Coed 4's Social League Rules

Team:

1. The maximum number of players on the court during play is 4 per team.

2. Team rosters shall include a minimum of 5 players, including at least 2 of each gender. To play without penalty, teams must meet this requirement on the court at all times. 

3. Teams will be permitted to play with a penalty for the following scenarios: 

   1. A team does not have 4 players total, or cannot meet the gender requirement, they may start with as few as 3 players, provided that there is at least 1 player of each gender. Teams CAN play with 3 males + 1 female or with 3 females + 1 male on the court. 

   2. The penalty for this scenario is a 3-point deficit for every set that they are short. If a player comes late, the 3 point penalty can be waived for the remaining sets but not any sets in progress.  

4. All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will forfeit the game.

5. Players arriving late may join a game already in progress by going into the rotation line.

6. All players present during the match may, but are not required to, play in each game of the match.

7. The player order for the purpose of rotation (and serve) must be determined before each game, however, it may be altered between games.

8. Late Registration: a team may add players to their own roster through the deadlines indicated on the registration site.  

Playing Area:

1. The volleyball court shall measure approximately 60 feet long by 30 feet wide.

Equipment:

1. Games will be played with a regulation volleyball provided by the League or a personal ball agreed upon by both captains at the start of play.

2. Shoes should not be worn during play for the safety of all players

Game Clock:

1. Each match shall be completed within 50 minutes, or after the completion of the 3 sets. If the 3rd set cannot be completed on time, score will be entered as is, and with the team ahead at that time getting the victory for the 3rd set. 

Service:

1. A coin toss shall determine which team makes the first serve. The losing team of each set will receive the first serve of the corresponding match.

2. Serve must be delivered from behind the boundary line.

3. Served balls that contact the net on the way over are considered live and may be played.

4. Served balls are dead, and a side-out and point awarded to the opposing team if:

   1. The ball fails to cross the top of the net.

   2. The ball makes contact with the ceiling or other obstruction.

   3. The ball lands out of bounds.

   4. The ball contacts a serving team's player prior to crossing the net.

Returns:

1. Any part of the body may be used to hit the ball, including feet.

2. Serves may not be attacked or blocked; i.e. they may not be returned when the ball is higher than the top of the net.

3. The ball must be returned with no more than three hits.

4. A player may not hit the ball twice in a row.

5. No part of a player's body is permitted to break the plane of the net (the area above the net) for any reason, including when blocking on a return.

Rotation:

1. When a team receives the ball after a side-out has been called on the opposing team, the team shall rotate available players prior to serving. Serving order must remain the same for the duration of the set. 

2. The next player waiting on the sideline shall be rotated into the game into the server's position.

3. When 4 players are on the court, there shall be 2 players considered to be in the front row and 2 players in the back row at each serve.  After the ball is served, all players are eligible to play front and back.

Side Outs:

1. If a team commits an error or foul, a side out shall be called, 1 point and service awarded to the opposing team.
   Errors include:

   1. Ball lands out of bounds not contacting the line in any way.

   2. Ball fails to pass over the net on a serve.

   3. Carrying the ball (lift).

   4. Team contact with the ball more than three times in a return.

   5. A player contacting the ball more than once in a row.

   6. Ball contacts the ceiling or hanging object prior to crossing the net.

2. Faults include:

   1. A player making contact with the net during the serve, unless the net is pushed into the player.

   2. Breaking the plane of the net with any part of the body.

   3. Blocking a serve.

   4. Making contact with the net while attempting to play the ball. Exceptions: Incidental contact by a player not actively attempting to play the ball is NOT a fault. Contact with the net as a result of the movement of the net is NOT a fault.

   5. Crossing the plane of the net (area above the net).

   6. Illegal rotation or substitution.

   7. A player making contact with the opposing team's side of the court, interfering with another player's play.

   8. Unsportsmanlike conduct.

Scoring:

1. One point shall be awarded for each service, i.e. "rally scoring".

2. The first team to score 21 points by a margin of 2 or more, or to reach a cap of 23 by any margin shall win the set. For the third set, there is a hard cap at 15 points. 

3. If a team has scored 21 points without a margin of 2 or more points, game play and scoring will continue until the margin has been reached or a team has reached 23 points.For the third set, the 2-point margin does not apply in regular season games - first to 15 wins. 

4. Each set will be 3 Matches with each Match counting as 1 point in the Standings.

Forfeits:

1. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements at the posted game time. Any team not ready to play at this time will receive a 5-minute buffer, after 5 minutes the opposing Team wins the First Match.  After 10 Minutes, the score is recorded 3-0 and a forfeit is official.

2. If neither team is ready to play, both teams shall forfeit.

3. Teams that forfeit (3) times during one season will be removed from the league schedule and forfeited out of the league.
    

Cancellation Policy:

1. Email Alerts are primarily used to inform participants of canceled games due to inclement weather and field conditions.  These cancellation decisions typically don't occur before 5 pm the day of the game. Participants should always assume their game is being played as scheduled unless they hear otherwise from Gainesville Volleyball staff.

2. If the league is canceled due to insufficient sign-ups at the end of the registration period, players will receive a complete refund of their registration fee.

3. We cannot control the weather - we will make every effort to play through moderate rain but will cancel for severe lightning or unplayable court conditions at the discretion of the league directors. If we have to cancel a league night due to weather, a makeup match is not guaranteed.

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No Show Policy:

1. Two team "No Call No Shows" disqualifies your team from playoffs. Please let us know if you can't field a full team on a certain night!