INFORMAL
DIVISION                                                                        GUIDELINES FOR
VOLLEYBALL RULES

ARCHICHOKE/ENGINERD
VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE
REVISED 23 May 2006

1.  The captains from each team shall decide
together prior to the first game of that evening by what rules the games shall
be played.  The following are an
attempt at a middle of the road approach.
They shall be the rules for the match unless the two captains agree
beforehand to amend any item.  The
two captains may elect to use strict US Volleyball Rules (a copy of rules
should be on hand) or may relax any of the following rules.

2.  Court Dimensions: Width shall be 30
ft.  Depth shall be 30-ft. back from
the net on each side.   The
entire boundary shall be clearly marked by a continuous rope.  The net shall be 8 ft. high in the
center of the court.

3.  All individual games shall be to 25
points, win by 2, except first team to 27 points wins, using rally scoring
(Under this system a team can score a point on a volley they win even if they
didn’t serve). A match shall consist of 5 games, each game counts as one
point in the standings.  Spin the
ball or use rock, scissors, paper to determine first serve. Change sides when
the first team reaches 13 points in the 5th game only.

4.  A team shall consist of a maximum of six
(6) players on the field at one time and a minimum of three (3).  A minimum of one (1) of the fielded
players must be a woman. Maximum number of men is 4 at any one time.  You must comply with all the above to
have a “legal” team.

5.  There is no “Woman must hit the
ball” rule.

6.  The match should start by 6:45 PM.  The forfeit time for the first game of a
match is 6:50 PM.  You must have a
“legal” team by 6:50 PM (see rule #4).  Subsequent games shall be forfeited at
15-minute intervals. (Nets shall be set up no later than 6:30 PM.

7.  Player positions shall rotate clockwise
on service (including on the first side out).  The exact position that a player rotates
into is at the individual team’s option.  However, the system shall not be changed
during the game.  A team may also
use open substitution, but it must be for the same players each time in a game.

8.  The service must be from anywhere behind
the back court line on your side.
This rule can be modified by the two captains to accommodate an
obstruction such as a tree branch.
Contact with an obstruction such as a branch by the ball shall be a
“play-over” unless agreed to otherwise.  You may have unlimited tosses during the
serve as long as you let the ball drop to ground untouched on any bad
tosses.  The serve touching the net
as it goes over is a legal serve when using the 25 point rally scoring system.

9.  The ball hit out of bounds is a turn
over (side out) to the opposing team.    Whether blocking or hitting,
it is the last person that touches the ball before it goes out of bounds who is
charged with the turn over.  It is
legal to hit the ball from outside the court as long as it goes between the
lines at the poles before it crosses to the opponent’s side.  If the ball touches you before it hits
the ground, even though you are standing out of bounds it counts as a contact.  A ball touching any part of a boundary
line is considered to be “in”.

10.  Each team is allowed 3 contacts (hits)
on their side.  Blocks (contacts at
and above the net) do not count as one of your 3 hits.  The ball can be played with any part of
the body, but never twice in a row by the same person except during a block.  In this Division except in the
“Serious” group, only the very obvious “carries” and
“throws” where the ball comes to stop or catch are to be turnovers.

11.  It is legal for you to break the plane
of the net on the follow through of your hit as long as a portion of the ball
was on your side when you initially contacted it and you do not hit the net in
the process.  It is also legal to go
over the net to block an opponent’s “hit” as long as you
don’t touch the net and you don’t interfere with an
opponent’s “set”.
IE: the ball you are blocking has to be heading over the net not
parallel to the net.
Blocking/Spiking the serve at the net is not legal.

12.  Touching the net is a foul only when
actively setting, blocking or hitting in the vicinity of the ball.

13.  Hard driven balls (spikes and serves)
can now be received with hands apart overhead by “passing” the ball
as long as it is not an obvious catch and throw.

14.  Since there are no refs, it is important
for each player to call their own their own faults, touches and net
violations.  If there is any
dispute, only the captains shall discuss it. If they can not agree, the point
shall be “played over”.

15.  Above all, remember this league is not
the Olympics.  Don’t get too
serious and have some fun!