|
Official JSVBA 4-Player Rules
Law 1 - Safety & Responsibility of the Participants
- The safety of the participants is of paramount importance.
- Any dangerous or potentially harmful hazards should be removed from the area of competition.
- If the hazard can not be removed, the site of the competition should be changed.
- The participants are expected to know and understand the laws of the game of volleyball.
- Players shall call and enforce the appropriate penalties for their own infractions (faults).
Law 2 - The Volleyball Court and Game Equipment
- The court is rectangular in shape and is 29 feet 6 inches wide by 59 feet long.
- The court is divided into two evenly sized 29'-6" sections by the net.
- An unmarked centerline directly under the net separates the two sections of the court.
- The court boundaries shall be marked in an appropriate manner.
- The court lines or boundaries and the area inside the lines are IN.
- The surrounding area is OUT.
- The ball shall be spherical with an approximate circumference of 26".
- The net shall be of an appropriate size and made of an appropriate material.
- The net shall extend completely across the width of the court at a predetermined height.
- For men's competition the height from the ground to the top of the net shall be 7'-11 5/8".
- For women's competition the height shall be 7'- 4 1/8".
Law 3 - The Referee(s)
- The referee shall enforce the Laws of the Game.
- The referee may warn or penalize (by the awarding of points or service to the opponents, ejection of a player or team, or disqualification of a team) a team or player for infractions of the laws (faults) or for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Law 4 - The Game
- The game shall consist of two opposing teams of four players per team.
- Mixed Fours (Co-Ed) rules require that one female participant be on the court at all times.
- Each team attempts to keep the ball from contacting the IN area of play on their section of the court and to direct the ball over the net to contact the opponent's IN area of play by striking or hitting the ball.
Law 5 - The Rules of Play
(Interpretations of the rules are italicized)
- Rule 1 ~~~~~ Contacting the Ball
- The ball must be struck or hit.
- Rule 2 ~~~~~ Service
- Service is the act of hitting the ball from behind the endline and between the sidelines at the start of play in an attempt to direct the ball into the opponent's IN area of the court.
- The same player continues to serve until the serving team commits a fault.
- Once a service order (rotation) has been established for the three players they must follow the same order (rotation) throughout the game.
- The ball must be tossed or dropped before being hit for service. (Once the ball has been tossed or dropped for service it must be hit. Should the ball strike the ground without being hit it is a fault and service is awarded to the other team.)
- After being tossed or dropped, the ball must be hit with one hand or any part of the arm.
- Rule 3 ~~~~~ Play
- Once the ball is put into play by service, play continues until one team commits an infraction of the laws or rules (fault).
- Rule 4 ~~~~~ Infractions of the Laws or Rules (Faults)
- The commission of a fault results in the stoppage of play.
- Simultaneous faults by opponents will result in a replay being directed by the referee.
- A player involved in the action of Hitting or Blocking shall be penalized for the commission of a fault, even after the ball has contacted the ground, if the player contacts the net prior to getting the player's body under control, before or after returning to the ground.
- Example: A player, after blocking the ball to the ground in the opponent's court, lands, then contacts the net, even though the touch of the net occurs after the ball has struck the ground, the player will still be charged with a net fault.
- Infractions (Faults) occur when:
- The ball does not pass over the net and completely between the net supports or antennas (if used) when directed to the opponent's side of the court.
- Net Boundary: The ball must be played between and not over the poles or antennas (if used). If any part of the ball touches the pole or antennas (if used), its hardware, or goes over the pole or antennas (if used) it is a fault.
- The ball contacts the ground, floor, net poles or antennas (if used) and/or hardware, referee, or any area deemed out of play.
- Court Boundary: If the line moves, the ball is in, unless the ball lands clearly outside the line.
- The server during the service action touches the endline, sideline, the IN area of the court, or the area not behind the endline and between the sidelines.
- Foot Fault: If the line moves, it is a fault, unless the server clearly and obviously did not touch or move the line.
- Service Area: You may serve from anywhere behind the endline and between the sidelines. The last contact with the ground for both feet of a server prior to contacting the ball must take place behind the endline and between the sidelines.
- The ball after being contacted by the server contacts anything other than the net prior to completely passing over the net and into the opponent's side of the court.
- Let Serve Rule: The serve may contact the net, play continues.
- The ball is not clearly and cleanly hit.
- Lift: Any ball that comes to a rest is a fault.
- Soft Shot (Dink): Any open hand soft shot that is directed by contact with the pads of the fingers is a fault. The ball must be hit.
- A player or the player's clothing contacts the net.
- Hair: Hair contacting the net is not considered a fault.
- Net Movement: If the net contacts the player due to the ball contacting and moving the net it is not considered a fault.
- Intentionally creating or allowing contact with the net while attempting to deflect, or deflecting the path of a ball on the other side of the net is a fault. See Fault #9
- Interpretation: If a player (not in the act of blocking a ball that may come over the net) sees that a ball played by the opposing team will contact the net and remain on their side, and the player then positions the player's hand or another body part in such a way as to disrupt the path of the ball through contact with the ball in an attempt to deflect the ball away from the opposing player, the player shall be considered to have committed a fault.
- Referee Instruction: A player should not be penalized if the net and/or ball strikes them inadvertently, however, the player should not be permitted to intentionally gain an advantage by deflecting a ball that is not even partially on the player's side of the net.
- A team contacts the ball more than three times before returning the ball to the opponent's side of the net with the following exception.
- Blocking: You may block the ball on the opponent's side of the net by reaching over the net. You may only block a ball that has been directed by the opposing team into your court or if the opposing team has contacted the ball their allotted three times. The block does not count as one of the team's three hits.
- A player contacts the ball two or more times in succession with the exception of the team's first contact. If the first contact of the ball is played overhand using the fingers prolonged contact with the ball is a fault.
- Double Hit: You may double hit the ball on your team's first contact of the ball as long as it would be considered one attempt to play the ball. You may not play the ball with an open handed setting motion and have any prolonged contact except in defense of a hard spiked ball. In defense of a hard spiked ball a "beach dig" is allowed. You may only "beach dig" a hard spiked (hard driven) ball. A Serve is never considered a hard spiked ball. A hard spiked ball is defined as a ball that has been hit from above the height of the net directly toward the ground with NO UPWARD ARC in the trajectory of the ball and with significant velocity. A ball that has touched the net or blocker {may or may not} be considered hard spiked (referee's decision).
- A player contacts the ball when the ball is completely on the opponent's side of the court, except during a legal block.
- Attack Over: You may not touch a ball that is not at least partially on your side of or above the net except during blocking. (See Blocking Interpretation for further explanation.)
- You may not play a ball once it has passed completely over or under the net between the poles or antennas (if used). A player may retrieve a ball that has passed the centerline either over or outside of the poles or antennas (if used). The ball *must* be returned to the player's court either outside or over the poles or antennas (if used).
- A player crosses the centerline and interferes with the player's opponent's ability to play the game.
- Centerline: You may cross the centerline as long as this does not interfere with your opponents.
- Referees: Contact with the opponent is not a requirement for interference to occur. If a collision appears likely Stop Play!
- Players: Please Do Not Endanger Another Player
- The ball is hit before being tossed or dropped for service.
- The ball is caught or strikes the ground after having been tossed or dropped for service before being hit.
- Once the ball is tossed you must serve it. If the ball strikes the ground or is caught without being hit after being released for service it is a fault and service is awarded to the other team. You are no longer permitted a second attempt to serve if you don't like your toss.
- Rule 5 ~~~~~ Rally Scoring Points or Awarding of Service (Sideout)
- A point is awarded to the serving team when the receiving team commits a fault.
- Service (Sideout) and a point is awarded to the receiving team when the serving team commits a fault.
- Rule 6 ~~~~~ Substitution
- Substitution is permitted. One or more additional players may be included on the team for substitution.
- Substitution is unlimited and unrestricted.
- Rule 7 ~~~~~ End of the Game
- Each team attempts to accumulate a predetermined number of points before their opponents.
- When the point total is reached the game is ended.
Law 5a - Additional JSVBA Rules of Play
- Time Outs: Each team may take two one minute time outs per game.
- Rotation of Position: You need not rotate positions.
- Incorrect Service Order: There is no penalty for serving out of order. Correct the error when (if) discovered.
- Changing sides: Teams shall change sides every 5 pts.
- Ties in Pools: If tied for the last qualifying position in pool play, play one rally point game (point every serve) to 15.
- Forfeits: If a team is not prepared to play at the start of their match they shall be penalized one point per minute until such time as they start to play or until the game point total is reached. You must have 2 players to start or continue.
- Protests: Only interpretations of the rules may be protested. If a team protests to the Tournament Director they will be charged all of their remaining time outs. If they have no time outs left then their opponents will be awarded three points if the protest is not upheld by the TD.
- Tournament Director: The Tournament Director will have the final decision on all matters. The Director may and will do whatever is necessary to finish the tournament, including shortening or changing the number of games, etc.
|
