Volleyball Rules & Regulations

The rules and regulations of volleyball

'B' League: (basic skilled players, beginning competition)
1. Overhand serves and spiking are allowed.
2. Underhand contact must be with closed fist.
3. You must "bump" the ball if it is below shoulder level.
4. Allow a double hit on first ball over net except with finger contact.

'BB' League: (intermediate skilled players/competition)
Violations that will be called in BB league:
1. Double hits: (one person contacting ball with hands apart, other than the first hit over the net). You may "bump" with hands clasped together, hitting off hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders and head. Setting action may also be deemed a double hit in the referee's judgment.
2. Lifting or pushing
'A' or OPEN League: (highly skilled players, most competitive)
USVA rules strictly enforced.
TEAM PLAY
1. SPOKESMAN FOR THE TEAM: During the game, players may not address the referee. Only the playing team captain shall be the spokesman for the players and may address the referee.
2. CONDUCT OF PARTICIPANTS AND/OR SPECTATORS: All participants and spectators will be expected to conduct themselves in a mature manner. Profane or abusive language will not be tolerated and will be cause for immediate ejection. A second ejection will cause the player to be suspended for the season and the team placed on probation. Should another player be ejected while the team is on probation, the team is subject to forfeiture of all remaining games. Striking an official, spectator or player, or the destruction of property will result in indefinite suspension plus criminal prosecution. After a player, spectator, coach or manager is ejected, he/she must leave the area. This area includes the gym facility and parking lot. Managers are held accountable for the conduct of their team and spectators.
3. COMPOSITION OF TEAMS AND FORFEITS:
A. A team must have three (3) players to start a match and three (3) players to continue the match. If three (3) players are not on the court, ready to play, at game time, the first game will be declared a forfeit; if three (3) players are not on the court five (5) minutes past game time, the second game will be declared a forfeit; if three (3) players are still not on the court ten (10) minutes past game time, the match will be declared a forfeit.
B. There will not be forfeit fee collected, however, if a team does forfeit a match, it is dropped from the league and must pay a $15 re-entry fee to get back into the league. The fee must be paid to the Parks and Recreation office by 5 p.m. on the following work day. Should a third forfeit occur, the team is dropped from the league for the season.
4. GAME PLAY:
A. All teams will play three (3) games. There will be no MATCH play (i.e., best 2 out of 3). Each game will count in the team's total standings.
B. Toss of Coin. Prior to the start of the first game, the referee or a designated official shall conduct a coin toss to determine the choice of serve, receive or court. Second game served by team not serving first game. Third game will have a coin toss to determine choice.
C. Readiness to Play. At the start of the game, or following a "dead ball", the referee shall signal readiness to play by blowing hIS/her whistle and giving a visible hand signal for serve. The server shall have 5 seconds to contact the ball for serve. If ball is not tossed and contacted before 5 seconds has passed, the service shall be given to the opponent.
D. Scoring. The first and second games will consist of fifteen (15) points as long as the team making fifteen (15) points has a two (2) point advantage. The third game will consist of eleven (11) points as long as the team making eleven (11) points has a two point advantage. There will not be a cap on any game.
5. ROTATION:
A. All team members present must be rotated into the game in a set line to give all members equal opportunity to play. Exception: BB and A leagues may either rotate or substitute.
B. Team members will be rotated into the game each time a "side out" is called and the team rotates to serve. The last server rotates out and the new player takes the center back position.
C. Players arriving late shall be added to the lineup as soon as they arrive.
D. Except for the late arriving players, the lineup can only be changed between games.
E. These rotation rules become effective the first time the team rotates.
6. NET PLAY:
A. Contacting Net: A player shall not contact any part of the net or its supports while in the act of playing the ball (offensive/hitting or defensive/blocking). This constitutes a net foul. If the ball is driven into the net so that it causes the net or its supports to contact an opposing player or players, this is not a foul. They did not actually contact the net by their own impetus. Inadvertent net contacts are not a foul. (Inadvertent, being accidentally touching the net while turning but not actually playing the ball.) All net calls are judgment of the referee and cannot be disputed.
B. Reaching Over the Net: In returning the ball, a player may follow through the plane of the net providing they first contact the ball on their own side of the net. Player(s) in the act of blocking may reach across the net but may not contact the ball until the ball has crossed the plane of the net or the opponents have used all three of their hits.
C. Ball Contacting and Crossing the Net: A ball (other than when served) may touch the net within the side line markers when crossing it to enter opponent's playing area. If the ball touches the antennas or the corresponding side line markers on the net, it is out of bounds and a side out or point will be awarded.
D. Part of the Ball Crossing Net: A ball is considered as having crossed the plane of the net if any part of the ball breaks the perpendicular plane of the net.
8. OUT-OF-BOUNDS CALLS:
A. Players may assist their team with out-of-bounds calls but intentionally distracting the other team by calling the ball "IN" may result in a yellow card warning.

CO-REC RULES
All Co-Rec volleyball leagues will play by the city league volleyball rules with the following exceptions:
A. A team must have three (3) players to start a game and three (3) players to continue a game. If a minimum of three players are used, there must be a combination of either two males and one female or two females and one male. If four or five players are used, there will be a maximum of three (3) players of one sex on the court at the same time. The composition of a complete team, including substitutes, may not exceed 20 players. There shall be three (3) men and three (3) women placed alternately on the court.
B. In rotation, women must replace women and men must replace men.
C. Each team is allowed a maximum of three successive contacts of the ball in order to return the ball to the opponents area. When the ball is contacted more than once by a team, at least ONE of the contacts must be made by a female player. (NOTE: contact of the ball during a block does not count as one of the three team hits)
D. A stronger player may not encroach on a weaker player's position. This is a judgment call by the official.
AREA BETWEEN COURTS
The area between the courts is divided by a blue line. This line represents a dead area when crossed. In order to avoid collisions of players and possible injuries, the ball will be called dead after it crosses the blue line separating the courts. If a player makes contact with the ball and then crosses completely across the blue line, the ball will be called out. The officials will make a judgment call if a player makes contact with the ball and then steps ON the line without crossing over.
BALL CONTACTING CEILING
You will be allowed to play the ball if it hits the ceiling and comes back down on your side and your team has not used all three of the allowable hits. If the ball hits the ceiling and falls down to the opposite side of the net, it will be called dead.