Volleyball Rules

Revised August 2000
Playing Area
  1. The playing court shall be 60' x 30' with 2 inch lines for boundaries. A 2 inch center line divides the court into two playing areas.
  2. The net shall be 7 feet 4 inches high.
Serving Area
  1. The serving area shall be in the back of the end lines, extending ten feet to the center from the right side line.
  2. If there is not adequate room for service, server may step over the serving line when serving. This will be determined and agreed upon by coaches and referee before the contest starts.
  3. The B-Team serving line is six feet in front of the regulation service line.
Players
  1. Six players constitute an official team. If a team is reduced to fewer than five players by injury or disqualification, the game is forfeited.
  2. Teams may use a rotation of more than six players, as long as the same order is maintained.
  3. Players assume court positions of left forward, center forward, right forward, right back, center back, and left back.
  4. Each player must remain in her own serving area until the ball is served.
  5. The server is the only player allowed outside the playing area at the moment of service.
  6. Players are not to wear jewelry (rings, watches, earrings, etc.) or barrettes. Rubber bands should be used to hold hair in place.
Officials

The home team shall supply an official to call the game and line judges at the official's discretion.

Time Structure

A-team
  1. Games will begin as close to 4:00 as possible.
  2. All games will be played up to 15 points, win by two.
B-team
  1. Each game will have a 15 minute time restriction.
  2. If a game is tied at the end of 15 minutes, the next team to score a point wins.
  3. The match will end at 6:00 p.m.(Use of score clock is suggested)

Rules

During play, the following rules govern the game. If a member of the serving team violates a rule, a side-out is called and the serve passes to the opposing team. If a member of the receiving team is the offender a point is awarded to the serving team.
Rules continued...
  1. The serve must be legally executed.
  2. During the serve, the ball may be tossed once in air and caught. Then it may be retossed. If it is caught a second time, a sideout results.
  3. The ball must be clearly batted with one or both hands (open or closed) or forearms. Contact with two arms or hands must be simultaneous or a double hit has occurred.
  4. Any ball hit underhand with two open hands is considered a carry.
  5. Any ball hit with hands that are not interlocked is considered a double hit. (Ex: two closed fists)
  6. The ball may be volleyed three times on a side. A player may not have two successive hits.
  7. If two players contact the ball simultaneously, it is considered one play and the players involved may participate in the next hit.
  8. Following a block, any player may play the ball next and it is considered the first hit. A block is not a volley.
  9. When opposing players simultaneously stop the ball at the net, a held ball is called a reserve is awarded.
  10. Any ball, except a serve, that strikes the net and crosses is still in play.
  11. A ball in play that is not a serve may be recovered from the net if the player makes no contact with the net.
  12. A player may not touch the net when the ball is in play.
  13. If the ball is driven into the net by an opponent and causes the net to touch a player on the opposing team, play continues and no fault is called. If the play occurs on the third hit, the ball is dead.
  14. A player may not reach under the net to touch a ball or a player of the opposing team.
  15. A player may step on the center line but not past it. A violation occurs if the entire foot is over the line.
  16. A ball may be played as soon as any part of it crosses the net.
  17. A ball touching the boundary line is in play (good).
  18. A player may leave the court to play a ball.
  19. A team may be allowed two time-outs a game. They must be taken during a dead ball. Additional time-outs result in a side-out or loss of point.
  20. A team is penalized by loss of point, or side-out, when a player delays the game by a) slow preparation to play or serve (5 secs. per service toss), b) slow rotation, or c) too many time-outs.
  21. If a double foul occurs, the play is repeated.
  22. Do not rotate on first serve when ball passes over on a side-out.
  23. If a ball strikes a player anywhere above the waist, it is a legal hit as long as the same player does not hit it consecutively.
  24. Multiple blocks are permitted.
  25. Follow-through across the net is permitted and blockers may reach across the net to contact the ball after the completion of the opponent's attack.
  26. Players may be disqualified from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct.

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