Volleyball Rulebook

League Format

Schedule

• League nights are Wednesdays at FVBC, with games starting between 6:15 PM and 10 PM.
• The regular season is 7 games.
• Bye week: July 1.
• Playoffs: August 5 (subject to change if facility conflicts come up).

Court of Play

• The court is 60 ft x 30 ft, divided into two equal halves by the net.
• Standard indoor volleyball dimensions and boundaries apply.

Equipment

• Standard size volleyballs are used. Players may bring their own ball for warm-up or play.
• Closed-toe athletic shoes are required. No sandals, slides, or open-toe shoes.

Teams and Players

Eligibility

All players must be 21 or older. Every participant must:

• be registered and on the team roster,
• have completed a registration form, and
• have signed the FSS waiver.

Only rostered, eligible players may play in any match.

Team Composition

• This is a 6v6 coed league. Rosters must have at least 8 players.
• Each team plays 6 players on the court: 3 males and 3 females.
• A team needs at least 4 players to start a game, including at least one female and no more than 3 males.
• A team that is short players may sub a female in for a male, but never a male for a female.

Substitutions

• Teams may substitute between matches, during a timeout, or for an injured player.
• Up to 2 substitutes are allowed to fill the 6v6 format. Any additional sideline subs must be approved by the opposing captain.
• All substitutes must be current FSS Volleyball members. No outside players may join at any time.
• Players in the competitive division cannot sub down into the social division.
• A team found playing with a non-member receives an automatic forfeit.

Forfeits

• A team may start with as few as 4 players (at least one female).
• There is a 10-minute grace period before a forfeit is declared.
• After 10 minutes, if a team cannot field a legal lineup, the opposing team wins by forfeit.

Matches and Scoring

Match Format

• Each night, teams play three 15-minute matches.
• Matches are played to 25 points, and a team must win by 2.
• If neither team has a 2-point lead by 30, the next point wins.
• If time runs out before a team reaches 25, the team with the most points wins the match.
• There is a 3-minute break between matches. Teams switch sides before the next match.

Game Clock

• The official runs a 45-minute game clock (3 x 15-minute matches).
• A whistle signals the start and end of each match.
• The official gives a two-minute warning and a final-time warning.
• After the two-minute warning, each serve must happen within 10 seconds.

Timeouts

• Each team gets one 30-second timeout per match. The clock stops during timeouts.
• Only the team captain may call a timeout.
• Calling a second timeout awards a point to the opposing team.
• Injury timeouts are at the official's discretion.

Scoring

• Games use rally scoring: every serve results in a point.
• Each match win is worth 1 point in the standings.
• Captains must sign the official scorecard after each game.
• Any dispute must be brought to an FSS league coordinator right after the match.

Gameplay

Serving

• The server's last contact with the ground must be behind the back service line.
• Players must wait for the official's whistle before serving.
• Each serve gets one attempt. A missed serve is a side out.
• Females must serve every other rotation.
• A serve that touches the net and goes over stays in play.

Rotation

Teams rotate clockwise when they win the serve back.

Contacting the Ball

• Each team gets three contacts per side before sending the ball over.
• The same player cannot hit the ball twice in a row (blocks don't count).
• At least one contact per rally must be made by a female player.
• Feet may be used and count as one of the team's three hits.
• The ball may touch any part of the body as long as the contact is clean (not caught, thrown, or lifted).

Blocking

Only front-row players may block.

Net and Centerline

• Players may not touch any part of the net or its supports while the ball is in play.
• Players may step on the centerline but may not cross completely over it during play.

Out of Bounds

• A ball that lands on the line is in.
• A ball that hits the ceiling may be played only if it stays on your side and your team has hits left.

Standings and Playoffs

Tiebreakers

If teams finish with the same record, ties are broken in this order:

1. Head-to-head record
2. Overall point differential (points for minus points against)
3. Common games point differential
4. Coin toss

If several teams are tied and they have not all played each other, skip to the next tiebreaker.

Playoffs

• The top teams in each division advance, based on the number of teams registered:
  • Top 4 in 8-team divisions
  • Top 6 in 10 to 12-team divisions
• Ties in the standings are broken using the tiebreakers above.
• Playoffs follow all regular season rules.
• There are no ties in the playoffs: matches continue in sudden death until one team wins by 2 points.

Officials and Conduct

Officials

• Officials make all calls, and all calls are final.
• Only team captains may approach an official, and only between matches, never during live play.
• Captains who want to file a formal complaint may contact a league coordinator after the match.
• Our officials are human and mistakes can happen. Please show respect at all times.

Conduct

• Obscene language, fighting, arguing with officials, and disrespectful conduct will not be tolerated.
• Officials may eject players for inappropriate behavior. An ejected player must leave the premises immediately.
• Ejections are reviewed by league coordinators and may lead to suspension or removal from the league.