Intramural Rules for Volleyball

Volleyball games will be held on courts one and two (Co-Rec uses all 3 courts).

Net height

1. Men’s League: the top of the net must reach up to eight feet.
2. Women’s League: the top of the net must reach up to seven feet and four and one fourth inches.
3. Co-Rec League: the top of the net must reach up to eight feet.

All Intramural Participants must adhere to the Membership and Eligibility rules establish by the SDSU Intramural Sports Constitution Articles IV and VI which state:

1. All SDSU students regularly enrolled and having paid the General Activity Fee are eligible for participation in activities programmed by the Intramural Sports Office.
2. SDSU faculty and staff and community members that have paid a membership fee to the SDSU Wellness Center and have purchased an IM Sports Pass are eligible for participation in intramural activities.
3. Non Wellness Center Members must purchase a Non-member IM Pass in order to be eligible to participate.
4. Any student who has participated at the varsity level will be ineligible for competition in that sport for one full year once they are no longer a member of the varsity team.
5. An intramural team roster may not include more varsity letter winners or Sport Club members that participate in a similar sport that would total one-half the number of players necessary to start a given contest.
6. A roster may have no more than 3 IM supervisors on an individual team.
7. A player can only be on the roster of one team per sport.
8. No individual may participate in Intramural Sports while under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.
9. Players must check in to at least one regular season game to be considered eligible for playoffs.

Equipment provided by Intramural Program

1. Participants refusing to adhere to the equipment rules will be barred from participation.
2. Unacceptable equipment specifications
   1. No hats or bandanas allowed
   2. All volleyballs will be provided by the Intramural Sports Program

There is a maximum of six total players per game.

There is a minimum of four players per game.

1. Failure to provide four eligible players before the start of the game will result in a forfeit.

Co-Rec

1. The ratio between male and females when fielding six or four participants must be 1:1. When fielding five participants the ratio must be 3:2.
2. Not adhering to the acceptable ratios will result in a forfeit.

Beginning and end of contest

1. The match will begin with a Captain’s meeting with the officials.
   1. A coin flip will determine serving sides and first serve.
   2. The non-serving team to start the first set shall start with serve for the second set.
   3. If a match is tied after two sets, the captains will again rock-paper-scissors for serve and side.
2. Sets will be played to 25 points, must win by 2, cap at 30
   1. Team must switch sides after every game.
   2. During the third game, once a score of 13 has been reached teams shall switch sides.
3. Teams will play a best of 3 series. The match will end once a team has won 2 sets.

Mercy Rule

1. There is no mercy rule.

Playoff Rules

1. All rules that apply for the regular season also apply to playoffs.

Contacting the ball

1. Players may not intentionally play a ball with their head or leg (off the floor), or any other body part other than their hands or arms
2. Kicking
   1. In order for a player’s foot to strike the ball legally, the foot must be fully planted on the ground.

Serving

1. A server shall hit the ball with one hand, fist, or arm.
   1. Can be over-head or underhand serve.
2. A ball that hits the net on the serve and goes over is a playable ball.
3. Both feet must be behind the line when the serve is made.
   1. If the server’s foot crosses the line before the serve is completed, a side-out shall be called and the opposing team shall be awarded a point.
   2. If server is jumping, they must take off before the line and may land on the other side after serve is made

Common Rules

1. Out of Bounds
   1. A ball which hits a wall, jogging track, lowered basketball backboard or extension will be considered out.
   2. A ball which contacts the ceiling, or any raised basketball backboard or extension, and does not cross onto the other side of play is playable.
   3. A ball which contacts the ceiling, or any raised basketball backboard or extension, and crosses onto the other side of play is considered out.
   4. A ball which falls on the boundary line will be considered in bounds.
   5. A ball hit over the net must travel in between the two net antennas to be considered in bounds.
   6. A ball that strikes the antenna will be out of bounds
   7. A player may go beyond the centerline extended to play a ball, but the ball may not have completely crossed the vertical plane of the net extended

Positioning and Rotation

1. Players must line up and designate themselves as back row or front row before the start of each serve.\
2. When receiving the serve as the result of a side-out, all players on that team must rotate clockwise to the next position.
3. Co-rec: Players must position themselves in a manner which they are not positioned next to a teammate of the same gender.
   1. In the case of five eligible players on the court, two players of the same gender may be positioned next to one another.

Returning the Serve/ Rally

1. The ball must be returned through a maximum of three hits.
   1. Co-rec: If the ball is passed over the net by more than one hit, a both a male and female must have contacted the ball.
   2. A team unable to return the ball after three hits will lose the point and the serve, if applicable.

Multiple Hits

1. A ball contacting two players simultaneously may be next played by either player
2. A player may block a ball and make a consecutive hit on the ball
3. A ball that is contacted simultaneously by opposing players may be consecutively contacted by either player, with the second touch counting as one of the team’s three hits

Violations

1. A point shall be awarded to the other team if any of the following acts are committed.
   1. Lifts
      1. Catching, holding, scooping, lifting, shoving, palming, or following the ball shall be considered a lift.
   2. Contact with the Net
      1. Any contact with the net will constitute a violation.
      2. If a ball is driven into the net with such force it causes the net to contact a player on the opposing team, no violation shall be called, and the ball shall continue to be in play
   3. Under the Net
      1. If a player crosses the center line under the net and causes a collision, distraction, or poses a safety risk for the opposing team, a violation shall be called.
      2. A player whose whole foot crosses the center line shall be called for a violation
   4. Double Hit
      1. A ball may not touch a player twice in succession except when the player is digging a spike or serve.
   5. Illegal Blocking
      1. Players may not attack or block a serve.
      2. Players are not allowed to block a set ball intended for a teammate
         1. Defensive touches while blocking do not count as a hit.
      3. Blocking a ball, which is entirely on the opponent’s side of the net, is permitted when the opposing team has completed their attack. The attack is considered complete when:
         1. The attacking team intentionally directs the ball into the opponent's court.
         2. The attacking team has completed their 3 allowable hits.
         3. No member of the attacking team could reasonably make a play on the ball.
   6. Illegal Spike
      1. Any back row player who attacks a ball must have left the playing court from behind the ten foot line
      2. A back row player may play a ball in front of the ten foot line provided they remain grounded while doing so
   7. Screening
      1. Screening is an act, intentional or unintentional, which obstructs the opponent's view of the server or the flight of the ball from the server.
         1. Players will be given a warning before a foul will be called.
   8. Double fouls
      1. If two fouls are committed at the same time by both teams, the point shall be replayed.

Scoring

1. Rally Scoring shall be used.  
2. A fault committed by the receiving team will result in a point awarded to the serving team.        
3. A fault committed by the serving team will result in a side-out and a point for the receiving team.
4. It is not necessary for the winning team to be serving at the time the winning point is scored.

Substitutions

1. Players may only substitute for teammates of the same gender.
2. Substitutions shall be made only during a dead ball.
3. Substitutes may only enter in the server’s position during rotation.
4. In the event of an injury to a teammate, a substitute shall enter into the place in the rotation of the injured player.
5. A substitute must serve at least once before substituting out except in the case of an injury.

The only participant who can make appeals to an official is the team captain. Consistent infraction of this rule may lead to an ejection.

Any player who is creating an environment which any official deems as contrary to the goals of the Intramural Sports Program is subject to ejection.

Use of profanity directed at an official shall result in an immediate ejection.

Any protest made must be addressed to the Intramural Official immediately.

Judgment calls are not protestable.

All protests must be issued in accordance with article XI of the Intramural Sports Constitution.

Any misconduct executed by an official must be brought to the immediate attention of the IM Supervisor.

Any team or individual that fails to be ready for play at the scheduled time of the contest will forfeit to their opponent.

Forfeited contests will not be rescheduled.

1. A fine of $25 shall be assessed and subtracted from the team’s deposit.

After a team forfeits two contests in a sport, the team will be suspended until a second $25 hobo dough forfeit fee is paid.

If a team must forfeit, the Intramurals office should be notified no later than 3pm the day of the contest.

1. This will count as a default and not a forfeit.

Teams shall be charged a $25 refundable deposit for each league sport which may not be transferred from sport to sport.

1. Must be paid at the Wellness Center welcome desk prior to team creation.

All participants must adhere to the Sportsmanship Rules Established by Article XVI of the Intramural Sports Constitution.

1. Team captain is responsible for educating and informing all players and spectators affiliated with his/her team about the system.
2. The officials working that game and or any intramural staff member will rate each team in each contest on sportsmanship.
3. The intramural staff and officials rate teams and organizations on a 4 point rating system. To qualify for playoffs, a team must average at least a 3.0 over all games to be included in playoffs.
4. Teams must also maintain an acceptable sportsmanship rating for each game throughout the playoffs in order to advance.