Volleyball

 

Playing Area  - The playing area shall be 18m by 9m (59' by 29'6") and free from all obstructions to a height of 7m (23') from the ground upwards.

 

Diagram of Court

 

 

 

Height of Net - The height measured at the centre of the net shall be:

Boys - Midget - 2.35 m        Junior and Senior - 2.43 m

Girls - Midget - 2.15 m        Junior and Senior - 2.24 m

The two ends must be at equal heights and may not exceed regulation by more than 3/4".

                                                          

Number of Games in a Match - All international matches are best three out of five games.  High School matches are best two out of three games.  Tournaments are generally two game matches for point differential during round play then two out of three for playoff rounds.

 

Choice of Courts - Prior to beginning the match the referee will toss a coin to be called by the captains.  The winner of the toss may choose a court or the right to serve first.  Teams change courts after each game except in the final game.  For the final game a new coin toss is made.  In addition the teams change sides when one team reaches 8 points.  The player serving at the time of the change continues serve and the score remains unchanged.

 

Composition of Teams - A team consist of 6 players regardless of circumstances.  A complete team including substitutes may not exceed 12 players.  All players and substitutes must be recorded on the score sheet before the beginning of the mach to be eligible to play.  During the match one player on the court will be designated as the Captain.  This player is the only player allowed to speak to the referee or umpire.

 

Substitutions - Substitution of players may be made when the ball is dead, after request of the coach or captain the referee or umpire.  A team is allowed a maximum of 6 substitutions each game.  Before entering the game a substitute must report to the scorekeeper in playing uniform and wait for the umpire=s signal to enter.  A substitute player may only enter the game for an original player and may only enter the same game once except; when due to an injury, a team is reduced to less than 6 players.  In this case a substitute who has played may return for the injured teammate.  An original player may return to the same game but only in their initial starting position.

 

Position of Players - At the time the ball is served, the players of both teams must be in their own court and in proper serving order (all front tow players must be ahead of all back row players and players in each row must be in order of clockwise rotation as indicated on the score card). Following the serve players may move to any part of their own court but must return to the proper serving order for each serve.  A player keeps the same position in the rotation throughout the game.

 

Error of Position - When a team is found to be out of position, play is stopped and the error is corrected.  All points made by a team while out of position are cancelled.  All points scored by opponents are retained.  If it is not possible to determine when the error first occurred, the team in error shall resume correct order and be penalized by loss of serve or by awarding the opponents a single point.

                                                          

The Service - The serve is the act of putting the ball into play.  It is done by the player in the right back position, who hits the ball with any part of his hand or arm to send it into the opponents court.  The ball must be contacted cleanly after being released or tossed.  At the time of contact the server must be behind the end line of the court and within the serving area.  If, after having been released, the ball falls to the ground without being touched the serve may be retaken.  Despite this allowance the ball must be served within 5 seconds of the referee=s signal or it is considered a fault and loss of serve.  If the serve is taken before the referee=s signal it will be retaken.

 

Scoring

1.              A game is won when a team has scored 25 points and has at least a 2 point lead.

2.              A point is gained on every rally.  When the serving team commits a fault they lose the serve.

 

Point or Side Out - The following actions result in a point for the server if committed by the opponent or a loss of serve when committed by the serving team.

 

1.              A team has played the ball more than 3 time consecutively.

2.              A single player touches the ball twice consecutively.

3.              The ball is held, pushed or lifted.

4.              The ball is hit out of play (a ball touching the sideline is considered in)

5.              A player touches the net.

6.              A player crosses the center line

7.              A player reaches under the net contacting the ball or an opponent while the ball is on that

side.

8.              There is a delay of game.

9.              A team is out of rotation.

 

Serving Faults - In addition to previous points the serving team will lose the serve if:

 

1.              The serve is not delivered from the designated area.

2.              The player touches or crosses the back line while serving.

3.              The ball is served incorrectly.

4.              The ball passes under the net

5.              The ball is helped over the net by a teammate

6.              Screening: it is illegal for players of the serving team to block the server=s actions from opponents by waving arms or forming groups of 2 or more as a screen.


 

Change of Serve - When a team receives the ball to serve they must rotate clockwise before serving. 

 

Contact of the Ball During Play

1.              The ball may hit by any part of the body.

2.              A player who touches the ball or is touched by the ball during play shall be considered to have played the ball.

3.              The ball must be cleanly hit; it may not rest momentarily in the hands or arms.  Scooping, lifting, pushing, or carrying shall be considered a held ball.

4.              A player may not hit the ball twice in succession.

5.              A team is only allowed 3 hits to return the ball to the opponents court.

6.              When opponents contact the ball simultaneously, the player opposite the side the ball travels is considered to have hit it last.  The team to which the ball travels is still allowed 3 hits to return the ball.

 

Playing at the Net

1.              When the ball touches the net during play other than on the serve it is allowed and play continues.

2.              A player may not touch the net during play.  Incidental contact due to movement of the net into a player attempting to avoid it is not illegal.

3.              A player may touch or step on the center line but may not contact the court fully on their opponents side.

4.              A player=s hand may cross the net when following through on a spike as long as they do not touch the net.

5.              When the ball has been blocked by an opponent it may be played again with three hits even if it has not crossed the net.

 

Blocking

1.              Blocking is the action of attempting to stop the ball from coming across the net following an opponent=s attack.

2.              Blocking may only be attempted by players in the front row.

3.              Blocking may be done by an part of the body above the waist.

4.              Any player participating in a block may make a second contact of the ball, however such contact will count as the second of the teams three allowed hits.

5.              If the ball touches two or more players on a block it will be counted as only one hit even if the contacts are not simultaneous.

6.              The hands of a blocker may reach across the net bu may not make contact with the ball over the opponent=s court until the completion of the opponent=s attack.

 

Restrictions in Attacking - Back row players may not direct a ball from within the attack area into the opponents court unless it is contacted bellow the height of the net.  From behind the attack line they may hit the ball in any legal method into the opponents court.  A back row player spiking from the back court may land in the front court as long as their take off point was behind the attack line. Libero’s can not attack the volleyball.

 

Restrictions in Blocking - Back line players may not participate in the action of blocking.

 

Interruptions of Play

1.              Time outs for rest may be granted by the referee when the ball is dead.

2.              Each team may take two time outs per game.

3.              During a time out players may not leave the court and may not talk to anyone other than to receive advice from their coach who may not enter onto the court.

4.              If in error a team requests a third time out it shall be refused and the captain will be warned.  If this offense is repeated the team will be penalized with loss of serve or the opponents will be awarded a point.

5.              There will be a maximum of two minutes rest between games of a match.

 

Penalties

1.              For an initial minor offense, such as talking to opponents, spectators or officials; shouting or delaying the game, a player and their team will be given a warning.

2.              For a second offense, a yellow card will be given, the player will receive a penalty recorded on the score sheet and the team will be penalized a point or lose of serve.

3.              In the case of a personal repetition by a player the referee will present a red card and disqualify the player from the rest of the match.

4.              The referee will disqualify without warning any player uttering profanity or making derogatory remarks to officials, opponents, or spectators.

 

Forfeit - The game shall be forfeited by a team which refuses to play after the request to start the game has been given by the referee.  The score will be recorded as 15- 0 for each game and 3 - 0 for the match.

 

In a case where a team becomes incomplete due to the disqualification of a player and normal substitutions have been used up the team loses the game by default keeping the points acquired.

 

Officials

 

Referee

- Main official of the match with authority to overrule all other officials.

- Stands facing the score table at height 50 cm above the net.

- Directs play, signaling serves, points, penalties, time outs etc.

- Makes all calls regarding play at the top of net.

 

Umpire

- Stands at floor level opposite the referee

- Responsible for checking line ups at the beginning of the game

- Monitors rotation of players during the game

- makes call regarding crossing the center line and contact of the net near bottom

                                                          

Umpire (cont.)

- Watches for ball contact with vertical side markers and calls play on their sideline

- Keep official time of time outs

 - Authorizes substitutions

 

Linesmen

- Stationed at corners of court away from service areas

- Responsible for call end line and sideline closes to them and draws referee=s attention to any

  serving error.

 

Scorekeeper

- Collects team rosters and prepares score sheets prior to match

- Keeps the official score during the match

 

                              OFFICIAL HAND SIGNALS - VOLLEYBALL

 

A.      Point                             B.      Side Out               C.      Double Fault

 

Raise index finger                        Stretch out arm                  Raise arms from

and arm on the side of                   horizontally to the              elbows and hold up

the team which scores                   side which is to serve.          the thumbs.

point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.              Double Hit                      E.       Four Hits               F       Lifted Ball

 

Hold up two fingers                     Hold up four                     Raise one or both

to the side of the offending             fingers to the side               hands with palms

players team, then point                of the offending team.          upward, then point

to the player who made                                                     to player who made

the error.                                                                      the error.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.              Hand Over Net                H.      Contacting Net       I.       Crossing Center

Or Attack Line

 

Stretch hand over the                    Touch the net and              Point to the foot on

net from the side of the                 point to offending              offending side and

offending team and point               player.                            point to the player.

offending player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.           Out of Position                K.      Time Out              L.       Substitution

 

Move hand back and                    Form a AT@ with               Move hand in a

forth in sweeping motion               the hands on the side           motion and point to

on the side of the offending            requesting time-out.            team requesting the

team.                                                                           substitution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.           End of Match                   Held Ball      - Raise elbows, arms up from elbows

Cross arms at chest                               hands up, palms facing each other,

                                                      move hand slowly closer together

 

Thrown Ball - Raise arms above head, and in

             slow motion indicate thrown ball.

 

The commonly accepted signals should be used by the officials at all times, keeping in mind the following important factors.

 

1.              Blow the whistle to stop play.

2.              Give the proper signal for infraction.

3.              Hold signal for a few seconds.

4.              Indicate clearing point or side out.

 

Note: To keep the number of signals at a minimum, official signals are not used in all instances of rule infractions, and therefore do not cover each and every situation which will arise in the course of play.