GAME EQUIPMENT:
CSL will provide all necessary equipment for volleyball. Players should wear their own knee pads. Only volleyballs provided by CSL will be used during the game. Teams may bring volleyballs for practice. Note: time between games is limited and may not allow for practice time.
POINTS AWARDED:
The winning team will be awarded 2 points.
The losing team will not be awarded any points.
START OF GAME:
Rock/Paper/Scissors will be played between the two captains to determine serve or side; best two out of three wins and picks either serve or side. Teams will rotate sides and serve after the completion of each game.
SCORING:
All games will be played using rally scoring where points will be awarded regardless of which team is serving. Each match will consist of the best of 3 games. The first 2 games will be played to 21 points and the third game will be played to 15 points. Play continues until a two point advantage is reached or until a team scores 25 points in the first 2 sets or 21 points in the third set with a one point advantage. The team that wins two games first shall be declared the winner. Teams may play a third consolation game if a winner has already been declared and time permits.
TIME OUTS:
Each team is allowed 2 – 30 second timeouts per set. Timeouts do not carryover between sets.
GENDER RULE:
6 on 6 leagues: A woman must hit the ball before it is returned over the net, unless the ball goes over on the first hit. A gender violation will occur (side out) if this does not happen.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
Substitutions can only be made at the service position in the rotation, i.e. the substitute becomes the server. All substituting players must be behind the end line.
If a team illegally substitutes a player (not replaced at the service position), that team will lose their serve immediately. All players must relocate to their original position.
6 on 6 leagues: After each side out, players must rotate clockwise from the front right to back right position.
GAMEPLAY
The ball is considered in when it touches the floor within the opposing team’s playing area, including the boundary lines.
A ball is considered out when the part of the ball which contacts the floor is completely outside the boundary line, touches any object outside the court, or touches the rope, post, net, etc., outside of the sidelines.
A team is entitled to a maximum of three hits (in addition to blocking) for returning the ball. If more are used, the team commits a 4 hit violation. Hits include unintentional hits.
A player may not hit the ball two times consecutively. The ball may touch any part of the body. The ball must be hit, not caught and/or thrown. The ball may touch various parts of the body only if they are touched simultaneously.
When a ball is set, there is no limit on how much the ball can rotate.
RULE VIOLATIONS
The following violations will result in a side out:
- 4 hit violation (see above)
- Illegal touch (catch/throw/double contact)
- Gender rule violation (6 on 6 leagues only)
- Illegal substitution (see above)
- Lift Violation - Prolonged contact between a player and the ball is known as a lift. The contact should continue in one fluid motion and the ball should not come to rest at any time in that motion.
RULES AT THE NET:
A ball sent to the opponent’s court must travel over the net. The ball may touch the net, including on the service. A ball driven into the net may be recovered within the limits of the team’s 3 legal hits, except on the service. If the ball touches the net on a service and continues over to the opponent's side, the ball is live.
A player cannot break the plane of the net on a spike and a block. A player may go completely under the net as long as they neither touch the net nor interfere with the play. A player cannot touch the ball or an opponent in the opponent’s space before or during the opponents hit.
Contact with the net is a fault, even when a player’s momentum causes them to contact the net (excessive net faults will result in that player suspended from the game).
SERVICE:
When the serving team wins the rally, the player who served before, serves again. When the receiving team wins the rally, it gains the right to serve.
Receiving players cannot block a serve.
The server must not touch the end line with their foot or a fault will be called.
6 on 6 leagues: When the receiving team wins the rally, they rotate before actually serving. The player moves from the front right position to the back right position to serve. Jump serves are not allowed.
BLOCKING:
A block contact is not counted as a team hit, and a team is entitled to three hits to return the ball. The first hit after the block may be executed by any player, including the one who blocked the ball. Blocks are not allowed on a serve.
PLAYOFFS
SEEDING
Playoff seeding will be determined by the best overall records. In the event that 2 teams are tied with the same record, head-to-head matchups will determine higher seeding whenever possible. When head-to-head matchups cannot clearly determine a higher seed, or when 3 or more teams are tied, tiebreakers will be determined in the following order:
1) Head-to-head matchups (for 2 way ties when possible, described above)
2) Highest team set differentials for the season
3) Highest team point differentials for the season
4) Highest team total sets won
5) Highest team total points for the season
6) Lowest team total points allowed for the season
7) Coin Flip