FALL 2026 CYO RULES FOR REGION 11 

(PIAA Modified 8/29/2025)

Team Arrival/Departure Responsibilities and Times   

• Both teams scheduled in the first game of the night should arrive at the gym location 20 minutes prior to game time to help set up the net and chairs. 
• Both Teams scheduled in the last game of the night should stay and put away the equipment and the chairs and organize the gymnasium appropriately for the next event.
• Referees will arrive approximately 15 minutes early to verify that the equipment has been properly and safely assembled. They will also verify the height of the net and instruct line judges and the scorekeeper of their individual responsibilities.
• The net height for varsity play is 7’ 4 1/8” measured across the entire net; JV – 7’ (if no Varsity games are scheduled on the net or if net height may be adjusted easily)
• Ball:  Varsity – Regulation     JV- Volley Lite

Key Dates

• August 1, 2026 – Practice begins
• September 8, 2026 – Season begins 
• September 19, 2026 – Rosters due to Region 11 coordinators
• October 19, 2026 – Region 11 Playoffs begin
• November 7-8, 2026 – AOP Playoffs

ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA RULES

Player Eligibility -- All rules regarding eligibility are governed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia CYO Athletic Handbook. Any exceptions to the Archdiocese Eligibility rules must receive permission from the Archdiocesan CYO Athletic Director. Generally speaking, any member of a Region 11 parish is eligible to play CYO, regardless of whether the athlete plays for a public or private school team. 

Coaching Eligibility—All head and assistant coaches must be listed on the Team Coaches Affidavit and follow all eligibility requirements.
Playing Rules -- Game rules are governed by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) except as noted in below

REFEREE FEE

Referees are to be paid at the rate of $44 per game for both varsity and JV. Each team will pay half of the fee ($22) prior to the game. See below for referee fee in the event of a forfeit.

Forfeits 

The first game is forfeited at game time if 5 players are not available for play.  The second game is forfeited at 15 minutes past game time and the third at 20 minutes past game time.

Teams that forfeit will be responsible for all ref fees 

All forfeit fees must be paid prior to any post season play or your team will forfeit their right to play.

Teams may play with 5 players.  If a 6^th arrives, she may enter the game in the middle back position.  Teams do not lose a point for a missing server.

ROSTERS

Completed team CYO rosters and coaching affidavits are due to the League Commissioner by date listed above. Additional players may be added to a team's roster by submitting an amended roster to the League Commissioner no later than the Region 11 "drop-dead" date of September 30. Only Varsity teams submitting rosters in full compliance with Archdiocese eligibility rules may advance to the Archdiocesan CYO Volleyball Tournament.

Jewelry/Hair Accessories/Uniforms 

No jewelry will be allowed below the chin. Earrings or jewelry that are secured with posts, studs or pins are permitted. No hoops of any kind are permitted. Necklaces, string bracelets, commemorative bracelets and body jewelry below the chin are not permitted. Taping over other jewelry is not permitted.

• Coaches and players should double check that all illegal jewelry is removed prior to game time. Only flat barrettes are allowed and braces and splints are at the referee’s discretion and must be padded.  
• All players will wear matching jerseys with different numbers on the back and all players will appear identical to their teammates from the waist up. Appropriate fitting shorts, sweatpants and sneakers are to be worn to ensure safety and dress standards are in compliance with CYO guidelines.

Line Judges/Scorekeeper 

• Each team is responsible to supply an adult line judge for each match. If no adult line judge is available, the coach will assign a player as a line judge. Additionally, the home team coach will choose a person in attendance to operate the visible scoreboard from the scorer’s table or seated within the stands. 

General Volleyball Rules 

• Teams are allowed two 30 second time outs per game.   
• A ball hitting inside the court or the court line is in and results in a point being awarded to the serving team. 
• A ball outside the court line is out and the opposition gets the point.
• Any ball that hits an overhead obstacle is in bounds on your own side provided if it is not the third contact.  However, if a ball hits an overhead obstruction and proceeds to travel to your opponent’s side of the court, that ball is out.

A ball contacting a basketball backboard could result in a replay depending on the trajectory of the ball and the positioning of the players on the court.

• A served ball is allowed to hit the net and fall on the opponent’s side on the serve.  This is called a let serve and the served ball is in play.   
• When serving, a player may not touch the service line (foot fault). Players are permitted one re-serve per rotation and the ball does not have to be released before contact.  
• Servers are permitted 5 seconds to  serve. 
• For all JV matches there will be a service accommodation - see next page

VARSITY SERVING ACCOMMODATION

Varsity players who struggle with their overhand serve but would like to attempt one during a game may use a 5 foot serving accommodation for their first two serve attempts in each service rotation.  If successful, all remaining serves must be behind the service line.  However, if unsuccessful, they may be accommodated again on their next serve attempt.  This is to encourage overhand serves.  If a ref feels that a team is using this to provide an advantage, the ref will not allow any player from that team a serve accommodation.  (Accommodation is permitted until Oct 1).

• Teams rotate clockwise upon receiving serve. 
• Contact with the ball must be a “clean hit.”  No palming, lifting, pushing, throwing or carrying the ball is allowed.   
• Ball cannot be contacted twice in succession by the same player (except when blocking).  However, simultaneous contacts by more than one person on the same team are allowed and are considered one contact.  Either of the players involved in such an activity is permitted to participate in the next contact. 
• NEW for 2025 - double touch on set (2nd player) to teammate is permitted as long as its not played over the net (to the other team)
• Touching the net at any time is a violation (except incidental hair contact). 
• A player may make contact with the center line (the line under the net) but no part of the body or feet can be completely across the center line. This is a violation similar to a net contact. This violation results in a point for the opposition.
• A player in the front row may not attack or block the ball directly off a served ball. A block is the action of contacting the ball above the height of the net.
• Three hits maximum per side but a block is not considered one of the 3 contacts.
• Players cannot intentionally kick the volleyball. This is considered an unsafe act and a rules violation. However, unintentional contact is not considered a violation and play continues. 

Game Procedure 

• The home team will select their team bench prior to the start of the match.
• The referee will call for captains and there will be a coin toss. The team winning the toss may choose to serve or receive. The serving team will occupy the court first and then receive 3 minutes of warm up time followed by the receiving team having an equivalent 3 minutes of warm up time.
• After all warm ups are complete, the referee will then whistle and request all players to line up on the 10 foot line on their side of the court for a welcoming prayer. The starting players will remain on the court and the rest of the team will move to the substitute area and the match will begin.
• All three games will be played, time permitting. The first two games are played to 25 (27 cap) and the third game to 15 (17 cap).  The cap applies for all games except championship game. 
• All matches are scheduled for 45 minute intervals. The officials will attempt to enforce this timeline.

Substitution Rules 

• All teams must follow proper substitution rules in the substitution area. That is player for player, position for position. There is no limit to the number of substitutions but substitutions should be done in an expedited fashion so as not to cause an excessive delay. Libero’s can be used in accordance with PIAA rules.

JV PROCEDURES

Our JV program is meant to be instructional and fun.  Volleyball fundamentals should be stressed over winning. 

ALL JV GIRLS PRESENT FOR A GAME MUST ROTATE INTO THE GAME IN THE ORDER THAT THEY ARE SEATED ON THE BENCH. Players will start the game and each time a team receives the serve, one player from their court will exit the court as a player from the bench takes her spot.  The spot where this will occur must remain constant throughout the match. If a team plays with designated setters, these 1 or 2 players may remain on the court for the entire game and must play the setter position.  This is permitted to encourage multiple hits play rather than ping pong play. If a JV player is receiving a consequence for missing practice, tardiness, attitude, etc, please let the ref know and sit this player outside of the bench. NOTE (added 2026): setter(s) still serve in their normal team rotation including the bench spots.

The ref should watch both benches to ensure that both teams follow proper rotation procedure.  However, if you as a coach notice a failure in procedure, please bring this to the ref’s attention.

There is to be NO EXCEPTION TO THIS ROTATION PROCEDURE!

JV SERVING ACCOMMODATION

JV players who struggle with their serve may receive an accommodation from the ref.  Players will not be permitted to serve closer than 15 feet from the net.  Players may receive this accommodation for 2 serves and then the player must be moved to the service line.

JV players may serve successfully 4 times before their team must rotate for a new server.

Sportsmanship and Fair Play 

• CYO requires the names of all registered players to appear on a team’s roster.  Only those players listed on a team’s roster are permitted to play in that team’s scheduled games.  If teams are short players, (less than 5) you will need to forfeit the match and then you may play for fun. 
• The PIAA Officials are there to demonstrate guidance and support for all the players, provide encouragement and fair play to ensure a enjoyable experience by all participants. 
• Players and coaches are expected to act in a respectful manner which reflects CYO values. Proper sportsmanship is essential. Only coaches and team captains are permitted to speak to the referee. 
• Players are discouraged from arguing calls or making their own calls.    
• Parents, spectators, coaches and players are encouraged to accept the official’s decisions and judgements on ball handling, touches, net violations and balls in or out of bounds. Any attempt to influence the referee’s decisions by gesturing, hollering across the court or other disruptive signaling may result in a yellow card (a warning) or a red card (penalty) card. A verbal warning will be issued to any disruptive individual to discontinue their inappropriate behavior prior to issuing any cards.

Match Officials

• Whenever possible, all the officials assigned to all CYO Varsity matches are PIAA Certified, having successfully completed all the state and local clearances and have met all other PIAA requirements. 

However, due to the consistent growth of the CYO program in Region 11, younger high school volleyball players from our local Bucks and Montgomery County teams will be offered the opportunity to work the lower grade matches. These younger officials might not be PIAA Certified but are pursuing the newly established PIAA Junior Program Certification process when appropriate.

Support and Information

• Here’s to a very enjoyable and successful season. Please contact me if you have any questions related to the rules or if you have any current volleyball player interested in becoming a PIAA Junior official. 
• Further information on the current PIAA rules  or the new Junior Program can be found at piaa.org.

WEBSITE

https://leagues.teamlinkt.com/region11cyo

Winning team is to enter game results by set totals to determine game results (points will not be tracked here). Contact VB coordinator for password/access

Playoffs -- Standings and seedings for Playoffs are determined by a team's final regular season record. Top teams qualify for the Playoffs in each Division. All non-divisional games will not count towards the playoffs

In the case of a tie by two or more teams, the following tie breakers for seeding purposes will be used:

1. Head-to-head record
2. Number of division games played
3. In the event of any ties, then a coin toss will determine the playoff seeding

Teams involved in playoffs shall pay for referees for all playoff games, except the Championship game. Region Division Championship game requires two referees. Each team will pay one referee prior to the game.

2026 Playoff Format -- Region Championship Bracket – Top 8 teams qualify for playoffs in addition to 4 Parish teams

1. Top 4 seeds will receive a bye
2. Region seeds 5-8 will play Parish qualifying teams in reverse order; P1 vs R8 up to P4 vs R5
3. Remaining 8 teams will play in single-elimination bracket; R1 vs R8/P1 winner; R2 vs R7/P2; R3 vs R6/P3; R4 vs R5/P4

 

The Region 11 Championship Games in varsity Division are tentatively being planned for a single site (TBD), along with an all-star game.

Scheduling for Playoff Games are at the Commissioner’s discretion.

Archdiocesan Playoff Format -- Varsity teams participating in the Region Championship Playoffs are eligible to play in the Archdiocesan Tournament. A) Should the Archdiocese permit multiple teams to participate in the Archdiocesan Volleyball Tournament the 2 teams that play in the "Championship" game of the Region Playoffs for Varsity Division are the 2 teams that will represent Region 11 for that Division in the Archdiocesan Tournament.  Exception:  the Region Regular Season champion receives one of the AOP bids should that team not reach the Playoff Final, in which case the Winner of the Championship Final receives the 2^nd AOP bid. B) Should the Archdiocese permit 3 or more teams to participate in the Archdiocesan Volleyball Tournament the teams that finish the regular season highest shall be offered the next available bid(s).

 

Parish Playoffs

Top 8 remaining Parish teams shall play in a single-elimination playoff bracket like above. 

 

JV Playoffs

Top 8 teams in each JV division shall play in a single-elimination playoff bracket like above.

 

Discipline --
1. If a player or coach is carded for unsportsmanlike conduct, then the League Commissioner must be notified within twenty-four (24) hours or before the next scheduled game (whichever comes sooner) by the coach of the offending team. There will be a minimum two (2) game suspension, plus the game in which the offense occurred.

Approved by the Region 11 Athletic Directors