Volleyball Rules

Interlink Volleyball Leagues are played in accordance with USVA standard rules, with the following exceptions or modifications:

1. League Policies
2. The Game
3. Equipment
4. Playing the Ball
5. Rotation
6. Faults
7. Misconduct

LEAGUE POLICIES
A. Games - The games will start on time and be played within the time allotted.

B. Waivers - In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the InterLink team waiver form. Waivers will be provided and must be completed before playing on the first night. Players not present the first night are required to sign the waiver with the staff before participating.

C. Forfeits - If your team forfeits a game during the regular season, the following rules apply:

1st Forfeit: Loss of game and warning issued
2nd Forfeit: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from
playoffs.
3rd Forfeit: Removal from the league.

a. If you know in advance that your team will be forfeiting a game, we encourage you to call the league director (or site coordinator) to enable us to notify your opponents (when possible) prior to game time.

b. Teams have a ten-minute leeway past the official start time to field a full squad. A team may play with less than a full squad, however, it must be approved by the officials, Director/Site Coordinator and opposing captain.

D. Results - It is the responsibility of both teams to check on the final score and report to the director on duty the outcome of the game. Results will then be posted on the web site.

E. Sportsmanship - Be Nice!

F. Team Captain Responsibilities- The captain is the one player who represents their team in dealings with the officials, scheduling, or any official capacity. The captains responsibility may include:
- Insure each team member has read and understands all rules and disclaimers prior to league play.
- Notify InterLink in advance of a potential forfeit.

THE GAME
A. The game shall be played between two teams of 4 players each, 2 males and 2 females. If a team has less than four players, they may recruit available players at the court. If they still have less than 4, they may play, but must have players from both genders on the court at all times. No team may play with more than 3 males on the court at any time (unless agreed upon by the opposing team).

B. Each match will consist of the best 2 out of 3 games. Each game is played to 15, with a 17- point cap. If the match is tied after the second game a third game is necessary. The third game will be played as with rally scoring (each serve is worth a point regardless of who served the ball) with the 17-point cap.

C. The ball is out of bounds when it hits the ground completely outside of the boundary lines (a ball contacting the line is in), completely crosses the net outside the posts or under the net, or it touches an object out of play.

D. Occasionally, a ball from another court may roll onto the court you are playing on. A shouted warning (BALL!) should stop play and the point will be replayed. It is irrelevant who shouts the warning.

E. Each team is allowed 4 time outs per match. Each time out lasts for 30 seconds. A team may request successive time outs without resumption of the game.

F. At the start of the game it will be determined by coin toss, the direction of serve. In the absence of coin toss, service possession shall be determined by "odd/even numbering" or any other means agreed upon by both teams. The captain that wins the toss will be given the option of serving the ball first, receiving the serve, or side to start on. The other captain has choice of remaining alternates. The teams switch sides and serve for the second game. When a third game is necessary, the team that initially won the coin toss will have a choice of the above options.

EQUIPMENT
A. The ball must be a league USVBA approved volleyball. The circumference must be 25 1/2--26 1/2 and the weight should not exceed 9-10 oz. The teams may approve a different volleyball if needed.

B. The net height will be as follows: Men's - 7' 11 5/8, Women's - 7' 4 1/8, and Co-ed - 7' 11 5/8.

C. A player's clothing must be appropriate for the competition. Players on the same team are permitted to wear clothing of different colors and designs. Players may wear hats, visors or sunglasses at their own risk. Players may play barefoot, in socks. (Shoes may not have any type of non-flexible cleats or spikes).

PLAYING THE BALL
A. A legal serve is when the designated server contacts the ball with one hand or any part of the arm after clearly tossing or releasing the ball and before the ball touches the laying surface. The server may not step on the back boundary line until after the ball has been contacted. If the ball contacts the net on the service this is called a "let". Let serves are now considered legal and playable.

B. Bumping or setting the ball may return the serve. The opponents receiving the ball may not attack nor block the ball.

C. Each team is allowed a maximum of three successive contacts of the ball in order to return the ball to the opponent's area. The only exception to this rule is that a block is not considered to be one of the three contacts. There are no restrictions on who can play the ball (i.e. A female doesn't need to hit the ball within every return).

D. A player may touch the ball with any part of the body. The ball must be contacted cleanly and not held (including lifted, pushed, caught, carried or thrown). The ball cannot roll or come to rest on any part of a player's body.

E. Contact with the ball using two open hands, using the fingers to direct the ball, is a set. A player may set the ball in any direction towards his/her team's court, provided that the ball is contacted simultaneously by both hands and does not come to rest. Rotation of the ball after the set may indicate a held ball or multiple contacts during the set, but in itself is not a fault. A legal set directed towards a teammate that unintentionally crosses the net is not a fault, regardless of the player's body position.

F. When contacting the ball with one hand, it must be cleanly hit with the heel or palm of the hand (roll shot), with straight, locked fingertips (cobra), knurled fingers (camel toe), or the back of the hand from the wrist to the knuckles.

G. Simultaneous contact occurs when two players contact the ball at the same time. The ball remains in play and either player has right to play the ball again.

PLAY AT THE NET

A. All actions to direct the ball towards the opponent's playing area, except in the act of serving and blocking, are considered to be attack-hits. An attack-hit is completed the moment the ball completely crosses the vertical plane of the net or is touched by a blocker. A player may contact an attack-hit at any height, provided that the contact with the ball is made with in the player's own playing space. A player may not cross the plane of the net to contact the ball, but may cross the plane only after the ball has been struck.

B. Blocking is the action of player(s) close to the net to deflect the ball coming from the opponent by reaching above the height of the net.

C. A player may place his/her hands and arms beyond the net to block, provided that the action does not interfere with the opponent's play. The player is not permitted to touch the ball beyond the net until the opponent has made an attack-hit.

D. A blocking contact is not counted as a team hit. There are no restrictions on which players can block.

E. Players may partially, but not completely cross the centerline before, during, or after play so long as it does not interfere with the opponent's play.

F. A player may not contact the net with any part of their body at any time during the match. Exceptions are:

a. Incidental contact of the net by a player's hair
b. If a player's hat, visor or glasses fall off during play and contacts the net.
c. When a ball is driven into the net and causes the net to touch a player.

ROTATION
A. Teams do not have to rotate positions each time service is awarded, however, at all times they must keep the same serving order that was set at the onset of the game being played.
B. Unlimited substitutions are allowed.

FAULTS
Any playing action contrary to the rules is a fault. Side out to the opposing team penalizes a fault. Here are some common faults:

A. Foot Fault - During service the server steps on the back court line before contacting the ball.

B. Illegal hit - An illegal hit occurs when the ball visibly comes to rest or has prolonged contact with a player. This is a judgment call determined by both teams. Examples of such are: holding, catching, throwing, lifting, and pushing the ball.

C. Double Hit - A double hit occurs when a player illegally contacts the ball twice in succession or the ball rebounds from one part of the body to another on a single attempt to play the ball. Exception: A hard driven spike.

D. Screening - A server's teammates may not prevent the opponents from seeing the server or the path of the ball.

E. A net foul occurs while the ball is in play and:

d. A player contacts any part of the net including the cable attachments. It is not a foul
when a player's hair touches the net, or the force of the ball hit by an opponent pushes the net or net cables into the player.

e. There is interference by a player who makes contact with an opponent who is making
a legitimate effort to play the ball.

F. Assisted hit - A player is not permitted to take support from another teammate or any object in order to reach the ball.

MISCONDUCT

Any inappropriate conduct by a team member towards officials, opponents, teammates, or spectators will be punished according to the degree of severity:

A. Unsportsmanlike conduct: arguing, intimidating, taking unfair or inappropriate advantage of player privileges, Sanction: Misconduct Warning

B. Rude conduct: acting contrary to good manners or moral principles, interfering with an opponent's ability to play, expressing contempt, offensive conduct (defamatory or insulting words or gestures). Sanction: Misconduct Penalty - Loss of one rally

C. Repeated offensives will be penalized by expulsion for the remainder of the game.

D. Aggression: physical attack or intended aggravation. Sanction: Disqualification for the match and is subject to be disqualified from the league under the League Director's discretion.