*NEW* Rosters & Waivers Required *NEW*

All players must be listed on the team roster AND must accept & sign the online waiver to be allowed to play. Captains can edit their roster by logging in at https://www.playerssports.net/login and clicking "Manage My Team." Once listed on the roster, all players can log in to sign the waiver at https://www.playerssports.net/player/waiver.

 

Sportsmanship 

Being competitive on the field is applauded & encouraged in all of our leagues! It is also important to understand that there is a fine line between being competitive & being unsportsmanlike. All players and referees should treat one another with respect on the field & after the game. Everyone has to go to work tomorrow, so please keep safety & sportsmanship in mind out there!

 

Inclusivity

Every individual participating in a Players Sport & Social Group program may compete as a member of the gender that they identify with, regardless of their gender at birth. We expect all players to be respectful and honor the spirit of this policy. We are LGBTQIA+ friendly (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and other sexualities and gender identities/expressions). 

 

We have found that open communication between teams is super helpful. If there is a situation that may raise some questions from opposing teams, captains are encouraged to have a quick conversation with our umpire/official before the game to ensure everyone is on the same page. At the end of the day, inclusivity is key. 

 

 

Scroll down for beach rules - keep in mind that tournaments follow most of these rules but please ask at your tournament tent for any differences!

 

Overview

 

Regular season games consist of three games played to 25 cap 27 points or 21 cap 23 points depending on locations and time slots. Each game counts separately in the standings, so all three games will be played regardless of the outcome of the first two. Rally scoring is used, meaning that a point is awarded after each rally. All matches have an allotted amount of time of one hour or less to play all three games (dependent on location or facility). Warm-up time is included within this hour, so be sure to warm up as much as possible before the actual start time. If, prior to the third game, the official decides that time won’t allow for a complete third game, the official may inform the teams that the game will be played to 15 or less. Playoff games are played best two out of three games to (21-21-15) points without a cap. Once again, refs have the right to decide on how many points can be played in the final game. 

 

Sportsmanship

 

Being competitive on the field is applauded & encourage in all of our leagues!  It is also important to understand that there is a fine line between being competitive & being unsportsmanlike.  All Players and referees should treat one another with respect on the field & after the game.  Everyone has to go to work tomorrow, so please keep safety & sportsmanship in mind out there!

 

Beginning of the Game

 

The official will call both captains to the net at the beginning of the game to clarify any court rules and conduct a coin flip. The winning team can choose to serve, receive, or pick a side to play on. The losing team then picks the remaining choice. Prior to the second game, teams will switch sides and the serving team from game one will receive and vice versa. Prior to the third game, teams will switch sides again returning to the original serving team. For time saving purposes, no coin flip will be conducted before the third game. Teams will have to agree on the ball being used for play. If teams agree, then any ball fine. If they don't we fall back on a Players ball.

 

Team Size

 

Coed 6’s – Each team consists of six players on the court at a time, with a maximum of three males on the court at a time. A team may play with a minimum of four players and a minimum of two females. If a team has fewer than these minimums, the game will be forfeited.

Coed 4’s – Each team consists of four players on the court at a time, with a maximum of two males on the court at a time. A team may play with a minimum of three players and a minimum of one female. If a team has fewer than these minimums, the game will be forfeited.

Mens 4’s – Each team consists of four players on the court at a time. A team may play with a minimum of three players. If a team has fewer than three players, the game will be forfeited.

 

General Rules

• Whenever Player Sports Group rules don’t address an issue, USA Volleyball rules will be used as a default set of rules. Click here for USA Volleyball Rulebook.
• Each team has one timeout per game that they may choose to use (thirty seconds in length).
• Let serves (serves that contact the net and then cross to the receiving side) count as legal serves
• A double contact by the same player while making one attempt to play the ball is allowed on the first contact on a side. This applies each time the ball crosses the net to the other side.
• There are no male/female attacking rules in coed leagues
• A block does not count as one of a team’s three contacts.
• A player may not block a serve or attack a serve above the plane of the net.
• No player may touch the net during a play, unless the ball or an opposing player causes the contact with the net. Player contact with the net in a manner not directly relating to or affecting the course of play is NOT a violation.
• Players may reach over the net to block any attack or attempt to play the ball over the net. Other contacts can be played only once they cross into the plane of the net.
• If games are being played on adjacent courts, players may not cross into another court. If a player crosses into an adjacent court either before, during, or after playing a ball, he or she will be called out of bounds with the point awarded to the other team.
• Subbing is allowed in between points. All subs must be made in a consistent manner throughout a game. Traditional subbing rules will not be followed, as long as the team does not gain an unfair advantage from a type of substitution. The official will determine what forms of subbing are acceptable.
• Officials will call to the level of play, meaning that matches will be called more tightly in “A” and “BB” leagues than in “B” and “Rec” leagues.
• Officials will look for and call the following faults:

Carry/lift, double contact, 4 contacts, foot fault (on serve), out of bounds, back row attack, net violation, center line violation, over the net (roofing)

• Officials can issue yellow and or red cards at their discretion. Players Sports Group reserves the right to suspend any player receiving a red card.
• The Libero is NOT allowed in Players Sports Group leagues/tournaments.

 

Specific Rules

 

 

Coed 6’s – Players must rotate clockwise through each rotation. Open hand tipping is allowed. There are no restrictions on the direction you must face when setting the ball over the net.

If a 6’s team has 4 or 5 players, no ghost rule will be used. If the team has 4 players, two players must be back row players at all times, with normal rotation being used. If a team has 5 players, they rotate through the five rotations normally with three players in the front row and two in the backrow.

Coed 4’s – There must be one back row player that is not allowed to hit or block in front of the ten foot line. This player must be announced by the receiving team before the first serve of each game. After that, the player who most recently served is the designated back row player. THIS RULE IS STILL IN EFFECT FOR TEAMS WITH ONLY 3 PLAYERS. No open hand tipping is allowed. Players must set the ball directly forward or directly backward when setting the ball over the net. Teams do not have to rotate in 4's games other than keeping the correct serving order.

Mens/Women's 4’s – There are no restrictions on the amount of players allowed to attack the ball in the front row. No open hand tipping is allowed. Players must set the ball directly forward or directly backward when setting the ball over the net. Teams do not have to rotate in 4's games other than keeping the correct serving order.

 

Forfeits

 

Teams will forfeit one game every ten minutes past the designated start time that they do not have the legal amount of players. If ZERO players from a team are present after fifteen minutes, the team will forfeit all three games. All teams consenting to play a legal game with their opponents having less than the allowed minimum waive their right to a forfeit win. Teams are allowed to pick up players during the regular season in order to field a full team. Substitutes from other teams will not be allowed during playoffs. There are no protests once a match begins. All issues of player eligibility must be addressed with the official before the match starts.

If your team forfeits a match during the season, the following rules apply:

 

First Offense:            Loss of three games and warning issued.

 

Second Offense:      Loss of three games and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs with no refund for games not played.

 

Third Offense:          Automatic removal from the league with no refund for games not played.

If you know in advance that your team will be forfeiting a match, we encourage you to call our office so we can let your opponent know that you won’t be showing up.

 

Waivers

 

In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the team waiver. Waivers are provided and must be completed and handed in no later than the second night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating. Players must play in a minimum of one regular season game to be eligible for playoffs.

 

Playoff Information

 

All teams make the playoffs. Teams will be seeded based on the following criteria:

1)         Game record is used to determine place in standings and will be used to determine playoff seeding.

2)         If two teams are tied in game record:

a.         Head to head result(s) (matches first, then games)

b.         Least number of forfeits

c.         Overall match record

d.         Combined winning % of opponents

e.         Earliest sign up date/time

3)         If three or more teams are tied in game record:

            a.         Head to head game record versus all tied teams

            b.         Head to head match record versus all tied teams

            c.         Least number of forfeits

            d.         Combined winning % of opponents

            e.         Earliest sign up date/time

Playoffs

 

All leagues that have 12 or more teams will be split into a Flight A & Flight B Playoff Bracket.  At the end of the season all captains are responsible for confirming their team’s end of season team record.  Once playoff brackets are posted and playoff games are played the tournament seeding will not be changed.  If there is an incorrect score posted for your team, the captain is responsible for notifying the league office prior to the playoffs being played.

 

 

Beach League Rules

 

Match Play:

• 2’s Leagues: Matches will consist of 3 games to 21--speed scoring.
• 4’s & 6’s Leagues: Matches will consist of 3 games to 25--speed scoring.

During the regular season, matches are to be played within the one hour time limit (warm up time is included).  If the third match is not started by 50 minutes past game time, the third game will be played to 15.  The match will conclude 60 minutes after the scheduled start time, regardless of the score.  The highest scoring team will get the win for the third game. 

For games going to completion, you must win by 2 points; however, the score is capped at 27 (capped at 17 for games to 15) 

Forfeits:If your team forfeits a match during the season, the following rules apply:

• First Offense: Loss of three games and warning issued.
• Second Offense: Loss of three games and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs with no refund for games not played.
• Third Offense: Removal from the league with no refund for games not played.

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office (773.528.1999) to help us notify your opponent.  This does not mean that your team will not receive the loss as a forfeit. 

If a partial team is present and doesn't have enough players to start a match and are expecting a full team, they will lose one game for every ten minutes past game time. If no members of a team are present at game time, the opposing team automatically wins all three matches.  

Refs:ALL GAMES WILL BE SELF-REFFED. THERE WILL BE NO OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF ANY PARTICIPANTS TO SEND REFEREES EARLY OR LEAVE REFEREES AFTER A MATCH. 

Captains are responsible for reporting the results of their matches to the league check-in desk. 

In cases where teams fail to record their results, both teams may receive losses for the match.

Let serves: NOW ALLOWED FOR ALL LEAGUES (Serves that hit the net will no longer be faults. Serves that hit the net and continue over the net to the opponent's side of the net will be live). 

Court dimensions:All 2's matches use "short courts" where the dimensions are slightly smaller than those used for 4's and 6's matches.  

Minimum requirements for coed games:

·         Two player teams must have two players (minimum one female) on the court at all times.

·         Four player teams must have at least two players (minimum one female) on the court at all times.

·         Six player teams must have at least four players (minimum two females) on the court at all times.

·         In the 4's league you can never play with more than 2 men and in the 6's league you can never play with more than 3 men.

Service Possesion:A team can choose serve possession or serve receive for the start of the first game by winning a coin toss or a Rock/Paper/Scissors. The teams will then alternate service every other game.

Rotation:During fours team members do not need to rotate position on the court. They do have to rotate service. During sixes team members must rotate on the court and must remain in that position until the serve has been contacted. The player in the back right hand corner of the rotation will be designated to serve and continue to rotate clockwise.

Attacking the net:In two's and four's every player is eligible to attack the net. In six's only the three players that are in the front row of the rotation are allowed to attack the net. Violation of this rule would include any hitting or blocking that occurs above the plane of the net.  

Simultaneous contacts:When two non-blocking teammates touch the ball simultaneously, it is considered one contact, and any player may make the next contact. When two blocking teammates touch the ball simultaneously, it is not counted as a contact, and any player may make the next contact.

Held Ball:The ball must be contacted cleanly and not held, lifted, pushed, caught, carried or thrown. The ball cannot roll or come to rest on any part of a player's body. It can rebound in any direction.

Hand Sets:A contact of the ball using the fingers of one or two hands to direct the ball toward a teammate is a set. The ball must come into contact with both hands simultaneously and leave both hands simultaneously to avoid a double hit call. A player may set the ball over the net in front or behind them only in the direction in which their shoulders are squarely facing. Rotation of the ball after the set may indicate a held ball or multiple contacts during the set but in itself IS NOT A FAULT.

 

Hand Setting a Serve:

·         2’s Leagues: Open hand setting of a serve will NOT be allowed

·         4's & 6’s Leagues: Open hand setting of a serve will be allowed

Tips:

·         2’s & 4’s Leagues: Open hand tips are NOT allowed

·         6’s Leagues: Open hand tips are allowed

 

Attacking the ball over the opponent’s court:A player is not allowed to attack the ball on the opposite side of the net. If the ball is hit above the spiker's side of the net and then the follow-through causes the spiker's hand and arm to cross the net without contacting an opponent or the net, the action does not constitute a fault.

Blocking:Blocking is the action close to the net which intercepts the ball coming from the opponents' side by making contact with the ball before, during or after it crosses the net.

Blocking a Serve:Blocking or attacking a serve is prohibited

Player Contact With the Net:No part of the body may touch the net at anytime unless a ball or person driven into the net causes the contact. Player contact with the net in a manner not directly relating to or affecting the course of play is not a violation. Contact with hair or part of the uniform will not be considered a fault.

 

Incomplete Games:Sometimes the weather could interrupt a game midway through. Any set that has one team score more than 15 points will be counted as final. Any set that does not have either team hit 15 points would be replayed in full. 

 

Playoffs

All leagues that have 12 or more teams will be split into a Flight A & Flight B Playoff Bracket.  At the end of the season all captains are responsible for confirming their team’s end of season team record.  Once playoff brackets are posted and playoff games are played the tournament seeding will not be changed.  If there is an incorrect score posted for your team, the captain is responsible for notifying the league office prior to the playoffs being played.