2011 Competition Regulations as Presented by Cataldi Volleyball Club

CVC has officially approved the modifications presented in this document in order to promote the sport and encourage continuity of play at all levels across our club events at the various organizational, local and recreational levels. For the official international rules of the game, which are used worldwide and developed and approved by the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball), please visit www.fivb.org or our web page at www.cataldiclub.com.

Copyright © 2011 by Cataldi Volleyball Club

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rules and Regulations
Basics..................................................Page 2
Serving............................................Page 2-3
Scoring...............................................Page 3
Playing the Game..............................Page 3
Violations........................................Page 4-5

Definitions and Explanations
Blocking.............................................Page 6
Double Contacts................................Page 7
Rally vs Side Out Scoring................Page 8

Changes/Rules Interpretation.........Page 9

1 Basics:
1.1 Each team must have 6 players. Normally games will be played with 5 men and 1 women unless the two teams agree before the game to have 4 men and 2 women, etc. Each team must have the same amount of men and the same amount of women as the other team.
1.2 All games will require a “volley to serve” in order to determine which team serves first. The only exception to this rule is when the two teams are playing a best of three series. In a best of three series, after the first game, the team to win the last game will serve first.
1.3 ALL 6 players must rotate clockwise before each new server serves.

1.4 A game is won when one team reaches 15 points with at least a 2 point lead. Teams will switch sides as soon as one team reaches 8 points.
1.5 Maximum time between games should be 7 minutes, unless there is an emergency.
1.6 We do not play with a Libero.

2 Serving:
2.1 Server must serve from behind the restraining line (end line) until after contact.

2.2 Ball may be served underhand or overhand.

2.3 Ball must be clearly visible to opponents before serve. The server's teammate can not prevent the opponents, through screening, from seeing the server or the path of the ball. On an opponent's request, a player must move sideways, bend over or bend down.

2.4 Served ball may hit the net and drop to the other side for a point.(this also applies to “volley to serve” play)
2.5 Serve must be returned by a bump or set only. No spiking or attacking a serve.
2.6 It is illegal to move the court boundaries or net during the serving motion.

3 Scoring:
3.1 We currently play by the “Side-Out” scoring method. We do not play by the “Rally Point” scoring method. This means,
Offense will score on a defense miss or out of bounds hit.
Defense can NOT score.

3.2 A ball inside of or touching a boundary line is good.
For a detailed description of the CVC scoring method, please refer to page 7

4 Playing the game:
4.1 Maximum of three hits per side.
4.2 Player may not hit the ball twice in succession (A block is not con-

sidered a hit). The exception to this rule is the case of an accidental
hit. Example: Player dives to dig the ball, after hitting it with their hand, the ball bounces off the hand and hits the players head.

4.3 Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on serve.
4.4 A legal hit is contact with the ball by any part of the players body which does not allow the ball to visibly come to a rest.
4.5 If two or more players contact the ball simultaneously, it is considered one play and the players involved may not participate in the next play.

5 Violations:
5.1 Contact With The Net
5.1.1 Contact with the net by a player is not a fault, as long as
it is accidental and made during the action of playing the ball, or it interferes with the play. Incidental contact of the hair is never a fault. Some actions of playing the ball may include actions in which the players do not actually touch the ball.
5.1.2 Once the player has hit the ball, he/she may touch
the post, rope or any other object outside the total
length of the net provided that this action does not
interfere with play.
5.1.3 When the ball is driven into the net and causes it
to touch an opponent, no fault is committed.

5.2 Reaching Over The Net
5.2.1 Reaching over or under the net is generally not allowed, except in the following conditions.
a) When executing a follow-through.
b) In blocking, the player may place his/her hands and arms beyond the net provided that his/her action does not interfere with the opponent’s play. Thus, it is not permitted to touch the ball beyond the net until the opponent has executed an attack-hit.

5.3 Stepping on or over the line on a serve
5.4 Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.
5.5 Hitting the ball illegally (Carrying, Palming, Throwing, etc.).
5.6 Moving the court boundaries or net during the serving motion.

5.7 It is forbidden to wear any object that may cause an injury to a player, such as pins, bracelets, casts, etc. Players may wear glasses at their own risk.
5.8 Center line violations do apply. There is a two inch line that separates one court from the other under the net. A player is allowed to step on or touch this line with his or her body and even extend over the line. It becomes a center line foul when the player's foot, hand or body part becomes an interference with an opposing players play. A player may step over the center line extension as long as it does not disrupt the opponents playing area and no interference with the opponent occurs.
5.9 Positions
5.9.1 At the moment the ball is hit by the server, each team must be within its own court (except the server).
5.9.2 The players are free to position themselves. There are NO determined positions on the court.
5.9.3 There are NO positional faults.

Definitions and Explanations

Blocking
Blocking is the technique of preventing the opponent's ball from coming on your side of the net. It is legal for a blocker to reach over the net on a block and angle his or her arms so that when the ball hits his or her open hands the ball will be deflected back into the opponent's court. Each team has a right to use all three of their hits before sending the ball over the net. A blocker may always block the third hit or any other ball that is directed towards his or her court. If the blocker interferes with the opponent's right to play the ball, over the net is called. Once a ball hits a blocker's hands, the teams have 3 offensive contacts with the ball in order to get it over the net.
Example 1: If team A spikes the ball on their third hit and it touches a blocker on the way over the net, team B will be allowed to make three more contacts to get the ball over the net, since a block is not counted as one of the teams three hits.
Example 2: If team A spikes the ball on their third hit and the blocker prevents the ball from crossing the net, team A now has an additional 3 contacts to get the ball over the net.

Blocking Faults
a) The blocker touches the ball in the opponent’s space
either before or simultaneously with the opponent’s
attack-hit.
b) A player blocks the ball in the opponent’s space from
outside the antenna.
c) A player blocks the opponent’s service.
d) The ball is sent “out” off the block.

Double Contacts
Double contacts by a player are legal on a team's first contact. For example, when an opponent spikes the ball, the player playing defense can make a double contact in attempt to dig the ball. This double contact can be made as long as the contact is made in a single attempt to make the play. A possible scenario for a player making a legal dig would be if the ball bounced off the player's forearms then shoulder. As long as this play was made in one playing motion, this double contact is legal on the first team hit. Another way a player could make a dig is with an overhead setting motion with their hands. It is legal to double contact with the fingers on the first team contact.
It is also legal to contact the ball multiple times when blocking. These contacts aren't team hits. A block is defined as a player near the net, reaching higher than the top of the net, then deflecting the ball coming from the opponent. When blocking, the ball can be contacted multiple times in succession. These contacts during blocking aren't counted as contacts and the team still has the 3 team hits to return the ball back to the opponent.
Double contacts are illegal on the team's second or third team contacts. Since there are different volleyball rules for how you play the ball on the first hit compared to the second and third, it can often appear ball handling is being called inconsistent by the referee. For example, it is legal to double contact the ball using a setting motion on the first team contact, but illegal on the second and third team contacts. It may appear the calls are inconsistent because they aren't being called for the double contact on the set on the first team contact.

Explaining Rally vs Side-Out Scoring

There are two scoring methods used for volleyball. The first is known as sideout scoring, which basically means the only team that can score is the team that is serving. If the non-serving team hits the ball in the opponents' court or their opponents make an error, they earn the right to serve only. With rally scoring, either team can score regardless of who the serving team is. Games typically must be won by a minimum of two points with both scoring systems.

Rally Scoring
With rally scoring, teams score a point when the other team fails to return the ball over the net, hits the ball out of bounds, commits an infraction or makes a service error.

Sideout Scoring
In sideout scoring, the serving team scores a point when the opponents fail to return the ball over the net, hit the ball out of bounds or commit an infraction. The non-serving team will earn the right to serve when the opponents fail to return the ball over the net, hit the ball out of bounds, commit an infraction or make a service error.

Rally Game Parameters
In rally scoring, games are played until a team scores 25 points, provided there is at least a two-point margin of victory. Matches are typically decided by the best three-out-of-five games format. If a fifth game is played, the team that scores 15 points first is the winner, provided there is a two-point margin of victory.

Sideout Game Parameters
With sideout scoring, all games are played to 15, provided there is at least a two-point margin of victory. Some organizations will put a cap on sideout scoring, so that the first team to reach 17 points is the winner of a game, even if the two-point margin is not present.

CHANGES
Suggestions for changes, results of experiences, innovative proposals
and other rules-related ideas may be transmitted through members of the Rules Testing Commission, regional officials, chairpersons or commissioners during the season. Explanation and rationale of proposed modifications must be in the chair’s hands before Jan. 1, 2012, if they are to be considered at the annual meeting of the Rules Testing Commission.

RULES INTERPRETATION
Questions regarding interpretation of the present rules and current practices may be addressed to:

Cataldi Volleyball Club Rules Interpreter
E-mail: info@cataldiclub.com

All inquiries will receive replies.

www.CataldiClub.com