FOREWORD
Rules not mentioned within this document will default to International Volleyball rules published for USA Volleyball.

 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

4 v 4 coed (2 male/2 female) *max 2 males
6 v 6 coed (3 male/3 female) *max 3 males

 

NUMBER TO START/FINISH MATCH
3 players minimum to start a game 1 female minimum to start game 
*less than 3 players at start will result in game forfeit

TO SCORE A POINT

Point - A team scores a point by successfully grounding the ball on the opponent's court; when the opponent teams commits a fault; when the opponent team receives a penalty.

Fault - A team commits a fault by making a playing action contrary to the rules (or by violating them in some other way). The referees judge the faults and determine the consequences according to the Rules:

If two or more faults are committed successively, only the first one is counted. 

If two or more faults are committed by opponents simultaneously a DOUBLE FAULT is called and the rally is replayed. 

Rally and completed rally  - A rally is the sequence of playing actions from the moment of the service hit by the server until the ball is out of play. A completed rally is the sequence of playing actions which results in the award of a point. 

if the serving team wins a rally, it scores a point and continues to serve; 

if the receiving team wins a rally, it scores a point and it must serve next.

 

SCORING 
A set is won by the team which first scores 21 points with a minimum lead of two points. In the case of a 20-20 tie, play is continued until a two-point lead is achieved or first team to 25 (22-20; 23-21; ...).  
The scoring will be 21, 21, 21.  

 

ROTATION
Rotational order is determined by the team’s starting line-up, and controlled with the service order, and players’ positions, throughout the set. When the receiving team has gained the right to serve, its players rotate one position clockwise: the player in position 2 rotates to position 1 to serve, the player in position 1 rotates to position 6, etc.

 

ROTATIONAL FAULT
A rotational fault is committed when the SERVICE is not made according to the rotational order. It leads to the following consequences: the team is sanctioned with a point and service to the opponent. Additionally, the scorer should determine the exact moment when the fault was committed and all points scored subsequently by the team at fault must be cancelled. The opponent’s points remain valid. If that moment cannot be determined, no point(s) cancellation takes place, and a point and service to the opponent is the only sanction.  

 

BALL IN PLAY
The ball is in play from the moment of the hit of the service authorized by the first referee. 

 
BALL OUT OF PLAY
The ball is out of play at the moment of the fault which is whistled by one of the referees; in the absence of a fault, at the moment of the whistle.

BALL "IN" 
The ball is "in" when it touches the floor of the playing court, including the boundary lines. 

BALL "OUT" 
The ball is “out” when: 

1) the part of the ball which contacts the floor is completely outside the boundary lines; 

2) it touches an object outside the court, the ceiling or a person out of play. 

A ball, other than a served ball, shall remain in play if it contacts the ceiling or other overhead objects or more above the playing area. 

 

PLAYING THE BALL
Each team must play within its own playing area and space. The ball may, however, be played beyond the boundary lines.

 

TEAM HITS
A hit is any contact with the ball by a player in play. The team is entitled to a maximum of three hits (in addition to blocking), for returning the ball. If more are used, the team commits the fault of: "FOUR HITS," 

 

CONSECUTIVE CONTACTS
A player may not hit the ball two times consecutively.

 

ASSISTED HIT
Within the playing area, a player is not permitted to take support from a teammate or any structure/ object in order to hit the ball. However, a player who is about to commit a fault (touch the net or cross the center line, etc.) may be stopped or held back by a teammate.

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIT
The ball may touch any part of the body.

The ball must be hit, not caught and/or thrown. It can rebound in any direction.

The ball may touch various parts of the body, provided that the contacts take place simultaneously.

 

Exceptions: 

1) At blocking, consecutive contacts may be made by one or more blocker(s), provided that the contacts occur during one action. 

2) At first hit of the team, the ball may contact various parts of the body consecutively, provided that the contacts occur during one action.

 

BALL CROSSING THE NET
A minimum of 2 m (6’6 3/4”) clearance beyond the court equipment on both sides is required.
The ball that is heading towards the opponent’s court through the lower space is in play until the moment it has completely crossed the vertical plane of the net.

 

BALL TOUCHING THE NET
While crossing the net, the ball may touch it.

 

BALL IN THE NET
A ball driven into the net may be recovered within the limits of the three team hits. However, if the ball rips the mesh of the net or tears it down, the rally is cancelled and replayed.

 

REACHING BEYOND THE NET
In blocking, a blocker may touch the ball beyond the net, provided that he/she does not interfere with the opponents’ play before or during the latter’s attack hit.

After an attack hit, a player is permitted to pass his/her hand beyond the net, provided that the contact has been made within his/her own playing space.

 

PENETRATION UNDER THE NET
It is permitted to penetrate into the opponents’ space under the net, provided that this does not interfere with the opponents’ play.

 

CONTACT WITH THE NET
Contact with the net by a player is not a fault, un- less it interferes with the play.

Players may touch the post, ropes, or any other object outside the antennae, including the net itself, provided that it does not interfere with play.

When the ball is driven into the net and causes it to touch an opponent, no fault is committed.

 

PLAYERS’ FAULTS AT THE NET
A player touches the ball or an opponent in the opponents’ space before or during the opponents’ attack hit.

 

SERVICE
The service is the act of putting the ball into play, by the back right player, placed in the service zone.

 

SERVICE ORDER
The players must follow the service order recorded on the line-up sheet.

 

EXECUTION OF THE SERVICE
The ball shall be hit with one hand or any part of the arm after being tossed or released from the hand(s).
A service executed before the referee’s whistle is cancelled and repeated.

 

SCREENING
The players of the serving team must not prevent their opponent, through individual or collective screening, from seeing the server or the flight path of the ball. 

 

FAULTS MADE DURING THE SERVICE
Serving faults 

The following faults lead to a change of service, even if the opponent is out of position: 
1) The server violates the service order
2) Does not execute the service properly

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ATTACK HIT
ATTACK HIT

All actions which direct the ball toward the opponents, with the exception of service and block, are considered as attack hits.

During an attack hit, tipping is permitted only if the ball is cleanly hit, and not caught or thrown.

An attack hit is completed at the moment the ball completely crosses the vertical plane of the net or is touched by an opponent.
 

RESTRICTIONS OF THE ATTACK HIT
A front-row player may complete an attack hit at any height, provided that the contact with the ball has been made within the player’s own playing space.

A back-row player may complete an attack hit at any height from behind the front zone: 

at his/her take-off, the player’s foot(feet) must neither have touched nor crossed over the attack line; 

after his/her hit, the player may land within the front zone. 

A back-row player may also complete an attack hit from the front zone, if at the moment of the contact part of the ball is lower than the top of the net. 

No player is permitted to complete an attack hit on the opponents’ service, when the ball is in the front zone and entirely higher than the top of the net.
 

FAULTS OF THE ATTACK HIT
A player hits the ball within the playing space of the opposing team.

A player hits the ball “out.” 

A back-row player completes an attack hit from the front zone, if at the moment of the hit the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net. 

A player completes an attack hit on the opponent’s service, when the ball is in the front zone and entirely higher than the top of the net. 

A Libero completes an attack hit if at the moment of the hit the ball is entirely higher than the top of the net. 

A player completes an attack hit from higher than the top of the net when the ball is coming from an overhand finger pass by a Libero in his/her front zone.

If an attack-hit fault occurs simultaneously with a blocking fault by the opponents, a double fault is committed.

 

BLOCKING
Blocking is the action of players close to the net to intercept the ball coming from the opponents by reaching higher than the top of the net, regardless of the height of the ball contact. Only front-row players are permitted to complete a block, but at the moment of contact with the ball, part of the body must be higher than the top of the net.

Block Attempt: A block attempt is the action of blocking without touching the ball.

Completed Block: A block is completed whenever the ball is touched by a blocker. 

Collective Block: A collective block is executed by two or three play- ers close to each other and is completed when one of them touches the ball.

 

BLOCK CONTACT
Consecutive (quick and continuous) contacts with the ball may occur by one or more blockers, provided that the contacts are made during one action.

Accordingly, it is a double contact fault if a player has successive contacts while using a blocking action when directing a ball toward the opponent during the execution of the second or third team hit.

 

BLOCKING WITHIN THE OPPONENT'S SPACE
In blocking, the player may place his/her hands and arms beyond the net, provided that this action does not interfere with the opponents’ play. Thus, it is not permitted to touch the ball beyond the net until an opponent has executed an attack hit.

Blocking the ball beyond the net above the opponents's team area shall be permitted, provided: 

the block is made after the opponents have hit the ball in such a manner that the ball would, in the first referee's judgment, clearly cross the net if not touched by a player, and no member of the attacking team is in a position to make a play on the ball.

 

BLOCK AND TEAM HITS
A block contact is not counted as a team hit. Consequently, after a block contact, a team is entitled to three hits to return the ball. 

The first hit after the block may be executed by any player, including the one who touched the ball during the block. 

 

BLOCKING THE SERVICE
To block an opponent’s service is forbidden.

 

BLOCKING FAULTS
The blocker touches the ball in the opponents’ space either before or simultaneously with the opponents’ attack hit. 

A back-row player or a Libero completes a block or participates in a completed block.

Blocking the opponents’ service. 

The ball is sent “out” off the block. 

Blocking the ball in the opponent’s space from out- side the antenna. 

A Libero attempts an individual or collective block.

 

GRACE PERIOD
There is no grace period. Game time is forfeit time. A team that is awarded a forfeit will receive win the match 3-0 with 45 points allocated in case of a tie.

 

GAME LENGTH
Regular Season: Game length is three (3) games. The first two matches will be played to twenty-one points (21) and the third game is played to fifteen points (15).

Playoffs: Best 2 of 3 games