Madison Intramural Sports Team Volleyball Rules - Recreational ...

The University of Wisconsin - Madison
Intramural Sports
Team Volleyball Rules
(Updated: 11/11)
Note: Rules are sanctioned by the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) with the following adaptations
(http://www.nfhs.com/p-679-2011-2012-volleyball-rule-book.aspx).
1. Eligibility
A. A team shall consist of six players. For Co-rec the number of men and women on the court may differ by
no more than one. Minimum of 4 players are required at all times.
B. Only UW-Madison students and faculty/staff with paid Recreation Membership fees are eligible to
participate. A current UW-Madison identification card must be presented at each game.
No Valid UW-Madison ID – No Play – No Exceptions.
C. Jewelry is prohibited. Jewelry that cannot be removed for religious reasons must be approved by the
Intramural Director prior to the contest and taped to the body during any contest.
2. Game Format
A. A match will consist of three games. Rally point scoring is in effect for the entire match. The first two
games are played to 25 points; the first team to 25 points wins. If the third game is necessary, it will be
played to 15 points; first team to 15 points wins. The first to win two out of the three games will win the
match, or the team that is leading when then 45-minute time limit is up. If time expires, the team leading
at that point will be declared the winner of that game. If the game is tied, one more serve will occur.
B. Each team may call two 30-second time-outs per match. No time-outs may be called during the last
minute of play.
C. Games will begin at the scheduled time. Teams will be given a 10-minute grace period to have the
required minimum of players before the game is declared a no-show or a default. The team will be
dropped from further competition unless a $25.00 no-show fee is paid or a $10.00 default fee is paid
within 48 hours to the Recreational Sports Office (Room 1180 Nat). See the Intramural Sports Policies
regarding no-shows and defaults.
3. Equipment
A. Recreational Sports will furnish game balls. Bring your own equipment for warm-up. Volleyballs are
available for check-out in the Towel Room in the locker room.
4. The Court
A. A ball striking the ceiling or an overhead obstruction above a playable area shall remain in play provided
the ball contacts the ceiling or obstruction on the side of the net that is occupied by the team that last
played the ball, and the ball is legally played again by the same team.
B. Players may not go onto another court to play the ball. Location of a player’s feet will serve as the basis
for this call.
C. When a ball touches a boundary line, it is considered in-bounds.
D. OUT-OF-BOUNDS INCLUDES:
1. The wall, objects, or officials on the floor outside the court.
2. The ceiling or overhead obstructions beyond the vertical plane of the net, and it’s’ out-of-bounds
extension.
3. The net outside the vertical tape markers, net antennas, net supports, or referee's platform.
E. Net Heights:
1. Men’s: 8 ft.
2. Women’s: 7 ft. 4”
3. Co-rec: 8 ft.
5. The Serve
A. A coin toss will determine serve and side of play. Teams will change serves and playing areas for
subsequent games.
B. The server shall stand back of the end line and may serve from any spot behind that line. The server
has five seconds after the referee’s signal to initiate the serve. The server cannot step on the service
line when serving. The server must finish contacting the ball before touching the court.
C. Jump-Serve is illegal in Recreational Leagues, Penalty: Sideout.
D. Co-rec: The rotation must be male – female in a clockwise rotation. Exception: If the number of
players is odd, no more than two persons of the same gender may serve consecutively.
E. A re-serve shall be called when the server releases the ball for service, then catches it or drops it to the
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floor. The referee shall cancel the serve and direct a second and last attempt at serve. The server is
allowed a new five seconds for the re-serve. A server is allowed only one reserve per term of service.
F. A re-serve is considered to be a part of a single attempt to serve. Therefore, after the referee's signal for
service, no requests for time-out or substitution may be recognized until after the ball has been served.
G. Players on the serving team shall not perform actions, which intentionally screen or obstruct their
opponent’s view of the server.
H. A served ball that hits the net and passes over the net is a legal serve.
6. Contacting the Ball
A. Legal contact is a touch of the ball anywhere on the player’s body, which does not allow the ball to visibly
come to rest or involve prolonged contact with a player's body.
B. A block is not considered one of three legal hits.
C. Multiple contacts (double hit) are more than one contact from forearm to forearm by a player during one
attempt to play the ball. Players are allowed to have multiple contacts on the first ball over including a
serve, a tip, or a hard driven spike provided there is no finger action.
D. Simultaneous contact is more than one contact of the ball made at the same instant.
1. When one player contacts the ball with two or more parts of the body at the same instant, it is
permitted and considered one hit (except for a block which does not count as a hit).
2. When teammates contact the ball at the same instant, it is permitted and considered one hit
(except a block which does not count as a hit). Any player may make the next hit.
3. When opposing players contact the ball at the same instant, the player on the opposite side of
the net from which the ball falls shall be considered the player to have touched the ball last. The
other player may participate in the next play and the simultaneous contact shall not count as a
hit.
7. Illegal Hits
A. A back line player shall not:
1. Participate in a block or an attempt to block;
2. Attack a ball which is completely above the top of the net while positioned on or in front of the 10-
foot spiking line or it is out-of-bounds extension.
B. You may not block, spike or attack the serve.
C. A set must never change direction while touching the player. It must be in one direction, and in fluid
movement. A set may not ‘roll’ off the fingertips.
8. Net Play
A. A player shall not contact a ball, which is completely on the opponent's side of the net unless the contact
is a legal block.
B. Blocking a ball, which is entirely on the opponent’s side of the net, is permitted when the opposing team
has had an opportunity to complete its attack. The attack is considered complete when the:
1. attacking team has completed its three allowable hits.
2. attacking team has had the opportunity to spike the ball or, in the official's judgment, directs the
ball with intent to return it to the opponent's court.
3. ball is falling near the net and, in the official's judgment; no member of the attacking team could
make a play on the ball.
C. A player may touch the floor across the centerline with one or both feet/hands provided a part of the
foot/feet or hand/hands remains on or above the centerline. Contacting the floor across the centerline
with any other part of the body is illegal.
D. Contacting the net or any part of it, INCLUDING net supports or the net antennas, while the ball is in play
is prohibited, except by a player's hair, or unless the force of the ball by an opponent pushes the net or
its supports into a player.
9. Substitutions
A. Officials must be notified for a substitution. ALL SUBSTITUIONS WILL BE MADE AT THE BACK
CENTER POSITION. All substitutions must make one complete rotation. Players arriving late may only
enter at the center back position when his/her team has the serve.
B. The free substitution rule is in effect meaning you may sub any number of times.
10. Playing With Less Than 6 Players
A. If a team has 5 players, the rotation will always include 3 front row players.
B. If a team has 4 players, the server is in the back row and is ineligible to hit.
11. Officials
Officials have the authority of the game as soon as they enter the court and continue until they leave the
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court. Their authority extends over offenses committed by players, substitutes, coaches and spectators.
12. Conduct
A. A yellow/red card system for sportsmanship conduct will be in place. Officials may issue a yellow card
(warning plus point and loss of rally to other team) or a red card (ejection plus point and loss of rally to other
team) for the following offenses:
1. Showing dissent by word or action
2. Verbally abusing another player, teammate, or spectator
3. Unsporting behavior
B. If the officials give two yellow cards or one red card to the same person whether it be a player, substitute,
coach or fan, that person will be ejected from the remainder of the contest. The person must also meet with
a Recreational Sports staff member to be reinstated.
13. Safety
Any player, who is bleeding or has an open wound, must leave the game until the wound is closed and
bleeding has been stopped. The player may not reenter without removing any equipment that has blood on
it. Play will NOT continue until all blood has been removed from the playing surface.
14. Intramural Sports Policies
The Intramural Sports Policies govern the policies and procedures of all play.
15. Protests
Follow the protest procedures outlined in the Intramural Sports Policies.
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