Official Volleyball Rules

NO ALCOHOL AT PUBLIC PARKS/CHURCHES

Alcoholic beverages are illegal at public parks/churches. Please don't bring it to the field; Not only do you risk getting cited by the police, we risk losing access to fields. Please help us protect our sports, and wait until you get to the bar

Recent Changes in Bold Red

Team

1. Team rosters shall include a minimum of the 9 players, including at least 4 of each gender:
2. The maximum number of players on the court is 6 per team.
3. If a team does not have 6 players and at least 2 players of each gender, they may start with as few as 4 players (missing players shall be designated "Ghost Players"; see section on Rotation).
4. All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will forfeit the game. See: Late Registration below.
5. When a team has fewer than the required number of players of a specified gender available, players of one gender may not be substituted for members of another gender. For example, if a team has 6 total players available at game time, but only 1 is female, the team must play short with 5 players, and the 6th designated as a "ghost player."
6. Players arriving late may not join a game already in progress except to take on the position of a ghost player; however they may join the next game.
7. All players present during the match may, but are not required to, play in each game of the match.
8. The player order for the purpose of rotation must be determined before each game, however it may be altered between games.
9. Late Registration: a team may add players to the roster through the 4th scheduled match provided the team captain approves, with the league fee pro-rated for the remainder of the season. All players must be formally registered with the League and paid in full prior to playing.
10. Any team that has players not wearing the League-provided shirt can be called for a roster check at any time by the ref, field manager, or the opposing team. If players are found to not be on the roster that are playing it will result in an automatic forfeit.

Officials

1. Each game shall be officiated by a League-assigned referee.
2. Referees are responsible for:
   1. Keeping game time.
   2. Enforcing all game rules.
   3. Calling points and errors.
   4. Recording the game score.
3. The referee shall eject a player from the match if that player engages in unsportsmanlike conduct.

Playing Area

1. The volleyball court shall measure approximately 60 feet long by 30 feet wide and include a center line. Attack lines are not required. The length of the court may be reduced to 50 feet long ("short court") depending on the size of the facility.
2. The net shall measure 7 feet, 10 inches in height.

Equipment

1. Games will be played with a regulation indoor volleyball provided by the League.
2. Players must wear their League-provided t-shirts of the appropriate color for their team.
3. Players must either wear soft-soled, close-toed shoes (indoor and grass) or be completely barefoot (sand).

Game Clock

1. Each match shall be completed within 50 minutes.
2. Each team is permitted one 1-minute time-out per game. Unused timeouts do not carry over into subsequent games.

Service

1. A coin toss shall determine which team makes the first serve.
2. The server must await the referee's whistle before serving and must proceed with service within 5 seconds of the whistle.
3. Server must be delivered from behind the boundary line.
4. Served balls that contact the net on the way over are considered live and may be played.
5. Served balls are dead, and a side-out and point awarded to the opposing team if:
   1. The ball fails to cross the top of the net.
   2. The ball makes contact with the ceiling or other obstruction.
   3. The ball lands out of bounds.
   4. The ball contacts a serving team's player prior to crossing the net.

Returns

1. Any part of the body may be used to hit the ball, including feet, including feet not incontact with the floor.
2. Serves may not be attacked or blocked; i.e. they may not be returned when the ball is higher than the top of the net.
3. The ball must be returned with no more than three hits.
4. A player may not hit the ball twice in a row.
5. A player in the back row may not spike the ball from infront of the attack line.
6. No part of a player's body is permitted to break the plane of the net (the area above the net) for any reason, including when blocking on a return.
7. A ball that hits the ceiling or any objects attached from the ceiling (basketball backboards, light fixtures, scaffolding, etc.) shall remain in play provided the ball remains on the hitting team's side of the court. Should this happen while crossing the plane of the net, the ball is dead and a side-out and point awarded to the opposing team.

Rotation

1. When a team receives the ball after a side-out has been called on the opposing team, the team shall rotate available players prior to serving.
2. Players shall rotate to the next position, rotating clockwise.
3. The player in the front-right position, and only this player, shall rotate off the court, and the next player waiting on the sideline rotated into and only into the server's position.
4. When 6 players are on court, there shall be 3 players in the front row and 3 players in the back row. When 5 players are on the court, there shall be 3 players in the front row and 2 players in the back row. When there are 4 players on the court, there shall be 2 players in each the front and back rows.
5. When a team fields fewer than 6 players, the positions for the missing players shall be designated as "ghost players." When a ghost player arrives at service, that team shall receive a side out, and the other team 1 point.
6. In the event that the rotation will result in the team not meeting the on-court gender requirements due to a player of a particular gender moving off the court, the outgoing player may instead jump ahead in the order and move directly to the server's position. Alternatively, the referee will call a side out and the opposing team awarded 1 point.

Side Outs

1. If a team commits an error or foul, a side out shall be called, 1 point and service awarded to the opposing team. 
   Errors include:
   1. Ball lands out of bounds.
   2. Ball fails to pass over the net on a serve.
   3. Carrying the ball.
   4. Team contact with the ball more than three times in a return.
   5. A player contacting the ball more than once in a row.
   6. Ball contacts the ceiling or hanging object prior to crossing the net.
   Faults include:
   1. A player making contact with the net during the serve, unless the net is pushed into the player.
   2. Breaking the plane of the net with any part of the body.
   3. Blocking a serve.
   4. Making contact with the net while attempting to play the ball. Exceptions: Incidental contact by a player not actively attempting to play the ball is NOT a fault. Contact with the net as a result of movement of the net is NOT a fault.
   5. Crossing the plane of the centerline below the net with any part of the body (NOTE: crossing the plane of the net above the net is permitted provided that no contact is made with the net).
   6. A player on the back row crosses the attack line to spike the ball.
   7. Placing a foot or hand completely over the center line.
   8. Illegal rotation or substitution.
   9. A "ghost player" rotates to the service position (see Rotation).
   10. A player making contact with the opposing team's side of the court.
   11. Unsportsmanlike conduct.

Scoring

1. One point shall be awarded for each service, i.e. "rally scoring".
2. The first team to score 21 points by a margin of 2 or more, or to reach 25 by any margin shall win the game.
3. If a team has scored 21 points without a margin of 2 or more points, game play and scoring will continue until the margin has been reached or a team has reached 25 points.
4. For regular season games, a total of 3 games will be played in the match; each game win shall count for 1 point in the standings.  Playoff games shall use a best-of-3 format, with the first to win 2 games advancing.

Late Arrival Penalties & Forfeits

1. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements within 5 minutes after the posted game time.
2. If a team is not ready to play at 5 minutes past the posted game time, it shall incur an immediate 5 point penalty in the first game, awarded to the opposing team.
3. If a team is still not ready to play after 10 minutes, it shall incur an additional 10 point penalty in the first game.
4. If a team is not ready to play after 15 minutes, it shall forfeit the game, with the opposing team winning the match 3 - 0.
5. Any team found to be playing with a player not registered with the League or team shall forfeit the game.

Cancelation Policy

1. Our cancelation and make-up policy is explained our FAQ.