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Abridged USA Volleyball Rules

Comprehensive Rulebook: Complete Beach Rulebook

 

CHAPTER 3: PLAYING FORMAT
1) BEST 2 OF 3: SETS 1 & 2 TO 25, SET 3 TO 15 (6.3 TOURNAMENT RULES)
2) FORFEITS OR INCOMPLETE TEAMS: AUTOMATIC LOSS OF 2-0 (6.4.1).
a.  IF TEAM FORFEITS FIRST SET DUE TO INCOMPLETE TEAM, 10 MINUTES SHALL BE ALLOWED FOR THE TEAM TO PRODUCE ENOUGH PLAYERS TO PLAY THE NEXT SET. IF PLAYER NOT PRODUCED, MATCH FORFEITED. (7.3.1).
3) RALLY SCORE (6.1.3), MUST WIN BY 2 POINTS (6.2)
4) STARTING LINE UP INDICATES ROTATIONAL ORDER.  MUST BE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE SET (7.3.1)
5) POSITIONS:
a. EACH BACK-ROW PLAYER MUST BE POSITIONED FURTHER BACK FROM THE NET THAN THE CORRESPONDING FRONT ROW PLAYER.
b. EACH RIGHT OR LEFT SIDE PLAYER MUST HAVE AT LEAST A PART OF HIS FOOT CLOSER TO THEIR SIDE THAN THE CENTER PLAYER. AFTER SERVICE THE PLAYERS MAY MOVE AROUND AND OCCUPY ANY POSITION ON THEIR COURT. (7.4).
6) POSITIONAL FAULTS: A TEAM COMMITS A POSITIONAL FAULT IF ANY PLAYER IS NOT IN THEIR CORRECT POSITION AT THE TIME OF THE SERVICE. (7.5)
a. IF A SERVER COMMITS A FAULT AT THE SAME TIME A POSITIONAL FAULT IS COMMITTED, THE SERVERS FAULT IS COUNTED FIRST
b. IF A SERVICE FAULT IS COMMITTED AFTER THE SERVICE HIT, THE POSITIONAL FAULT WILL BE COUNTED
7) WHEN THE RECEIVING TEAM HAS GAINED THE RIGHT TO SERVE, ITS PLAYERS ROTATE ONE POSITION CLOCKWISE.(7.6.2)
a. ROTATIONAL FAULT: COMMITTED WHEN THE SERVICE IS NOT MADE ACCORDING TO ROTATIONAL ORDER(7.7.1)
CHAPTER 4: PLAYING ACTIONS
8) BALL OUT: IF IT TOUCHES AN OBJECT OUTSIDE THE COURT, THE CEILING OR A PERSON OUT OF PLAY. IT TOUCHES THE ANTENNAE, ROPES, POST OR NET ITSELF OUTSIDE OF THE SIDE BANDS (8.4)
a. IF BENCHES, BLEACHERS, LOWHANGING BASKETS OR OTHER FLOOR OBSTRUCTIONS ARE FEWER THAN 2M FROM THE COURT & INTERFERE WITH THE PLAY OF THE BALL, THE BALL BECOMES OUT OF PLAY & A PLAYOVER MAY BE DIRECTED AT THE 1ST REFEREE’S DISCRETION
9) TEAM HITS: A HIT IS ANY CONTACT WITH THE BALL BY A PLAYER IN PLAY.  THE TEAM IS ENTITLED TO A MAXIMUM OF 3 HITS (IN ADDITION TO BLOCKING) FOR RETURNING A BALL. IF MORE ARE USED, THE TEAM COMMITS THE FAULT OF “FOUR HITS” (9.1)
a. CONSECUTIVE CONTACT: A PLAYER MAY NOT HIT THE BALL 2 TIMES CONSECUTIVELY EXCEPT FOLLOWING A BLOCK (9.1.1)
b. SIMULTANEOUS CONTACT: 2 OR 3 PLAYERS MAY TOUCH THE BALL AT THE SAME MOMENT, BUT COUNTS AS 2 (OR 3) HITS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BLOCKING.  IF THEY BOTH REACH FOR THE BALL BUT ONLY 1 TOUCHES IT, ONE HIT IS COUNTED (9.1.2)
c. WHEN 2 OPPONENTS TOUCH THE BALL SIMULTANEOUSLY OVER THE NET & THE BALL REMAINS IN PLAY, THE TEAM RECEIVING THE BALL IS ENTITLED TO ANOTHER HITS. IF THE BALL GOES OUT IT IS THE FAULT OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE (9.1.2.2)
10) ASSISTED HIT: WITHIN THE PLAYING AREA, A PLAYER IS NOT PERMITTED TO TAKE SUPPORT FROM A TEAMMATE OF ANY STRUCTURE TO HIT THE BALL. HOWEVER A PLAYER WHO IS ABOUT TO COMMIT A FAULT MAY BE STOPPED OR HELD BACK BY A TEAMMATE. (9.1.3)
11) CHARACTERISTICS OF A HIT: THE BALL MAY TOUCH ANY PART OF THE BODY. THE BALL MUST NOT BE CAUGHT AND/OR THROWN (9.2)
12) FAULTS IN PLAYING THE BALL: 4 HITS, ASSISTED HIT, CATCH, DOUBLE CONTACT (9.3)
13) BALL CROSSING THE NET: THE BALL MUST GO OVER THE NET WITHIN THE CROSSING SPACE BETWEEN THE ANTENNAE AND THEIR IMAGINARY EXTENSION (10.1.1)
a. THE BALL THAT HAS CROSSED THE NET PLACE TO THE OPPONENTS FREE ZONE TOTALLY OR PARTIALLY THROUGH THE EXTERNAL SPACE MAY BE PLAYED BACK WITHIN THE TEAM HITS, PROVIDED THAT: THE OPPONENTS COURT IS NOT TOUCHED & WHEN PLAYED BACK CROSSES THE EXTERNAL PLANE (10.1.2)
b. THE BALL THAT IS HEADING TOWARDS THE OPPONENT’S COURT THROUGH THE LOWER SPACE IS IN PLAY UNTIL THE MOMENT IT HAS COMPLETELY CROSSED THE VERTICAL PLANE OF THE NET (10.1.3)
14) IN BLOCKING A PLAYER MAY TOUCH THE BALL BEYOND THE NET, PROVIDED THAT HE DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPPONENT’S PLAY BEFORE OR DURING THE LATTER’S ATTACK HIT. (11.1.1)
15) IT IS PERMITTED TO PENETRATE INTO THE OPPONENT’S SPACE UNDER THE NET, PROVIDED THAT THIS DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPPONENT’S PLAY (11.2.1)
a. TO TOUCH THE OPPONENT’S COURT WITH THE FOOT IS PERMITTED PROVIDED THAT SOME PART OF THE FOOT REMAINS IN CONTACT WITH THE CENTER LINE
b. PENETRATION WITH ANY PART OF THE BODY IS PERMITTED PROVIDED THAT IT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPPONENT’S PLAY
16) PLAYERS MAY PENETRATE INTO THE OPPONENT’S FREE ZONE PROVIDED THEY DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPPONENT’S PLAY (11.2.4)
17) CONTACT WITH THE NET BY A PLAYER BETWEEN THE ANTENNAE, DURING THE ACTION OF PLAYING THE BALL, IS A FAULT (11.3.1)
18) PLAYER’S FAULTS AT THE NET: A PLAYER TOUCHES THE BALL OF AN OPPONENT IN THE OPPONENT’S SPACE BEFORE OR DURING THE OPPONENT’S ATTACK HIT (11.4.1)
a. A PLAYER INTERFERE’S WITH THE OPPONENT’S PLAY WHILE PENETRATING INTO THE OPPONENT’S SPACE UNDER THE NET (11.4.2)
b. A PLAYER’S FOOT PENETRATES COMPLETELY INTO THE OPPONENT’S COURT (11.4.3)
c. A PLAYER INTERFERES WITH PLAY BY: TOUCHING THE NET BETWEEN THE ANTENNAE OF THE ANTENNAE ITSELF DURING THEIR ACTION OF PLAY, USING THE NET BETWEEN THE ANTENNAE AS A SUPPORT OR STABILIZING AID, CREATING AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OVER THE OPPONENT BY TOUCHING THE NET, MAKING ACTIONS WHICH HINDER AN OPPONENT’S LEGITIMATE ATTEMPT TO PLAY THE BALL, OR CATCHING/HOLDING ONTO THE BALL (11.4.4)
19) THE PLAYERS MUST FOLLOW THE SERVICE ORDER RECORDED ON THE LINE-UP SHEET (12.2.1)
a. AFTER THE FIRST SERVICE IN A SET, THE PLAYER TO SERVE IS DETERMINED AS FOLLOWS:
i. WHEN THE SERVING TEAM WINS THE RALLY, THE PLAYER (OR THEIR SUB) WHO SERVED BEFORE, SERVES AGAIN
ii. WHEN THE RECEIVING TEAM WINS THE RALLY, IT GAINS THE RIGHT TO SERVE & ROTATES BEFORE ACTUALLY SERVING
20) 1ST REFEREE AUTHORIZES THE SERVICE, AFTER HAVING CHECKED THAT THE 2 TEAMS ARE READY TO PLAY & THAT THE SERVER IS IN POSSESSION OF THE BALL (12.3)
21) EXECUTION OF SERVICE: THE BALL SHALL BE HIT WITH 1 HAND OR ANY PART OF THE ARM AFTER BEING TOSSED OR RELEASED FROM THE HAND. AT THE MOMENT OF SERVICE, THE SERVER MUST NOT TOUCH THE COURT UNTIL THE BALL HAS BEEN HIT. SERVE MUST TAKE PLACE WITHIN 8 SECONDS. A SERVICE IS EXECUTED BEFORE THE REFEREE’S WHISTLE IS CANCELLED & REPEATED (12.4)
22) SCREENING: THE PLAYERS OF THE SERVING TEAM MUST NOT PREVENT THEIR OPPONENT FROM SEEING THE SERVER & THE FLIGHT OF THE BALL (12.5.1)
23) FAULTS MADE DURING THE SERVICE:
a. VIOLATES SERVICE ORDER
b. DOES NOT EXECUTE THE SERVICE PROPERLY (12.6.1)
24) FAULTED MADE AFTER THE SERVICE HIT:
a. TOUCHES A PLAYER OF THE SERVING TEAM OR FAILS TO CROSS THE VERTICAL PLANE OF THE NET COMPLETELY THROUGH THE CROSSING SPACE
b. GOES OUT
c. PASSES OVER A SCREEN (12.6.2)
25) RESTRICTIONS OF THE ATTACK HIT:
a. A FRONT-ROW PLAYER MAY COMPLETE AN ATTACK HIT AT ANY HEIGHT, PROVIDED THAT THE CONTACT WITH THE BALL HAS BEEN MADE WITHIN THE PLAYER’S OWN PLAYING SPACE
b. A BACK-ROW PLAYER MAY COMPLETE AN ATTACK HIT AT ANY HEIGHT FROM BEHIND THE FRONT ZONE AS LONG AS THEIR TAKE-OFF IS BEHIND THE ATTACK LINE
i. A BACK-ROW PLAYER MAY COMPLETE AND ATTACK HIT FROM THE FRONT ZONE, IF AT THE MOMENT OF CONTACT A PART OF THE BALL IS LOWER THAN THE TOP OF THE NET.
c. NO PLAYER IS PERMITTED TO COMPLETE AN ATTACK HIT ON THE OPPONENT’S SERVICE, WHEN THE BALL IS IN THE FRONT ZONE & ENTIRELY HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE NET (13.2)
26) FAULTS OF THE ATTACK HIT:
a. A PLAYER HITS THE BALL WITHING THE PLAYING SPACE OF THE OPPOSING TEAM
b. A PLAYER HITS THE BALL OUT
c. A BACK-ROW PLAYER COMPLETES AN ATTACK HIT FROM THE FRONT ZONE, IF AT THE MOMENT OF THE BALL IS ENTIRELY HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE NET
d. A PLAYER COMPLETES AN ATTACK HIT ON THE OPPONENT’S SERVICES, WHEN THE BALL IS HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE NET
27) BLOCKING: (14.1)
a. BLOCK CONTACT: CONSECUTIVE CONTACTS WITH THE BALL MAY OCCUR BY ONE OR MORE BLOCKERS, PROVIDED THAT THE CONTACTS ARE MADE DURING ONE ACTION (14.2)
b. IN BLOCKING, THE PLAYER MAY PLACE THEIR HANDS & ARMS BEYOND THE NET, PROVIDED THAT THIS ACTION DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPPONENT’S PLAY. THUS, IS IT NOT PERMITTED TO TOUCH THE BALL BEYOND THE NET UNTIL AN OPPONENT HAS EXECUTED AN ATTACK HIT (14.3)
c. A BLOCK CONTACT IS NOT COUNTED AS A TEAM HIT. THE FIRST HIT AFTER A BLOCK MAY BE EXECUTED BY ANY PLAYER, INCLUDING THE ONE WHO HAS TOUCHED THE BALL DURING THE BLOCK (14.4.)
d. BLOCKING THE SERVICE IS FORBIDDEN (14.5)
e. BLOCKING FAULTS: (14.6)
i. THE BLOCKER TOUCHES THE BALL IN THE OPPONENT’S SPACE EITHER BEFORE OR SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE OPPONENT’S ATTACK HIT.
ii. A BACK-ROW PLAYER COMPLETES A BLOCK OR PARTICIPATES IN A COMPLETED BLOCK
iii. BLOCKING THE SERVE
iv. THE BALL IS SENT OUT OFF THE BLOCK
v. BLOCKING THE BALL IN THE OPPONENT’S SPACE FROM OUTSIDE THE ANTENNA
CHAPTER 5: INTERRUPTIONS, DELAYS & INTERVALS
28) NUMBER OF REGULAR GAME INTERRUPTIONS: EACH TEAM MAY REQUEST A MAXIMUM OF 2 TIME OUTS (30 seconds 15.4.1) & 6 SUBSTITUTIONS PER SET (15.1)
29) REQUEST FOR REGULAR GAME INTERRUPTIONS: MAY ONLY BE REQUESTED BY A CAPTAIN (15.3.1)
a. SUBSTITUTION BEFORE THE START OF A SET IS PERMITTED & SHOULD BE RECORDED AS A REGULAR SUBSTITUTION IN THAT SET (15.3.2)
b. IF A PLAYER IS INJURED & THE TEAM HAS EXHAUSTED THEIR ALLOWABLE SUBSTITUTIONS FOR A SET, AN EXCEPTIONAL SUBSTITUTION CAN BE MADE. THE INJURED PLAYER MAY NOT RE-ENTER DURING THE MATCH (15.7)
c. AN EXPELLED PLAYER MUST BE LEGALLY SUBSTITUTED.  IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, THE TEAM IS DECLARED INCOMPLETE (15.8)
d. ILLEGAL SUBSTITUTION: A SUBSTITUTION IS ILLEGAL IF IT EXCEEDS THE LIMITATIONS INDICATED IN 15.6 (C&D OF STONEWALL RULES) OR AN UNREGISTERED PLAYER IS INVOLVED (15.9.1)
i. WHEN A TEAM HAS MADE AN ILLEGAL SUBSTITUTION & THE PLAY HAS BEEN RESUMED THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE SHALL APPLY
1. THE TEAM IS PENALIZED WITH A POINT & SERVICE TO THE OPPONENT
2. THE SUBSTITUTION MUST BE RECTIFIED
3. THE POINTS SCORED BY THE TEAM AT FAULT ARE CANCELLED; THE OPPONENT’S POINTS REMAIN VALID.(15.9.2)
e. SUBSTITUTION PROCEDURE: A SUBSTITUTION MUST TAKE PLACE IN THE SUBSTITUTION ZONE, SHALL ONLY LAST THE TIME NEEDED FOR RECORDING THE SUBSTITUTION OF THE SCORE SHEET (15.10)
i. IF A TEAM INTENDS TO MAKE SIMULTANEOUS SUBSTITUTIONS, ALL SUBSTITUTES MUST ENTER THE SUBSTITUTION ZONE AT THE SAME TIME TO BE CONSIDERED THE SAME REQUEST (15.10.4)
30) CHANGE OF COURTS: AFTER EACH SET, THE TEAMS CHANGE COURTS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE 3RD SET. IN THE DECIDING SET, ONCE THE LEADING TEAM REACHES 8 POINTS, THE TEAMS CHANGE COURTS (18.3)CHAPTER 7: PARTICIPANTS CONDUCT
31) MISCONDUCT:
a.  STAGE 1: VERBAL WARNING TO THE CAPTAIN
b. STAGE 2: VERBAL WARNING TO THE INDIVIDUAL BUT IN FORCE FOR THE ENTIRE TEAM. PENALIZED A POINT & SERVICE GIVEN TO OPPONENT (IN FORCE FOR 1 GAME)
c. STAGE 3: PLAYER IS REMOVED FOR THE SET, MUST BE LEGALLY SUBSTITUTED (IN FORCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON)