Rules and Policies (Beach)
GAME FORMAT
- For first serve, the two captains will play one game of 'rock, paper, scissors'. The winning team will serve in the 1st, and 3rd set. While the loser will serve in the 2nd set.
- The ball will be provided by Ottawa Volley Sixes, unless you wish to use your 2016 Beach 'Nimbus 2000' game ball. We will also provide scoreboards; we generally encourage your small children, substitutes, and/or your significant others to keep score.
- Each match consists of 3 sets, with each set up to 25 points. A team must win by 2 points, and there is a cap at 27 points .
- The net height is set at 2.40m
TEAM COMPOSITION
- A full team on the court consists of 4 players with a minimum of 1 female or 1 male player.
- In coed beach 2s, the teams will consist of 1 female, and 1 male player. No exceptions.
- All players must be added to the team roster by the team captain. This process confirms that all players have electronically agreed (checked the box) to our policies and online waiver.
- Substitute players are allowed, however they must be added to the roster (check the online waiver).
- In the spirit of sportsmanship, captains are expected to replace players with a person of a similar skill level. Bringing in “ringers” for regular season and particularly playoff games is discouraged.
DEFAULTS
- We ask that all teams do their best to be at their designated court 10 minutes before their scheduled match time in order to avoid delays.
- If after 15 minutes teams do not meet the player requirements they will forfeit the first set. After 20 mins, they will forfeit the entire match.
- Defaults are recorded as 0-25, 0-25, 0-25 for the team that defaults.
GENERAL GAME RULES
- The server must hit the ball within 10 seconds of the opposing team being set and ready to receive.
- Only one toss or release of the ball is allowed.
- The server must not touch the court or end line before the ball is released.
- The ball is in play if it touches the net and continues to the opponent’s side.
- To block (or attack at the net) an opponent’s service is forbidden.
- A player may play the ball off any part of his/her body, including feet.
- The team is entitled to a maximum of three hits for returning the ball.
- Players may contact the ball with any part of the body, including areas below the waist.
Faults:
- Lift or Carry: the ball is caught and/or thrown
- Double contact: a player hits the ball twice in succession or the ball contacts various parts of his/her body in succession
- Open handed tip: Player may not use an open hand to tip the ball. Players must use a closed fist when tipping the ball. So open hand touches, tips and dinks are illegal.
- Beach 2s *Specific Rule*: Players may not volley on first contact.
- A double hit off of the serve or hard driven hit is allowed.
- A blocker may touch the ball beyond the net, provided that he/she does not interfere with the opponents’ play before or during the latter’s attack hit.
- To touch the opponent’s court with a foot is permitted, provided that some part of the penetrating foot remains either in contact with or directly above the centre line.
- A block contact is not counted as a team hit- after a block contact; a team is entitled to three hits to return the ball.
- Because there is no 3-metre line in beach volleyball, players may attack from anywhere on the court.
STANDINGS
The criteria for tie-breaking is as follows:
- 1st criteria: % of games won.
- 2nd criteria: Differential of points scored vs. points allowed.
- 3rd criteria: Head to Head.
REPORTING SCORES
- Scores must be written down on your court clipboard, please ensure you double-check the scores written down at the end of the fixture.
- Scores are then collected and entered by the coordinator-on-site. In most circumstances all scores will be reported by the end of the following business day. We ask that the captains double-check their scores in case of error, and please report any errors to Matt via email.