BumpSetDrink Volleyball League Rules

Rules of Play 

1. Facility Information
   The Bump Set Drink league reserves only 4 volleyball courts at the Discovery Sports Center.  Any other volleyball courts which may be open are for walk-in volleyball.  The Discovery Sports Center charges $5 per person to play on the walk-in courts.  At least 2 of the courts reserved for BumpSetDrink league play will be open for "free" pickup (league members only) until 10:30pm after matches have been completed.
 
Please remember that the Discovery Sports Center is a county-operated facility.  It is prohibited to possess alcohol in the Discovery Sports Center or in the parking lots.
 
2. Registration
   All registrations are final. No refunds will be offered for any reason. If a player chooses to not to play in the league after they are selected for a team, for a reason other than a change in situation (e.g. injury or work), the league directors reserve the right to ban the person from future registration.
    
3. Conduct
Rude behavior or offensive conduct is not permissible. Such behavior will lead to immediate match suspension by the referee. Suspension from the league, due to repeated poor conduct, will be recommended by the league officials on a case by case basis.  Multiple suspensions can lead to a permanent ban from the league.
 
4. Interpretation of USA Volleyball Rules
BumpSetDrink Volleyball league rules are a modified version of the USA Volleyball rules. They are interpreted as strictly as the referee deems reasonable. For any circumstances which these rules do not address, the decision will be based upon the USA Volleyball rules.
 
5. Rule Changes
Any of the rules contained herein, as well as rules covering items not explicitly stated within these rules, may be modified as deemed appropriate by the league officials.
 
6. Team Spokesperson
One of the players on the court shall be designated as the floor captain. The floor captain is the only player who may approach and address the referee as the spokesperson for the team. Floor captains may ask for rule clarifications.
 
7. Protesting a referee call 
   If a team spokesperson disagrees with the validity of a referee’s call (eg: a misinterpretation of a rule; failure to apply the correct rule; failure to charge the correct sanction; not decision of a referee as to the level of a carry or a lift, or whether the ball was in or out) they should immediately state they would like to protest the call.  Play should stop and the league representative on duty should be called in to make the decision based on the rules in play.
   
8. Time-out Requests
Requests for time-outs may only be made by the floor captain. Each team is allowed two time-outs per game. The time-out is limited to 30 seconds.

Commissioner Time-out:

• When team captains require the assistance of a league official who is actively playing in a match, those captains must approach the referee who is officiating the game in which the league official is playing. When the ball is not in play, they may request to speak with the official. The referee should then call an official's time-out for this purpose. The time-out will NOT be charged against either team.
  

Note: Please do not disturb the league officials during their scheduled matches unless it is absolutely necessary.  Before disturbing a scheduled match, please try to find another league official who is not playing. 


9. Player's Uniforms
Members of a team are not required to wear a team uniform. This is an exception to the USA Volleyball rules. Team captains may elect to request that their players wearsimilar jerseys.
 
10. Team Composition
A team shall consist of a minimum of 5 players and a maximum of 6 players on the court.

If a team roster has only 3 players of 1 sex on it, then they must have a minimum of 2 people of that sex on the court if they are present and are able to play (i.e. 4-2 or 3-3).

If a team roster has only 2 players of 1 sex on it, then they must have a minimum of 1 person of that sex on the court if they are present and are able to play (i.e. 5-1 or 4-2).

If a team can not field the appropriate number of players, and does not want to utilize the substitution rule, they may play with 'a ghost player' that rotates in the position of the player that the ghost position is representing. This ghost player should start in the 6th service position ('center back' if starting with service or 'server position' if starting with receive of service) position and rotate as the team rotates. The ghost position does not rotate off the court. The team will lose the serve when the ghost player rotates to the service position.

All eligible players present at a match play in all games in that match. Teams with more than 6 players present must rotate players on and off the court, with the rotation occurring off either (or both) side of the court when a side out is granted. If a team has the minimum number of players of a particular sex present, those players remain on the court and the player on the sideline remains there for an extra rotation when the required player passes in the rotation.


11. Substitutes
A substitute list will be maintained by the league commissioner(s) and will be available to captains for help with suggestions. Captains may choose a substitute to play from this list or any other person if a regular player from the team will be missing AND the opposing captain agrees.

No team may choose as a substitute any regular player currently in the league if that player is scheduled to play in a match at the same time (i.e. a lower division player may not abandon his/her team to substitute for another team at a higher level.)


Team captains must notify opposing captains, at the beginning of a match, of any substitute players who are participating in the match.


12. Permanent Substitutes
If a player is unable to participate on the team for the remainder of the season, a permanent substitute may be obtained. The permanent substitute will assume the position of the player that is being replaced on the team's roster.

A permanent substitute may be added to a team's roster, prior to the beginning of the playoffs, either by unanimous approval of the remaining team captains or by approval of a majority of the remaining team captains and either the league commissioner or the league director.  The permanent substitute may not be a player on another roster in the current season.

Once the playoffs begin, no changes may be made to a team's roster except as provided below in playoff rules.


13. Scoring
Rally scoring is used during the matches.  Games will be played to 25 points with a cap at 27 points.  If time becomes short, the games may be abbreviated, at the referees discretion, to 19 points with a cap at 21 points.

Let Serves which contact the net and land in the opponents field of play are legal.

An accurate game score is the responsibility of both captains (and their teams) who are playing in a match. Scores are kept on the scoreboard placards during each game. Final game scores should be recorded on the score sheets.

Captains, or a player designated as the captain if the captain is not available for a match, should verify that the scores are recorded at the completion of the match. If scoresheets are not available, it is the captain's responsibility to insure that the results of the match are communicated to the league commissioner.

If scores are not recorded, a double forfeit may be declared.


14. Injuries
If a player becomes injured during play, play shall be stopped immediately. The injured player will be allowed a reasonable amount of time to determine whether or not to continue playing. If a player can not continue play, a substitute player may be brought in. Once a player leaves the game due to an injury, that player may not subsequently return to play in the same game. Note that the player may return to play in another game during the same match.
 
15. Grace Periods
For the first match of the evening, a grace period of 10 minutes after the scheduled start time of the match will be allowed before the first game will be forfeited.  Each subsequent game will be forfeited every 5 minutes.  Play will start as soon as each team has at least 5 players.

For matches other than the first match of the evening, the first game will forfeit at game time.  Each subsequent game will be forfeited every 5 minutes.  Play will start as soon as each team has at least 5 players.

The score of each forfeited game will be recorded as 25-0.

If a team forfeits, the games may still be played. The score, however, will still be recorded as stated above. The referees may choose not to officiate a forfeited game.  It is the league officials view that a forfeit should be avoided as much as reasonably possible.  If anyone is available to substitute, all attempts should be made to play the match as scheduled. 


16. Length of Game
Rally scoring will be in effect for all games.  There will be a 6 minute warm-up period before the start of the games.  Please prepare as much as possible before the previous match ends.  In general, games will be 25 points with a 27 point cap.  Note, the 1st game of the 7pm match should start at 7pm, therefore warm-ups should take place before 7pm.  If, however, time becomes short, the games will be abbreviated to 19 points with a 21 point cap.  The start of the match is defined as the end of the previous match or 7pm, if it is the 1st match of the night.  Time is defined as becoming short if the 1st game ends later than 25 minutes past the start of the match (20 minutes for the 7pm match).  If the cumulative time at the end of the 2nd game is longer than 40 minutes from the start of the match, than the 3rd game will also be shortened. 

Due to the league's contractual obligations with the Discovery Center, there is no discretion on the referee's part to change these parameters. 
 
17. Standings
Standings will be determined by game win/loss records from each match. If two or more teams are tied for a position, positions will be resolved by the following criteria, applied one at a time, in order:
• The team with the best game record against the teams with which it is tied.
• The team with the best point differential (points scored minus points given up) against the team(s) with which it is tied.
• The team with the best overall point differential.
• The team with the most points scored against the teams with which it is tied.
• The team with the most points scored overall.
• A coin toss between the involved captains.
 
18. Court Setup/Takedown
In general, the courts should already be set up and ready for play before the first match. If they are not, it is the responsibility of the teams playing in the first match to contact the Discovery Center personnel to set them up.


19. Net Play and "Under the Net" Play
    
Bump Set Drink has decided not to adopt the USAV rules regarding net play and under the net play.  Therefore, any part of the body not in contact with or directly above the center line will still constitute a fault and a side out.  Any touching of the net, unless incidental to the play, with also constitute a fault and a side out.

Playoffs

1. Team Eligibility
All teams are eligible to play in the playoffs.
 
2. Player Eligibility
All players currently on the team at the start of the playoffs are eligible for the entire playoffs. Once the playoffs start, only changes outlined below may be made to the team rosters.

Only players on a team at the start of the playoffs are eligible to play for that team during the playoffs.

In order to prevent a team from forfeiting or playing a match with less than six players during the playoffs, a substitute for the playoffs may be permitted with unanimous approval of the remaining captains.  If a substitute is required for the playoffs, that substitute must be approved prior to the scheduled beginning of play on that evening.  The substitute may be from a lower division team who has already been eliminated from the playoffs.


3. Playoff Structure
A double elimination playoff will be used to determine the winner for each divsion. All teams will be seeded according to the standings at the end of the regular season.
 
4. Match Format
Playoff matches will consist of the best 2 out of 3 games. The first team to win 2 games wins the match. Games 1 and 2 will be to 25 points with a 27 point cap. If a third, deciding game is required, it will be to 19 points with no cap.  During this third game, teams will change sides at 10 points.
 
5. Work Teams
During the playoffs, captains will be required to provide work teams for certain matches in which their team will not be participating. Work teams will be assigned based on a schedule drawn up by the league commissioner.

A work team consists of 3 players, one to keep score and two to call lines. Teams in the AA, A and BB divisions are also required to provide a 2nd (or down) referee.

Teams failing to provide a work team for the assigned matches will be penalized 3 points per missing player at the start of their work match in corresponding games of the work team's next match. In other words, if a work team does not show up for an assigned match, 9 points would be awarded to the opposing team at the start of each game of the match. It is the team's responsibility to be aware of when they are the assigned work team for a match.  There is no grace period for the work team.  A team of 8 players should be able to have 3 persons present for the beginning of their work match (including 7pm starts).