Disclaimer
Participation in activities is strictly voluntary and group members assume all risks in connection with activities; organizers and events leaders are released from any and all forms of liability related to events.
Format: 5 Set Matches for regular season games. Best of 5 in playoffs and finals. All games will be played to and capped at 21pts. Seasons with 4 teams may play 5 sets to 21pts with last set played to 15pts.
Number of weeks in a season may run longer due to inclement weather or unforeseen school closures
Eligibility, Roster, & Scoring
Roster: 10 person max, 2 female MUST be on court at all times. Or 1 female to 3 males if less than 2 females. Fewer than 4 players is a forfeit. No player change on your roster is allowed after lock down before 2nd game.
Scoring: Five 21-point and cap Rally-Scoring games with let serve will be played. Scoring on 5th set may start at 4pt if games run over time.
Teams must be on court as soon as possible upon scheduled time or risk a forfeit. If teammates are running late, there is a penalty of 1pt per minute to avoid forfeit. Grace period before penalty scoring is 5 minutes after start time.
10 minute initial warm-up will be allowed for your team’s first match; subsequent matches are allowed 1 minute break in-between.
2 one-minute timeouts per team per set.
Jump serves are allowed in Intermediate and Intermediate+ levels. No jump serves are allowed in Social levels.
Playoff Eligibility: must be on the team’s roster, played at least 2 games in regular season, and has submitted a waiver form.
Play Rules
- TIME OUT: A team will be granted TWO 60-second time out per game. Only the captain may request a time out. If injuries occur, the player has 2 mins to return, or be replaced with substitute. If a substitution cannot be found and this renders the team no longer legally valid, they forfeit the game.
- CONTACT WITH CEILING, BASKETS, ETC.: A ball hit by a team which touches the ceiling on their side of the net and stays on their side of the net is in play, provided they have not used up their three hits. If it lands on the opponents court, it is no good. Such obstructions will be noted in the captains' meeting. Redos may be called at refs discretion.
- SERVICE: The server must stand entirely outside the court behind the end line within the sideline boundaries until they strike the ball.
- SERVICE RECEIVE / OTHER ILLEGAL CONTACTS: Players are allowed to contact the ball more than once with any part of the body in a single attempt on a team's second contact when the ball is played to a teammate. However, if the ball is played over the net in this type of scenario, it would be ruled a fault. The serve and / or any first hit of the team, may now be received with open hands (fingers). USAV rules allow for two consecutive contacts of any first ball over the net, providing that they occur during a single attempt to play the ball, and that the ball is not caught and/or thrown. You may not attack a serve as a first touch.
- SPIKING: Spiking by any of the three front row players is legal. Spiking from out of the back row is only legal if the attacking player takes off from behind the ten-foot line. If a back row player contacts a ball while within the 10-ft. area, it must be below the height of the net. In gyms where there is no 10-foot line, the ref will designate one.
- BLOCKING: A player may reach over the net to block any ball, provided that ball has been intentionally guided by their opponent toward his or her court. A player may also block any third ball hit by their opponent. A player may not block a set, and may not touch a ball that has not yet broken the plane of the net (unless it is a third ball). A block does not count as a hit; in fact, the blocker may then touch the ball again as the team’s first contact. Only front row players may block. A player may never attack a ball that is still on their opponents' side of the net.
- ROTATION: 6 players must rotate as servers; the team, as a whole, is required to rotate positions. Rotation occurs in a clockwise fashion. When the ball is contacted for a serve, each player must be in his/her own position. After a serve, a player may cover any section of his/her own court playing the ball. A deliberate change of rotation is a fault.
- LIBERO: Liberos are allowed to serve. Hand sets made in front of the 10-foot line cannot be attacked
- NET CONTACT: Contact with the net is illegal, including on a follow-through. (Exceptions: when the ball hits the net into a player's hands; hair touches; contact with net outside the antennaes)
- CENTER LINE: A player's foot/hand may land on the center line provided it is not entirely over the line. Rules regarding safety will be strictly enforced
- SUBSTITUTIONS: Teams may substitute by rotating in, or person-for-person. Teams should indicate which method (if any) they intend to use. A player who comes out may not return in a spot that would advance him in the rotation. If a team starts with fewer than 6 players, anyone who arrives late may only be brought in to a back row position. Any pattern may be used as long as it is agreed upon prior to the match and that the referee is able to keep track of it.
- PROTESTS: Decisions based on the judgment of the referee are final and not subject to protest. All final decision or clarification on rules are up to the head referee of the event. Questions regarding calls should be addressed by team captain.
- MISCONDUCT & SANCTIONS: Inappropriate conduct by a team member towards officials, opponents, teammates, or spectators will be sanctioned as follows:
Verbal warning may be issued for minor unsportsmanlike behavior.
- Yellow card - repeated misconduct or offensive conduct, e.g. defamatory or insulting words or gestures. One point is awarded to the other team
- Red card - 2nd yellow card for a player or extremely offensive conduct. This simultaneously ejects the player from the game. If this renders the team no longer legally valid, they forfeit the game.
Others
Final determinations, clarification, and exceptions to be made are solely on the head referee of the event. One quality volleyball will be provided to each match.
Good Conduct
- Absolutely no abuse of the referees & volunteers will be tolerated. Refs may warn, penalize with a point, or eject any player who is verbally abusive. Once the match is underway, only the captain may speak to or question the referee. If a ref’s conduct comes into question, the team captain should call the head referee. Teams are not allowed to linger anywhere else in the school besides the gym and hallways area. Violators will be disqualified.
- Any captain who suspects a ”ringer” on the opposing team may ask for a signature to be collected by the referee, which will be compared to that player’s signed waiver form. The refs may also do so on their own. (Another good reason to get all your waivers in!)
- Good sportsmanship is a must. Profanity, hissy fits, and any other sort of bad sportsmanship will not be tolerated and will lead to disqualification
- Clean up after yourself.
- Sneakers are mandatory: no shoes, hiking boots, sandals, or bare feet!
