Part 1: General Rules:

1) The teams (six players on court) must be ready to start at the scheduled game time; failure to do so will result in a forfeit.

2) Only players listed on the team roster will be eligible to play with that team.

3) The participation of an ineligible player will result in his/her team losing by default

4) Each team may call two, one-minute timeouts per game.

5) There must be two females on the court at all times during play.  If a female player gets injured and there is no female replacement, the team in question must manage with 5 players.  4 men and 1 woman.

6) At the beginning of games, the two captains will come together and flip a coin to determine which team will serve first and which side each team will be on. The team which loses the coin toss decides which side they want.

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For those that haven't played volleyball since the last century, the new rules are as follows:

1)       Only one attempt at service.

2)       The ball can touch the net on service.

3)       A set is played with rally scoring.  A team must win by 2 points.

4)       The server can serve from anywhere along the back line.

5)       It is legal to contact the ball with any part of  a players body

1.  6 players on a team, 3 on the front row and 3 on the back row.

2.  Maximum of three hits per side.

3.  A player may not go into an adjacent court to play the ball if a match is being played on that court.

5.  Player Positions: After the ball is served, players may move from their respective positions. 

6.  A back line player may come to the net for a save.  If they come to the net for a spike, the feet must leave the ground from behind the 10' (attack) `line.

7.  Rotation substitution can be used throughout the game when a play has been stopped by the referee. 

8.  Player may not hit the ball twice in succession (A block is not considered a hit).

9.  Ball may be played off the net.

11.  A ball is "out" if it hits…

·          the floor completely outside the court

·          any of the net or cables outside the antennae

·          the referee stand or pole

13. If two or more players contact the ball at the same time, it is considered one play and either player involved may make the next contact (provided the next contact isn't the teams 4th hit).

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIT

1.       The ball may touch any part of the body.

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

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

Exceptions:

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

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

FAULTS IN PLAYING THE BALL

1.       FOUR HITS: a team hits the ball four times before returning it.

2.       ASSISTED HIT: a player takes support from a team-mate or any structure/object in order to hit the ball within the playing area.

3.       CATCH: the ball is caught and/or thrown; it does not rebound from the hit

4.       DOUBLE CONTACT: a player hits the ball twice in succession or the ball contacts various parts of his/her body in succession. 

PLAYER AT THE NET

REACHING BEYOND THE NET

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

2.       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

1.  It is permitted to penetrate into the opponent’s space under the net, provided that this does not interfere with the opponent’s play.

2.  Penetration into the opponent’s court, beyond the centre line:

a.       to touch the opponent’s court with a foot (feet) is permitted, provided that some part of the penetrating foot (feet) remains either in contact with or directly above the centre line;

b.       to touch the opponent’s court with any part of the body above the feet is permitted provided that it does not interfere with the opponent’s play

3.   A player may enter the opponent’s court after the ball goes out of play.

4.   Players may penetrate into the opponent’s free zone provided that they do not interfere with the OPPONENT’S play.

CONTACT WITH THE NET

1.       Contact with the net by a player is not a fault, unless it interferes with the play.

2.       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.

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

PLAYER’S FAULTS AT THE NET

1.       A player touches the ball or an opponent in the opponent’s space before or during the opponent’s attack hit.

2.       A player interferes with the opponent’s play while penetrating into

3.       The opponent’s space under the net.

4.       A player’s foot (feet) penetrates completely into the opponent’s court

5.       A player interferes with the opponent’s play by (amongst others):

a.       touching the top band of the net or the top of the antenna during his/her action of playing the ball, or

b.       taking support from the net simultaneously with playing the ball, or

c.        creating an advantage over the opponent, or

d.       making actions which hinder an opponent’s legitimate attempt to play the ball

EXECUTION OF THE SERVICE

1.       The ball shall be hit with one hand or any part of the arm after being tossed or released from the hand(s).

2.       Only one toss or release of the ball is allowed. Dribbling or moving the ball in the hands is permitted.

3.       At the moment of the service hit or take-off for a jump service, the server must not touch the court (the end line included) or the floor outside the service zone.

4.       After the hit, he/she may step or land outside the service zone, or inside the court.

5.       The server must hit the ball within 8 seconds after the first referee whistles for service.

6.       A service executed before the referee’s whistle is cancelled and repeated.

SCREENING

1.       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.

2.       A player or group of players, of the serving team makes a screen by waving arms, jumping or moving sideways, during the execution of the service, or by standing grouped to hide the flight path of the ball.

ATTACK HIT

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ATTACK HIT

1.       All actions which direct the ball towards the opponent, with the exception of service and block, are considered as attack hits.

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

3.       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

1.       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

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

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

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

3.        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.

4.        No player is permitted to complete 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.

FAULTS OF THE ATTACK HIT

1.       A player hits the ball within the playing space of the opposing team.

2.       A player hits the ball “out”.

3.       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.

4.       A player completes an attack hit on the opponent’s service, when the

5.       Ball is in the front zone and entirely higher than the top of the net.

6.       A Libero completes an attack hit if at the moment of the hit the ball is

7.       Entirely higher than the top of the net.

8.       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.

BLOCK

BLOCKING

1.       Blocking is the action of players close to the net to intercept the ball coming from the opponent by reaching higher than the top of the net,

2.       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

3.       Ball, part of the body must be higher than the top of the net.

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.

BLOCK AND TEAM HITS

1.       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.

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

BLOCKING THE SERVICE

To block an opponent’s service is forbidden.

 BLOCKING FAULTS

1.       The blocker touches the ball in the OPPONENT’S space either before or simultaneously with the opponent’s attack hit.

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

3.       Blocking the opponent’s service.

4.       The ball is sent “out” off the block.

5.       Blocking the ball in the opponent’s space from outside the antenna.

6.       Libero attempts an individual or collective block.

Part 4: Playoff Format 

 2.  The seeding is determined by: