Rules and Policy

Competitive Court Volleyball

Competitive Court Volleyball Rules

SPIRIT POINTS: An integral part of all the sports that the Ottawa Sport & Social Club offers. It is based on the primary focus of the OSSC, which is sportsmanship and to have FUN...NOT on competitive and aggressive sport.

1. Game Time/Default: Please arrive 15 minutes early to ensure that your games start on time. Matches are 55 minutes in length, and are comprised of three RALLY POINT games to 25 points. The Cap is also at 25 points. Therefore, if the score is tied 24-24, the next point wins (first team to 25 points). If a match concludes early, the teams can continue to play, but the score of the fourth game will not be recorded. Please agree on one person to act as timekeeper. Teams are comprised of six (6) players with a minimum of two (2) women and two (2) men on the court. A default for the first game of a match will occur if any team cannot field a squad 10 minutes after the official start time. The second game of the match will be defaulted 20 minutes after the official start time and the third and final game of the match will be defaulted 30 minutes after the official start time (e.g. a team that defaults the first game, can still play the second and third games, providing that enough players eventually arrive). A team can play with a minimum of 5 people, as long as two (2) players are women and two (2) players are men. Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding minimum people but this should be decided before the game starts. IF IT IS AGREED THAT THE GAME COUNTS, IT COUNTS!

 

  1. Rally point scoring WILL be used during league play - you do not have to be serving to score a point.
  2. A player may NOT block or spike a serve.
  3. Players CAN open-hand volley a serve.
  4. A server may serve the ball from anywhere along the baseline.
  5. A player may play the ball off any part of his/her body, including feet.
  6. Net serves ARE allowed. This means that if a serve hits the net but the motion of the ball carries it over the net, it is a live ball - it is not a service fault.
  7. A player may not touch the net during any part of the play. Please call your own net violations.
  8. Rotate new players in before your team starts a new server.
  9. A player may pass under the net as long as the penetrating foot or hand remains either in contact with the centre line or directly above it. To contact the opponent's court with any other body part is forbidden and a point should be awarded to the other team (updated October 5/04).
  10. If time runs out in the middle of a game, whoever is winning the game at that moment is considered the winner.

    A team must win at least 5 points in a set in order for it to count as a win/loss. If neither teams gets at least 5 points, the set is deemed a tie (updated Spring 2006).

  11. If 10 minutes have elapsed after the official start of the game and not enough players are present to field a team, the first game of the match is defaulted. At 20 minutes after the start of the official start time, the second game is defaulted, and at 30 minutes after the official start time, the third game is defaulted. Each defaulted game results in the loss of one (1) in the overall standings.
  12. Servers DO NOT rotate after five consecutive points. The same server continues to serve as long as his/her team successfully wins the point.
  13. A ball that hits the wall or ceiling is out of bounds.
  14. A game can end in a tie during the regular season. In the playoffs, a game that is tied at the end of regulation time is decided by a single “rally point”, served by the team in control of the serve.
  15. Any team defaulting more than 2 matches may be asked to leave the league, with no refund.
  16. Teams may call a one (1) minute time-out per match if needed except during the final 10 minutes of play.
  17. Please do not warm-up before your allotted gym time on the outside of the court. This can be distracting to players in a game (updated Feb 7/6).

2. Discrepancies: All games are self-refereed. Any disputes will be discussed amongst the two team captains. Please play honestly and call your own infractions (lift, net, etc). If a dispute cannot be settled the point should be re-served.