Volleyball Rules:
Abound Volleyball Personal Behavior:
This is a Catholic sports league meant to build fellowship, friendship, camaraderie, and strengthen our personal faith. Please remember this when playing.
Please watch your language. See rule 1 for why, in addition to the fact that young kids are typically present during games.
Any poor sportsmanship or lack of compliance with the previous 2 rules will result in the following:
If this becomes a problem for an individual, the referee or any member of the Core Team has the authority to give a warning (yellow card). If that individual continues to have unsportsmanlike conduct anytime for the rest of the game, they will be removed from the game (red card) and they will not be allowed back in nor will that individual’s team be allowed to sub in a player if that brings that team down to less than 6 total players/2 females.
After a player receives a red card, the Core Team will be notified as well as all future referees overseeing the game that that player is on. That player will not receive another warning for the rest of the season. If that player causes a problem again during that season, the referee or Core Team member has the authority to again remove them from the game. In addition, the Core Team will bar that individual from playing in the league for the rest of the season. They can still spectate though.
If that player stays in the league in future seasons, the next occurrence will lead to them being removed not only for the remainder of the season, but they will be barred from being able to play any sport with Abound Catholic in the future so as to continue to foster a charitable environment for the rest of the players and referees.
PLEASE BE NICE TO THE REFEREES! Our referees have very graciously volunteered their time to run your games, if it were not for them, we would not be able to support these seasons. There is typically only one referee for each game and they are not elevated over the net to clearly see the entire court. Some calls may be incorrect, that is ok (this is for fellowship, not a world championship). If there is a question about a call, bring it up to your team leader and they will bring it up to the referee politely and respectfully. After that, the referee has the final say on the call and the point, please do not keep arguing the fact and detract from the primary purpose of why we are here, fellowship. The process for call disputes is the same as unsportsmanlike conduct.
If this becomes a problem during a game for an individual, the referee has the authority to give a warning (yellow card). If that individual continues to argue with or contest the referee’s calls anytime for the rest of the game, they will be removed from the game (red card) and they will not be allowed back in nor will that individual’s team be allowed to sub in a player if that brings that team down to less than 6 total players/2 females.
After a player receives a red card, the core team will be notified as well as all future referees overseeing the game that that player is on. That player will not receive another warning for the rest of the season. If that player causes a problem again during that season, the referee has the authority to again remove them from the game. In addition, the core team will bar that individual from playing in the league for the rest of the season. They can still spectate though.
If that player stays in the league in future seasons, the next occurrence will lead to them being removed not only for the remainder of the season, but they will be barred from being able to play any sport with Abound Catholic in the future so as to continue to foster a charitable environment for the rest of the players and referees.
Good sportsmanship seen by the referee is noted and is worth a “blue card”. This is to encourage us all to continue to foster good community and love everyone in the league as our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The team with the most at the end of the season will receive a prize for everyone on the team!
Ways to earn blue cards include:
Team spirit and outstanding encouragement (maximum of 1 awarded per team per week).
Being quick to assist someone when they have fallen or gotten injured.
Cheering on or complimenting a good play or point made by the other team (maximum of one per person per week).
Calling yourself at fault (for example: if you touched the net, on a close call if the ball was in/out, etc.) before the referee calls it.
Conceding a point to the other team when a call is uncertain/disputed.
Leading prayer at the beginning or end of game (maximum of one per player per season).
Spending time with your team outside of Abound events - show Core Team a picture for up to 7 cards.
Rules:
Three sets will be played with a score cap of 21, 21, 15.
Sets must be won by 2 points with a sudden death rule reached at either 25 points or 17 points for the set of 21 and 15 respectively.
If the core team concludes that games can still be completed in 45 minutes by playing sets of 25, 25, 15 with caps at 27 and 17 respectively then they may implement that change after the first couple weeks.
One 30-second timeout per set per team is allowed.
2 females must be on the court at all times during play.
If there is 1 female, then the team will play with 5 players; if there are no females, then the team will play with 4 players.
If a team can’t get at least 4 players for a game the game is forfeited and the other team gets a 3 set win. This rule will hold during playoffs as well.
For substitutions:
No substitutions are allowed if a team has 7 or more players.
ALL substitutions must be approved by the referee and other team’s team leader.
The player must sign a waiver if they are not already registered for the current season of the Abound Catholic volleyball league.
During playoffs: a player on a team still in the running for the championship game cannot substitute for another team also in the running for the championship game.
A lineup change CANNOT occur during the middle of a set unless an injury occurs.
Lineups can be changed as much as desired between sets.
Players rotate around the court clockwise in order. No adjustments can be made unless someone gets hurt or there are only 2 females that have to stay on the court at all times (the males keep their order around the females).
Team members colliding or hitting the ball at the same time only counts as a single hit, NOT 2.
Blocks do not count as one of the 3 hits, even if several players on the same team touches the ball while blocking or if the same player touches the ball multiple times in the same movement as long it is a defensive only movement.
If a consecutive hit and block occur and the ball goes out of play, the point goes to the team that was hitting since it touched the block last.
A ball in the net can be played while still in the net and not count as a net violation (as long as the net is not touched by any part of the player’s body.
A ball can only be attacked on that team’s side of the net.
During a block the player’s hands can pass over the net only if they do not interfere with the other team’s attack/play or it is reasonably deemed that the ball was going to cross over the top of the net during its flight.
A player may cross the center line into their other team’s side of the court as long as it is in the free zone which is defined as the space outside of the antennas and as long as they don’t interfere with the other team’s ability to play.
The play will be blown dead and replayed if another ball enters the court during play.
If both teams touch the net at the same time during a play, the play is called dead and replayed.
If the referee does not see where the ball lands (if it is too close to the line, a player is blocking the view, or the ball went over/outside of the antenna or not), the point will be replayed.
The team leaders for each team need to check in with the referee for that game 5 minutes prior so the referee can identify who to direct questions/comments to.
Both teams and their respective referee (unless playing in the previous game) need to be at their court 5 minutes prior to their posted start time. The referee will be responsible for getting the teams together to pray before the game (the referee is not required to lead the prayer). The two teams will then do rock/paper/scissors before their game start time to determine who will serve/receive first and which team starts on which side (determined by best 2 out of 3, where 3 players from each team play each other in a single round).
After the game is over, the referee will gather the two teams off to the side of the court to pray again (the referee is not required to lead the prayer though).
If a game is taking too long, the referee and Volleyball Core Team can call the game and the team who is ahead will be awarded the win of that game. If it is tied, the team who won either of the first two sets by the biggest point differential will be awarded the win.
Faults:
For injury prevention, please ardently adhere to the first two rules.
Any contact with the net during a play.
Any part of the body crossing under the net.
Any lift, catch, carry, or extended time of the ball on a player’s body is considered a fault and the play is called dead with a point being awarded to the other team.
A lift occurs when the ball is caught and/or thrown; it does not rebound from the hit. You cannot catch, throw, or lift up the ball (if the ball pauses in your hands or part of your body before changing direction).
A lift is not called if the ball immediately bounces off your flat hand.
A carry is called when the ball also pauses in your hands but this usually is more of a throw/scoop.
If the player hits the ball twice (or is deflected off another part of their body during the hit) that counts as a double contact and the play is dead with a point being awarded to the other team.
If a player attacks a ball coming from the other team’s side before it crosses the net, that person commits an illegal attack.
The ball hitting, going outside, or going over the antennas.
During a serve if the server’s foot touches the base line at all.
Jump serves (small hops when hitting the ball is ok).
Screening - One or more players intentionally/obnoxiously blocking a the other team’s view of the serve (standing in your spot with your hands up in the air is okay).
Attacking (or attempting to attack) the serve (if the ball after service is still entirely above the net while in the front row).
This means no jumping and/or hitting the ball from the front row on a serve.
Back row attacks (a player from the back row attacks the ball with any part of their body touching or crossing the 10 foot line before getting airborne and the ball is entirely above the net). (This is legal if the player jumps from behind this line and makes contact and lands forward of the line.) In sand, it is an approximation and up to the referee’s discretion.
Being out of rotation.
If people are switching on the court, it must occur after the ball is served, and players must return to their original positions before the next serve or it is a point for the other team. (No front to back switching).
If a front row person pulls back to help with serve receive, they must be in front of the back row players until the ball is served or it is a point for the other team.
In indoor, if the ball hits the walls/poles during a team’s possession, that is considered out and the other team receives the point.
In indoor, if the ball touches the ceiling as a team is trying to send the ball over, it is considered out and the other team receives the point.
In indoor, if the ball touches the ceiling, wall, curtain divider, or not at least partially crossing the vertical line above the antenna on the net.
If the ball hits the ceiling and stays on the same side, that team may play the ball and it is not a fault.
Reminder: we are all human and just want to have fun in Jesus’ name!
If any of these are confusing, please have your team leader clarify with the referee before the game begins. If they are confused, they will help get you an answer from the Volleyball Core Team.