A volleyball can travel over the net and still take an illegal route to the opponent’s court. The antennae help define the space through which that crossing must occur. They are more than convenient markers for television viewers.
The FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 place an antenna at the outer edge of each side band and describe the antennae as part of the net. Together with their imagined upward extensions, they mark the lateral limits of the crossing space.
Watch the flight at the net
When following a wide attack, look at where the ball passes the plane of the net, not only where it eventually lands. A ball landing inside the opposite court has not necessarily crossed through the required space.
Contact with an antenna makes the ball out under the rules. A ball crossing outside the permitted space also raises a different question from a ball crossing correctly and then landing beyond a floor boundary.
There are detailed provisions for certain recoveries from the opponent’s free zone through the external space. Do not turn the basic explanation into a claim that every ball travelling outside an antenna ends the rally in exactly the same way. Consult the relevant rule and the referee’s decision for the actual play.
Practise reading the boundary
During a supervised practice, stand safely away from the playing area and observe a few wide sets and attacks. Predict whether the ball passes inside the antennae before checking the coach’s explanation. Keep the exercise about observation rather than attempting dangerous saves around posts or equipment.
Remember that camera angles can be misleading. A replay from behind the court may show a different relationship between ball and antenna than a side view.
For organised play, use the rules and any approved competition-specific provisions in force for that event. Understanding the antennae gives you a useful starting point for following the rally without pretending that one simple diagram covers every situation.