League Rules

League Rules
(Revised March 29, 2016)

The GFVL uses the Official USA Volleyball rules for all league play with some exceptions.

Philosophy

The GFVL is a self-officiated league. Players are expected to call their own faults (nets, lifts, etc.) and not those of the opposing team. If you think that the opposing team has committed a fault, continue playing until the ball is out of play. Then your team captain should discuss the perceived fault with the other team's captain. If the captains cannot agree, replay the point. If there is a dispute or disagreement, replay and move on. If a captain feels that another team is constantly setting the ball illegally and not calling it, it is better for the captain to point out the fault early in the game and not wait until the score is 10-10.

Team

A legal team is required on the court for all games. A legal GFVL team for regular season and tournament games consists of:

·        2 players, can be two males, two females or one of each

·        3 players, at least one male and one female

·        4 players, two males and two females.

Match

All games must begin no later than 6:00 pm. Any team not able to start by this time (minimum of two players) will forfeit game 1. If the team is not able to start game 2 by 6:15 pm., they will forfeit game 2. The same goes for game 3 if the start time goes beyond 6:30 pm. We understand that there are things beyond our control such as traffic and work schedules but feel this is necessary to ensure all games can be completed before night fall and net owners aren't stuck waiting around to pack up their nets.

All teams will be responsible for net setup, not just the net owners or home teams.

We will offer to store and delivery all nets if net owners feel they have are not able to get to the fields by 5:40 pm.

Please arrive as early as possible in order to have all nets setup and ready to play no later than 6:00 PM.

Teams play 2 matches per night. 

Home teams and individuals providing nets for league use are expected to arrive early. The home team is also responsible for turning in a filled in score sheet and the league ball.

The league issues volleyballs to every court. A non-league volleyball may be used for league play only if both captains agree.

Scoring

1.    Rally Scoring to 21 win by 2, cap of 25 (unless score sheet says different) – Every serve is a point or a replay, NO Sideouts.

2.    Serve in order, replay the last rally if a team serves out of order.

3.    Teams switch sides on multiples of 10.

Play

These are abbreviated rules. See the Official USA Volleyball Rules for more detail.

SERVICE:

1.    Service can take place anywhere behind the end line and between the two sidelines.

2.    “Let” Serves are in play. If a serve touches the net and continues onto the opponents’ side of the net, the ball is live and in play.

3.    Kick serves are legal.

4.    Serves cannot be blocked.

5.    Home team has first choice of either side or to serve/receive in the first game, choice alternates for remaining games. The home team is the team on the same court for both games.

Interpretation 7/11/05: Due to some questions raised over the past few weeks, please read the following rule interpretation on determining service/side: In the 1st and 3rd games of each match, the "home" team has first choice of serve, receive, or side. The "away" team then has any remaining choices. If the "home" team chooses to either serve or receive, the "away" team chooses which side to start on. If the "home" team chooses a side, the "away" team chooses whether to serve or receive. In the 2nd game of each match, the "away" team has first choice of serve, receive, or side. The "home" team then has any remaining choices. The "home" team is the team listed on the same court for both matches.

6.    GFVB allows more than 1 toss attempt when serving. 

Contact with the ball:

1.    A team has 3 contacts to return the ball to the opponents. A block does not count as a contact.

2.    The ball may contacted multiple times on 1) a block, and 2) on the first contact, provided that the player makes only one attempt to play the ball.

3.    The ball may be contacted on any part of the body.

4.    The ball must be contacted cleanly (one contact on the second and third hit) 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.

5.    "Beach digs" can only be one attempted motion at the ball. Any catching, throwing, lifting, rolling, or redirecting is a fault.

6.    Hand sets must be a continuous, simultaneous motion with both hands where the ball never comes to a perceptible stop. Hands may not slide while in contact with the ball. Ball rotation after release is only an indicator of a possible bad set, but not a fault in itself.

7.    No “Dinking”, the player must swing, roll, knuckle, head, kick, or punch. One-handed placement or redirection of the ball with the fingers (a dink or open-hand tip) is a fault.

8.    Receiving a serve with hands apart (one attempt at the ball) and with open hands is allowed, but cannot be held or thrown.

9.    Front or back handsets that go over the net must be square to the shoulders.

10. Ball handling (including serve receive)  There are only two faults when it comes to ball-handling.  Multiple contacts and held or thrown ball.  A held or thrown ball is always a fault, while multiple contacts in a single attempt to play a ball is allowed only on a team's first contact.  Whether the hand is open or closed is a technique, and we don't judge technique. (This is directly from  the USA Volleyball Rules Interpreter)  So in other words, open hand serve receive is legal so long as the player does not hold or throw the ball while doing so!

Attack-hit:

1.    All actions directing the ball toward the opponent’s playing area, except the acts of serving and blocking, are attack-hits.

2.    An attack-hit is completed the moment the ball completely crosses the vertical plane of the net or is touched by an opponent.

3.    If a male player contacts the ball completely above the height of the net, and the player’s foot is touching or has last touched the ground on or in front of the attack line, the attack-hit must have an upward trajectory.

4.    Since outdoor nets do not have antennas, the ball must pass between the poles.

Blocking:

1.    Blocking is the action of player(s) close to the net to deflect the ball coming from the opponent while reaching above the height of the net.

2.    A block does not count as a contact; the person who blocked the ball may make the first contact.

3.    Male players cannot participate in a block.

4.    Since males cannot block, any contact by a male counts as a hit. On questionable contacts at or near the net, the point of contact must be clearly below the net, OR the ball must have a clearly upward trajectory after contact.

5.    Because the GFVL is a self-officiated league blockers are expected to call out touches of balls that are hit out of bounds, even if the contact is not obvious.

Miscellaneous

There are no rotation rules, players can position themselves anywhere on the court, there are no front- or back-row positions.

It is illegal for a player to contact the net except for incidental contact by a player's hair and insignificant contact by a player not involved in the action of playing the ball. When the ball is driven into the net and causes it to touch an opponent, no fault is committed.

Players must call their own net violations. If there is a disagreement on the fault, replay the point.

GFVL courts have no center line under the net. It is not a fault to cross under the net, but it is a fault to interfere with an opponent's play of the ball. It is also dangerous to cross under the net and therefore discouraged.

The boundary lines are part of the court. The ball is considered "in" if it strikes a boundary line or causes the line to move. Note that a players foot, and not the ball, may at times cause the line to move. If there is a disagreement, replay the point.

A team may call 2 time-outs per game.

We want to reemphasize that a team calls its own faults. If the opposing team believes there was a fault, only the team captain may ask if one a fault has occurred. If there is a disagreement over the call, replay the point. Call the faults for your own team, AFTER the rally, request a replay if you perceive the other teams’ fault.

Nets

Net height is 7’ 4-1/8” at the center (regulation womens’ height)

Interesting Note: 41’ 8-1/2” is the diagonal distance from the net to the opposite back corner of the same side of the court. (Useful for laying out the court lines.)

10’ lines are painted on the grass.

EVERYONE should help set up ALL the nets.

Warmups

Coupla’ passes, Coupla’ swings, coupla’ serves and let’s go!

Shag for others as you would have them shag for you!

General

Last but not least, you are expected to follow the park rules.