Rules
General Rules:
- Teams are responsible for calling lines (in or out), violations, and keeping score. Referees will be available to settle disputes. All decisions made by the tournament referees are final.
- Teams must consist of at least 6 players.
- All teams will play at least two games. After that, the tournament will follow a single-elimination format.
- A match is won by winning two out of three games, using the rally scoring system.
- A game is won when a team scores 15 points and is ahead by at least two points. No game will exceed 19 points. If the score is tied at 18, the next point wins.
- A player may not hit the ball twice in succession.
- Each player must complete and sign a waiver to participate in the event.
Starting the Game:
- The winner of the coin toss chooses either service or side of the court.
- The team that doesn’t serve first in the first game will serve first in the second game.
- Service for the third game will be determined by a coin toss.
- Teams will change courts after each game.
- The serving area is the entire area behind the end line, between the sidelines, and as deep as the court area allows.
- Service may be underhand or overhand.
- Players have 8 seconds to serve the ball.
- Players must serve in the order of the position they started in.Note: The team receiving the ball after a “side-out” must rotate one position clockwise before serving, except for the first serve.
Playing the Ball:
- A legal hit is contact with the ball by any part of the player’s body, including the head, as long as the ball does not come to a stop, even momentarily.
- The ball must be clearly hit. Throwing, lifting, or shoving the ball is illegal.
- Receiving the serve with an underhand bump is strongly recommended.
- A team has three hits to return the ball over the net.
- A player may not intentionally hit the ball twice in succession, but the ball may unintentionally bounce off one player twice on a team’s first hit.
- Simultaneous contact by two or more players on the same team counts as one hit, and any player is eligible to hit the ball again.
- If two opponents simultaneously contact the ball above the net, the ball remains in play, and the team receiving the ball is entitled to another three hits. If the ball lands out of bounds, the fault belongs to the team on the opposite side of where the ball landed.
No Show:
- If a team is not present and ready to play within 5 minutes after the scheduled game time, the first game will be forfeited. The team ready to play will have the choice of serve and side for the second game.
- If a team is not present and ready to play within 10 minutes after the originally scheduled match time, the entire match will be forfeited.