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Any game situations not addressed in this manual will be ruled by the IM Volleyball Official. Questions about these judgments should be directed towards the IM Supervisor on duty. For policies on protests, please see the Captain’s Manual.

Table of Contents

  1. POLICIES FOR PLAYING VOLLEYBALL
  2. THE COURT
  3. BASICS OF PLAYING THE GAME
  4. COMMENCEMENT OF PLAY AND THE SERVICE
  5. PLAYING THE BALL
  6. NET PLAY
  7. DEAD BALL
  8. TEAM AND PLAYER FAULTS
  9. CONDUCT

I. POLICIES FOR PLAYING VOLLEYBALL

  1. THE TEAM: Each team will consist of six players. A team will be allowed to play with as few as two players if six people from that team cannot make a particular match. Teams can have up to 24 players on their roster
    Co-Rec: Each team will consist of 6 players, 3 male, 3 female. Co-rec teams must have at least one male and one female to start a game. Teams cannot have more than 3 male or 3 female players on the court at once.
  2. REFEREES: Two referees will be assigned to each court -- termed the "up" referee and the "down" referee. The "up" ref will be making the most calls, go over the rules, start the game, and blow the whistle for the serve. All questions should be directed toward the "up" ref. Any questions, however, may only be made when the ball is not in play, and may only be made by the team captain. The "down" ref will keep score, watch the sideline and the net, and make calls that the "up" ref may not have seen.
  3. SUBSTITUTIONS:
    1. Unlimited substitutions will be allowed.
    2. Substitutions may only take place during a dead ball (before the referee blows the whistle for service).
    3. In Co-rec, a man can only substitute for a man, and a woman for a woman.
    4. A substitution may be in one of two ways:
      1. A team may use Direct Substitution, in which a player substitutes for another. The person who came out of the game may only return in place of the person who originally went in for them.
      2. A team may use a rotation type of substitution, in which seven or more people rotate out at a particular position (as in the Server's position), and those waiting go in at that same position. The players must rotate in order, and every player must do this (i.e. a team may NOT have a designated setter/hitter/etc. who does not rotate out).
  4. THE NET: The height of the net for Men's and Co-rec divisions will be 7' 11 5/8". For Women's division, it will be 7' 4 1/8".
  5. FACILITY: All games for intramural volleyball will be played in the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion.
  6. Game time is forfeit time!  If there are no players representing a team on-site by game time your team will forfeit.  At game time our officials will hold a captains meeting.  If you do not have enough players to play at this point, our staff will grant your team (5) minutes to field a team.  If you do not field a team after the (5) minutes granted, your team will forfeit the game.

II. THE COURT

  1. The grey lines all around the court are the boundaries for the game. If the ball lands inside the line, or if any part of the ball touches any part of the grey line, then the ball is considered in.
  2. The grey line cutting across the court ten feet from the net on both sides of the net is called the "Ten Foot Line" or the "Attack Line."
  3. The walls and curtains are out of play. ONLY the person playing the ball may push the curtains out of the way while playing the ball. NO ONE ELSE may assist the person playing the ball by moving the curtains for him or her.
  4. If the ball hits the ceiling, it is considered out of play, unless it lands on the same side of the court as the team who caused it to hit the ceiling.
  5. The backboards and basketball hoops that extend onto the courts are a discretionary call by the referee. If it is determined that the ball could have been easily played, provided the obstruction was not there, the referee will call for a replay. If the ball is deemed out of play, regardless of the obstruction, then it is called out (or out of play).

III. BASICS OF PLAYING THE GAME

  1. THE START OF THE GAME: The referee will call the team captains together for a coin toss. The winner of the toss will be able to choose whether his/her team is the first to serve OR which side his/her team would like to play on. If the winner chooses to serve first, the other captain will choose which side to play on. The teams will switch sides between the first and second games, and the other team will serve first. Between the second and third games, there will be another coin toss.
  2. THE MATCH: A match is played as a best-of-three game competition. Once a team has won two games, the match is completed. If a third game is needed to decide the winner, the game will be played to 15 (max 20) using the rally point scoring system.
  3. WINNING A GAME: Each game is to 25 points using the Rally Point Scoring System. A team must win by 2 points, however, so the game will continue past 25 points until a team is ahead by two. There will be a point cap of 30 points (at which point, the first team to reach 30 is the winner, whether or not it is by two points).
  4. POINTS: Each rally wins a point whether it is for the serving team or the receiving team.
  5. SIDE-OUT: A side-out is called when the serving team commits a fault or fails to return the ball legally to the receiving team's side.
  6. ROTATION: The team that receives the ball for service after a side-out must rotate one position clockwise before serving. This INCLUDES the FIRST time a team serves.
  7. TIME OUTS: Each team is allowed one time out per game. A time out may not exceed 30 seconds and can only be requested BY THE CAPTAIN during a dead ball.

IV. COMMENCEMENT OF PLAY AND THE SERVICE

  1. SERVING: Once the ball has been released from the hand for service, the server may not catch the ball if a bad toss was made. The server must let the ball drop to the ground before re-tossing for service. (If the server catches the ball, he or she will be given a warning and allowed one more chance.) The server must wait until the referee blows the whistle to serve the ball. (Again, a warning will be given the first time.)
  2. DURATION OF SERVE: The server will continue to serve until the serving team has committed a fault or lost the play of the ball to the opposing team.
  3. SERVICS FAULTS: The serve is good if it travels over the net inside the antennas without touching the antennas and lands within the opponent's court or is touched by an opposing player.  The ball can touch the net on a serve.

V. PLAYING THE BALL

  1. CONTACT: Each team is allowed a maximum of 3 successive contacts of the ball in order to return the ball to the opponent's area. IMPORTANT COREC RULE: A female must contact the ball at least one time during each teams possession unless the ball is only hit one time and goes back over to the opponents side. A block DOES NOT count as a hit. (See Blocking Section for details). A person may play the ball with any part of his or her body on or above the waist.
  2. DOUBLE HIT: A double hit is when a player contacts the ball more than once, with whatever legal part of the body, without any other player having touched it between these contacts. This is considered a fault. An underhand pass must be made with the hands together to not be considered a double hit. Also, a ball may not be played overhead with two fists -- hands must be together (unless the hit is a "set").
  3. HELD BALL / LIFT / CARRY: A held ball is when the ball visibly comes to rest momentarily in the hands or arms of a player. Scooping, lifting, pushing, or carrying the ball are all considered to be types of held balls, and as such, are illegal.
  4. LEGAL / ILLEGAL CONTACT:
    1. A player may NOT attack the ball on the opposite side of the net. If the ball is hit on the spiker's side of the net and then the spiker's hand or arm follows through across the net, the hit is legal as long as the spiker does not contact an opponent or the net. Attacking a served ball is NOT allowed.
    2. If a back row player returns the ball to the opponent's side while in front of the 10-foot line, the player must contact the ball when at least part of the ball is below the level of the top of the net. A back row player may jump from CLEARLY BEHIND the 10-foot line, contact the ball in the air, and land in front of the 10-foot line. (This rule does apply to back row setters playing in the front row.)
    3. A player receiving a serve may use a "set" as the first contact.
    4. Blocking: A block intercepts the ball coming from the opponent's side by making contact with the ball before, during, or immediately after it crosses the net.
      1. A block does not count as a hit for the blocking team; therefore, the blocking team still has three hits to play on the ball.
      2. Only front row players may block.
      3. Multiple contacts of the ball by the blocker(s) are counted as a single contact, considering that it was during one attempt to block.
      4. A blocker may make the next contact of the ball after the block, counting as the first of the three allowable hits.
      5. A player may block the ball above the net on the opponent's side of the net, provided that:
        1. A player on the attacking team has spiked or directed the ball over the net
        2. The opposing team has used all 3 hits.
        3. The opponents have hit the ball in a way that it would cross the net, and no member of the attacking team can make a legal play on the ball.
      6. If only one person in a group of people attempting to block actually makes contact with the ball, then all blockers are considered to have blocked the ball.

VI. NET PLAY

  1. A ball, other than a served ball, hitting the net between the antennas or sidelines is still in play. A ball hitting the cables or posts of the net is not in play. The side antennas are said to extend indefinitely up to the ceiling. Therefore, a ball going over the net, which passes OVER or OUTSIDE the imaginary extension of the antenna, even if eventually landing in bounds, is considered out of play.
  2. PLAYER IN NET: A player may NOT, at ANY TIME when playing the ball, touch the net with any part of the player's body or clothing. If the ball, going into the net, causes the net to touch a player, such action is not considered a fault. Insignificant contact with the net by a player not involved with the action of playing the ball is permitted.
  3. A player may make contact with any part of the net support (including cables and posts) as long as such contact is unintentional, or such contact does not interfere with the play of the game, OR such contact is not used to help support the player.
  4. THE CENTER LINE: A player may not contact the opponent's playing surface with any part of the body other than the feet. A player's foot may touch the opponent's area, PROVIDING that SOME PART of THAT FOOT remains on the centerline. A centerline violation will be called if a player’s foot or any other part of their body touches the opponent’s body.

VII. DEAD BALL

  1. A dead ball is when the play stops for one reason or another.
  2. A live ball becomes dead when:
    1. The ball touches an antenna or touches the net outside the part of the net directly above the sidelines.
    2. The ball does not cross the net completely WITHIN the antennas.
    3. The ball hits the floor, wall, curtain, or backboard.
    4. The ball hits the ceiling and lands on the defending team's side.
    5. A player commits a fault.
    6. A served ball contacts an object (wall, antenna).
    7. The first or second referee blows a whistle, for whatever reason.

VIII. TEAM AND PLAYER FAULTS

  1. DOUBLE FAULT: A double fault occurs when players of opposing teams simultaneously commit faults. A replay is called for double faults.
  2. PENALTY FOR COMMITTING FAULTS: If the serving team commits a fault, the receiving team will be awarded a point. If the receiving team commits a fault, the serving team shall be awarded a point.
  3. TYPE OF TEAM AND PLAYER FAULTS:
    1. The ball touches the floor.
    2. The ball is held, thrown, pushed, or double hit.
    3. The ball is kicked.
    4. A player touches the net.
    5. A player completely crosses the centerline and contacts the opponent's playing area.
    6. A player attacks the ball completely on opponent's side of net.
    7. A back row player, while in front of the 10-foot line, hits the ball into the opponent's court from above the height of the net.
    8. A ball does not cross the net entirely between the antennas.
    9. A ball hits the wall, curtain, backboard, or the posts or cables of the net.
    10. The ball hits the ceiling and lands on the defending team's side.
    11. Players stamp feet or make distracting sounds or gestures toward opponents.
    12. Illegally served ball or a service fault.
    13. Screening: A player on the serving team may not intentionally or unintentionally prevent an opposing player from seeing the server or the ball, or distract the opponent in any way during service.

IX. CONDUCT

It is the desire of the Fitness and Recreation Department that all participants display good sportsmanship at all times.

  1. Fighting will not be tolerated in any form. Teams will be responsible for their players. Any team involved in a fight must meet with the IM Director before they may continue to play.
  2. Any person or persons (including players, coaches, and spectators) who criticize, boisterously obstruct, ridicule, or attempt to demean an IM Official shall be liable to expulsion from the program along with possible disciplinary action. In addition, a game may be forfeited at the discretion of the official, supervisor on duty, or Director.

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