Ontario Parks & Recreation Department
ADULT COED VOLLEYBALL RULES
SPECIAL NOTES
1. Children CAN NOT be brought into the gymnasium. The Ontario Recreation
Department and its officials/referees are NOT responsible for the safety of your
children. They could be easily and severely hurt.
SO PLEASE, DO NOT BRING CHILDREN WITH YOU!
2. Smoking is NOT permitted on the patio/entranceway to the Community Center.
3. Alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs are NOT permitted on premises.
4. If facility is closed due to inclement weather the volleyball captains will be notified of
the cancellation.
TEAM ORGANIZATIONS
1. ALL players are required to read, complete, and sign the team’s “Agreement to
Participate” form. No player may participate unless they have done so.
2. A team roster may consist of a maximum of 12 players. Each player must be 18
years of age and out of high school. Roster changes may be made during the first
four weeks of play, ONLY.
3. Substitutes need to be listed on the roster with (sub) designated next to their name.
A person may sub for multiple teams throughout the year but may ONLY sub for
one team per night. This means a SUB may play twice in a single night – once for
their own team and once for the team they’re subbing for. Inter-team subbing is
only allowed during regular season play – not Playoffs. Division 2 players may sub
up for Division 1 but Division 1 can’t sub down for Division 2.
4. In order to qualify to play in the playoffs, individual team members must have played
at least two nights of regular season play. If a substitute has met the minimum
qualification prior to playoffs, and has subbed for multiple teams throughout the
season, they are ONLY allowed to play for one team during the playoffs.
5. Each team should have six, (6) players on the court. If this is not possible, a team
may play with as few as three (3), four (4) or five (5) players. A team must have a
minimum of three (3) players to start and/or finish a game/match.
6. At least one woman or one male MUST be on the court at all times!
7. If a team has only three (3) players on the court, the server will be considered the
sole BACKLINE PLAYER. If other team members arrive during play of a game,
giving a team four (4), five (5) or six (6) players, they may enter the game at any
time, but only when play is dead. Player(s) entering a game may enter only as
BACKLINE PLAYER (S). The current server must remain in the service position
until service rotation occurs for the team (SIDEOUT).
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8. If a team has six (6) players on the court, substitutions may be made only when a
team rotates service order, which occurs during a side-out, giving the team service.
9. When substituting a player in, they must complete one full rotation before subbing
back out.
**EXCEPTION: In case of injury, a substitution may be made immediately, regardless
of the player’s position on the court. The injured player may re-enter the game during a
service-rotation, anywhere on the court.
GENERAL RULES
1. A match consists of three (3) games. All three games will be played and count
toward the teams league record. A side-out occurs when the serving team fails to
score or a team loses the right to score.
2. Teams must be ready to start at scheduled game times. There will be a 5 minute
grace period before the first game is forfeited. After 20 minutes, the entire match is
forfeited.
3. Game #1: Before the first game, the official will flip a coin with the captain or team
representative being involved. The winner of the toss chooses serve OR side of
court.
Game #2: Teams change sides. The team not serving first in game #1 shall serve
first.
Game #3: The captain or team representative not calling the coin toss in game #1
will call the coin flip before game #3, winner choosing serve or side of
court.
3. Each team will be allowed two (2) time outs per game. Time-outs must be called
before the ball is served or when play is dead.
4. Players should not wear jewelry.
5. A guard, cast or brace made of hard material is NOT permitted on the finger, hand,
wrist, forearm or elbow.
6. After the ball is contacted for the serve, players may move from their respective
positions but must maintain back/front row orientation. Switching may be done only
after the server has contacted the ball to begin play.
ROTATION
1. When the referee catches a team out of rotation, a point or side out is awarded to
the other team.
2. If a team catches themselves out of rotation and corrects it there is no penalty
accessed.
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3. If the receiving team catches the serving team out of rotation the serve is given to
the other team, points earned by the serving team while out of rotation will be taken
away.
SCORING
1. Rally Scoring - When a team fails to serve properly, return the ball, or commits any
other fault, the opponent wins the rally and scores a point. The consequences are:
a. If the serving team wins the rally, it scores a point and continues to serve.
b. If the receiving team wins the rally, it scores a point and gains the right to
serve.
2. Teams are to be ready to play at their scheduled times. All games are to start ontime. If less than three (3) players are available, the team must forfeit the first
game. If additional players arrive late, they can enter the court after a dead ball,
with official’s permission and only in the back row.
Regular season ~ First team to 25 points wins
Playoffs ~ First team to 25 points with a 2-point lead, cap at 28 points.
SERVING
1. A served ball that contacts the net and continues to the opponent’s side of the net
will remain in play.
2. The server must make contact with the ball while standing in the service area, which
may be anywhere along the back line.
3. The server alternates.
4. When there is a violation collated by the serving team, and a side-out is awarded to
the opponent. A team rotates one position clockwise when awarded service to serve
until service is lost or the game ends.
5. Overhand, underhand, or windmill (roundhouse) serves are legal, provided the ball
is hit, not thrown or carried. The ball may touch the net but must /land in the court
boundaries-ON THE LINE IS GOOD.
6. A serve may NOT be blocked or attacked above the plane of the net.
7. If service occurs before the official’s whistle, service will be replayed.
HITTING/BLOCKING/SPIKING
1. A team is allowed three (3) hits to return the ball over the net.
2. The ball MAY NOT be scooped underhand, thrown, or held, these are ILLEGAL
CARRIES.
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3. A LEGAL HIT is contact with the ball by a player’s body which does not allow the
ball to visibly come to rest. The ball may contact any part of the body.
Legal hits are as follows:
BLOCK: An attempt to prevent the ball from crossing the net, in which a player
extends both, arms overhead A BLOCK DOES NOT COUNT AS A HIT. Blocking
a ball which is entirely on the other side of the net is permitted ONLY when the
other team has had an opportunity to complete its attack. ONLY WHEN:
a. Attacking team has completed three (3) hits.
b. Attacking team spikes or directs the ball with intent to return it to the
opponent.
c. The ball is near the net, and in the officials judgement, no one could make a
play on the ball.
DINK/DUNK: A fake spike, fingertip play, in which the attacking player gently
tips the ball over the outstretched hands of the blockers into the opponent’s
court. The ball MAY NOT be thrown, slam-dunked, re-directed or lifted.
PASS: A play in which the ball is hit into the air so another player may get into
position to hit the ball contact of the ball should be made with a solid surface
formed by the forearms.
POWER DUMP: (advanced skill): Attacker (see dink/dunk above) performs the
DUMP with power/speed with single contact. POWER DUMPS ARE ILLEGAL
WHEN:
a. The ball stops or comes to a rest in the player’s hand.
b. Attacker (dumper) changes direction with the ball.
c. The move is made so slowly as to be illegally carried.
SET: usually the second contact of the ball by a team - the objective of the set is
to put the ball in position for a teammate to be able to ATTACTK/SPIKE (see
spike below). To set the ball, contact is made at head level or above the head
by the hands (fingers) in one clean motion or by forming a solid surface with the
forearms.
SPIKE: powerful contact with the ball – the ball is hit with force into the
opponent’s court from above the net. The ball may not visibly come to rest in the
attacker’s hand, be thrown or slam-dunked. When spiking the ball, contact with
the ball is made with a one-hand overhead motion, in front of the body (tennisserve/smash motion). Legal contact, with respect to the position of the ball, may
be made:
a. If the ball is on the attacker’s side of the net.
b. If the ball is partially above the net.
*THE BALL MAY NOT BE ATTACKED OR SPIKED IF THE BALL IS ON THE
OPPONENT’S SIDE OF THE NET.
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4. A back row player may NOT come up to the front row (10’area) to attack, block, or
attempt to block the ball. A back row player may pass or set the ball from the front
row, provided the position of the ball is not completely higher than the net.
A BACK ROW PLAYER MAY ATTACK THE BALL OR FAKE ATTACK IF THE
PLAYER TAKES OFF FROM BEHIND THE 10’ LINE.
5. Two (2) players hitting the ball simultaneously counts as one (1) hit – either player
may participate in the next hit.
6. A double hit occurs when a player hits the ball twice in succession. A double hit is
ILLEGAL, except in the following instances:
a. When a blocker touches the ball while in the act of blocking, then plays the
ball again.
b. When the ball deflects off two different parts of a player’s body upon
receiving a hard driven spike.
NET/LINES/BOUNDRIES
1. A player may NOT step into the adjacent court to play the ball if there is a match
being played. The ball would become dead and the result would be a point or side
out. If at the start of the match, there is no scheduled game in the adjacent court, a
player may utilize that court.
2. A player may not make contact with the net, unless the ball drives the net into the
player. In the event a player makes contact with the net while they are not
playing the ball, it is considered to be inadvertent and no penalty will be
assessed.
3. A player may play while in the out-of-bound area, but not off of the walls or wall
attachments. Where the green canvas meets the tan canvas is to serve as the
boundary line. Green is out of bound and tan is inbound. Light’s and cables are
inbound. Official’s judgment will be used.
4. A player on team A may play the ball off the ceiling if the ball hits the ceiling or
apparatus/attachments on team A’s side of the court after being hit by player on
team A and comes down into team A’s side of the court. A ball hit by team A:
a. May not be advances to team B’s side of the court from the ceiling or
apparatus/attachments.
b. Is not playable if the ball hits team B’s ceiling side and them returns into team
A’s side of the court (point or side out for opponent)
4. A ball that lands on the line is good.
5. It is not a fault to cross the extension of center line (outside the boundaries of the
court). While across the extension of the center line outside the court, a player of
the attacking team may play a ball that has not fully passed beyond the plane of the
net. Opponents may not interfere with a player on the ball may not interfere with an
opponent. A player may step one foot across the center line to play the ball.
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6. Contact with the cable outside of the antennas is out of bounds, resulting in point or
side-out.
OFFICIATING
1. A VIOLATION is failure to play as permitted by the rules, your help with net and line
call is appreciated please be honest – PLAY FAIR.
2. A DOUBLE VIOLATION is simultaneous fouls by both teams, point is replayed.
3. The officials may be addressed (nicely of course) by the FLOOR CAPTAINS ONLY!
Only NYS certified officials are used for this league and they are up-to-date on
current rules and procedures.
****Please
do not abuse or harass the officials! Doing so is an unsportsman like
conduct violation and will result in any of the following:
1. Yellow Card: Caution you are pushing your luck, pull yourself together
and be nice.
2. Red Card: Point side-out awarded to opponent. Yellow does not have
to precede red.
3. Yellow and Red card together: The player is suspended for the
games and or match.
4. Decisions of officials will be final – NO Refunds on entry fees.
PLEASE BE SURE THAT ALL PLAYERS ON YOUR TEAM HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE RULES.
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