Volleyball Rules
The following Volleyball Rules are governed by the most current NFHS Volleyball Rules Book.
Court
The volleyball courts are located in the HPE gym.
Procedures
1.
Each team should have a captain and a team name. a.
The captain’s responsibilities include: attending all captain’s meetings, making sure each player signs-up on-line (or signs the team entry form), paying the team’s entry fee, guaranteeing eligibility of the players on their roster, informing their team of the procedures and rules, being the spokesperson for their team during each game, providing their team with the schedule or any rescheduled games, and controlling the conduct of their team.
2.
Each member of the team must sign the waiver before participating, including those individuals added to the roster during regular season play. No more than 15 individuals on a roster. No individual may be added to the roster after play-offs begin.
3.
No jewelry (including rubber band bracelets), hair clips, barrettes, or caps.
4.
Any player bleeding must leave the game and is not able to return until the bleeding has stopped and the wound has been covered. If blood is on the clothes or jersey, the player must change before reentering the game.
5.
Team members have to play in 50% of the games to be eligible to receive an intramural champion t-shirt.
6.
Eligibility: a.
All LSUS undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled in classes. All LSUS faculty and staff members employed during the current semester. LSUHSC students enrolled in the current semester. b.
A valid LSUS or LSUHSC ID MUST be presented to the Recreational Sports staff at check-in. If you do not present your ID before each game, you WILL NOT be eligible to participate. c.
A student who has received a scholarship or has participated in intercollegiate competitions shall not be eligible to compete in that particular sport (or similar sport) for at least one semester following being on the Varsity Athletic
Team. d.
Only 1 ex collegiate player of the same or similar sport may participate on each team. e.
Any individual participating in a university club sport is not eligible for that sport during the same year. Athletes who have participated at the professional level in the same sport are not eligible for three years after his/her professional experience. f.
Players may only play on one team unless playing in a men’s or women’s league and co-rec league. g.
Players may not switch teams once their name is on a roster.
7.
Entry Fees : To help eliminate forfeits and to maintain the quality of the Recreational Sports Program, Recreational Sports has instituted fees for recreational activities. Fees are due with the entry form and must be received by the entry deadline.
Failure to pay the total fee by the entry deadline will result in the team not being scheduled. Recreational Sport’s fees vary depending on the sport. The only time a refund may be given is when a team has paid and not enough teams sign-up to form a league.
8.
Forfeits a.
If a participant or team fails to begin five minutes after the scheduled starting time, the Director of Recreational
Sports or Intramural Supervisor may declare the contest forfeited to the team ready to play. If neither team is ready to play five minutes after the scheduled starting time, a double forfeit will be declared. b.
Teams will forfeit any games in which they used an ineligible player. c.
If, in the opinion of the officials or supervisor, a team is not playing the game within the spirit of the rules, or according to acceptable fair play, the game may be stopped and a forfeit declared against one or both teams. d.
Two forfeits during a given season will result in the team being dropped from the league for the remainder of the current sport’s season. e.
Any team that forfeits will receive a 1 for sportsmanship and the team forfeited against will receive a 5.
9.
Protests a.
Protests regarding rule misinterpretations must be made by the Team Captain before the next live ball. If the protest is the last play of the game the protest must be made before the teams leave the field. The protest must be made to a game official who should then explain the rule interpretation. If the game official is unsure of the rule, the Director of
Recreational Sports or Intramural Supervisor should be notified. b.
Protests on matters of an official’s judgment will be disregarded. c.
All protests regarding eligibility must be made in writing to the Director of Recreational Sports by the next business day after the infraction occurred. Eligibility protests of a single day event must be made during the working hours of

the business day following the event in question. Eligibility protests during playoffs must be made by NOON the day following the contest being protested. d.
Regular season eligibility protests may not be filed after postseason has begun. e.
The Director of Recreational Sports, at his/her discretion, may hold one hearing for each protest at which all parties involved may present their versions of the case before a decision is made. f.
Protests of playoff games must be made in writing within 24 hours or by 12:00 noon on the day of the next scheduled game, whichever is first.
10.
Reschedules : After the schedule is made, it is the responsibility of the Team Captain to notify the Director of Recreational
Sports ASAP of any days/times their team will be unable to play. Games will try to be rescheduled, but there is no guarantee.
If something arises at a later date, the Team Captain must notify the Director of Recreational Sports of any scheduling conflicts at least 7 business days prior to the game. Postseason games will not be rescheduled. Defaults : If the Team Captain notifies the Director of Recreational Sports at least 24 hours in advance that their team will be unable to make their upcoming game, the team will receive a loss, but not be given a forfeit.
11.
Alcohol : The use or possession of any alcoholic beverage is prohibited at any Recreational Sports activity. Use of alcohol by either participants or their fans will result in the ejection of those involved and/or the complete forfeiture of the game and may result in further disciplinary actions.
12.
Tiebreaker Policy a.
Head to Head b.
Least amount of forfeits c.
Points allowed d.
Points scored
13.
Ejections a.
Any participant or spectator who, at the discretion of the Recreational Sports Staff, does not participate in a manner suitable to the Recreational Sports competition may be ejected at any time from the game or facility. b.
Consequences for any player suspended from Recreational Sports activities, due to an ejection, will be determined by the Director of Recreational Sports or authorized designee. c.
In addition to the determined consequence for being ejected, the ejected player(s) will be required to meet with the
Director of Recreational Sports before regaining eligibility. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a team’s forfeiture of any games in which the player is involved after the suspension. This eligibility will carry over into the next sport season or academic year.
14.
Sportsmanship Points : The LSUS Recreational Sports program will use a Sportsmanship Point system based on that of the
National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). Each team will receive a sportsmanship rating from the official(s) and/or field supervisor at the conclusion of the game. The score given will be based on the scale below. a.
5 pts (Excellent) - given to a team which demonstrates good sportsmanship and maintains an excellent attitude of complete cooperation. Full and complete support of the officials. b.
4 pts (Above Average) - given to a team when there is no incident of poor sportsmanship. Respect shown for opponents and officials. c.
3 pts (Average) - given to a team when unsportsmanlike conduct is not present in the game except for rare minor infractions. Poor behavior limited to individual(s), not to the entire team. d.
2 pts (Below Average) - given to a team if players, other than the captain, persist in questioning officials' decisions; and/or they repeatedly argue with the officials. For frequent use of profane or vulgar language. If spectators clearly related to the team fail to cooperate with the officials and the team is not supportive of the officials' efforts. e.
1 pts (Poor) - given to a team when a player is ejected and the team does not assist the officials in removing the player from the area. If players disregard warning of unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct, abusive language or action, etc. If the team refuses to attempt to control their fans after a request to do so from the Director of
Recreational Sports.
15.
Qualifying for Postseason : A team must have a cumulative 3.5
average sportsmanship rating in order to be eligible for the postseason. A team must have at least a 3.0
rating for each game in the postseason to advance to the next round. Teams receiving less than a 3.0
will not be eligible to advance to the next round of postseason. Any team that receives a 1 in a playoff game will be disqualified from that playoff tournament and the team and players will be suspended from all
Recreational Sports events for a period of time to be determined by the Director of Recreational Sports. The nature and severity of the incident will be taken into account.
16.
Miscellaneous : LSUS Recreational Sports is not responsible for any injuries that occur during play. Every participant should have their own health insurance. Participating in intramurals is voluntary. Individuals injured during play must have an injury report form on file with Recreational Sports within 48 hours of the injury.
Game Guidelines

1.
The Game: a.
Teams will consist of 6 players. Four players are required to start each game. Co-rec: Any of the following combinations – 3 men, 3 women; 3 men, 2 women; 2 men, 3 women; 2 men, 2 women; 2 men, 4 women; 3 women, 1 man; 4 women, 1 man; 5 women, 1 man; 6 women. b.
Players must remove all jewelry prior to the match. c.
Players must wear court shoes. d.
Each match will consist of the best 2-of-3 games. All games will be played by rally scoring to 25 points (no cap).
Teams must win by 2 points. Teams will switch sides of the net after the first game. e.
The captain’s of each team will meet at the center of the court five minutes prior to their game. A coin toss will be completed and the winner of the coin toss will choose to serve, receive or the playing area. The loser of the toss will be given the remaining option. If a third game must be played, another coin toss will be done prior to the game. f.
A point is scored by the opponent each time a team commits a fault. g.
If the serving team wins the rally, it scores a point and continues to serve. If the receiving team wins the rally, it scores a point and gains the serve. Each time a team gains the serve, it must rotate one position clockwise before serving (except the first serve). h.
Each team is allowed two 30-second time-outs per game. i.
A ball striking the ceiling or an overhead obstruction above a playable area shall remain in play provided the ball contacts the ceiling or obstruction on the side of the net extended that is occupied by the team that last played the ball, and the ball is legally played next by the same team. j.
The ball is considered out-of bounds and becomes dead when it: i.
Touches a wall. ii.
Touches the floor completely outside the court’s boundary lines. iii.
Touches the net antennas above or within the net or does not pass over the net entirely between the net antennas. iv.
Touches the net cables outside the net antennas (between antennas and referee platform). v.
Touches any part of a backboard or its supports hanging in a vertical position, over a playable area if the backboard would not have been there the ball would not have remained in play. k.
The position of players in order of the serve shall be Right Back, Right Front, Center Front, Left Front, Left Back and
Center Back. l.
At the moment of serve: i.
All players, except the server, shall be within the team’s playing area and may be in contact with the boundary lines or center line, but may not have any part of the body touching the floor outside those lines. ii.
All players shall be in correct serving order. Each right-side player shall have at least part of one foot touching the floor closer to the right sideline than both feet of the center player in the corresponding row
(except the server and the center back of the serving team). Each left-side player shall have at least part of one foot touching the floor closer to the left sideline than both feet of the center player in the corresponding row. Each front-row player shall have at least part of one foot touching the floor closer to the center line than both feet of the corresponding back-row player. iii.
After the ball is contacted for the serve, players may move from their respective positions. m.
Players on the serving team shall not take action to prevent receivers from seeing the contact of the serve or the path of the served ball. n.
The server shall hit the ball with one hand, fist or arm while the ball is held, or after it is released by the server. The ball shall be contacted within five seconds after the referee’s signal to serve. o.
A server can serve anywhere along the end line, but must not step on the end line or beyond the sideline when serving. The server’s body may be in the air over or beyond the serving area boundary lines, having left the floor from within the serving area. p.
A player’s term of service begins when the player assumes the right back position as the server and ends when a loss of rally is awarded. Each player may have only one re-serve during a team’s term of service. q.
A re-serve is called when the server releases the ball for service, then catches it or drops it to the floor. The referee shall cancel the serve and direct a second and last attempt at serve. The server is allowed a new five seconds for the re-serve. r.
The first server is the right back position. The player in the right front position rotates to the serving area. s.
A team continues serving until a loss of rally or the game ends. t.
The team not serving first in the first game of a match shall serve first in the second game.
2.
During Play: a.
All nonplaying team members need to remain seated during the game. b.
A live ball is in play, from the moment the ball is legally contacted by the correct server until a dead ball occurs. c.
A live ball becomes dead when: i.
The ball touches the net antennas or does not pass entirely between the net antennas and passes beyond the plane of the center line extension.

ii.
The ball lands out of bounds. iii.
The ball contacts the ceiling or an overhead obstruction and is not legally played next by the offending team. iv.
The ball contacts the ceiling or an overhead obstruction after the third hit. v.
The ball contacts a wall or ceiling obstruction which is over a nonplayable area. vi.
The ball becomes motionless in the net or on an overhead obstruction. vii.
The ball touches the floor. viii.
The ball passes completely under the net. ix.
The ball contacts a nonplayer in a playable area. x.
A ball breaks the plane of a nonplayable area and goes beyond the legal reach of a player. xi.
An official’s whistle sounds. d.
A contact is any touch of the ball by a player. e.
A hit is a contact/touch of the ball which is counted as one of the team’s three allowable plays before the ball is returned to the opponent’s side of the court. f.
A team shall not have more than three hits before the ball crosses the net into the opponent’s playing area or is touched by the opponent. When the team’s first contact is simultaneous contact by opponents, or an action to block, the next contact is considered the team’s first hit. g.
A ball is considered to have crossed the net when: i.
It has passed completely beyond the vertical plane of the net. ii.
It is partially over the net and is contacted by an opponent. iii.
No part of the ball has crossed the net, and it is legally blocked. h.
Legal contact is a touch of the ball by a player’s body above and including the waist which does not allow the ball to visibly come to rest or involve prolonged contact with a player’s body. i.
Simultaneous contact is more than one contact of the ball made at the same instant. i.
When one player contacts the ball with two or more parts of the body at the same instant, it is permitted and considered one hit (except for a block which does not count as a hit). ii.
When teammates contact the ball at the same instant, it is permitted and considered one hit (except a block which does not count as a hit). Any player may make the next hit. iii.
A “joust” occurs when two opponents cause the ball to come to rest above the net through simultaneous contact. A “joust” is not a foul, and play continues as if the contact was instantaneous. iv.
When opposing players contact the ball at the same instant, the player on the opposite side of the net from which the ball falls shall be considered the next play and the simultaneous contact shall not count as a hit. j.
Successive contacts of the ball are two or more separate attempts to play the ball by one player. A player shall not have successive contacts of the ball unless there is: i.
Simultaneous contact by teammates. ii.
Simultaneous contact by opposing players. iii.
Successive contacts by a player whose first contact is a block; then the second contact shall count as the first hit by the player’s team. k.
Front-row players may contact the ball from any position inside or outside the court provided the ball has not completely crossed the vertical plane of the net or the net extended. l.
Back-row players, while positioned behind the attack line, may contact the ball from any position inside or outside the court above or below the top of the net. m.
Back-row players may not: i.
Participate in a completed block. ii.
Attack a ball which is in front of the attack line. n.
A player may touch the floor across the center line with one or both feet/hands provided a part of the foot/feet or hands remains on or above the center line. It is illegal to make contact with the floor across the center line with any other part of the body.
3.
Net Play: a.
A ball contacting and crossing the net shall remain in play provided contact is entirely within the net antennas. A serve contacting and crossing the net shall remain in play provided that the ball is entirely within the antennas. b.
A ball hit into the net can be recovered. c.
A player shall not contact a ball that is completely on the opponent’s side of the net unless the contact is a legal block. d.
Blocking a served ball is not permitted. e.
A served ball may not be attacked. f.
A net foul occurs while the ball is in play and: i.
A player contacts any part of the net including net cables or net antennas. It is not a foul when a player’s loose hair touches the net, or the force of a ball hit by an opponent pushes the net or net cables into the player. ii.
There is interference by a player who makes contact with an opponent which interferes with the opponent’s legitimate effort to play the ball.

4.
Fouls: a.
A foul is a failure to play as permitted by the rules. b.
A double foul occurs when opposing players commit rule violations at the same instant. (Live ball = replay) c.
A multiple foul occurs when the same team commits more than one violation of a single rule at the same instant during play or dead ball. d.
A double hit occurs when a player’s successive or multiple contacts are illegal. e.
A foot fault occurs when a player violates the serving area or center line restrictions.
5.
Replay (done without awarding a loss of rally/point and without a rotation for the serve) is declared when: a.
An inadvertent whistle occurs by a referee. b.
A player unintentionally serves the ball prior to the referee’s signal to serve. c.
A double foul during a live ball. d.
Conflicting call which the referee cannot resolve. e.
A player’s legitimate effort to legally play the ball, in the judgment of the official, is affected by a: i.
Nonplayer anywhere in a playable area. ii.
Ball becoming motionless in the net inside the net antennas or on/in an overhead obstruction over a playable area. (Exception: third hit) f.
Play is interrupted because a foreign object enters the playable area or a player has been injured. g.
The ball contacts a backboard or its supports hanging in a vertical position over a playable area and would have remained in play had the backboard not been there, and a player is able to make a legitimate play for the ball.
6.
Substitutions: a.
Must be made prior to serve being signaled by the referee. b.
Should move to the sideline between the attack line and the center line of that team’s playing area. The substitute must give the scorekeeper his/her initials and the initials of the player being replaced (or number, if players have numbers on the back of shirt). c.
The player and the substitute shall remain in the substitution zone until the scorekeeper releases them. d.
During time-outs substitutions must be given to the scorekeeper. e.
The position of the substitute shall be that of the player replaced without changing the serving order as recorded on the scoresheet.