SIDEBAR BEACH VOLLEYBALL GOLDEN RULES:

• Have fun, make new friends, and take advantage of drink specials. The game might not go your way, but cold beer always helps!

• Referees have the final call on the court. Please respect them.

• No fighting or aggressive behavior will be tolerated and may result in suspension or expulsion from the league. 

• Please be on time. We recommend showing up at least 10 minutes early to check in and avoid any chance of forfeit. Please let the ref know your team has arrived.

• No smoking in the sand or deck area of the Sandbar, please use the designated areas.

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NUMBER OF PLAYERS

6v6 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Beer/Social League:

• 6 players will play at once, with a minimum of 2 females on the court at all times. A minimum of 4 players from your roster or a “qualified substitute” (see Qualified Substitutes below) are required to start a game or continue a game. The majority of players on the court have to be rostered players.

• Each player must rotate on a side out when the team wins a new serve rotation. 

• You have to rotate positions.

• If any team is short the required number of women, they may play down with 4 men/1 woman or 3 men/1 woman. Once again, a “qualified substitute” may be invited to play if accordance to the guidelines below:

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4v4 ​Tuesday Competitive & Saturday Semi- Competitive League:

• At least 1 female is required on the court at all times no matter the amount of players on the court.  A minimum of 2 players to qualify for a win. 

• Players do not have to rotate positions but do have to rotate serves. 

• The majority of players on the court have to be rostered players.

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• On any day if a player arrives after the games have started they must wait for the next match to join, unless agreed upon by the opposing team.

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QUALIFIED SUBSTITUTES / ROTATIONS

• If any team is short the required number of players (6 beer league) or (4 for competitive & semi-competitive league) in a regular season game, they may invite players to substitute for the missing roster player. Must be approved by the Referee – the Referee has full discretion to allow or deny any substitute from being qualified to play.

• If a team has 7 or more players rostered and any rostered player can not make it, they can have subs to equate to their rostered amount. Substitute players must be sidelined first if there are more than 6 players on the court. 

• Substitutes are only allowed during regular season games. NO SUBSTITUTES for playoff games, only rostered players. 

• If a player joins a team after the season started or roster changes need to be made the SideBar Volleyball Point of Contact (email or instagram dm) must be notified to add them to the roster no later than week 4 to be eligible to play in playoffs. 

• Rotating players from the sideline can only be made into the server position upon rotation. 

• There must be a fair rotation of all players through court positions. This means that both men and women get time both on the bench and on the court. Referees may require substitutions to ensure this. However if there are only 2 women on the court and one would be substituted out,  they skip sitting out and go straight to serving. 

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SCORING

• Each match is best 2 out of 3. The first 2 matches played to 21 points. Teams must win by 2 points, capped at 25 points (whoever reaches 25 first wins, no win by 2). Third game is played to 15, must win by 2 and capped at 20 (no win by 2 when hitting 20) 

• Rally point scoring will be used. This means that, regardless of which team served, a point is awarded for each side-out.

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SERVING

• Order: Rock, Paper, Scissors will determine which team serves first. The winner chooses: a) either to serve or receive, or b) which side of the court they want to start. The loser receives the remaining choice. The team that won the first match will receive first serve.

• Another round of Rock, Paper, Scissors will be played to determine serve if there is a third game.

• Serving may be either underhand or overhand with either a closed or open hand. The player serving shall not serve until signaled to do so by the Referee, or if the other team confirms they are set. If the player serving catches a bad toss in the air, the serve shall be replayed as long as it wasn’t attempted/touched.

• Every player must serve in rotation.

• If the serving team wins a rally, the same player serves again. If the returning team wins the rally, it gains the serve, and the server for the next point is whichever player has not been the server when his/her team was last serving.

• The player serving will continue to serve until the Referee calls a “side-out.”

 

GAME PLAY

• Each time a team is awarded the serve, that team will rotate one place clockwise.

• A ball hit into the net, other than a serve, may be recovered, provided a player does not contact the net or cross the center line. For the safety of all players, please refrain from contact with the net.

• A team must return the ball across the net with three or fewer contacts. A block does NOT count as a contact.

• A player may not play the ball twice in succession, unless the initial contact is a block.

• If the ball lands on the boundary line, it is considered in the court. A player can run out of bounds and play the ball.

• The ball cannot be played off the deck, nets around the deck, or roof.

• ​A player may not reach over the net to hit a ball. Reaching over the net is only acceptable if it is after the player executes a hit AND the contact does not interfere with the opponents play.

• The ball may touch ANY body part.

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Tuesday Competitive Specific Ruling: 

• Double contacts are no longer called according to FIVB rule change with the exception of intentional hand sets over the net. In that case, shoulders must be square with the direction of the ball and must be a clean hand set.

• Carries/lifts will be called (up to discretion of the ref)

• Lifts are not allowed - if a lift motion is made while contacting the ball, contact must be audible

• No open hand tips - pads of fingers cannot be used to tip a ball

• Net violations will be called

• Coming under the net to the opposing team's side will be called if play/other team is affected

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Saturday Semi-Competitive Specific Ruling:

• We want this league to be fun and relaxed like a beer league but bringing a little more heat.

• Carries/lifts will not be called

• Net violations will be called

• Coming under the net to the opposing team's side will be called if play/other team is affected

 

FOULS / VIOLATIONS

If a foul is committed, the penalty will be a side-out point. These are the only rules for 6v6 Beer League and in addition to 4v4 league specific ruling listed above. The following are violations:

• Illegally serving or serving out of turn.

• Failure to return the ball over the net in three or fewer contacts.

• Catching, holding, or blatant carrying of the ball while playing.

• Slapping or scooping the ball in an underhand motion with open hand(s).

• Touching or reaching under the net to interfere with an opponent playing the ball.

• Contact with the ball twice in succession, unless the first contact is a block.

 

TIMEOUTS

Each team may call one one-minute timeout per match, if needed.

 

FORFEITS

• Teams should report to the courts at least 10 minutes before their scheduled start time of the match. A game will be ruled a forfeit if any of the following occur:

• No one from one of the teams is present at the start of the game

• Not enough female players are present

• Improper conduct or fighting by one or more players on any team 

• If teams forfeit 3 regular season games that will be considered season abandonment (more information below)

• While any of the following can result in a forfeit loss of 3-0, exceptions can be made if a team has exigent circumstances. Still, the final decision is subject to the Referee’s discretion.

 

SEASON ABANDONMENT

Registered teams that miss two weeks of play will be considered to have abandoned their place in that season of the League. Teams meeting this criterion will be contacted by Sidebar Volleyball coordinator to confirm their abandonment status. If the team fails to respond within two business days, they will be removed from the season schedule and will forfeit their registration fees. Teams that respond will be required to supply reasoning for lack of attendance and can petition the League for reinstatement. Reactivation decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the League management.

 

INCLEMENT WEATHER

• In the event of weather conditions making the games unsafe, Sidebar Social will send an update to those who have signed up for notifications at registration. SideBar volleyball group me and social media is the best way to stay tuned for cancellations. Full day cancellations will be made by 4:30pm day of games.

• In the event the matches have been started and then must be postponed due to weather, the matches will be restarted from the beginning if less than the first half of the first game has been played; otherwise, the games will be called or resumed from the stoppage of play if the progress of the game if after the first half of the first game.

• Any matches postponed for weather will be rescheduled and information on the rescheduled game will be sent to all players via email.

MOST IMPORTANTLY – This is a SOCIAL LEAGUE, so have fun and make friends!