Volleyball Rules

To play in the Youth Rally Volleyball Tournament, a person must be on their parish team’s roster which must be submitted one week prior to the date of Youth Rally. Teams may add players to their roster up to ONE hour before the start of the tournament If you are found to be using a player who is not on your roster, you will forfeit the games of the match(es) in question.

A team has 6 players on the court, at least 4 reserves. If it has 4 or 5 players on the court, at least 1 must be a woman. Teams are allowed to play with fewer than 6 players if they choose. However, they cannot have fewer than 4 players. Fewer than 4 indicates that the team has forfeited the game.
Exception: if a team starts with a legal # of players, they can continue if someone gets injured. They cannot lose by forfeit if someone gets hurt after play begins. This means that a team that starts with 4 people can continue with 3 if one of them gets hurt, and that a team that starts with 4 men and 1 woman can play on if the woman gets injured.

Absolutely no abuse of the referees will be tolerated. Refs may warn, penalize with a point, or eject any player who is verbally abusive. Physical abuse will result in automatic ejection from the league. Officials are not required to give a warning in any situation. Once the match is underway, only the floor captain may speak to or question the referee. If a ref’s conduct comes into question, the team captain should call the league office the next day. Similarly, we want to know if a ref is ever late

A match will be made up of 2 sets of 21-point rally and 1 set of 15-point rally with the match being won by the team that wins two sets. In the case of a 1-1 tie, the deciding 3rd set is played to 15 points with a minimum lead of 2 points.

Teams must report to the court 20 minutes before the start of their game.

Teams with fewer than 4 players on the court, and 10 minutes after game time, will forfeit the 1st game of the match. If the situation does not change, they will forfeit game two 10 minutes after that. In the event of a match-ending injury to a player on a team which leaves that team without an eligible line-up, that team may finish the match with its remaining players.

Please note, the refs are under strict orders to never negotiate forfeit times. They will declare a forfeit at the appropriate time, according to their timepiece, and there will be no further discussion. “But we have two players coming up the stairs” or “One of our guys is in the bathroom” are not going to persuade a ref to give you more time. Referees will NOT officiate forfeits.

Each team shall bring at least one quality volleyball to each ma tch. The ref will decide which ball will be used in play.

A coin toss between captains will determine the team that will service first.

The ball must be tossed when serving. If it is tossed and not served (i.e., is dropped or caught), it is a side-out.

There should be no yelling during the opposite team’s service. It is considered a distraction and unsportsmanlike play. First warning is a yellow card, second warning the serving team will be awarded a redo.

Third warning serving team will be awarded a point.

A coin toss between captains will determine the team that will service first.

The ball must be tossed when serving. If it is tossed and not served (i.e., is dropped or caught), it is a side-out.

There should be no yelling during the opposite team’s service. It is considered a distraction and unsportsmanlike play. First warning is a yellow card, second warning the serving team will be awarded a redo.

Third warning serving team will be awarded a point.

The serve and/or any first hit of the team, may now be received with open hand (finger). The rules allow for two consecutive contacts of any first ball over the net, providing that they occur during a single attempt to play the ball, and that the ball is not caught and/or thrown.

Spiking by any of the three front row players is legal. Spiking from out of the back row is only legal if the attacking player takes off from behind the ten-foot line. If a back row player contacts a ball while within the 10-ft. area, it must be below the height of the net.

No contact with the net is ever legal, including on a follow-through. (Exception: when the ball hits the net into a player’s hands).

Contacting the opponent’s playing area with any part of the body except the hand or foot is a fault. Touching the opponent’s area with a hand or foot is not a fault providing that some part of the hand or foot remains on or above the center line.

A player may reach over the net to block any ball, provided that ball has been intentionally guided by their opponent toward his or her court. A player may also block any third ball hit by their opponent. A player may not block a set, and may not touch a ball that has not yet broken the plane of the net (unless it is a third ball). A block does not count as a hit; in fact, the blocker may then touch the ball again as the team’s first contact. Only front row players may block. (A player may never attack a ball that is still on their opponents’ side of the net).

A team will be granted two 30-second time outs per game. Only the floor captain may request a time out.

Teams may substitute by rotating in, or through any other legal substitution pattern. (A player who comes out may not return in a spot that would advance him in the rotation.) If a team starts with fewer than 6 players, anyone who arrives late may only be brought in a back row position. Any pattern may be used as long as it is agreed upon prior to the match and that the referee is able to keep track of it.

Teams may use the simple format of substitutions for front-row and back-row players. Always keep in mind you may never lineup.

Decisions based on the judgment of the referee are final and not subject to protest. Disagreements with interpretations of the rules must be brought to the attention of the referee and the opposing captain before the beginning of the next point; the protesting captain must note the score before such a play. A formal protest must be stated in writing within 2 hours of the game. The Championship Directors will then talk to all involved parties and make a ruling. If the protest is upheld, then the appropriate action will be taken.