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Introduction:
The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) is an annual international volleyball tournament organized by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The 2023 edition of the VNL will be the fifth installment, with both the men’s and women’s tournaments taking place across various countries. The Women’s VNL will be held from 30 May to 16 July 2023, with the final round in Arlington, Texas, United States. The Men’s VNL will be held from 6 June to 23 July 2023, and the final round will be in Gdańsk, Poland. The competition will follow the same format as the 2022 edition, featuring 16 teams per gender, with a total of 104 matches per gender played across the Preliminary and Final phases.
Competition Format
Each gender will participate in a round-robin preliminary round, with every team playing a minimum of 12 matches. The women’s competition will begin on May 30, and the men’s competition will start on June 6. The preliminary round matches will be held across multiple host cities, including Ankara (Türkiye), Nagoya (Japan), Hong Kong (China), Brasilia (Brazil), Suwon (Korea), and Bangkok (Thailand) for the women’s competition, and Ottawa (Canada), Nagoya (Japan), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Orleans (France), Anaheim, California (USA) and Pasay City (Philippines) for the men’s.
The top five teams from the preliminary round, along with the host nation, will advance to the final round.
Rules and Regulations
The VNL has undergone some rule changes for the 2023 season, as seen in various news articles and official sources. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the rule changes for the 2023 VNL:
Competition Formula: The 2023 edition will be played based on the same competition formula as in 2022, featuring 16 teams per gender. A total of 104 matches per gender will be played across the Preliminary and Final phases, with every team playing a minimum of 12 matches.
Roster Size: Each team can have up to a 37-man roster for the 2023 season.
Coaching Zone: A new rule has been introduced that creates a coaching zone defined by the libero replacement zone extending beyond the end line and sideline extended. This defines and clarifies the area in which coaches may stand.
Jewelry: A new rule has been introduced that allows small, secured stud or post jewelry to be worn above the chin. This maintains consistency with current trends of other NFHS and volleyball rules codes.
Libero as Captain: A new rule has been introduced that allows the Libero to be either team or game Captain.
Uniforms: Uniforms shall be free of hard and unyielding items (buttons, zippers, snaps, fasteners, etc.).
Time-Outs: Each team is allowed to call only one time-out during each set in the preliminary round. The time-out lasts 30 seconds long. Only one technical time-out is made when the leading team reaches 12 points.
Head Coverings: A new rule has been introduced that allows players to wear head coverings for religious reasons that fit securely and are made of non-abrasive or soft materials while still requiring head coverings worn for medical reasons to be approved by the state association.
These rule changes aim to provide clarity, safety, and fairness for all players and teams participating in the 2023 VNL season. As the VNL is one of the most prestigious and competitive international volleyball tournaments, the new rules will surely have a significant impact on the game’s flow and outcome. It will be exciting to see how teams adapt to the new rules and bring their best performances to the court.
