Volleyball

Intramural Volleyball matches are played by National Federation of High School rules, including the following modifications.

General Rules

1. Eligibility-Participants will be declared ineligible unless all pertinent information is filled out on the team registration form. Individuals may not participate on more than one team in any particular league (e.g. 2 co-rec teams, 2 men’s teams, 2 women’s teams). Individuals may participate on one men’s or one women’s team and one co-rec team. Minimum roster sizes may be in place for certain sports. If a minimum roster size is in place, it will be noted on the registration form for that sport. Should a team not have the minimum number of players on its roster at the time rosters are finalized, it will be dropped from future competition. The roster finalization date will be noted on the registration form.
2. The Intramural Sports Program will not assume responsibility, but reserves the right, to verify the eligibility of participants. The participants in the program have the primary responsibility for monitoring player eligibility.
3. Checking ID’s – Before each contest, all members of a team shall present their valid Redhawk identification card. Should a participant arrive at the contest after it has started, the participant assumes the responsibility to have his/her identity verified by the official or supervisor during a stoppage of play.
4. Rescheduling Procedure- In the event an intramural contest is postponed due to weather, Team Managers shall be responsible for obtaining rescheduling information. Rescheduling information will be made available to Team Managers in the Student Recreation Center and online at http://www4.semo.edu/recsports There may be instances when the Intramural Sports Program will be unable to reschedule contests due to time and space limitations. In such instances, each team will receive a “win” for that contest.
5. Should a team be unable to participate in a scheduled contest, a request to reschedule may be made. In order to request the rescheduling of a contest, the Team Manager must submit a Rescheduling Request form at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled contest. Rescheduling Request forms are available in the Intramural Sports Office inside the Student Recreation Center. Both Managers will be contacted regarding possible rescheduling times. In the event that no time can be agreed upon, the team submitting the rescheduling request will be given a default for said contest.
6. Default - Should a team be unable to participate in a scheduled contest, a default shall be assessed when a team contacts the Intramural Sports Program (651-2571) no later than 3:00 pm on the business day prior to the contest. For contests scheduled to be played on the weekend (i.e. Saturday or Sunday) default requests must be made no later than 3:00 pm on the preceding Friday. Teams requesting defaults must accept all penalties associated with a default (see Sportsmanship Rating System and Playoff Eligibility).
7. Forfeit - Teams who do not appear at their scheduled contest or are unable to produce enough players to field a team according to the rules of the involved sport will be assessed a forfeit. The opposing team shall be given a win for the forfeited contest.
8. Jewelry - In order to protect participants, jewelry is not allowed to be worn during any intramural contest. Jewelry must be removed and not taped over. Exception:Individuals wearing medical alert jewelry will be allowed to participate while wearing jewelry containing necessary information. In such cases, the jewelry should be taped to the skin with the medical information visible. Failure to remove jewelry will result in a one-letter grade reduction of the team’s sportsmanship rating.
9. Playoff Eligibility-In order to be considered eligible to compete in playoff competition, teams must meet the following criteria:
• Attendance at the Manager’s Meeting.
• Teams may not have more than one forfeit or two defaults.
• Teams must have zero "U" sportsmanship ratings or have met with the Coordinator of Intramural Sports and have been approved for further competition.

Team Composition & Substitutions

1. Players can compete on only one men's/women's team, regardless of league classification. In addition, players may compete for one co-rec team as well.
2. Six (6) players constitutes a team. All players must present their valid Redhawk ID Card at the game site to sign-in to participate.
3. A team must have 4 players to start a game. Players who arrive late may be added to the roster and may enter the game at a dead-ball situation.
4. Substitutions may only take place during a dead ball. A substitute must be from the serving team and shall enter into the rotation in the serving position only (exception: injury). A substitute must enter the game before the serve. Once a substitute has entered the game, he/she must play through the entire rotation and back to the service position before being removed from the game. There is no limit to the number of individual entries or team substitutions in any one game. Substitution is not "person for person".
5. If a player becomes injured and cannot continue playing immediately, he/she must leave the court. If a team desires to have that player remain in the game, and if the player cannot continue immediately, that team must use a charged time-out.

Match Time, Length, & Scoring

1. Match time is forfeit time. A team needs at least 4 legal players to begin the match. Any team that forfeits a match will not be eligible for the playoffs.
2. All matches will be best 2 of 3 games.
3. All games will use the rally scoring system with a point awarded on each service regardless of which team served. Points are scored on side-outs with serve also changing sides.
• In the first and second games, the game will be won when one team has scored 30 points and has at least a 2-point advantage over the opponent. No game shall exceed 32 points. If the teams are tied at 31-31, the next point scored will determine the winner.
• The third and final game will be won when one team has scored 15 points "straight." The team IS NOT required to win the third game by two points.
4. The choice of serve or playing area shall be decided by a coin toss by the referees between the designated captains of each team before the first game. If more than one game is played, the team not serving first in the previous game of the match shall serve first in the next game. A coin is tossed again if a third and deciding game is needed.
5. Two 30-second time-outs will be allowed per team per game. The time-outs may be used consecutively, if needed. A. First request for a third time-out in a game results in a yellow card (warning) and subsequent requests result in a red card (point).

Serve & Rotation

1. At the instant the ball is hit for service, the server may not be in contact with the endline, the court, or the floor outside the two lines marking the service area. The server may stand on or between the two lines or their extensions which mark the service area. The service area spans the entire endline. All other players must have both feet inside the court.
2. A served ball is dead if it is hit illegally or before the referee has signaled to begin service. The ball must be hit with one hand. An illegally hit serve results in loss of service. If the ball is served before the referee signals for service, a re-serve results, on the first infraction only.
3. A server is given 5 seconds to contact the ball for service after the referee's first whistle.
4. A server will be allowed one release and drop per service term.
5. A served ball is dead and a point is awarded if the ball crosses the net entirely outside the antenna, touches the antenna, touches the ceiling or any obstruction, lands on the floor on the server's side of the net, passes under the net, or lands outside of the opponent's court. A serve that touches the net and continues over to the opponent's side of the court is a legal serve and the ball is in play.
6. The team which receives the ball for service after a sideout shall rotate clockwise before serving. (This includes a team's first service in a game after their opponent's first serve).
7. At the time the ball is served, the players of each team must be within their respective court positions.
• No center position player may be nearer the sideline than that respective sideline player.
• No backline player may be nearer the net than the corresponding front line player.
• Center Back may completely overlap the right back when right back is serving as long as center back does not act as a screen.
• All players except the server must be within the court as the ball is served. After the ball is hit for the serve, players may move from their respective positions. (The position of players is judged according to the position of their feet in contact with the floor at the time the ball is contacted for service.)
8. At the moment of service it is illegal for players of the serving team to wave their arms, jump, or form groups of two or more players for the purpose of forming a screen to conceal the action of the server. The referee will be the sole judge of this action which does not have to be deliberate to be a fault.
9. A player may not attack or block a serve. The action is illegal as soon as contact is made regardless of the player's position on the court or whether the ball is returned to the opponents.

Blocking & Attacking the Ball

1. Only front row players may take part in a block.
2. A player may not reach over the net to attack the ball. A player may reach over the net during the follow through after a spike, or during a block on a team's attack or third team hit.
3. Back line players may not block, or attempt to block, nor may a back line player attack the ball above the height of the net in front of the 3-meter line.
4. If two teammates contact the ball simultaneously, this is considered one contact, and either of the players may make the next play on the ball. (This does not include action on block attempts.)
5. Players may have successive contacts of the ball during a single attempt to make the first team hit of the ball coming from their opponents (includes serves). Even if the ball is blocked, provided there is no finger action used during the effort and the ball is not held or thrown.
6. If two opposing players contact the ball simultaneously above the net, either may play the ball on the next hit for the first of their team's three hits. If the ball visibly comes to rest during simultaneous contacts by opposing players, the referee will direct a replay. The player on the side opposite the projected flight after a simultaneous contact is considered to have contacted it last.
7. The net may not be touched by a player while the ball is alive. If the ball is driven into the net with such force as to cause the net to contact an opponent, such contact shall not be considered a fault. Inadvertent contact of the net by the hair may be overlooked by the official.
8. The lines are considered part of the court; thus any part of the ball hitting a line is inbounds.
9. A player may be on the centerline and over the line so long as some part of his/her encroaching foot remains in contact with the line. Contact with any other part of a player's body with the opponent's side of the court during play constitutes a fault.
10. A player may go outside the court and may cross the extension of the centerline, but if playing the ball, the ball must not be completely across the centerline extension. Players may not enter another court that is being used to play a ball.
11. Any attempt to distract a player by yelling, stomping the feet, or distracting action will result in unsportsmanlike conduct and a red card (point) given.
12. Aball is dead if:
• It touches the floor.
• It hits the antenna.
• The ball becomes lodged or momentarily comes to rest on any obstruction over the court.
• It is whistled dead by an official for any reason.
13. Any ball that has been caused by your team to strike the ceiling, ceiling fixtures, or basketball standards on your half of the court may be played again by your team provided that the third hit has not already occurred. The hit on the ceiling does not count as one of your team's three allowed contacts. Any ball that has been caused by the opposing team to strike the ceiling, ceiling fixtures, or basketball standards on your half of the court will be considered out-of-bounds, and a point will be awarded.
14. A ball may not be held, lifted, pushed, thrown, or carried at any time. Using an open hand to contact the ball in an underhand motion or to direct the ball forward from behind the head with an open hand usually constitutes a lift or carry. Contact of the ball must be made on or above the waist.
15. A double foul occurs when players on opposing teams commit rule infractions at the same instant. The ball will be re-served by the serving team.

Co-Rec Rule Modifications

1. Team Composition -A team is composed of six (6) players, three (3) men and three (3) women. Play may start with no less than four (4) players, two (2) men and two (2) women. At all times the ratio of men to women or women to man must not exceed one(1) on the court. The only short handed legal combinations are 2 males + 2 females, 3 males + 2 females, 2 males + 3 females, 3 males + 3 females. Substitutions may only take place as a man for a man, woman for a woman.
2. Positioning & Serve -In court positioning, men and women must alternate positions; therefore, they must also alternate serving. On the serve, any legal technique may be used.
3. Contact and Male Restriction - Beginning with the Fall 2006 season, there will beno restrictions on gender contact or male attacks.