Intramural Sports

Volleyball Rules

Overview

The object of the game is for each team to send the ball regulary over the net to ground it on the opponent's court and to prevent the ball from being grounded on its own court. The ball is put into play by the right back-row player who serves the ball by hitting it over the net to the opponient’s court. A team is allowed to hit the ball three times (in addition to the block contact) to return it to the opponent's court. A plalyer is not allowed to hit the ball twice consecutively, except when attempting a block. The rally continues until the ball touches the ground, goes out of bounds, a team fails to return it to the opponent's court or a team member commits a fault.

Team Captains' and Officials Meeting

Attendance at team captains meeting is mandatory. Any team not represented at the meeting will loose the default fee and must pay another default fee.

Schedules, Scores and Standings

Scheduling, scores and standings for league play will be posted on the bulletin boards located across the laundry room downstairs of the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management facility as well as online.

Questions

Please feel free to contact the Intramural and Recreational Sports Department at (317) 274-2824 with any questions or concerns.

General Game Information

Games are scheduled for one (1) hour in length. Matches will consist of the best two (2) out of three (3) games using Rallly Point System (see Rally Point Scoring). The first two games will be played to twenty-five (25) points (rally scoring). The first team to reach the twenty-fifth (25) point wins the deciding game with only a one-point advantage. The third game will be played to 15 points. The first team to reach the 15th point wins the deciding game with only a one-point advantage.

Each team is allowed one (1) time outs per match and the unused time-outs do not carry over to another game. Net height is eight (8) feet.

A minimum of four (4) players must be present for an official game.

*The number of men and women must be evenly or nearly evenly divided.

Players on Court	Men	Women
6	3	3
5	3	2
5	2	3
4	2	2
4	3	1
4	1	3

There is no gender specification for returning the ball back over the net if it takes more than one hit.

Team Roster, Additions and Captain Responsibilities

• Team Rosters are set after the second week of play. Team members may be added to the team roster before a game. These "new" members must provide proper identification (JagTag), have pre-paid their recreational fee and must provide proof BEFORE the game begins (signed receipt from Natatorium)
• All players participating in a game must be listed on the team roster and have paid the recreational fee. The manager/captain is responsible for ensuring the roster is complete and accurate (i.e. all team members who participate in that game are listed on the roster). No one may be added to the team roster after the second week of play.
• Players may not participate on more than one team.
• A player must participate in at least one regular season game to be eligible to participate in the playoffs.
• All participants are required to complete an intramural waiver of liability form. All participants in intramural sports activities assume the risk of injury. IUPUI, its employees and agents shall not be liable for injury to person, loss or damage to personal property arising from or in any way resulting from participation in the intramural sports acitvites.
• Captains are required to read the general rules and inform their team of any changes to policies and procedures.
• At the end of the game, it is the captain's responsibility to return IDs to team players.
• Team captain/manager is encouraged to clear any questionable player eligibility with the Intramural & Recreational Sports Department staff.

Eligibility

• Players may not participate on more than one team.
• Faculty and staff are eligible to participate.
• Every player MUST bring their IUPUI JagTag ID to every game.
• All team members must have paid the IUPUI Recreational Fee in order to participate.
• Team members may be added to the team roster before a game. These "new" members must have pre-paid their recreational fee and must provide proof before the game begins (receipt from Natatorium). There will be no additions to the roster after the second week of play.
• Players are permitted to receive one (1) "I Forgot My JagTag" waiver per season. The requirements in receiving the waiver is to provide a picture ID and then sign the roster in the space provided. The manager/captain is responsible for ensuring the team roster is complete and accurate.

Equipment

Appropriate footwear: Absolutely no running shoes, street shoes, or shoes suspected of marking the floor.

Braces, casts or supports on fingers, hands or arms are prohibited (even if padded). Jewelry and head decorations, except head and hair bands made of soft and pliable material, are prohibited.

Beginning of A Game

The captains will call the toss of the coin for choice of side of court or the service. The looser of the choice receives the remaining choice.

Teams will switch sides of the court for the second game, and the team who did not serve to start the first game shall serve to start the second game.

A coin toss will determine possession if a third game is necessary. Once a team reaches eight (8) points, the teams exchange playing areas.

Service

Service alternates when side out occurs, and will rotate clockwise one position. Server will serve the ball only after:

1. Referee gives the signal to serve. Serving before the signal constitutes an illegal serve.
2. Without a referee, the server will serve only after the server announces the correct score. The opponent must be able to hear the score. Serving without announcing the score constitutes an illegal serve.

The server may serve anywhere along the end line.

The ball may be served underhand or overhand.

Served ball may graze the net and drop to the other side for a point.

It is illegal to attack or to block an opponent's serve.

First game serve is determined by a volley, each subsequent game will be served by the previous game loser.

Boundaries

A ball striking the ceiling or an overhead obstruction (i.e. basketball back board) shall remain in play provided the ball contacts the ceiling or obstruction on the side of the net occupied by the team which played last and provided the ball is legally played next by the same team.

Out of Bounds include:

• Wall, floor or objects and officials on the floor outside the court
• Steps onto another court on which a match is being played.

A point or side-out is awarded to the opposing team.

If a ball rolls onto a playing court, teams must yell "BALL" or "BALL ON" and all action must stop. A replay will be awarded (no points will be scored).

Scoring Method: Rally Point Scoring

The game is "rally scoring" (Rally Point System). When the receiving team wins a rally, it gains a point and the right to serve, and its players rotate one position clockwise.

There will be a point scored on every score of the ball.

Offense will score on a defensive miss/mistake or out of bounds hit by the defense. Defense will score on an offensive miss/mistake, an out of bounds hit or a serve into the net (dropping on the offensive side of the net).

The first two games will be played to twenty-five (25) points (rally scoring). The first team to reach the twenty-fifth (25) point wins the deciding game with only a one-point advantage.

If a third game is needed, the game will be played to 15 points. The first team to reach the 15th point wins the deciding game with only a one-point advantage.

Substitutions

Substitutions will be at one of two locations: left front corner or serving corner. Once subbing begins, it will continue throughout the game.

Substitution can only occur between the same gender if there is an unbalanced ratio of men and women on the team. (Example: 5 men, 2 women; men can only sub in for men.) If an injury to one of the women should occur in this case, then the team will play with a four- (4) player system. The men would rotate out and the one woman would stay in (see General Information).

Rules

Maximum of three hits per side.

Players may not hit the ball twice in succession*. (*A block is not considered a hit.)

Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.

A ball touching a boundary line is good!

A player shall not play the ball twice in succession unless there is:

• Simultaneous contact by teammates (considered one play)
• Simultaneous contact by opponents

The ball may not be played more than three times before it crosses the net to enter the opponent's court except:

• When there is simultaneous contact by opponents or
• The first contact is an action to block the ball

Reaching over the net is permitted only during:

• Follow-through of a hit made on the player's own side
• An attempted block

Players cannot contact a ball, which is completely on the opponent's side of the net unless the contact is a legal block.

A player may touch the floor across the center line or its out-of-bounds with one or both feet as long as a part of the foot remain on or above the center line and the player does not interfere with the play of an opponent. Contacting the floor across the centerline with any other part of the body is illegal.

A ball is considered to have crossed the net when:

• It has passed entirely over the net
• It is partly over the net and contacted by an opponent
• It is not over the net but is contacted by a blocker

Successive plays of the ball by a player whose first play was one attempt to block shall be permitted. The next play shall count as the first of three hits.

When simultaneous contact of the ball is made by opponents, the player on the opposite side of the net from which the ball falls shall be considered the player to have touched the ball last. The other player may participate in the next play and the simultaneous contact shall not count as one of the three hits allowed that team.

A net foul occurs when:

• The net or net supports are illegally touched
• A player illegally reaches over the net
• There is interference by a player

Backline player may not participate in action of block or return a ball:

• Higher than the net or
• On or in front of the spike line.

Regarding back-row play for a 4-person team, the server is considered a back-row player and the remaining shall be considered front-row players.

Basic Violations

Stepping on or over the back line on a serve.

Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

Carrying, palming or throwing are all illegal hits.

Touches of the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play. If the ball is driven intothe net with force that it causes the net to contact an opposing player, then no foul will be called and the ball will continue to be in play.

Reaching over the net, except under the following conditions:

• Blocking a ball which is in the opponents court but is being returned (the blocker must not contact the ball until after the opponent's attempt to return the ball). Exception is to block the third play.
• Reaches under the net (if it interferes with the ball or opposing player).
• Failure to serve in the correct order.
• Blocks or spikes from a position which is clearly not behind the 10-foot spike line while in a back row poition.

Injury

Any player that is bleeding must leave the game immediately. The bleeding must be stopped and the wound securely covered with a bandage before the player can continue. If there is blood on any clothing or jersey, it must be changed before the player resumes play.

Defaulting a Game

If one team does not have the minimum number of players or is not prepare to play, the captain of the team that is prepared will have two (2) options:

1. Take the win by default
2. Give the opposing team an additional ten (10) minutes to show up.

If the team shows up during the additional time period, game time will be reduced by the number of minutes late for the game. If the captain of the prepared team chooses to take the win by default, the decision may not be changed. If the captain of the prepared team decides to play the game, the captain of the prepared team must accept the results of the game. After the additional ten (10) minutes have expired and the team still is not prepared to play, the game will be defaulted. See Default Policy below for details on a defaulted game.

Default

Any team defaulting two (2) games or forfeiting two games will not be eligible for the play-offs.

• Default is when a team does not show or have enough players to start a game.
• Forfeit occurs after a game has started and must abruptly end before the normal conclusion of the game.

The default fee is refunded to all teams who have not defaulted a game at the end of the fall intramrual season (after the play-offs have completed).

Any team defaulting one game, for any reason, will loose their default deposit and must pay another default deposit to re-enter the schedule again in order to continue play in the league. The second deposit will be refunded at the end of the fall intramural season (if another default does not occur).

Point System

We are using a point system to come up with play-off seeding (see below).

Point System:

3 points = win
1 point = tie
0 points = loss
-2 points = default

Definitions

As usual, we anticipate having trouble matching our officiating with some of the league play. In an attempt to be more consistent, we have found some methods of clarifying what is allowable and what is not allowable. Each team member should read the following information so that everyone will have a better understanding of how legal and illegal hits will be determined.

An official can be either strict or lenient in calling hits. If a player uses poor technique, the play will be called by the rules. If a player is positioned correctly in relation the ball:

Position

Facing the net on a spike attempt. Not attempting a spike with the back to the net or facing the direction the ball will travel after an overhead pass or set.

And if the player attempts a hit with proper form:

Form

Arms together for a bump pass, not breaking the wrists on an overhead pass or set, and striking a spike not throwing it.

THEN an illegal hit of moderate degree could be ignored.

The most common instinct most volleyball players have is to use the open hand, lifting, scooping, pushing, or slinging the ball. There are three (3) types of hitting situations that cause the most problems:

1. Overhead Pass or Set
   The ball approaches a player in looping fashion such that the player must, or can get into a position to pass it with both hands above the head. Player must be directly behind the ball, facing (or have back to) the direction in which the ball travels after the pass. Ball must be contacted directly above or in front of the forehead with the pads of the thumbs and fingers. Ball travels in a line corresponding to player's extended arms. The wrists may not be broken during the hitting action. The chances of an illegal hit occurring increase dramatically if the ball is allowed to settle in the palms of the hands and if the ball is contacted below head level, above or behind the head, or to the side of the head.
2. Forearm Pass
   Ball approaches player in such a manner that player must, or chooses to, hit below shoulder level (when facing the direction of the hit) or above shoulder level (when back is to the direction of the hit). Player places hands together and extends arms such that forearms are close together, forming a hitting surface. Ball is contacted with forearms or wrists. An illegal hit is likely to be called if a player lifts or scoops the ball upward with the palms of the hands.
3. Dig
   Ball approaches floor such that player must reach to hit it with one hand. Ball must be contacted on a hard surface of the body, such as heel of the hand, fist, forearm or back of the hand, Any attempt to lift or scoop the ball with open hand is likely to elicit a call of illegal hit.

Blocking/Attacking Serve: No player may block or attack a served ball while the ball is above the height of the net.

Blocking: Players may take a block with the hands and arms over the net before the net before the opponent's attack hit providing there is no contact with the ball until after the opponents have completed an attack hit which directs the ball across the net. Immediately after such hit by the attacking team, blockers may contact the ball in an effort to prevent it from crossing the net.

Contact of Opponent's Area may only occur with a foot or feet. Contacting the opponent with a hand or other part of the body (other than a foot or feet) is a fault. If a player lands on an opponent's foot, the contact is ignored unless it is done deliberately to interfere.

Backline Players may not participate in a block, but there is no restriction on being next to the blockers for purpose of playing the ball of the blocking action.

It is our hope that this might help the consistency of both the playing and officiating. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to express them. Thank you for your patience.

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