🏐Official Sand Volleyball Rules🏐

Sportsmanship Policy: Everplay Sport & Social Club is dedicated to providing a safe and fun sporting environment. All participants should keep this in mind when joining any Everplay League or Event. Because we encourage competitive play while maintaining good sportsmanship, any behavior deemed unacceptable by the Everplay staff may result in consequences such as ejection from the game or event, suspension from the current season, or potentially being banned entirely from Everplay as an organization. This includes actions and behavior toward umpires/referees/field managers, opposing players, and/or teammates. Some examples of unacceptable behaviors include shouting, cursing, physical altercations, and intimidation. Everplay reserves the right to determine actions as violations of the sportsmanship policy and to deal with each instance accordingly. Everplay appreciates it’s participants love for the game and has the ultimate goal of maintaining it’s motto: Play sports, Have fun, Stay social.

Team:

1. Team rosters shall include a minimum of the 5 players, including at least 2 of each gender:
2. The maximum number of players on the court is 4 per team.
3. If a team does not have 4 players total and at least 1 player of each gender, they may start with as few as 3 players.   If a team has less than 4 or the gender requirements are not met at game time, they will suffer a 3 point deficit for every match that they are short.  If a player comes late, the 3 point penalty can be waived for the remaining games, but not any games in progress.
4. All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will forfeit the game.
5. When a team has fewer than the required number of players of a specified gender available, players of one gender may not be substituted for members of another gender. For example, if a team has 4 total players available at game time, but none are female, the team must play short with 3 players.
6. Players arriving late may join a game already in progress by going into the rotation line.
7. All players present during the match may, but are not required to, play in each game of the match.
8. The player order for the purpose of rotation must be determined before each game, however it may be altered between games.
9. Late Registration: a team may add players to the roster through the 3rd Scheduled Game.

Playing Area:

1. The volleyball court shall measure approximately 60 feet long by 30 feet wide.

Equipment/Outfits:

1. Games will be played with a regulation volleyball provided by the League or a personal ball agreed upon by both captains at the start of play.
2. Players must wear their League-provided t-shirts of the appropriate color for their team. Beginning the fourth week, any team that has more than 1 player playing in the game that is not wearing their League T-Shirt will receive a side out penalty each time that player(s) comes to service. 
3. Players must be barefooted.

Game Clock:

1. Each match shall be completed within 45 minutes, or after the completion of the 3 Matches.
2. No Timeouts in Sand Volleyball.

Service:

1. A coin toss shall determine which team makes the first serve. The losing team of each match will receive the first serve of the corresponding match.
2. Server must be delivered from behind the boundary line.
3. Served balls that contact the net on the way over are considered live and may be played.
4. Served balls are dead, and a side-out and point awarded to the opposing team if:
   1. The ball fails to cross the top of the net.
   2. The ball makes contact with the ceiling or other obstruction.
   3. The ball lands out of bounds.
   4. The ball contacts a serving team's player prior to crossing the net.

Returns:

1. Any part of the body may be used to hit the ball, including feet.
2. Serves may not be attacked or blocked; i.e. they may not be returned when the ball is higher than the top of the net.
3. The ball must be returned with no more than three hits.
4. A player may not hit the ball twice in a row.
5. No part of a player's body is permitted to break the plane of the net (the area above the net) for any reason, including when blocking on a return.
6. If the ball crosses between the wooden poles, the ball is live. (Due to No Antennas).

Rotation:

1. When a team receives the ball after a side-out has been called on the opposing team, the team shall rotate available players prior to serving.
2. The next player waiting on the sideline shall be rotated into the game into the server's position.
3. When 4 players are on court, there shall be 2 players in the front row and 2 players in the back row at each serve.  After the ball is served, all players are eligible to play front and back.

Side Outs:

1. If a team commits an error or foul, a side out shall be called, 1 point and service awarded to the opposing team. 
   Errors include:
   1. Ball lands out of bounds not contacting the line in any way.
   2. Ball fails to pass over the net on a serve.
   3. Carrying the ball.
   4. Team contact with the ball more than three times in a return.
   5. A player contacting the ball more than once in a row.
   6. Ball contacts the ceiling or hanging object prior to crossing the net.
   Faults include:
   1. A player making contact with the net during the serve, unless the net is pushed into the player.
   2. Breaking the plane of the net with any part of the body.
   3. Blocking a serve.
   4. Making contact with the net while attempting to play the ball. Exceptions: Incidental contact by a player not actively attempting to play the ball is NOT a fault. Contact with the net as a result of movement of the net is NOT a fault.
   5. Crossing the plane of the net (area above the net).
   6. Illegal rotation or substitution.
   7. A player making contact with the opposing team's side of the court, interfering with another player's play.
   8. Unsportsmanlike conduct.

Scoring:

1. One point shall be awarded for each service, i.e. "rally scoring".
2. The first team to score 21 points by a margin of 2 or more, or to reach 25 by any margin shall win the game.
3. If a team has scored 21 points without a margin of 2 or more points, game play and scoring will continue until the margin has been reached or a team has reached 25 points.
4. Each Game will be 3 Matches with each Match counting as 1 point in the Standings.

Forfeits:

1. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements at the posted game time. Any team not ready to play at this time, they receive a 5 minute buffer, after 5 minutes the opposing Team wins the First Match.  After 10 Minutes, the score is recorded 3-0 and a forfeit is official.
2. If neither team is ready to play, both teams shall forfeit.
3. Teams that forfeit (3) times during one season will be removed from the league schedule and forfeited out of the league.

Cancellation Policy:

1. Email and Text Alerts are primarily used to inform participants of canceled games due to inclement weather and field conditions.  These cancellation decisions typically don't occur before 3pm the day of the game. Participants should always assume their game is being played as scheduled unless they hear otherwise.
2. Everplay Sport & Social Club will make all efforts to reschedule up to 2 weeks of games per season due to weather related cancellations.  Any cancellations after that, may not be made up due to time and scheduling constraints.

Playoffs:

1. Best of three format. Winners 2 out of the 3 games advance.
2. The first two games the first team to score 21 points by a margin of 2 or more, or to reach 25 by any margin shall win the game.
3. If a game three is forced, we will play first to 15 points. (No win by two).