your Level!
Your level isn’t about how many years you’ve played. It’s about what you can consistently execute when the game gets faster, more structured, and more demanding. Levels help create better—and safer—volleyball. When athletes are appropriately matched, rallies last longer, teammates can rely on each other, and everyone gets the quality of play they signed up for. When the gap is too wide, the game can break down quickly and the risk of collisions or injuries increases.
These classifications are commonly used across volleyball leagues, tournaments, and pickup communities. Exact definitions may vary, so rate yourself against the skills below—not against the players you happen to play with.
Beginner | Recreational: New to volleyball or still learning the fundamentals. Expect support with serving, passing, setting, attacking, rotations, positioning, and three-contact play.
B | Developing: Know the fundamentals but are still building consistency in live play. Athletes should be able to serve, pass, set, attack, understand basic rotations, and contribute to three-contact play, though positioning and faster situations may still be challenging.
Lower BB | Intermediate: Understand organized volleyball and can use all core skills in live play. Three contacts should be common, with athletes able to pass toward target, attack with intention, understand rotations, and play a position, though consistency may break down under pressure.
Upper BB | Upper Intermediate: Can reliably execute their position in structured play. Athletes should be comfortable in a 5–1, understand serve receive, defense, coverage, and transition, and control the ball consistently through faster and out-of-system situations.
A | Advanced: Can execute their position at speed without the court having to adjust for them. Expect strong first contact, confident 5–1 play, position-specific execution, effective transition and coverage, and smart decisions in both in-system and out-of-system situations.
AA | Advanced Competitive: High-level consistency, game IQ, and positional execution. Athletes should perform at speed, control first contact, read and adjust to plays, transition effectively, and make smart decisions in and out of system without instruction.
Open|Highest Competitive Level: Elite-level competition. Athletes perform with exceptional precision, athleticism, and decision-making against top competition, often with extensive collegiate, semi-professional, or professional experience.
Not Sure Where You Fall?
That’s normal. Most athletes are stronger in some parts of the game than others, and many sit somewhere between two levels. This isn’t about the label. It’s about choosing the environment where you can compete, contribute, and actually get better. Answer a few quick questions about your game, track your A’s, B’s, and C’s—choosing what best reflects what you can do consistently in a game.