With everyone now using rally scoring, I am wondering if others have thoughts about how it can be a lousy way to end a game. I know that CALJUCO ran an experiment a couple years ago with side out scoring to end a game. I would like to hear everyones thoughts, especially coaches, on using rally scoring until the last 3 points of a teams game, and then the team must serve to earn the point. The way it benefit would be that if a team was losing when the other team got to game point they wouldn't have to play scared with their serve and lose a game with a serve into a net or out of bounds or just as bad a softball to the center of the court for fear of giving up game point. The way it works is once a team is within 2 pts of game point they must have service to get the point. With rally scoring working the score up so fast, this would give a team a chance to come back from way behind and take the added pressure of a game point serve off of the player.

Back in my college playing days it was side out volleyball.  I had been out of the sport for quite a few years and was asked to coach a Youth YMCA team this summer.  At first I wasn't sure that I like rally scoring but have become a big fan since getting used to it.  To me it puts equal importance on all parts of the game and I honestly feel it is a move in the right direction.  I tell my girls to play every point like its game point so they attack their serves at game point no different than they do in the middle of the game.

It's an interesting suggestion but I think I would rather keep it like it is now.

I have to agree with David.  Rally scoring makes every play important.  I would like to keep it as it is now.  I played in the mid 80's with side out scoring and now coach with rally scoring so I have seen both sides.  For me rally scoring is the best. 

If you are only playing in closed setting, such as your own recreation group or small group that doesn't play outside of your own gym, do what you want. You will, however, in my opionion, be hurting your teams' development when they play outside your group.

To propose such a change for everyone to move to you would have to get the rest of the volleyball-playing world to go along with it. Chances ... slim and none.

Changes to rules, even minor changes, aren't taken lightly, and the world and national governing bodies are not likely to agree with your suggestion.

Then, you would have to get the NCAA and NFHS to agree as well, if you want everyone playing with this format.

In my opinion this is not a good idea because it penalizes the team that gets to 24 first. If you want your team(s) to have a chance, score more points during the set. I don't know why you would want to give a team that hasn't played well enough to win, an extra chance. This isn't seen in any other sport. You don't give a team more outs in baseball or softball. You don't give a team an extra down in football. You don't give swimmers a head start or hold back sprinters in a race.

The change to rally scoring was not taken lightly, and once the change was made at the international, national, collegiate, and high school levels, it has since become the standard by which the sport is played.