Rules

MEN’S & WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT

We will reference the 2019 USA VOLLEYBALL (USAV) INDOOR RULES for the men’s and women’s tournaments.

COED TOURNAMENT

OFFICIAL RULES (Coed)

ARTICLE I – RULES OF THE GAME

1. Rules
All players are required to know the rules and regulations of the game and abide by them.
2. Sanctions
All players are subject to warnings, penalties, and disqualification for unsportsmanlike behavior (including shouting at or attempting to distract opponents or unnecessarily delaying the game). Teams will be given at least 2 warnings before any sanction is applied.
3. Conduct
The team captains are responsible for the discipline and proper conduct of their team personnel, including non-playing supporters.

ARTICLE II – ELIGIBILITY AND TEAM COMPOSITION

1. Number of Players
A team roster shall consist of a minimum of six players. A minimum of two females and two males is required per team. Teams play with six players, two females and two males on the court at all times. Teams are able to play with 5 players if there is not a fill-in or any other available player to take the sixth spot. There are no restrictions to the maximum number of players on a team roster. If the team plays with 5 players, the ‘puka’ rule will go into effect. That is, when the sixth person’s spot is in the service area the team will lose that point and the opposing team will serve again.
2. Waiver/Team Roster
Each team shall submit a team waiver form to registration before you begin to play. Every player participating shall sign the team waiver form in order to play in the tournament. Minimum age for any player on a team is 16. Any player under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the waiver form. Any team playing a person who has not signed the waiver may result in expulsion of that player and/or the forfeit of all games in which the ineligible player participated.
3. Gender Verification for Transgender Players
Gender verification on a transgender player will be conducted based on medical evidence and appropriate documentation. All transgender athletes are subject to elimination from competition if gender verification is refused or documentation not provided.

ARTICLE III – DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Team Captain Responsibilities

  1. Captains are responsible for finding a sufficient number of players for their team, for ensuring that the team shows up on time and that there is the required minimum number of players on the court on any given night; including two females and two males.
  2. Captains are responsible for explaining league/gym rules and responsibilities to their team and passing on league information to the rest of their team.
  3. Captains are responsible for submitting team fees by the registration deadline.
  4. Turn in completed team waiver forms by registration deadline. The minimum age for players is 16. All players under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the waiver form.
  5. It is their duty to attend the Captain’s meeting to obtain rules and any other pertinent information.
  6. It is the captain’s discretion as to how team fees are split amongst their team, but team fees must be paid in full by the captain before the deadline (even if players on your team have not paid you their portion. It is also the captain’s responsibility for collecting from the rest of the team).
  7. To designate their team members to referee for their said time. It is the responsibility of the captain to provide whistles for their team members if they do not have one. Each team is required to provide a top and a bottom referee.
  8. To find substitute players if a regular player is absent and/or hurt during play. However, new player must also be registered – Waiver and Payment.
  9. Responsible for the actions of each team member. Swearing, fighting, discrimination, and illegal behavior will not be allowed and could result in expulsion, forfeiture, and banning of player/s and or team from future Spikes for Tykes tournaments.

2. Additional Gym Guidelines
All teams should help keep the gym and surrounding areas clean. Before leaving, please ensure that the surrounding are is free of trash. Please abide by gym and park rules which prohibit certain activities while on park/gym properties. Anyone caught breaking the rules may be asked to leave the premises or be banned from entering or participating in future Spikes for Tykes events. Young children are not permitted on or near the court area when play is in progress (for safety reasons).
3. Food/Beverage
ONLY WATER IN SPILL-PROOF CONTAINERS ARE ALLOWED If there is the possibility of liquid spilling from your container please do not bring them into the gym at all. Gym personnel will be monitoring this situation and if caught we are at risk for the entire tournament to be canceled from that gym indefinitely. If you are to bring any food, you need to clean up after yourself and make sure it is nothing that can harm the bleachers or floor. Please be respectful of the individual gym rules as they apply.
4. Refereeing Responsibilities
Each team will be assigned refereeing duties and is responsible for providing one (1) head referee, one (1) down referee. Team captains are responsible for informing their team of league rules and responsibilities and designating these positions to be filled. It is the team captain’s responsibility to make sure their entire team is on time for their refereeing time period. Each team will have two warnings in the event that they do not have enough players to referee at their designated time. After that, the team will lose 5 points per minute if a ref is not present.

ARTICLE IV – PLAYING AREA AND TIME

1. Net Height
7 feet 6 inches
2. Boundaries
Playing boundaries will be determined by the playing facility and announced before tournament play. Balls may be played off the ceiling, ceiling objects and structures, provided the ball stays on the same side of the court. A ball touching the ceiling/structure while crossing to the opposing side will be considered out of play. If a ball touches a side or back wall while your team is playing the ball, it is considered ‘dead’ and the other team will be awarded the point. If a player on your team enters another court while the ball is in play, the play is also considered ‘dead’ and the opposing team gets a point.
3. Starting Time
Matches will begin promptly on schedule. Consequences to be assessed immediately are the awarding of points to the opposing team for the number of players missing at the start of the match. Once play commences the “puka” rule will take effect.
4. Playing Time
Game lengths are a set amount of time. Play continues until time runs out or when one of the team reaches 25 points. The designated time will be outlined before the tournament begins.
5. Time-outs
No time-outs are allowed. Play may stop due to injury (or other circumstances) but the game clock will not stop.
6. Rest
There will be no rest period when teams switch sides. There will be a one-minute rest period between matches.
7. Scoring
The scoring format is Rally Scoring. ‘Let’ serves count.
8. Final
A set is won by the team that is ahead at the end of that time period or when one of the teams reaches 25 points. In cases of a tie, an additional rally point will be played and whomever wins that point shall be determined the winner.
9. Matches
A match shall consist of two sets.

ARTICLE V – GAME PROCEDURES

1. Spokesperson
Only the team captain may address the referee during the game.
2. Lineups
Teams are not required to submit a lineup before play.
3. Substitutions
A player may substitute for another player any number of times during a game. Males may substitute for females and vice versa as long as the minimum amount of males and females is present on the court. Any number of players may substitute for a single position. Substitutes must report to the referee and indicate the player he/she is subbing for. Substitutes must wait for the referee’s signal before entering the game.
4. Protests
Disagreements with rule interpretations must be brought to the attention of the referee by the team captain prior to the next serve. All decisions by the head referee are final. Verbal or physical confrontations with referees, lines judges, or score keepers will NOT BE TOLERATED. It will result in the immediate expulsion of the player and could result in further consequences.

ARTICLE VI – RULES OF PLAY

1. Serving
There are no serving restrictions. Jump serves are allowed, and the let serve rule will be employed for this tournament. Serves must be completed before the foot crosses the back boundary line. If the foot passes the line, the other team will receive a point and serve.
2. Service Receive
Blocking or attacking a served ball is not allowed.
3. Contact
The ball may be contacted with any part of the body. The ball may contact any number of body parts provided that such contact is simultaneous and the ball rebounds immediately and cleanly after contact.
4. Held Ball
When the ball comes to rest momentarily in the hands or arms of a player, it is considered as having been illegally held. The ball must be hit in such a manner that it rebounds immediately and cleanly after contact. Scooping, lifting, or carrying the ball shall be considered as holding.
5. Spiking

  • Male players: When executing an attack where there is no noticeable arc in the flight of the ball, male front-row players must take off with both feet fully behind the 10-foot line. He may make contact and land in front of the 10-foot line. Male front-row players may also attack the ball in front of the 10-foot line, but the path of the ball must follow a noticeable upward arc. Male back-row players must take off and land behind the 10-foot line.
  • Female players: Female back-row players must take off behind the 10-foot line, but may make contact and land in front of the 10-foot line. Female front-row players have no restriction to attacking the ball in regards to the 10 foot line.
  • All players: Back-row players may make contact with the ball in front of the 10-foot line if at the moment of the contact some part of the ball is below the top of the net (there is no arc rule in this case). No player is allowed to attack the ball on the opposite side of the net (over-reaching is not allowed on an attack ball).

6. Blocking
Only front-row players may block. Blockers’ hands may reach over the net, provided the hands do not touch the net and that there is no contact with the ball until after the opponents have completed an attacking hit. A male blocker’s hand(s) cannot have a downward motion forcing/pushing the ball in a downward trajectory. Multiple contacts of the ball by blockers shall be counted as a single contact, but this contact does not count as one of three allowed per play. There is no limit on the number of front-row blockers, and ‘Roofing’ is not allowed on female attackers; however, no two male players may block a female. One male and one (or multiple) female(s) may block a female hitter.
7. Dinking
Dinks by a male player cannot be pushed downward from above the height of the net. If the ball is pushed, it must have a noticeable upward arc.
8. Crossing
A player can reach or penetrate into the opponent’s court and/or space under the net provided this does not interfere with the opponent’s play. Penetration into the opponent’s court beyond center line with hand(s), foot, or feet is permitted, provided some part of the penetrating hand(s)/foot/feet remains either in contact or directly above the center line.
9. Net
Players are not allowed to touch any part of the net. Any body part that touches the net will result in an immediate point for the opposing team. Contact with hair or part of the uniform will not be considered a fault.
10. Girl Touch
If a team contacts the ball more than one time during offensive action, one of the contacts must be by a female player, but there is no restriction preventing all three team hits from being made by female players. Contact of the ball during blocking action does not count as one of the three team hits. Therefore, after a block, a male player may play the ball back over the net as such contact would be considered the first team hit.

ARTICLE VII – INTERPRETATION OF OFFICIAL RULES

1. Referee’s Ruling
If the referee is unable to make a decision on a call, a re-serve shall be called. The referee should listen to both sides of a disputed call and make his/her own decision. The ruling of the referee shall not be disputed and is final (right or wrong). Each team is allowed a maximum of 3 protests for each match.
2. Interpretation/Applicability of Rules
The interpretation and applicability of any of these or FIVB rules shall be at the sole discretion of the Sports Director or their appointed representatives. Changes or amendments to these rules shall be made solely by the Sports Director and Board. Any such changes or amendments can be made at any time and need not be announced or provided in written form.