Indoor Volleyball Rules
(updated 10/2021)
REMEMBER 2 THINGS:
1) ENJOY YOURSELF
2) NO ARGUING
It is important that every player understands that this league is for fun. The mission of Club Sport is to promote competition and athleticism through sportsmanship and fair play. Our leagues/events should be played with good sportsmanship. Although competition may become intense, we expect our participants to maintain good sportsmanship up to and after the final whistle. No arguing will be tolerated. Whether it be with the umpire, the opposing team, or your own teammates, it’s unacceptable. We realize our umpires/referees/officials will make a bad call from time-to-time (bad calls happen at the highest levels, they are certainly going to happen in an adult social league). Rest assured they are trying their absolute best to make the correct calls. If you can’t win or lose with grace, keep it to yourself.
1. GENERAL RULES
1.1 Teams will play a best of 3 games match with the first 2 games played to 25 with a cap at 27 using "All Rally" scoring. If the 3rd game is necessary, it will be played to 15 with a cap of 17.
1.2 ”All Rally” - Every time a point is finished, one team will be awarded a point, whether they served or not.
1.3 If 3 games are necessary, all three games count and points will count toward “win/loss record”, “points scored”, and “points against”.
1.4 All games must be played within 50 minutes, if time runs out before the match is over the current points will stand. If the game is tied, 1 more service will be played to determine the winner.
1.5 Serves that hit the net and go over the net to the opponent’s side will be "live" and are good serves. It is legal to set the serve.
1.6 Any questions regarding policies, rules, or eligibility must be addressed before the start of the match.
2. CO-ED RULES & TEAM SIZE
2.1 6's (3 men and 3 women) Legal teams must have at least 4 players with at least 2 women, and cannot have more than 3 men on the court at one time.
3. ROSTERS / SUBSTITUTES
3.1 Maximum roster size is 10.
3.2 During regular season teams are allowed to use substitutes if they cannot field a full and legal team. There are no substitutes allowed during playoffs.
3.3 Players may not appear on more than 1 official team roster unless approved by the office.
3.4 ANY PICKUP PLAYER/SUBSTITUTE must be a signed player on another team that night.
3.5 No outside subs are allowed.
3.6 Teams may not pick up players to go over 6 and have substitutes.
3.7 Only players on the roster are allowed to play in the playoffs. Teams can add to their roster any time prior to the end of their final game of the season up to roster maximum of 10.
3.8 Once a player has signed their team’s roster they CANNOT be replaced or removed from the roster.
3.9 Players added at the first game or mid-season may not get shirts but will have the option of having one sent to them for $5 (shipping costs).
Roster Checks: Players have the right to ask for a roster check of the opposing team after the start of the game and before the end of the game. These requests must be made with the coordinator during game play, and if it is found that the opposing team is playing with an “illegal player” (i.e. not on that team’s roster or not signed) then staff reserves the right to remove the player and/or forfeit the game. Club Sport staff decisions are final and roster checks may not be made by players once the game has finished.
4. SERVICE POSSESSION
4.1 A team earns service possession for the start of the first game by winning a coin toss or a Rock/Paper/Scissors.
4.2 The teams will alternate service every other game.
5. ROTATION
5.1 Team members must rotate on the court and must remain in that position until the serve has been contacted.
5.2 The player in the back right hand corner of the rotation will be designated to serve and continue to rotate clockwise.
5.3 Teams may use a Libero.
6. FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAY
6.1 THREE CONTACTS - Each team is allowed a maximum of 3 successive contacts of the ball in order to return the ball to the opponent's area. (Exception: In the action of blocking an attacking ball, the touch, or contact resulting from the block attempt does not constitute one of the three successive contacts.)
6.2 ATTACKING THE NET - Only the three players that are in the front row of the rotation are allowed to attack the net. Violation of this rule would include any hitting or blocking that occurs above the plane of the net.
6.3 SIMULTANEOUS CONTACTS - When two non-blocking teammates touch the ball simultaneously, it is considered as a single contact, and any player may make the next contact. When two opponents simultaneously and instantaneously contact the ball over the net, the ball remains in play and the team receiving the ball is entitled to another three hits. If such a ball lands “out”, it is the fault of the team on the opposite side of the net from where the ball lands.
6.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONTACT - The ball can contact any number of body parts down to, and including the foot, providing such contacts are simultaneous and the ball rebounds immediately and cleanly after such contact.
6.5 HELD BALL - The ball must be contacted cleanly and not held, lifted, pushed, caught, carried or thrown. The ball cannot roll or come to rest on any part of a player’s body. It can rebound in any direction.
6.6 HAND SETS - A contact of the ball using the fingers of one or two hands to direct the ball toward a teammate is a set. The ball must come into contact with both hands simultaneously and leave both hands simultaneously to avoid a double hit call.
6.7 SETTING - A player may set the ball over the net in front or behind them only in the direction in which their shoulders are squarely facing. Rotation of the ball after the set may indicate a held ball or multiple contacts during the set but in itself IS NOT A FAULT.
6.8 ATTACKING THE BALL OVER THE OPPONENTS COURT - A player is not allowed to attack the ball on the opposite side of the net. If the ball is hit above the spiker’s side of the net and then the follow-through causes the spiker's hand and arm to cross the net without contacting an opponent or the net, the action does not constitute a fault.
6.9 BLOCKING - Blocking is the action close to the net which intercepts the ball coming from the opponents’ side by making contact with the ball before, during or after it crosses the net.
6.10 MULTIPLE CONTACTS - Multiple contacts of the ball by a player(s) participating in a block shall be legal provided it is during one attempt to intercept the ball. Multiple contacts of the ball during a block shall be counted as a single contact, even though the ball may make multiple contacts with one or more players of the block.
6.11 PARTICIPATION AFTER A BLOCK - Any player participating in a block shall have the right to make the next contact, such contact counting as the first of three hits allowed the team.
6.12 BLOCKING A SERVE - Blocking or attacking a serve is prohibited. However, setting a serve is allowed
6.13 BLOCKING A BALL ACROSS THE NET - Blocking of the ball across the net above the opponent's court shall be legal provided that such a block is: After a player of the attacking team has spiked the ball, or, in the referee's judgment, intentionally directed the ball into the opponent's court, or has exhausted their third allowable hit. After the opponents’ have hit the ball in such a manner that the ball would clearly cross the net if not touched by a player, provided no member of the attacking team is in a position to make a legal play on the ball if the ball is falling near the net and no member of the attacking team could reasonably make a play on the ball.
6.14 PLAYER CONTACT - No part of the body may touch the net at anytime unless a ball or person driven into the net causes the contact. Player contact with the net in a manner not directly relating to or affecting the course of play is not a violation. Contact with hair or part of the uniform will not be considered a fault.
6.15 SIMULTANEOUS CONTACT BY OPPONENTS - If opponents contact the net simultaneously, it shall constitute a double fault and the point shall be played over.
7. REFEREE
7.1 SoCo Club Sport will provide one referee.
7.2 All decisions made by the referee during play are final and may NOT be disputed.
7.3 Unsportsmanlike behavior towards the referee (or any other player) will result in an ejection from the game.
8. SPORTSMANSHIP 8.1 At SoCo Sports, we facilitate fun! We hope that all participants keep that in mind when becoming involved in our leagues and social events. Although the games may become intense, you still can be competitive while maintaining good sportsmanship
8.2 Any behavior deemed unacceptable by SoCo Club Sport staff may result in ejection from the game and/or suspension from a game or the league, even if the event did not result in an ejection at the time.
Any player or fan is encouraged to root for their own team but rooting against teams or use of disparaging language is discouraged and could result in penalties of players or dismissals of fans. Any fans of teams may be asked to leave by Club Sport staff. Refusal to leave could result in forfeiture of games
8.3 Fighting is not allowed and will NOT be tolerated. All parties involved in fighting will be subject to ejection from the game at the umpire’s discretion and subject to ejection from the league at the discretion of SoCo Sports.
8.4 Any player that gets ejected from a game may face league suspension for one or more games.
8.5 SoCo Club Sport reserves the right to remove a player or team from the league after just one incident depending on the severity of the situation.
8.6 Multiple ejections, even across multiple seasons, may result in permanent suspension from all SoCo activities.
9. FORFEITS
9.1 Game time is forfeit time.
9.2 If the opposing team wishes to grant time for their opponents to show up, the team will be given a 10 minute grace period to get their full team on the field ready to play. If time expires before the 3rd match, that match would be forfeited with the opponent getting 1 win and 15 points.
9.3 Teams may pick up substitute players during the regular season in order to field a legal team. Substitutes will not be allowed during playoffs.
9.4 All substitutes must be signed onto a roster/waiver for that night.
9.5 If a team forfeits a match, the opponent will get the win and 21 points for games 1 and 2, and 15 for third match.
9.6 If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game then we encourage you to call our office so we can inform your opponent.
9.7 If your team forfeits a match during the season, the following rules apply:
First Offense: Loss of the match and warning issued.
Second Offense: Loss of the match and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.
Third Offense: Loss of the match and possible removal from the league.
10. SCHEDULE/STANDINGS
10.1 League Schedule and Standings will be posted on-line throughout the season.
11. PLAYOFFS
11.1 All eligible teams make the playoffs (teams that have not abused any policies are eligible).
11.2 Players can only play for one team (the team that has them on their official roster) during playoffs. Players may not appear on more than 1 official team roster unless approved by the office.
11.3 Playoffs are single elimination.
11.4 Depending on schedule and facility constraints, some teams may need to play more than one playoff match per day.
12. RANKING
12.1 Rankings will be determined by (1) Winning percentage, (2) head to head play, (3) most games won, (4) fewest games lost, (5) coin flip.