University of South Carolina Beaufort
6v6 Intramural Volleyball League
*Please refer to the Captains Manual for a complete list of all Intramural Sport guidelines and procedures
*League will be played according to the National Federation of High School volleyball rules with the following
exceptions:
A. General IM Procedures
1. All participants must display a valid USCB ID card before each game in order to play.
a. No ID – NO PLAY – NO EXCEPTIONS!
2. Game time is forfeit time. In order to avoid a forfeit, teams should arrive at least 15 minutes before their scheduled
start time
3. No jewelry can be worn during games. Captains are responsible for making sure all jewelry is removed before a player
takes the court. A player may be given a technical foul if found with jewelry on after teams have been warned.
4. Sportsmanship: If a player is ejected, their team will play down a player for the remainder of the game.
B. Location
1. Games will be played at the Sand Shark Recreation Center, Courts 1 & 2
C. Rules of the Game
1. Players and Substitutes
a. A team consists of 6 players on the court
b. There must be a minimum of 4 players to start a match.
i. If only 4 players are available, back row restrictions only apply to the player in the serving position. If a team is
playing with 5 players, then there must be 3 players on the front row.
c. In CoRec, teams must have an equal number of men and women on the court.
d. Substitutions may only be made in the server position and the substitute must play a full rotation which includes a
serve.
i. In CoRec, it must be a guy for guy and girl for girl.
D. Equipment
1. Intramural sports will provide the official game ball. If both teams agree to use a different ball, it may be used. Warm
up balls may be checked out with a valid ID from equipment issue.
2. Non-Marking athletic shoes and athletic attire are required for participation.
3. Any athletic brace with exposed metal must be covered and/or taped. IM sports will not be responsible for providing
tape.
E. The Game
1. All matches shall consist of the best 2 out of 3 games.
2. The rally scoring system will be used. Each service (that is not replayed) will result in a point regardless of whether the
team was serving or not.
3. The first team to reach 25 with a 2-point lead wins games 1 and 2; the third game is played to 15.
i. The first 2 games are capped at 30 points (ex: if teams are tied at 26, the first team to score the 27th point shall
be the winner). The third game is capped at 17 points.
4. A coin toss (or even/odd) determines which team serves first in the first match of the game. The winner of the toss
choose first serve or side. A new coin toss is performed before the third game, if necessary.
5. After each game of the match, the teams will switch sides of the court.
6. Each team is allotted one timeout per game (30 seconds). Timeouts do not carry over from game to game.
F. The Playing Area
1. The walls, baskets, backboards, and supports are out of play. Ceilings are in play if the ball stays on the side of the
team that played the ball, provided it was not that team’s third hit.
2. A player cannot enter an adjacent court scheduled for a match in order to play the ball.
G. Playing the Ball
1. Up to 3 consecutive hits are allowed for each team to play the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court. The
ball must clear the net on the third contact or that team loses the point and the serve.
i. In CoRec game, both genders must contact the ball in any order before it crosses the net.
2. Any player that makes contact with the ball shall be considered as having played the ball.
3. The ball may be hit with any part of the body.
4. Players may have successive contacts of the ball during the block.
5. The ball must be hit in such a manner that it rebounds cleaning after contact with a player – no double hits.
6. A ball cleanly hit with one or both hands from a position below the ball is considered a good play.
7. A ball in the vertical plane above the net may be played by either team.
8. Carries – when the ball visibly comes to rest in the hands or arms of a player, it is considered as having been held;
scooping, lifting, pushing, or allowing the ball to roll on the body shall be considered a form of carrying.
9. If 2 or more players of the same team contact the ball simultaneously, it is considered only 1 contact.
H. Blocking
1. Only players who are in the front row at the time of service can block a ball. Back row players may not block or
participate in a block, but may play the ball in any other position near or away from the block.
2. Any player participating in a block shall have the right to make the next contact. The block does not count as a hit.
3. Blocking or attacking a served ball is illegal.
4. Blocking of the ball across the net above is legal under the following conditions:
i. The block occurs after a player of the attacking team has spiked the ball or after the attacking team has
completed their allowable 3 hits.
ii. The ball is falling near the net and no member of the attacking team can reasonably make a play.
iii. The opponents have hit the ball so that, in the official’s judgment, the ball would clearly cross the net if not
touched by any player, and no member of the attacking team is in a position to make a legal play on the ball.
I. Playing Faults
1. If either team, or a player from either team, commits a fault the opposing team will be awarded a point.
2. If faults by opponents occur at approximately the same time, the referee shall determine which fault occurred first
and shall penalize only that fault. If both faults are judged to occur simultaneously, a double fault shall be declared, and
a replay will happen.
J. Net Faults
1. If a player’s action causes that player to contact the net during play – accidentally or not – with any part of the body
or uniform, that player’s team shall be charged with a fault.
2. A player may touch the floor across the center line with one or both feet/hands provided a part of the foot/feed or
hands remain on or above the center line. Contacting the floor across the center line with any other part of the body is
illegal.
3. Players gaining an advantage (in the judgment of the official) from contact with the official’s stand or net support
standards shall be charged with a fault.
K. Service
1. The server shall have 5 seconds after the official’s whistle to contact the ball for service.
i. If after releasing or throwing the ball for service, the server allows the ball to fall to the floor without being hit
or contacted, the service effort shall be cancelled and a re-serve directed. The server is permitted a re-serve without
penalty once during each term of service.
2. In CoRec, serving order and positions on the court shall alternate between male and female.
3. The server may serve from anywhere along the back of the out-of-bounds line.
4. “Let serves” are legal: the service is considered good if the ball passes over the net between the antennae.
5. The team serving first in the preceding game of the match shall receive the serve first in the next game of the match,
except in the third game of the match.
6. The team that receives the ball for the first service of each game shall rotate one position clockwise before serving.
7. The players of the serving team must not, through screening, prevent the receiving players from watching the server
or the trajectory of the ball. Screening is illegal and a fault.
8. At the time the ball is contacted for the serve, the placement of players on the court must conform to the service
order (the server is exempt from this requirement).
9. Under or overhand serves only – no jump serves.
10. If server’s foot crosses the line during serving it is consider a foot fault
11. Out of rotation on service: Team loses serve and a point is rewarded to the receiving team; Players must
immediately resume correct position
L. Player Positions
1. The positions, in order of rotation for service, are:
a. Right Back
b. Right Front
c. Center Front
d. Left Front
e. Left Back
f. Center Back
2. After the ball is served, teams are free to move out of these positions.
3. When a team is awarded a service (on a point where the opposing team served), they shall rotate clockwise one (1)
position.
M. Actions
1. Front line players may contact the ball from any position inside or outside the court except while positioned
completely across the center line extended.
2. Back line players positioned behind the spiking line may contact the ball from any position inside or outside the court.
3. Back line players shall not:
a. Participate in a block or attempt to block
b. Return a ball that is completely above the height of the net while positioned:
i. On or in front of the spiking line extended
ii. In the air, having left the floor on or in front of its spiking line extended
c. Play a ball while positioned completely across the center line or its out of bounds extension
4. A player may touch the floor across the center line or its out of bounds extension with one or both feet, provided a
part of the foot remains on or above the center line. Contacting the floor across the center line extended with any other
part of the body is illegal.
N. Playoffs
1. All teams are eligible for playoffs, provided that they do not forfeit more than once.