Volleyball Rules updated 2/10/25

1. PLAYER CONDUCT

1. Teams will be penalized points or serve for bad mouthing the ref or other unsportsmanlike conduct.
2. Referees will explain in greater detail if the occasion occurs.
3. Any player or fan is encouraged to root for their own team but rooting against teams or use of disparaging language toward players or officials is discouraged and could result in penalties of players or dismissals of players or fans.  Any players or fans of teams may be asked to leave by Club Sport staff. Refusal to leave could result in forfeiture of games.

2. ROSTER/ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

1. All players must be at least 18 and signed onto a roster/waiver for that night and location.
2. Any pickup players must be registered Club Sport volleyball participants for that season and location.
3. All players must sign the roster/waiver for their team prior to playing. Teams may add players to their roster up until their last regular season game.

1. In leagues with multiple divisions, players may not appear on more than 1 team roster per division unless approved by the Club Sport office. In one division leagues, players may appear on 2 rosters. The league office reserves the right to alter these caps if they deem they are being abused.
2. No open-level players may play in any division other than Competitive. Rosters will not be checked for these players but if any violations are brought to the attention of staff, the players will be removed from any affected rosters. Club Sport staff also has the right to limit any player in divisions lower than competitive based on skill imbalances.

4. Once a player has signed the team’s roster they CANNOT be replaced or removed unless done so by Club Sport staff.
5. Teams that made a team payment are covered up to a certain number of players (see below).
6. In leagues that allow individual payments, team rosters will be capped at a set number of players (see below).  If a team is short of the set number of players, players may add to the team at prorated cost (please contact office add/pay for pro-rated additions).
7. For playoff roster regulations, please see below “5. PLAYOFFS”
8. COED 4s

1. In leagues that allow individual payments, team rosters will be capped at six (6) players.
2. Play consists of 4 (2m/2f).
3. Minimum of two (2) players (at least one (1) female) on the court for the entire game to avoid a forfeit.
4. If three (3) players are on the court, 1 must be female, but you may play with more.  If four players are on the court, there must be at least 2 females. 2 of the players on the court must be from their roster.
5. Team payment teams will be capped at 8 players.
6. Individual payment teams will be capped at 6 players. If a team is short of 6 players, players may add to the team at a prorated cost (please contact the office to add/pay for pro-rated player additions).

9. MEN'S and COED 2s

1. Minimum of one (1) player on the court for the entire game to avoid a forfeit and they have to be from the team’s roster.
2. For COED, at least one player must be female.

10. PICKUP PLAYERS

1. Points are not awarded for pickup players.
2. Any pickup player (subs) must be signed onto another roster in that league.
3. Pickup players who have not signed the team’s roster are not allowed in the tournament.
4. ID may be required for tournament play if roster questions arise.
5. Players have the right to ask for a roster check of the opposing team after the start of the match, but before the end of the match. These requests must be made with the coordinator during game play, and if found that the opposing team is playing with an “illegal player” (i.e. not signed on the team’s roster) then the 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 once the game is final.

3. GAME PLAY

1. FORFEITS

1. 1st game - 10 minutes after scheduled start time. 2nd Game- 10 minutes after 1st game.  The referee will call forfeit times accordingly. Wait times listed are courtesy times and may not be given if games are running behind. 
2. Your team should be at the court by game time to avoid a forfeit.  Refs will not look for teams.
3. If teams have enough players to start (refer to formats above)  the match will begin in order to keep matches on schedule.
4. Efforts to delay the start of a match may result in a forfeit of the 1st game.
5. NOTE:  If your team forfeits without prior notice twice within the season they may not be eligible to play in playoffs.

2. ROTATIONS

1. Although rotating positions is not required, you must rotate your serving order.
2. If rotating additional players into the order, that player must enter into the serving position.
3. Once substitution is started, it must be continued in that same order.
4. Teams are NOT required to make a full server rotation before someone can rotate in from the side.
5. If a player arrives late and is necessary to complete a full team, said player may rotate in by requesting a substitution.
6. If a player arrives late the team is full, said player may rotate in on the serve.
7. Failure to keep the proper rotation will result in loss of point.
8. In 2’s leagues you may not sub/rotate in players during a game, unless approved by the opposing team for injury conditions.

3. SCORING

1. Coed/Men’s 4’s ...Match play will be best 2 out of  3 games.  Games will be played RALLY SCORING. First two games to 21 - winning by 2, and a cap of 25. If necessary a third game will be to 15, winning by 2, cap 19.
2. Coed/Men’s 2’s...A “match” will be a single game in the regular season. This single game will be to 21, win by 2, cap of 25. Playoffs will be played “best 2 of 3” format.
3. Rally scoring is where a point is won on every serve, regardless of which team served.
4. Switching sides:

1. 4’s - On a third game teams will switch sides every 8 points.
2. 2’s - Switch on every 7 points.

5. Any match not completed due to weather, lights, etc will be rescheduled in its entirety at a later date. Partial matches will not count nor will matches restart where left off.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTACT WITH THE BALL

1. A player may touch the ball with any part of their body.
2. SERVE RECEIVE:

1. A player at the net may not leave their feet to attack the serve, nor can they block the serve in the viewpoint of the official.
2. In Intermediate and Competitive level games, it is legal to receive a served ball using the fingers in a setting action, provided that there is not a double contact or a held/carried ball. A double contact or held ball with the fingers in a setting action receiving the ball is illegal.

1. In all REC LEVEL games, it is illegal to receive a served ball using the fingers in a setting action. No finger tip receives, regardless of contact in Rec level games.

3. When receiving a served ball with your hands/fists above your head, they should be together to avoid double contact. If the ball hits one hand/fist before the other, that is a double contact and is illegal.

3. The ball must be contacted cleanly and not held, lifted, pushed, caught, carried or thrown.  The ball cannot roll or come to rest in any part of the body. It can rebound in any direction. An exception shall be allowed during the defensive play of a hard-driven ball (an attack-hit or blocked ball traveling at a high rate of speed), as judged by the referee. In that case, the ball may be momentarily lifted or pushed.
4. A player may have successive contacts with the ball during a single attempt to make the team’s first contact provided the fingers are not used to direct the ball, not including the serve.
5. Plays involving finger action require special attention. If the play is defensive and reactive in nature, as in the case of a hard-driven ball, momentarily held or double-contacted balls are not considered faults. Furthermore, this may apply to the second touch of a team if the block contact was slight and the ball is still a hard-driven attack, or to the defensive action (team first contact) after a ball has been blocked. If the player decides/intends to employ finger action, as in the case of off-speed attack defense or setting, the action must be “clean” (without double contact, lifted, carried, thrown).
6. SETTING:

1. Rotations of a set ball may indicate a held ball or multiple contacts during the set, but in itself is not a fault.
2. Any double contact, lifting/carrying of the ball is illegal while attempting to hand-set.

1. Hand-setting is illegal in all REC LEVEL games regardless of how the ball is contacted.

7. When contacting the ball with one hand, other than for setting the ball to a teammate, the ball must be cleanly hit with the heel or palm of the hand (a roll shot), with straight, locked fingertips (a cobra), knurled fingers (a camel toe) or with the back of the hand from the wrist to the knuckles.  One-handed placement or redirection of the ball with the fingers (a dink or open-hand tip) is a fault.
8. In 4’s a blocking contact is not counted as a team contact. The blocking team will have three contacts after a blocking contact. The player making a blocking contact is able to make another touch on the ball.
9. Players may reach to block a ball over the net as long as the ball was an attacking hit and the attacker makes contact with the ball first.
10. Any intentional interference with the ball when it is on the opposite side of the net is a fault. Players who intentionally eliminate the opportunity for the team to play a ball out of the net will be penalized and a point will be given to the other team.
11. Social or Rec level league may be called more loose to ensure continuity of play.

5. SERVES/OTHER

1. LET SERVES ARE LEGAL.  Any served ball that contacts the net and continues over is considered a live and legal serve.
2. Service Foot Faults will be called in all levels, whether your foot is on top of or underneath the line.
3. The server must contact the ball within five seconds after the referee authorizes service via whistle.
4. There is no requirement to “toss” the ball and hit out of the air, but if it is “teed” off,  the ball MUST be stationary when hit.
5. If the ball, after having been tossed or released by the server, lands without being touched or is caught by the server, the player will get ONE retry only.
6. Serve will be determined for the first game based on an “odd-even” call by the team.
7. During playoffs the team with the higher seed will get the choice of serve or side for the first and third games.
8. Interference, screening: If a player steps on  or crosses into an adjacent court the ball is considered dead and out-of-play. The players on the serving team must not prevent their opponent, through individual or collective screening, from seeing the server and the flight path of the ball.
9. Under the Net Violations will not be called as long as you do not interfere with anyone on the opposite side of the net.
10. Any player must not prevent the opposing team, through screening, from seeing the server or the path of the ball.  On the opponent's request, they must move sideways to allow view - or replay if already served.
11. Any touching of the net with your body, including hats, will be a net violation. Hair touching the net is not a violation.
12. A ball hitting any outside netting is out of play. Stepping onto any adjacent court is considered a dead ball.

6. TIMEOUTS

1. Saturday at Upham: Two (2) 30-second timeouts per game are allowed.
2. Sunday - Friday - One (1) 30-second timeout per game is allowed.
3. A timeout must be called before the service has been authorized.
4. Prolonging a time out will result in one warning then loss of rally for subsequent offenses.
5. Officials can issue a timeout on behalf of a team if they are not prompt in taking the court or resuming play.

4. RULES CLARIFICATIONS

1. If there are any questions or concerns please have your team captain or team representative speak with the official directly.
2. Your referees will be happy to answer any questions or explain any rules to your team.  Feel free to contact the office with any  questions.

*When in doubt, outdoor USAV/AVA rules will be enforced. If there are any questions or concerns please have your team captain or team representative speak with the staff directly.

5. PLAYOFFS

1. Playoffs are a single elimination tournament based on regular season standings.
2. Playoff seeding will be based on the following criteria: (1) winning percentage, (2) head-to-head play (with two teams tied), (3) most total games won, (4) fewest total games lost, (5) coin toss.
3. In playoffs, the higher seed will get the choice of side/serve in game 1 AND game 3 (if necessary). Game 2 will reverse the side/serve from game 1.
4. If a team plays an extra game during the season due to an odd number of teams, this game will count in the standings.
5. Any eligible players should be signed onto the team’s roster/waiver by the team’s final regular season game. Playing with ineligible players may result in a forfeit; this call will be made by Club Sport staff. It is the responsibility of the team captains to make sure all players on their team are eligible for all playoff games.
6. ONLY the opposing team may request a roster check to verify player eligibility. If ineligible players are identified, Club Sport staff will take appropriate action; which may include game forfeits or player removal.