beach volleyball Rules

Time Limit

All matches have an allotted amount of time of one hour to play all three sets. Warm up time is included within this hour, so be sure to warm up as much as possible before the actual start time. Each team has one timeout to use (30 seconds in length).

Team

  • Co-Ed 4v4: Each team consists of four players on the court at a time, with a maximum of three males on the court at a time. A team may play with a minimum of three players and a minimum of one female. If a team has fewer than these minimums, the game will be forfeited. Teams can still play for fun if agreed upon.

  • Co-Ed 6v6: Each team consists of six players on the court at a time, with a maximum of four males on the court at a time. A team may play with a minimum of four players and a minimum of two females. If a team has fewer than these minimums, the game will be forfeited. Teams can still play for fun if agreed upon.

​Equipment

CityRec will provide official AVP sized volleyballs for teams to use. Teams may use their own ball, but must agree on a ball prior to starting the first set.

​

Playing Area & Boundaries

Boundaries will be visibly marked on each court.

Beginning the Game

The team winning the coin flip or rock, paper, scissors will choose either side of court or to serve in the first set. At the conclusion of the first set, teams will switch playing sides, and the team which did not serve first in set one will serve first in set two. If a third set is required teams will coin flip or rock, paper, scissors again just like the beginning of the match for either side or serve.

Gameplay

Matches will be self-officiated. All participants are expected to know the rules of the sport. CityRec officials will be on hand to handle any questions or discrepancies. Sets one and two shall be played to 25 points using rally scoring. Set three shall be played to 15 points. Sets must be won by two points. Match format will be best two out of three sets. Captains are responsible for reporting the results of their matches to a CityRec official.

​

  • The Serve: The server shall stand with both feet behind the rear boundary line. There are no restrictions as to how the ball may be served except that it must be clearly hit, not thrown or pushed. Side out is declared when a served ball hits the net and does not pass over. A ball that contacts the net and continues over constitutes a LEGAL serve.

​

Any player may contact the ball with any body part, above or below the waist.

A ball touching any part of the boundary line is in.

It is permissible to run out-of-bounds to play a ball.

Players are not permitted to scoop, hold, or throw the ball. The ball must not visibly come to rest on the player’s hands, fingers, or any other part of the body.

A player shall not make successive contacts of the ball unless he/she has blocked a spike at the net. One person may play the ball twice during a volley but not twice in succession.

A ball, other than a serve, may be recovered from the net provided the player avoids contact with the net and does not catch or hold the ball.

Contact of the ball during blocking action does not count as one of the three team hits.

There are no gender restrictions for multiple contacts of the ball.

Spikes by both men and women are legal.

Blocking and spiking the ball on the serve is illegal.

The ball must always be returned over the net by the third contact, unless a block is the initial contact in which case the ball must be returned by the fourth contact.

​

  • Blocking: A successful block is accomplished when either the ball rebounds off the hands of the blocker and directly back into the opponent’s court, or deflects off the hands in such a way that the blocker’s team may play the ball. An attempt to block does not constitute a block unless the ball is contacted during an attempt. The team which has attempted a block shall have the right to three more contacts with the ball in order to return it to the opponent’s side. When the ball, after having touched the top of the net and the opponent’s block, returns to the attacker’s side, the team then has the right of three more contacts in order to return to the ball to the opponent’s side.

  • Net Play: A player may reach under the net as long as he/she does not interfere with an opponent’s attempt to play the ball. A player may reach over the net to complete a spike which was begun on the player’s own side of the net. A player may never touch the net. A player may reach over the net to block, but not to interfere with the opposing team’s play.

  • Substitution: Substitutions are only allowed when your team has possession.

  • Rotation: During 4v4, team members do not need to rotate position on the court. They do have to rotate service. During 6v6, team members must rotate on the court and must remain in that position until the serve has been contacted. The player in the back-right hand corner of the rotation will be designated to serve and continue to rotate clockwise. If playing shorthanded there is no ghost rule.

Forfeits

If your team forfeits a match during the season, the following rules apply:

  • First Offense: Loss of the match and warning issued.

  • Second Offense: Loss of the match and staff reserves right to remove team from playoffs with no refund for games not played.

  • Third Offense: Removal from the league with no refund for games not played.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Rules will be enforced primarily by the honor system. While volleyball can get competitive, Players must keep in mind that everyone is there to have a good time. Players that demean or curse at other players or officials will be disqualified from the tournament. All disciplinary actions are at the discretion of the CityRec officials.

Disclaimer

CityRec reserves the right to change any rules at any time.