Volleyball

Information

Fall/summer semester sport; 6on6; Men, Women, and Corec divisions offered; Register a team or as a free agent; Games played in the Main Gym of the Student Recreation Center

Rules

All standard Intramural Rules and NFHS rules apply except with the following changes/clarifications:

Grace period:  5 mins max.  If a team has at least 1 participant signed in at game time, but not enough to play, the team will be given 5 mins to get enough players.  If after 5 mins, the team is still short players, the game is a forfeit.  If the teams gets enough to play before the 5 mins is up, the game will begin, and the other team will be awarded 5 points.  If no players are signed in at game time, there is no grace period, and the game is declared a forfeit.

Rule 1: Playing Area

• The ceiling, walls, basketball goals, and court dividers are out of play.
• A player cannot enter an adjacent court to play the ball.
• Low obstructions are out of play including anything perpendicular to the floor; however, anything horizontal to the floor is in play, as long as the ball does not cross the net after hitting the obstruction. Both are in the judgment of the officials.     

Rule 2: Rights and Duties of Players and Teams

• The floor captain is the only player who may address the referee and shall be the team’s spokesperson.
• The captain may make requests for time-outs when the ball is dead. Each team is allowed two 30-second time-outs per game.
• The following mis-conducts are subject to sanction (red/yellow card): addressing the officials concerning their decisions or committing actions to influence their decisions. Making profane or vulgar remarks to officials, opponents, or spectators. Shouting, yelling, or crossing the vertical plane of the net in an attempt to distract an opponent who is playing or attempting to play the ball.
• Offenses by players or other team members may result in warning, expulsion, or disqualification:

• An improper request that does not affect play shall be rejected (whistled) without sanction. Any additional improper requests during the game will be sanctioned as a team delay. Examples are:
  • Requesting a time-out or substitution after the referee’s whistle for service;
  • A request for time-out or substitution by other than the team captain;
  • Request for an excess time-out.
• A team delay is sanctioned with a warning (yellow card) on the first occasion and a penalty (red card - point or side out) on any further occasions during the same game, for any reason. Team delays include:
  • A second improper request during the same game;
  • Delay in completing a substitution;
  • Delay in returning to play after a time-out;
  • Delay in moving to positions after completion of a rally;
  • Action by a player which creates unnecessary delay in the start of play;
  • A player on the court wearing jewelry.

Rule 3: The Teams

• Players’ Equipment: jewelry is not allowed, for safety reasons. Medical or religious medals must be removed from chains or taped/sewn under the uniform.
  • Hair barrettes are permitted to secure hair.
• Sweatbands or bandanas worn as sweatbands are permitted; however, hats and other bandanas are not permitted. A guard, cast, or brace made of hard and unyielding leather, plastic, or pliable plastic, metal or any other hard substance, even though covered with foam padding, is not permitted on the finger, hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow.
• Supports are permitted on other parts of the body as long as they are soft and yielding or all exposed metal and other hard parts are padded with at least 1/2" of foam rubber (or 1/4" closed cell, slow recovery foam rubber).

Rule 4: Team Composition

• Before the start of the match, all participants must record their names and student numbers on the gamesheet.
• Teams must be prepared to start a match at the scheduled match time or risk forfeit. A team shall consist of six (6) players and have a minimum of four (4) players to start. Roster limit is 20.
• If only four players are available, the person in the serving position is considered the only person in the back row.
• For the (Independent) CoRec division, teams are composed of 3 females & 3 males.  You can never have more men than women.  However, you are allowed to play with more women than men.  You must have at least 1 male on the court at all times, but can't have more than 3 males on the court.

Rule 5: Substitutions

• Player substitution may be made when the ball is dead, upon making the request to the referee.
• A team is allowed an unlimited number of subs on a player-for-player basis, as long as the starter and the substitute replace each other in the same locations during the game.
• When using an open substitution, as each player reaches a certain position, he/she is replaced by a waiting teammate (this is usually done at the serving position).

Rule 6: Team Area, Duration of Matches, and Interruptions of Play

• All matches shall consist of the best 2 of 3 games.
• A coin toss will determine who serves the first game of the match. The team captains will call the toss. The winner will choose: 1) first serve; 2) to receive the first serve; or 3) the choice of the court for the first game. The loser may choose from the other options.
• A new coin toss is performed before the third game, if necessary.
• After each game, and at multiples of 10 points in the deciding game, the teams will switch sides.
• Any act, in the judgement of the referee, unnecessarily delays the match may be sanctioned.

Rule 7: Commencement of Play and Service

• The server shall have five seconds after the referee’s "ready to serve" whistle in which to contact the ball for service. If, after releasing or throwing the ball for service, the server allows the ball to fall to the floor without touching it, the service effort shall be cancelled and a reserve directed.
• There may be more than one reserve during any term of service, but not consecutively, nor to purposely delay play.
• The service is considered good if the ball passes over the net between the antenna or their definite extensions without touching any other objects other than the net. If a serve hits the net, and still goes over, the ball is live.
• The team not serving first in the game shall serve first in the second game.
• The team that receives the ball first in a game shall rotate once before serving.
• The players of the serving team must not screen their opponents from the server or the trajectory of the ball. Screening occurs when the serve passes over the player standing at the net with his/her hands over his/her head, or when the ball passes over two or more players standing at the net in close proximity to each other (3 feet).
• At the time that the ball is contacted for service, the placement of the players on the court must be in the proper service order (the server is exempt).

Rule 8: Playing the Ball

• Each team is allowed a maximum of three successive contacts of the ball in order to return the ball to the opponent’s area.
• The ball may be hit with any part of the body.
• Players may have successive contacts of the ball during blocking and during a single attempt to make the first team contact (even if the ball is blocked) provided it is one attempt to play the ball, there is no finger action during the effort, and the ball is not held or thrown.
• When the ball visibly comes to rest momentarily in the hands or arms of a player, it is considered as having been held. The ball must be hit in such a manner that it rebounds cleanly after contact with a player. Scooping, lifting, pushing, or allowing the ball to roll on the body shall be considered a form of holding. A ball clearly hit with one or both hands from a position below the ball is considered a good play.
• 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 the follow-through causes the spiker’s hand and arm to cross the net without touching an opponent or the net, it is not a fault.
• Only the players who are in the front line at the time of service may legally accomplish blocking.
• Any player participating in a block shall have the right to make the next contact.
• Back-line players may not block or participate in a block, but may play the ball in any other position near and away from the block.
• Blocking a serve is prohibited.
• Blocking 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;
• In the referee’s judgement, has directed the ball into his/her opponent’s court;
• After the opponents have completed their three allowable hits;
• After the opponents have hit the ball so that, in the referee’s judgement, 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.
• A back-line player returning the ball to the opponent’s side while forward of the attack line must contact the ball when at least part of the ball is below the level of the top of the net over the attacking team’s area.

Rule 9: Play at the Net

• If a player’s action causes the player to contact the net during play, whether accidentally or not, with any part of the player’s body or uniform, it shall constitute a fault. Hair does not constitute of fault.
• Contacting the opponent’s playing area with any part of the body except the feet is a fault. Touching the opponent’s area with a foot or feet is not a fault providing that some part of the encroaching foot or feet remain on or above the centerline.
• Either team may play a ball that has penetrated the vertical plane of the net.

Rule 10: Scoring and Results of the Game

• Rally scoring will be used. This means, each time the ball is served a point is won for either the serving or receiving team.
• A non-deciding game (games 1 and 2) is won when a team reaches 25 points and has at least a two-point advantage over its opponents. No games shall exceed 30 points.
• In the event of 29-29 tie, the first team to reach 30 will win the game.
• Game 3, if necessary, is won when a team reaches 15 points. The team does NOT need a two-point advantage.