Regarding sending ball back after the serve in first try

Question
Hi there,
is it legal to send the ball back immediately after the opponents have served, i mean in the first try? so, if the opponents serve, the ball crosses over the net and so does the opponent have the right to send the ball back in the first try?
thanks for your time.

Answer
Good Evening!
I get this question occasionally. The last time was Aug 21, 2008.  But instead of asking you to go back through the archives and find it, here it is!
When you're done, please visit me at www.coachhouser.com.  I know that you'll enjoy all the smiling faces!
Coach Houser

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Question from Aug 21, 2008
Is it legal to directly smash the service ball from the opposite side, i.e. before or without the ball being set.

Answer from Aug 21, 2008
Thank you for visiting www.allexperts.com!

It is illegal to smash a served ball on the first contact IF the ball is still above the height of the net when you do it.  

In other words, if you bump a served ball back to the opponents, that's fine.  If you set a served ball back, no problem.  But if you send a served ball back over, and it's above the height of the net when you contact it, then the referee will blow the whistle.  

Therefore, blocking a serve is illegal also.  Why?  B/c the ball is above the level of the net when you do it.

However, this rule just became uniformly adopted in the mid-1990's.  Before then, if you played a volleyball match using the National Federation rule book, serves could be block or spiked.  It made for an interesting piece of strategy!  :#   I've heard if you go back far enough, it was legal at every level.  But, I've been coaching since 1985 #coaching USAV since 1991) and blocking/attacking a serve has never been legal during that entire period in the NCAA, USAV and FIVB rule books.  Only National Federation.

I hope this helps.  If you have more questions, please ask me!

Coach Houser