*Note: After successful registration, captains are redirected here to review the rules!
Responsibilities of the Organization:
- Build and maintain the facility
- Schedule teams in each division
- Insure the participants
- Update the standings
- Update and install new equipment as needed
Responsibilities of the Participants:
- Accept the risk of playing in the sports league
- Make decisions in the interest of safety, sportsmanship, and cooperation
- Communicate and arrange the rescheduling or forfeiture of matches
- Know the rules/protocols and govern your own team
Rescheduling and Forfeiting Matches
It is important to respect the other participants in the league by committing to play all scheduled games. However, sometimes that just isn’t possible and games need to be cancelled or rescheduled. This is the responsibility of the captains to decide and communicate in a timely manner. Here is a list of scenarios and outcomes:
- Rain – Captains may agree to reschedule. If captains disagree, the team willing to play wins the points. This is for RAIN only and does not apply to lightning or forecasted severe weather.
- Lightning – Game cannot be played at that time. Captains may agree to reschedule. Otherwise cancelled.
- Team cannot attend – Captains may agree to reschedule. Otherwise points are forfeited.
- Player is injured and cannot continue – Captains may agree to continue, reschedule, or stop and report results.
- Forecasted Severe Weather – Captains may agree to play (only if safe to do so at game time), may agree to reschedule, or disagree and the game is cancelled. It isn’t fair to ask players to make long drives or commit time for a game that is likely to be cancelled. Captains are encouraged to be considerate to each team’s unique circumstances, be sportsmanlike, be accommodating, and most importantly be safe.
- DO NOT put pressure on teams to commute or play in potentially dangerous situations.
Setup and Take-Down:
Nets and boundaries are to be left in place.
Balls, scorecards, personal belongings, lighting key, and washroom key fob should be locked in the equipment box.
Light key is located in the equipment box. Lights are turned on with the key on the North West corner of the arena and need to be turned off by the last teams each night. Please return the key to the equipment box.
A key fob to access the arena washroom is located in the equipment box. Please return it to the box immediately after each use and sanitize appropriately.
Set-up is the responsibility of the first teams playing each night. Take-down is the responsibility of the last teams on each court. Co-operating and being helpful are not against the rules. Please dispose of any garbage left behind and lock any remaining personal belongings in the equipment box at your discretion.
Game Time/Default:
Please arrive 5 minutes early to ensure that your games start on time. With multiple divisions, teams are comprised of a various number of players but all coed teams must have a minimum of one female on the court. All teams can play with a minimum of two people, as long as one player is a female in coed divisions. Substitutes may be from other teams during regular season only. Please try to pick an equivalent caliber substitute and avoid doing this regularly. 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. Teams may play the second and third games of the match if enough players show up with time to spare. Please leave 5 minutes after your match.
Curfew:
Teams must leave the courts 65 minutes after their scheduled start time.
Please observe normal game pace. Intentionally delaying or rushing game play may result in disciplinary action. This could include forfeiture of points and/or league suspensions.
General Rules:
Matches include three rally point sets to 21 in the 50 minute window each week. Win by 2 for all sets. Be sure to read Curfew section for clarification when time expires. Modifications to this could be made for tournaments.
A player may NOT block or spike a serve.
Players MAY open-hand volley a serve.
A server may serve the ball from anywhere along the baseline. The serve will rotate from one team to the next at the start of each game. Screening is not allowed on a serve.
Incidental contact with the net below the tape is permitted in the interest of continuation and consideration of wind. However in the interest of sportsmanship, excessive contact with any part of the net and any contact with the tape should be called by the player/team that committed the infraction.
A player may play the ball off any part of his/her body, including feet.
All players may spike the ball from anywhere on the court.
Rotate new players in before your team starts a new server, or where convenient provided it is consistent throughout the set.
A player may pass under the net as long as it does not interfere with the play. In other words, a blocker or hitter may land under the net/cross the line, as long as it happens without stopping the play or hindering the opposition. Please avoid doing this where possible to eliminate the possibility of injury.
Each team member must take their turn serving in sequence.
In the 2s and 4s leagues, servers do not rotate after five consecutive points. The same server continues to serve as long as his/her team successfully wins the point. In the 6s league, teams are to rotate servers after 5 consecutive points.
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.
Open handed tips ARE NOT allowed.
Players volleying the ball over the net must be planted and square to the direction the ball is sent.
Blocks do not count as a touch. The receiving team therefore still has 3 hits after it has touched an attempted block.
Teams may call a one minute time-out per set if needed.
Games are played rain or shine! Teams may reschedule games if agreed on by both parties and the league convenor is notified.
For players to be eligible for playoffs, they must have attended a minimum of three regular season nights. Players may only play for one team in playoffs.
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. Please report any unsportsmanlike conduct.
Points for League Standings:
Each set won = 1 point in league standings. Therefore a match could have a maximum of 3 points awarded.