Rules

1. A game consists of 25 points. Must win the game by two points.
2. All playing members must wear matching shirts. Any type of shirt is acceptable as long as they are the same color. A two week grace period will be given at the beginning of the season before this rule is enforced. It will be the responsibility of the other team captain to bring it to the attention of the referee that a player is not in uniform. At that time any player not in uniform will not be allowed to play in that match.
3. The ball must be clearly hit. This is one of the most important rules and is also one of the hardest to call by the referee. The most frequent violations of handling are:
   • HOLDING: Visibly slowing the ball so that it does not leave the player’s hands as rapidly as it hits them.
   • THROWING: This occurs when the ball is in such a position that the player must reach back over his/her head to hit and in doing so his/her hands stay with the ball causing a throwing action.
   • SCOOPING OR LIFTING: This occurs when trying to handle a low ball with an underhand pass. The two-hand dig pass usually handles a low ball. The hand re clasped and ball is played off the wrist.
4. “A” League Only: The return of serve must be a bump, no sets allowed.
5. The ball may be played with any part of the body from the waist up, except on the serve.
6. Each team is allowed three hits to return the ball over the net. No player may hit the ball twice in succession. EXCEPTION: A block does not count as a hit, the person who blocked the ball may hit directly after blocking the ball.
7. CENTER LINE: While the ball is in play a player may not cross the center line under the net. They may step on the line but not completely over the line. Any part of the body, other than the foot, will be considered a center line violation.
8. All players, except the server, shall be within the team’s playing area. Players shall be in correct serving order with no overlapping of the adjacent player’s front to back or side to side at the instant the ball is contacted for serve. After the ball is contacted for serve players may move to any position on the court.
9. SCREENING: Players on the serving team may not intentionally block the receiver’s view of the server of path of the ball. Penalty: Side out.
10. A legal serve is hit with one hand (opened or closed) or any part of one arm in an effort to direct the ball into the opponent’s area. The server will be in the right corner of the court and will have five seconds to serve the ball after the referee’s signal. A served ball is illegal and becomes dead if it:
    • Touches the floor on the server’s side of the net.
    • Touches one of the server’s teammates.
    • Passes under the net.
    • Crosses the net entirely outside the vertical tape markers or not entirely within the net antennas or lands out-of-bounds.
    • Touches the ceiling or any obstruction.
    • Is contacted by the server out of the serving area.
    • Is hit illegally.
    • Is swung at and missed.
11. Contacting the net or any part of it, including net supports, referee platform, or net antennas, while the ball is in play is prohibited unless the force of the ball by an opponent pushes the net or its supports into a player.
12. Each team shall get two time-outs per game. Time-outs should not exceed 1 minute.
13. In case of injury, the referee may call an official’s one minute time-out for the player to recover or for player removal.
14. Only front line players may block or spike. Back line players must observe the 10’ line. A back line player may not:
    1. Return the ball, any part of which is higher than the top of the net while positioned.
    2. Return the ball, while in the air, having left the floor on or in front of the spiking line. This again is considered out of bounds extension.
    • NOTE: ANY PLAYER IS CONSIDERED AS HAVING THE INTENTION TO BLOCK IF ANY PART OF THEIR BODY IS PLACED ABOVE THE HEIGHT OF THE NET IN A BLOCKING POSITION.
15. When a foreign object enters the court, action will be stopped and the point is played over.
16. A blocker may reach across the net and touch the ball after the ball is spiked; but may NOT touch the net.
17. SPIKE RULE: A female may spike at any time other than off the serve. A male can spike if a female has touched the ball off of the serve, if ball comes over the net more times it can be spiked immediately.
18. MALE/FEMALE RATIO: The maximum number of men allowed on the court at one time is 3; the maximum number of women is 4. Teams can have no more than 6 on the floor at one time. Teams also must have 4 players to start and/or continue a game.
19. “BORROWING PLAYERS”: If a team has only four players, they may ask the opposing team captain or representative to allow their team to pick up an additional player. The opposing team has the right to deny this, if they wish. NO TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED TO PICK UP MORE THAN ONE PLAYER. A team with five players must play with five with no pick ups.
20. SUBSTITUTIONS: Substitutions are permitted on a rotating basis only, unless there is an injury to a member of the team. Players may rotate into the game each time their team is awarded the ball on a side out, as a substitute for another player. The position players rotate into the game must be the same through out the game.
21. There is no player eligibility requirement other that all players must be at least sixteen years of age. A player who is under the age of eighteen MUST HAVE a parent or guardian signature.
22. If the ball hits the ceiling anytime it is considered in play. Unless it crosses the net after it hits the ceiling. Also the basketball goals, nets, etc. and the walls are considered out of play. The result is the team who did not hit the ball into the object gets the serve.
23. The curtain between the two courts will be closed. If the ball makes contact with the curtain a point will be awarded to the team not hitting the curtain.
24. The return of serve can be a “bump” or “hand-set” in “B” league only. Again, “A” League must be a “bump”
25. Blocking on a serve will not be allowed.
26. When only one man is in the front court, another man may enter the front to block, set pass, or hit the ball over the net, however this player is NOT allowed to spike.
27. Ball can be played off of the foot only if foot remains on the floor. No direct kicking of the ball is allowed.

THE FOLLOWING RULES APPLY TO “A” DIVISION ONLY

1. All “dinks” must be made with the fingers folded and together, with the heel of the hand of the back of the hand.
2. All returns of serve must be “bumps” no “sets” allowed.